Lately I’ve been thinking about the authenticity of my work. Being that two thirds of my process is digital there exists no “authentic” original copy, only digital files meant either to be shared on the internet or mass printed. Whenever I’ve submitted work for gallery shows I’ve submitted printed copies, something that could be just as easily displayed on a computer screen or a post card to much the same effect.
Digital output and mass production are synonymous with comics as a medium. At the end of the day a comic’s goal is to find its way into your hands be it through online publication or print. I’m still very much interested in exploring comics in such a way but have also begun considering the possibility of creating a comic that exists as a singular, physical object.
I’m choosing the fan comics I post on my DeviantArt as a place to start exploring this concept. The upcoming comic will be created with the idea that it could, ideally, be used as a wall installation. I’m currently in the planning stages and, judging from the roughs, the finished piece might be close to seven inches tall and thirty-eight inches wide. Which brings about another point, the comic will not be presented in the typical two-tiered or three-tiered format I’ve been doing thus far.
With all of my comics I’ve adhered pretty closely (almost slavishly) to page dimensions that would allow me to take my work to print. Looking at the shaped canvases of painter Frank Stella as well as the unlimited canvas idea posed by Scott McCloud, I see no reason why I should exclusively design my work for a rectangular piece of paper especially when working with such a large space as a wall. The next comic will be a simple horizontal line as I’m only just figuring out where I want to go and how to go about it. But future projects could start to take on many other shapes and forms, possibly being constructed with specific spaces in mind.
I normally do not post my fanworks on anything aside from DeviantArt but I might consider finding a spot on here to put this one when it's finished. Simply to give an idea of what I'm going towards.