A Comic About Maturity
Added 2021-01-07 23:15:07 +0000 UTCDuring quarantine, I’ve felt some stagnation in my ability to be funny, the lack of social interaction meaning a lack of situations necessitating on-the-spot humor. I have, however, had a lot of time to reflect on myself, my life, my fears, and what I believe— I imagine most people have. So, after a lot of unexpected positive reception to previous introspective comics, I offer this.
I think comics that are intimately personal are a good way of creating powerful narratives— packed with intimacy, drawing deep emotionality out of the minute subtleties of life, spinning narratives that appear mundane into something gripping. After all, to the writer, these narratives were not subtle— they clearly left a powerful impact on them, powerful enough that they would want to write about it. Plenty of comics do this well— Fun Home by Allison Bechdel, for one. (I’m currently reading the sequel of sorts, Are You My Mother.) However, as a creative, I worry about leaning on this crutch too much. Sure, no story can be as emotionally vivid as the one you’ve experienced— it’s akin to painting a picture while having the clearest possible reference image—but it also limits your creative purview to things only you’ve experienced. This comic isn’t exactly a “narrative”, but my worries still stand. With a life as relatively mundane as my own, will I run out of material? Should I fold my own views and insecurities, instead, into more fantastical fiction? I guess the cure-all solution is expanding my well by becoming a more inquisitive person— or throw myself headfirst into a life of trauma, so that I might draw on it in the future. Maybe I should just read more? Ah, damn it all! It all ties back to this infernal maturity question…
This comic dealt with a lot of vague questions and feelings, so I tried my best to tie it together with a neat through-line, trimming the fat. One part I didn’t really talk much about is the idea of leaving the world of anonymity behind and venturing into the “real” comics world, whatever that might mean. I don’t know necessarily that it’s because I feel some strong kinship with the “comics community”— again, whatever that might mean— but because something just feels especially pathetic about keeping one anonymity and posting strictly to twitter as a 30-something. What does it mean to be a mature comics artist? Besides, like, Alan Moore, who are they? Award winners? They’ll give an award to webcomics called like “Gloopy Gulch” while maintaining a straight face, comics media being as infantile as (some of) it is. The whole question of “the real world” might warrant some more exploration when there isn’t a deadly disease rampant.
People don't give jpegmafia enough credit for innovation in the hairline game. The triple HHH-- the hairline hiding headband-- is pure genius.
Comments
I love this comic very much and love you as the author, thank you
Nicole
2022-01-04 08:06:15 +0000 UTCFor what it's worth, I like all sorts of fancy shit (gravitys rainbow, 2666, man without qualities, etc.) And I like your comics as well
Michael Woodson
2021-01-09 06:04:44 +0000 UTCIT'S FOR BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS!!!!!
Beany Tuesday
2021-01-08 06:33:03 +0000 UTCYes! Lots of studies and "iterative drawing." I actually use comics as a way to figure out what I'm bad at drawing, then devote drawing sessions to just improving those things. Figure studies and the like as well-- just the standard sort of exercises.
Beany Tuesday
2021-01-08 06:32:13 +0000 UTCAs an immature mature mature immature, I feel like I'm allowed to say your drawing skills are pogged. Do you do any exercises/pieces outside of your comics?
2021-01-08 06:01:06 +0000 UTCI can't believe you'd make fun of gloopy gulch. I cried when grumpus got his gloop back in issue 85. Unsubscribed.
2021-01-08 03:58:40 +0000 UTCFuck it, Beany, I appreciate your depiction of the struggle between reconciling personal meaning and external value. It deeply resonated with me, and it especially made me recognize how much harder it is, as you mentioned, to find art that speaks to me. Finding good movies, something that used to appear with a snap of my fingers, has become immensely difficult to do. Same goes for internet indie comics (you'd call me biased for enjoying "graphic novels" from a young age). When I fell across your account, though, I found myself completely enthralled by your art, your writing, and your perspective. I'd consider myself to have what you'd call "mature taste," and am ultimately one of those normie assholes who is at least partly driven to be useful in ~mature~ conversations. But to be honest, comics and writing such as yours that defines today's cultural and psychological phenomena make me feel more in touch with myself (which, in my book, is a hallmark of good art) than most things I take in. Keep it up, can't wait for the next one! P.S. plenty of women don't give a shit about hair
2021-01-08 00:45:26 +0000 UTCi personally think maturity is being progressively devalued with each new generation... perhaps by the time you are mature, there will no longer be an expectation of "maturity" in the superficial sense, rather an expectation of "common sense" throughout your lifespan. that being said, i am personally fondest of these introspective comics, and i love to see you making more of these fantastic, lengthy creation beasts
2021-01-08 00:07:17 +0000 UTCI like these long form pieces! I feel like your humor works well when it's part of a larger narrative. Although at times you use a bunch of long words which makes the writing feel dense and academic, breaking the casual tone of the work. That may be part of a bit about trying to act mature but it felt a little awkward here. Regardless this is great and seems like it would be comfortable in a larger collection of reflective pieces like a zine.
2021-01-08 00:05:37 +0000 UTCThere is no such thing as a mature adult. It's an abstract concept like money and justice. It's just make believe nonsense designed to make you feel more miserable than you already do.
billy likes balloons
2021-01-07 23:46:30 +0000 UTC
