Sketchbook Project Part ONE

So, as part of my Senior Art Seminar Project our class had to apply for some kind of exhibit that would showcase our work. I had heard of the sketchbook project and decided to give it a whirl. The idea is that they send you a sketchbook, you fill it up, and then send it back to be a part of a library of sketchbooks.

Waiting for my book to arrive, I thought of the project as an opportunity to flex my comic muscle, and impress people. I have to admit that I was some what disappointed when the book did arrive. It was smaller than I thought, but worse than that there was a theme to it.

"My life inside a yellow submarine."

If the theme had been something more thoughtful like "anger" or "time" or really anything more broad I probably wouldn't have reacted as I did. But being totally uninterested in yellow submarines, I confess that it had an affect on my work. The project was now more of an assignment than an interesting opportunity.

All this is of course possible due to my BRAND SPANKING NEW SCANNER.
I have named her "Ceres" after the artificial intelligence in Obsidian that makes dreams a reality.

I think a lot of the work in that sketchbook is junk, I'm not even sure if I want to submit it anymore. But I've always been hyper-critical of my work. Without further adieu, here is the comic:

CHARLES

In the beginning of summer I started using a moleskin sketchbook instead of my usual leather bound 8.5 x 11 sketchbooks. The reason for this was because I'm going to have to get used to smaller formats, so I figured it'd be good practice to jump ship.

I had, at this point, developed an even larger ego, so when the first few pages didn't turn out well, I just ripped them out. After several frustrating pages, torn asunder, I drew this first comic.

Little did I know the consequences of this plucky little demon. I liked the look of him very much, and drew a portrait of him, but that was all for the next couple months.

In college, I found myself drawn to him again, and I began making comics that explored his personality more. What I discovered was a lewd, brutal, cynical, malevolent little shit, that I soon realized was the incarnation of my id.

Like seriously, this is it. He is called Charles.

I grappled with making him a thoughtful, complex character, but the more I tried the more he rebelled. I found that he'd always end up screaming in comics, simply for the sake of destroying the clarity. He lives for controversy.

I even went as far as introducing him to one of my other favorite characters, the Shakespearean jester from "The Great War" series. But he ended up killing him with an ax. I was so upset that I couldn't finish the comic.

The more blunt, offensive, and nasty I draw him; the more true to his character the comics are.
I didn't intend some of these images, I just found him this way. After this post I'll dump the rest on you.

Behold!

I wanted to post this as one big comic that you could simply use the scroll button to read. It seems the file was simply too big. Oh well.

I'll bet Julia Child made some big ones.