So...You Can't Draw a Flower.

     Next week is going to be dedicated to comic books and graphic novels.  Not all of them; that would take forever.  And not even all of the ones I own or have access to, because that would last much longer than a week.  I will be covering just a few select titles – what I think about them, what I know about them, and maybe why they were chosen to be covered.  

     But I thought it would be responsible to show that while I have no problem criticizing the artistic merit of a book, I have nearly no artistic ability myself.  That was probably evident to anyone who saw the gnome I drew in the post Oracle post (it is at the bottom and just so sad).  Not that I don't try to draw things, or occasionally feel that I can do something so basic as to convey some rough meaning, but anybody who ever made it through a single art class after junior high could probably tell that my skill peaked at around five years old.

     I have this idea in my head that if I were to give it a real try, somehow I would be capable of making something truly magnificent.  Of course I know that is an utterly false belief, but I associate with so many people who actually can do it that it bothers me to consider that I just am not capable.  And the things I can do just aren't that impressive in the shared experience.

     The single image I think I could do is one I call the Cosmic Flower.  I imagine it done in oils, a star in the center sitting atop a funnel cloud of wispy gases.  There would be tendrils of the same type of gases reaching out in pluming arcs to the multicolored planets that dance around their sun.  And in my mind, that looks pretty cool.  If I throw a quick version together using the most basic program I could find on the computer (and then add some leaves at the bottom, because there was no way I could convey wispy gases with it), it looks like the picture at the top of the post.  Does that look awesome to you?  

     No, right?  And it looks flat.  Not particularly interesting.

     Then there is the alternate version of the basic idea.  I consider that one the Medusa Flower.  It looks more like a traditional flower but has little colored eyes floating off the end of green tendrils.  Down the picture below give you the impression of a medusa flower?  I'm betting it doesn't.  And the sad fact of the matter is that I am almost happy with how it turned out.

 

    So, please keep in mind my lack of ability whenever I get harsh on someone's style or presentation in a comic book or graphic novel.  I am not writing from a place of expertise.  I am like a regular person who likes the artwork to look good (but can't accomplish that feat themselves).

    While I am at it, Monday's post will be about the short-lived comic book Kremin (1991-94).  Creator/Writer/Publisher/Original Penciler Charles D. Moisant was kind enough to grant me a few hours to discuss his time in the industry today, and I am very appreciative.  He also has a pair of projects at present that could use some attention (and maybe some money, if you are willing).

     One is his Roller Derby Drama Calendar, which combines the handiness of a calendar with some art for the story of Roller Derby Heroines.  The other is Blood Feast, a horror comic with plenty of humor.  If you believe in independent comics – and paying for quality products – I would very much recommend giving his projects some attention.  See if they appeal to you.  Both will be mentioned again in Monday's post, and I am not mandating (by any means) that people spend money they don't want to.  But there is a chance you may not have otherwise heard of these products and I didn't want to add three days to giving them some publicity.