-I met Jillian and
Mariko Tamaki, cousins that made the comic book graphic novel called "Skim". At $15 dollars for this hardcover I couldn't pass up. Not knowing what it was I was pleasantly surprised from inside the work.
I was pretty depressed in high school and into all sorts of strange things and so is the protagonist Mariko. It is her story of falling in love in all the wrong ways, but despite it all, overcoming conformity with friendships and experiences. It was a real heartfelt comic that felt very real to me. I know it's fiction, but it read like a very autobiographical work. Beautiful art also complements the mood of the work. It's something we should see in libraries across America.
Mariko also wrote a comic for DC's Minx line called, Emiko Superstar. At first it looked a little too pop princess, but as I read I realized that it was so much more. It delved into the performance art scene, the nature of surburbia, with the story of Emiko finding herself after stumbling onto an art scene called the factory.
The pretty art was balanced by gritty characters, with conflicting relationships. I really felt the change that Emiko goes through by the end of the graphic novel. It's gonna be cheap when released and it's a complete story so I recommend you check it out.
-Then there was
Michael DiMotta an illustrator with gorgeous work. He has small printings of these comics designed by his brother. Beautiful detailed work with a real kineticism, tells intricate and creative stories that build off well conceptualized stories. Kind of reminded me of Pixar. He told me a but about his process which involves using the layer system in adobe, and he uses this tool like the best of them.
His work is really funny, and some of his prints are absolutely gorgeous and hilarious at the same time. Check him out. He'll be selling work once he figures out the underpinnings of an internet store.
-
Miriam Libicki was there with her comic Jobnik about being in the Israeli Army. It's a pretty engaging story that shows you the workings inside a military unit. It reminded me of an episode of This American Life that dealt with soldiers. You can feel the loneliness of the character who barely speaks Hebrew as she falls in and out of relationships throughout the series and as the events taking place from 2000 on become more hectic and dangerous for her. You can sense the looming danger as the pages go on.
I'll be looking out for future copies as she has only gotten through a year of her experience as a soldier.
-Ayo, who doesn't have a site, has these great mini-comics, hand made at kinkos. He studied art at a tech school. His style reminds me of great paintings in a gallery. Personal vignettes that can be interpreted in infinite ways make for a great comic. His work can be found at the better bigger comic book stores in the city. I asked him if he was going to collect his work, a series called, "Little Garden" that would work as a coffee table book.
His work also made me laugh out loud. I'll be on the look out for anything he makes.
-The first guy I spoke to on the first day of the con was
Mathew Swanson. He makes hand made picture books with his wife. They have a great design sense and are really gorgeous books. There is no single theme to the comics he and his wife make. His wife as a wonderful visual style that changes with every volume. The stories have a subtle dark humor to them and are great reads for all ages.
The books are like museum pieces. I cannot emphasize this enough. Volume III of the books that are available with a subscription is an ambitious comic that has cut up pages that can be turned in different sections creating 10,000 combinations for surreal stories. You have to see it to believe it and it really works.
He told me there was going to be a $20 discount on the subscriptions (Which were $80). For the quality and originality of the work I think it's well worth it. When I have more money and a coffee table in a nice apartment you'll see the books ready for anyone to read.
-There was a short comic by Peter Quach called "You Don't know Anything About Jesus". I was initially attracted to the work because he had a banner that displayed the words, "Jesus vs. Bruce Lee." You have to buy something with a marketing line like that.
After reading it I realized how poignant the story was. The first page was a howler, but soon I realized the story was much deeper than the title would suggest. It's a story of alienation, that really works as a small vignette.
He said it was his first comic and first time at a table. "You just gotta make it and get a table." He told me. And for a dollar the comic was well worth the price.
-----------------
I might have forgotten to mention a few people but these were mostly the folks I had a close connection with. I totally felt high at this convention without any drugs. It was the proverbial high on life conundrum that too seldom happens.
I'm going to the next MoCCA in 2009, hopefully with a table.
Post a Comment