Final task: Inspiration for the comic

In this post I would like to take the time to point towards some of my favourite comic book artists. I read comics a lot, but these three artists were the first ones that came to mind once I had picked a subject for the final task. All three have their own distinct styles and fields, but I feel all of them approach difficult issues in a powerful manner.

So, without further ado, I present to you...

Lauri Ahtinen

Lauri Ahtinen is a Finnish comic artist residing and working in Oulu. In his comics Ahtinen takes a very personal approach. In 2014, he published a book called Homepäiväkirja (Mold house diary), where he describes his experiences with a moldy house he bought with his then-wife. And in 2019, he released Eropäiväkirja (Divorce diary) where recounts his divorce.

What I adore about Ahtinen is his vivid style that sometimes steers into being shamelessly grotesque. There are a lot of emotions and heavy matters on play, and Ahtinen is not afraid show his feelings honestly.

I also like how his book Homepäiväkirja has completely abandoned the strict panel structure, which makes for a wild comic. I want to incorporate that into my final task comic: uniting long text with huge images that take full advantage of the page. I might not completely abandon the panel structure, but I'll see how things turn out.

Liv Strömquist

Liv Strömquist is a Swedish comic artist and radio moderator. Her comics play out like essays that touch sociopolitical issues from a feminist and left-wing point of view. She talks about subjects like the taboo of menstruation and injustice

I like the way she can be informative while making her viewpoint very clear and not resorting into being dull and too diplomatic. I also love the simplified art style which works to the advantage of the humorous tone.

This is the format that my comic will take: an informative rant/essay with humorous imagery to keep the reader entertained. Like Strömquist, I will not aim for absolute objectivity, but rather be openly "biased" or opinionated.

Also, since time is scarce, I will try to keep my drawings simple and intentionally disproportionate, rather than obsessing over little details. This will save time and support the humorous tone of my comic.

Joe Sacco

Joe Sacco is an American-Maltese comic artist known for his unique way of uniting comics and journalism. He is most likely best known for his comics about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most notably his book Palestine (1996).

There is no way I could do the same kind of intricate style in the amount of time I have. Also his comics are way more serious than I'm aiming at with my project. But the inspiration I get here is from the way he unites heavy subject matters with powerful visuals. While semi-realistic and detailed, his drawings are above all emotional. He also handles his text in wonderfully dynamic matter, making his text boxes a part of the action.

If I do have time, I might decorate my comic with the same kind of textures that Sacco uses, which I feel could quite easily be done with Photoshop.

Rundown

So here's a rundown of what my comic will be and look like:

• A rant/essay accompanied with humorous images
• Having my opinions on display, rather than trying to be artificially objective or unbiased
• Powerful visuals that work in unison with the heavy subject matters
• Looser and simplified drawing style without wasting time on intricate details
• Abandoning the strict basic panel structure
• If time allows, TEXTURES!!!

We'll see how I reach these goals. Not gonna lie: I'm thrilled, but at the same time fearful of the deadline. No can do, just gotta manage! As always, here is a sketch for you art-hungry readers.

Sources:

Oulun Ylioppilaslehti (in Finnish): ”En jää odottelemaan, että joku tulee pyytämään johonkin” – Lauri Ahtinen uskoo määrätietoisuuden luovan mahdollisuuksia

Wikipedia: Liv Strömquist

Wikipedia: Joe Sacco