grendelkhan (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} grendelkhan) wrote,@ 2007-03-14 02:47:00 |
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| Entry tags: | photography |
scott mccloud's making comics tour.
Getting there was problematic; we spent a half-hour accidentally walking over to Brown University and prevailing upon some guy with emo glasses in the library to look up the directions on the website, which explained that while the building was on College Street, you couldn't enter through College Street unless you were a student with a door-card. Of course. We walked back, and realized we had about forty-five minutes to sit and people-watch the art students until the event began. The room was about half full, which surprised me--I thought it was going to be packed, and in a much larger room. Here I got to sit in the third row and watch Carin sketching people until the talk started.
He spoke for about an hour and a half, nearly all of which was spent taking questions. I thought I wouldn't have anything to ask, but I had plenty: Given your emphasis on craft, how do you explain that Greg Land still has a job? Does the vanishing of barriers to publishing (anyone can get a website) mean that Dave Sim's years of tilting at windmills were all in vain? (His answer: well, yes.) The talk reminded me of the evening with Kevin Smith I went to, in that he had stories upon stories to tell, and I'd be happy listening to him talk about tofu densities, because he was just that enthralling. (I especially recall his impression of an art teacher he'd had: "What... is art? [long pause] Discuss.")
After the talk, he signed books (Carin brought her copy of Making Comics), and even flipped through her portfolio. He stopped at her pen-and-gray-marker cartoons, and asked "do you work in this style often?". The word "s'good" was definitely heard, and he encouraged her to put the cartoons up online, where they might be seen. It's been a while since she's posted to her DeviantArt; maybe this will motivate her. I told her she should draw a cartoon Scott McCloud (he's certainly drawn enough of them), and send it to him, possibly as a comment on the tour blog.
Also, as you can see on the right, he was kind enough to sit still for me to snap a photo of him, for Wikipedia.
Carin was positively glowing on the way back, and who could blame her? She's gotten a positive comment from a Real Comics Artist, she's been asked to include one of her assignments in the student art show at school (one of her shading studies), and... well, she has every right to be proud of herself.
In summary: I expected it to be awesome. However, I did not know it was going to be that awesome. I need to start going to cons. Also, Scott McCloud is short. I don't think I expected him to be nine feet tall, clad in glistening plate mail and throwing mighty bolts of fire from his fingertips, but I get this idea that authors speak in this omnipotent sort of voice, and it always throws me a bit when they turn out to be people.
Oh, and just so I don't forget: I suspended my gym membership today or yesterday; I don't remember which. I haven't been going, and it's silly to keep sending them money. I'll have more time when I'm done with school. It'll come back on next February.
Comments: Pandagon | Pharyngula | Feminism 101 1 2
