Uncategorized
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Full Page Comics: Issue of our Time
The main philosophical issue facing us today regarding the status of comics in the mainstream press is whether we should revive the practice of putting full-page comics in the newspapers or periodicals. The idea of giving a full newspaper page to a single cartoonist each week to have free reign with may shock you, but
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How the name for this site was derived…
The article Possible Worlds Theory: How the Imagination Transcends and Recreates Reality | Annual Reviews describes the theory behind Sequential Worlds. It describes the possible worlds created through the mental states that imagination uses to invent novel fictional worlds that can be used in sequential art. The article doesn’t mention sequential art, but it gave
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What is a flow state?
Flow state is a mental state of complete immersion and focused engagement in an activity, where a person loses awareness of time and self-consciousness, often described as being “in the zone.” Overview Flow state, popularized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a condition in which a person becomes fully absorbed in a task, experiencing energized focus, enjoyment, and a sense of effortless control over their actions. It is often referred to as being “in the zone” and is considered a key component of peak performance and psychological well-being. Key Characteristics Psychological and Neurological Aspects During flow, the prefrontal cortex activity decreases, reducing self-monitoring and analytical thinking, while areas responsible for attention and focus intensify, allowing for sustained deep work. This neurological shift supports high performance with minimal mental friction. Applications and Benefits Flow can occur in a wide range of activities, including creative pursuits, sports, work tasks, and even daily routines. Regularly experiencing flow is associated with higher life satisfaction, improved resilience, enhanced creativity, and greater productivity. It is also used as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety by engaging in tasks that match one’s skill set. Achieving Flow To enter flow, conditions such as clear goals, immediate feedback, minimal distractions, and a challenging yet manageable task are important. Time blocks of 20–30 minutes are typically needed to transition into deep focus, with 90 minutes being optimal for peak performance. Flow is a dynamic, individual experience, meaning each person has their own “zone” where they function optimally, and it can be cultivated with practice and intentional structuring of tasks. article written by Google Gemini.
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Normal Style? It’s intentional. It bypasses the conscious mind. How?
“I get that my work looks ‘mainstream’ on the surface, but that’s actually the point. I practice pure automatism—I don’t plan these panels; I ‘channel’ them directly from my dreams. To force a ‘weird’ style just to look ‘indie’ would be a conscious ego move. By keeping the line-work clean and ordinary, I’m making sure my subconscious
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Paper Decorators, the functional and cultural object makers
There are cultures that do not identify artists as creators. Cultural Perspectives: Some cultures may view artistic expression as a reflection of societal beliefs and values, rather than solely the creator’s intent. Anthropological Insights: Artistic expression can vary significantly across cultures, with some cultures integrating artistic practices into broader categories of making and doing, rather than categorizing them as separate from functional objects or religious artifacts. Censorship and Norms: In certain societies, artistic expression may be restricted due to cultural norms or political ideologies, leading to self-censorship by artists. These perspectives highlight that the relationship between an artist and their creation can be complex and context dependent. I like to think of myself as a person who makes
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It’s not really a job, but it’s a lot of work anyway
This blog is my full time job. I’m working on a web design class also, so I’m very busy. I do plan on getting paid soon, probably by finishing school and getting a design job. But I won’t abandon my blog readers. I will still make and sell these pictures right here, on Sequential Worlds.
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Ursula LeGuin’s Entrainment Fiction
I think of myself as a freelance cartoonist. But what that conjures up in the mind of many people, is the person using an entrainment frequency to capture attention and exploit that for political or religious purposes. Though that is not my intention, it seems an unavoidable condition of our society due to our history
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First panel of first page of new comic
This is the fist panel of the first page of a new work that has no current title. It’s a near future cyberpunk soap opera set in the fictional world of Ogash, California. It is loosely based on dreams that I’ve had from my dream journal, and it has to do with a dystopian future
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Ed Stastny and Collaborative Art
Like Ed, I also think all my art is derivative, if only subconsciously, from other artists. In fact, I think of other artists as my bosses, owners or managers of my sequential art business. I think collaboration is something I learned from Ed Stastny, during my tour of duty in the trenches of the coffee
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Jake M. Gillespie
I want to relate a bit about the person who is responsible for mentoring me and helping me to learn to draw comics. We spent time together as next door neighbors for about eight years, and I still have a love of his artwork. He introduced me to comic books, as I was curious about