Update #26 - July 2021 (Patreon)

HELLO!

Before I start, thank you to everyone who has continued to support me, and thank you especially to my newest patrons: Tak Yin Chan, Skye Sisk, William Rinard, sleepy_hermit, Miranda Biset, Anne Zats, and Abby.

Thank you all so much; it really means a lot to me to have your support!

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO?

I feel like I have been up to a whole lot, yet simultaneously, nothing at all. I’ve continued running and rollerskating and playing D&D. I rearranged my bedroom. I spent a couple days dog-sitting two adorable yorkies. I got to see my family for the first time in a long time. My partner’s cousin came to visit for a bit. I’ve both enjoyed and lamented the ridiculous amount of rain we’ve had in the past month.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN WORKING ON?

Similar to my last update, I haven’t really been working on anything terribly new or exciting! I’ve continued with my diary comics, freeform illustrations, papercraft animations, and IG lives, as well as keeping on top of the tasks involved in running the Sticker of the Month Club here on Patreon.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN CONSUMING?

Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto (writer) and Ann Xu (artist)

I really liked this graphic novel about an old woman who wants to live on her own terms, and struggles with both her family’s best intentions and supernatural forces in order to do so. The art is gorgeous; expressive and atmospheric. The protagonist is full of charm and personality, and the cast of supporting characters is wonderful.

Reading this made me wish there were more stories with old protagonists, especially visual mediums like graphic novels.

Factory Summers by Guy Delisle

This autobiographical graphic novel focuses on the author’s time working summers at a paper factory. I really enjoyed the color scheme, which was monochromatic with yellow accents. The simple character designs contrasted nicely against detailed environments filled with complicated machinery, without feeling jarring. The whole artstyle felt very clean.

Afterlift by Chip Zdarksy (writer), Jason Loo (artist), Paris Alleyne (colors), and Aditya Bidikar (lettering)

This comic about a ride-share driver conscripted into ferrying a soul to the afterlife is pretty cool! The art is cool, the concept is cool, and the execution was tight. There were so many cars! I think this would be a good book to study if you plan on drawing a bunch of cars.

I noticed while typing up the credits for this one that Chip Zdarsky, the writer, also worked on Sex Criminals, which I disliked a lot, as discussed in one of my previous updates. Confused at the large gap in quality between the two, I looked up the credits for that book, and it would appear that Zdarsky was actually the artist on that project. Maybe that means the blame for that farce lies mostly with Matt Fraction, who is credited as the writer.

A Natural by Ross Raisin

This novel is an examination of toxic masculinity, especially in regards to sports in general, and English football in particular. It’s all about the homophobia and the intricate rituals and so forth. The subject matter can get pretty tough, but it’s a very good book.

This is a story that’s very much about the interior landscapes of the characters. The characters’ motivations are sometimes clear to the reader, but either not understood or not accepted on a conscious level by characters themselves. The narrative has multiple point of view characters whose interests are sometimes in direct conflict with each other. The writing is direct but subtle, and communicates a pervasive gloominess.

My biggest complaint is that the ending was pretty abrupt. I was expecting a happy ending (I wouldn’t classify the ending as happy or sad; I’d say it was strongly mixed on every front), so that may have contributed to my confusion, but even so, I was thinking ‘Hm, there’s a lot of character arcs and plot points to resolve in not a lot of time huh...’ right before flipping the page and realizing I was already at end of the book. After thinking it over, the failure of most characters to grow and their unwillingness to resolve their problems may be part of the point of the book, but it did still take me by surprise. This is definitely not the book to read if you require a happy ending for your gay romance.

(I expected a happy ending because I saw on the cover that Raisin had also written God’s Own Country, and I remembered the movie as ending quite happily. While writing this review, I did a bit more research, and it would seem that the movie and the novel are pretty different from each other. Had I been aware of this, I would have altered my expectations accordingly.)

THIS MONTH’S MUSICAL JAMS

I’ve been listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA album, which I bought recently, nonstop.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW!

If you have any questions or stuff you've wanted to talk to me about, do leave a comment below!

Hope you're doing well!

<3,

Dave