As a comic fan and creator I stay within the safe confines of what a comic book or comic book page is "supposed" to look like. We have the panels and then the speech bubbles and text. But New Zealand comic creator, Draw has taken a different view of what a comic book page should or could be.
Because its something new and fresh, I had been meaning to discuss Draw's comics and so it was interesting that he approached me when I asked for submissions from New Zealand Comic Creators on the Facebook site.
COMIC ADDICTS: Tell us a bit about yourself, as most of our readers wouldn't know
who Draw is.
DRAW: Draw is my pen name; I've been making comics since the early 1990s. I
live in the North Island of New Zealand. I try to spend as much time as
I can making comics. Some influences and inspiration: Blakes 7; Harry
Clarke; Guido Crepax; Arthur L. Guptill; The Dead C; Chris Foss; Charles
Dana Gibson; Jandek; Pre-Raphaelites; Dick Whyte; Lebbeus Woods; and
Jean Rollin.
COMIC ADDICTS: All your work seems to be abstract, what is it that aiming for with
the constructs?
DRAW: To express myself, my emotional states, sensations and ideas. A few
years ago, I realised that the traditional ways the comics medium is
used to express ideas wasn't working for me. Once this happened, I
started thinking about how comics might better express what I want to
say. I started thinking about what the medium is and its building
blocks. Since then I have been continually pulling comics apart and
trying to figure it out. I like to think about comics in new ways.
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| Abstract Comics Anthology |
COMIC ADDICTS: 3. Having had seen your work in the past, I dismissed them as more
abstract paintings and collages rather than there being anything in common with comics per se. How do you explain to people what it is you are trying to say or portray with your work in the medium of comic books, especially when you get statements such as, "It would be more effective if you constructed a more powerful presentation. It reads like a tumblr dashboard or simple picture blog. The only way one would know it’s a sequential piece is through the connotation you provide"?
DRAW: It depends on the situation and the person I'm conversing with. If I
could I'd draw them a comic while I'm explaining mine to them. I would
talk about what inspires me; emotional states, nature, the thrill of
mark making, the conscious act of exploring the medium. I would talk
about composing images so they 'read' (left to right, top to bottom) like a comic. Finally, I would discuss what the basic building blocks of the comics medium are (for example: Panel, gutter, text,and word balloon) and show how these are used in my abstract comics.
COMIC ADDICTS: 4. You have had work in the "Abstract Comics Anthology", how did that come about?
DRAW: I started posting abstract comics in 2008 and the editor found me,
through Google; searching the term 'abstract comics'. He then contacted me.
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| Envy |
COMIC ADDICTS: As a Kiwi (New Zealand) comics artist what has been your experience when trying to sell your material locally? Have you seen a rise in people buying your books?
DRAW: It has been generally very difficult. For my comics, it really does
depend on context. Armageddon has never really been the best place to
sell my comics. Especially recently, it has gotten larger, louder and
more corporate.
I've found events like NZ Comics Weekend or Zine fest or local art
markets more successful places to sell my comics. A relaxed friendly
atmosphere leads to more sales. People are more likely to browse or take
a punt on something they may know nothing about.
I haven't seen a rise in people buying my comics. Mine tend to sell in
small numbers steadily over a long period. There is a small market for my comics in NZ mainly non-traditional comics buyers: zinesters, arty
people and the like - people who empathise with my comics.
I'm now at a point where I don't worry about selling comics; I focus on making the best comics I can.
(ARU), Aruneshwar has just finished his Bachelors Degree in Digital Media -Digital Film-making. He took a semester of Multimedia earlier this year which kind of set him up for comictrade.co.nz, a New Zealand online comic store. On the creative side Aru,is writing and illustrating a graphic novel about the 30yrs of Institutionalised Slavery of Indians in Fiji from 1885 -1915. He is a prolific script writer and writes in all comicbook genres which include several graphic novels for his own company,Rising Sun Comics.
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