Drawn Together

While a lot of the more satirical and philosophical jokes didn’t quite click with me (I was 5 years old, give me a break), I was entranced with the artwork, and loved every time Calvin was transformed into a dinosaur or Spaceman Spiff. I absolutely attribute the bulk of my sense of humor and love for storytelling to Bill Watterson.

I love comics because they are this beautiful combination of art and the written word, but also time and rhythm. Timing is a key element. How many panels do you use to explain how a character gets from point A to point B? How many panels can you hold on a character’s face to heighten the drama, or land the punchline?

Would this duck be as funny if the drawings weren’t as cute? Or we didn’t get to see a slow zoom to their face? I think not. Art, writing, timing–it all has to work together.

We have definitely been in a completely new era of storytelling and comics. Whether you’re into coming-of-age, young adult romances* or world-hopping, fantasy adventures** or stories of a grindcore world with a queer and somewhat grotesque and satanic twist***… there’s something for everyone.

Webcomics in particular, and now Instagram comics, have completely changed the way we tell stories and the way we read them. We also get to see so many new experiences and thoughts and views from so many different people. A photo on Instagram can tell us a lot about someone, and it’s a little peek into their life. But a comic feels so much deeper. I get to relive that experience with someone and share in a special connection. Maybe the act of going out of their way to craft this moment in time makes it feel more special, makes me feel like if they cared enough to share this moment with me, I should to pay attention.

I’ve also tried to do a few of my own stories featuring words straight from the brain of my boyfriend, Martin, who has impeccable timing with his own train of thoughts. So really he’s doing the writing, and I do the job of creating the art to follow the pacing:

Comics mentioned above:

*Bloom, by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau
**5 Worlds, by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller and Boya Sun
***Wuvable Oaf, by Ed Luce