The Mysterious New Neighbor
Well, Primate Posse™, as I said in my last post, GITM will be going weekly for a little while at least. I’m not happy about it, but I have been very busy with my fledgling contemporary art career. I’ve mentioned the project that I’ve been involved which has involved back and forth trips between Ottawa and Montreal for the last 4 months or so culminating in a 3 and a half week stay (a sort of artist’s residency) in July and the beginning of August. The good news, is that the entire exhibition will be shown in Mexico City sometime next year and the stop-motion animation that we made (not including the rest of the exhibition, which also had individual works by all 6 artists involved) will possibly be shown in as many as 3 different US cities. Unconfirmed, but fingers crossed!
Having said all this, I have to admit that I feel kind of defeated by having to do this right now. I went to art school 7 years ago ostensibly to improve my drawing so I could really work on being a really good cartoonist. But I got distracted by, well, art. To make a long story short, I improved my drawing a lot, but not necessarily my cartooning. My cartoon illustration skills are better than they used to be, but GITM is far too sloppy for my liking. Having said that, maybe I should embrace that and even simplify it further. Maybe that would help me to increase my output.
The other thing is, the strip is now into the realm of full blown satire, which makes me think it might be interesting to try to do a political comic along the lines of what Matt Bors and Tom Tomorrow etc. do. But then again, there’s not really much of a market left for this kind of thing in North America, and I really believe that GITM is good comic, so I’ll likely stick with it and hopefully get back to 3 comics a week ASAP. Right now I have another animation project to complete ASAP, so I’ll keep you all informed! See you next Monday when you’ll learn a little more about the mysterious Stan Dickie… Stay tooned!
Discussion (19) ¬
Chris, it’s not the way you draw a comic that interests readers, it’s “how much it entertains them that counts”. Most people would rather see entertaining comics with stick figures than boring eye-candy. Keep at it.
I totally understand what you’re saying, J.P. There are lots of funny stickmen cartoons, but I don’t read them! I like comics that are well-drawn, like.. hmmm…. Bug Pudding perhaps? 🙂 Anyway, I’m not planning to quit. I may just need to experiment and find a way to speed up the process. I’m extremely slow at this and it’s finally caught up with me…
Not being sure who Stan Dickie was I Googled & found this
http://www.stanley-dickeyfuneralhome.com/
Looks like there’s a Funeral Director moving into the neighbourhood. That’s a real bonus for the old folks.
Ha ha.. nope, not the same Stan Dickie. But I think this Stan might actually make a good funeral director, if he decides to change careers…
P.S. I hope you stick with it as I love GITM
Thanks Tony! I do plane to continue, just weekly for a little while. If I can find the time to go back to thrice weekly, I can do a lot with the comic in real time. I really feel like I could be doing something with the whole Anthony Weiner affair…
Stan Dickie? The name does sound familiar…
Do what you love, love what you do, Chris! Your cartoons are very good and I see a joy in their creation. Very exciting news on your art career, nice to hear things are going well. Good luck with all your projects, let us know where we can see this animated project, too!
Thanks Mark! As I say, I do intend to continue Gorilla because I do thinks it’s pretty damn good if I say so myself! 🙂 And we can’t all be Windsor McCay! 🙂
Anyway, so Stan is familiar eh? If you realize who he is, keep it under your hat till next week, when all will be revealed! 🙂
I should add that we can’t all be Mark Stokes! I’m envious of your skills sir! 🙂
I look back at my first 100 or so comics in horror sometimes. I’ve given some thought to going back and redrawing those earlier comics and then I decided to embrace my VTV roots and leave them be. Just keep at it, Chris, you are a talented guy! I enjoy GITM! 🙂
Thanks Tim! Like I say, I think I need to just embrace the sloppiness. I saw a video once of Neil Young recording a vocal and the producer said “you were flat on that note” and Neil replied: “that’s my style man!” So really the issue for me now is time. I need to find the time to make 3 comics a week and I no longer have a buffer and I have lots of other work to do. Yikes!
Looks like you and I are on the same boat, Chris. I have no buffer, either!
I like your comics. Irreverent and funny! And congrats on your art endeavors! 😀
Also, don’t let the missteps and set-backs keep you down. I did and it cost me almost 7 years of no drawing! I can’t cry about it now. Just have to look ahead and move on.
How did you end up not drawing for 7 years? It doesn’t show. You can really draw, my friend!
Thanks, Chris! Well, after my 2nd kid was born, I got a job teaching elementary art (got tired of the freelance hustle and didn’t know what else to do with my art degree). The new teaching gig, lots of family commitments (read family drama), and less time for my own artwork put me in a bit of depression.
I dabbled in other forms of media throughout the years: sculpture and carpentry mostly. But comics were always in my mind somewhere. In school I taught lots of ceramics, paper mache and painting. The other art teacher focused on drawing and crafts.
Then finally I realized I should focus on what I know. Comics! SO here I am. I think sculpture definitely helped me be a better drawer.
OK, I think I’ll get up now (was laying on the psychiatrist’s couch) 😛
Thanks for sharing your story, Joseph. Glad you went back to comics! You’re really really good at it! I’d love to see your sculpture work too though. In the meantime, I need to get a job too. 🙁
Googling Stan Dickie…lol
I like your artwork Chris, and I agree with Mark, “Do what you love, and do what you love”. Keep going! I recently updated my website and removed a lot of my comic art (there’s a blog about this and why I did it, lol). But anyway, my first year was awful!I really like your style. 🙂
Thanks David! Superior cartoonists have been telling me they like my style for years and I always appreciate it! New comic coming on Monday! 🙂 I’ll check out your blog and read lots more of your work! It’s great! Can’t believe I hadn’t seen it till now! 🙂