what the comic books???

----questionnaire for graphic novel appreciation class i'm taking at BYU-----

1. Outside of school and your comics, have you written any fiction or non-fiction? Do you like to read prose fiction or non-fiction?

I've written down lots of ideas/concepts for fiction... maybe a little bit of non-fiction. I'd have to look, but it’s mostly fiction.

Prose fiction is usually where it's at for me, but I've read some pretty sweet non-fiction as well.

2. Would you say you have a good awareness of the history of American comics?

Sort of. I know a few of the major players, and am somewhat familiar with style changes and history, but when it comes down to it - not really.

3. Off the top of your head, could you name 5 artists who worked in comics before 1980? Do you have a favorite?

I could probably, but it’s kinda hard... I’m quite partial to Winsor McKay(sp?) only because I played the NES videogame based on his comic growing up (Little Nemo: Dream Master)

4. Could you name 5 artists who work or worked in newspaper comics?

Nope, but I could totally name a bunch of newspaper comics I like.

5. Could you name any contemporary cartoonists from Europe? Do you have a favorite?

A few. Fabian Schlaga is my favorite.. he’s mostly been a colorist on more indie-type stuff, but he’s one of my favorites.

6. Could you name any contemporary manga artists from Japan? Do you have a favorite?

Totally can. My favorite at the moment is between Eichira Oda and Masashi Kishimoto.. (this is excluding Akira Toriyama, even though I think he’s recently done some work)

7. Do you read European comics?

Mmmmm... not really. I know OF European comics, and comic people who are European, and am familiar with some of their work, but don't really read any of it. Sorry European comics.

8. Do you read any manga?

I used too... I’ve been meaning to catch up on Naruto for about a year.

9. Do you regularly draw in a sketchbook or write in a journal?

Yes on the sketchbook, no on the journal. I mostly just take quick notes off and on instead, but I guess that still counts as a journal… so yes on that too, sorta.

10. Would you say you have a good working ability to drawing with brush and ink? If so, how long have you used a brush? What types?

I would. I started playing with watercolors in high school, and once I came to BYU I was able to experiment with bristle and synthetic brushes for oil, acrylic, and gouache. I’ve started to experiment more with niji, and pentel brush pens just because they seem more practical to me.

11. Which magazines or websites do you regularly read in order to get comics news?

Word of finger from professionals I blog-stalk, and follow through deviantart.

12. Which magazines or websites do you regularly read in order to get news of current events?

I don't. Occasionally I'll run into current events accidentally through hap-hazard internet surfing. Sometimes I'll feel guilty about how ignorant I am of current events, and will then browse the links provided by my firefox internet browser.

13. Do you go to comic book conventions or festivals? If so--which ones?

Nope. I was planning to go to the San Diego comic con not too long ago, but I let some things (school) get in the way.

14. Have you ever sat through a portfolio review with a professional editor? If so, could you briefly sum up their message for you?

I’m pretty sure I haven’t.

15. Have you ever had your work published? If so, where?

Yes. A highschool newspaper, The Daily Chronicle, Deadmen Tell No Tales (issue3,) Forever Famicom album cover. I think that’s it.

16. How long have you been drawing?

Since before I started kindergarten.

17. Do you like to go to museums? Do you have any favorite "fine" artists, either living or dead? Film directors?

I like going to cool museums... Can’t think of any “fine” artists off the top of my head that I’m really into, but I definitely appreciate cool fine art when I see it. Favorite film directors = Stephen Chow, Guy Ritchie, Guillermo del Toro, and a few others I can’t think of at the moment.

18. Would you think it could be useful or beneficial to watch a film or films as a group and discuss it afterwards as it may relate to comics? Do you have a recommendation for such a film?

I would. Comics influence movies, movies influence comics. It makes sense. I also think there's a lot of similar story telling devices they both share. I don’t have any specific recommendations, but it might be interesting to watch clips of films that were based on comics and analyze if/why they were successful or not.

19. What ethnographic background do you have and how confident are you in acting as an expert of resource of that background?

I grew up in a predominantly white suburban residential area in South Jordan, Utah, so I like to think I’m somewhat of an expert on that kind of background. I also served a mission in the north of France and southern Belgium, so I’m a little familiar with the cultures going on over there among other things.

20. What comic or book or movie have you read/seen at least 5 times? And 10 times?

5 = (comic) Sharknife, Peng! (book)Maniac Magee (movie)Scott Pilgrim, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Kung Fu Panda, Time Bandits, Goonies, The Last Starfighter, the first live-action ninja turtle’s movie, Home Alone… I think I’ll stop there.

10=(comic) Dragonball, Naruto, Hellboy (book)ummm… don’t think I’ve got any (movie)ummm… probably Monty Python and the Holy Grail (after so many sleepovers, it adds up), and maybe Shaolin Soccer.