More tales from The Great War

I'm a little worried that people will associate this villainous character with Lucius Malfoy.

Of course I only realized the similarity until after I finished doing the comic. That's life.

I had a dream once of making a book out of The Great War, but it seems to me now an impossibility. I say this because in spite of the various comics I've done...there really is no story. I've come to realize that the series is more a practice in dialog than anything else. Good writing is hard, but it good storytelling is perhaps even harder.

As always, The Great War offers a little slice of the big picture...

•••

I had a lovely time with Alex in Alfred!

The Great War

TOLD you I'd do a comic soon.
Things have been great recently.
My work for my thesis has been approved by all fronts.

Now all that's left to do is work out the finishing touches.
Postcards.
Labels.
And of course, additional prints.

My girlfriend Alex has spent her spring break with me in New Paltz, and soon I will be spending mine with her in Alfred. We've had a merry time of things. She says "hi."

Soon an INTERIOR ETCHING PRINT will be available to the public. That means, you can buy one if you like! Yes! You can buy a print from me! Signed and everything!
Woo!

I'm getting into The Great War again. I've come to realize that at the heart of it, The Great War series represents my view of America, more or less. At least politically.

Exciting news, I've developed a new character for the series. Death. You'll see it soon.
Well, in a week or so. That's soon, geographically speaking. That's like a minute.
5 minutes.

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.

The Great War's Beginnings

This is the very first comic in "The Great War" series. This is what basically got me fired from my first job washing dishes in a pub. They were drawn in ball point pen on the backs of various schedules and print outs that I found in the trash. Apparently working on graphic novels on the job is frowned upon in the restaurant business. I don't see the problem, I was only pages in...

Because of the poor quality of the scans, I have written you a transcript. How nice!

COMIC ONE:

King: "Bazil! What news from the Western front?"

Bazil: "It bodes ill sire. ...The troops are stricken with doubt and mutinous thoughts, and every day the enemy grows stronger with reinforcements from the South! The Queen's confidence in the General may have been misguided, I suspect they are lovers! ...My Lord...we must retreat from this war..."

King: "NEVER! ...No Bazil. We can not retire, without dishonor. I will not succumb to my brother. We must merely adopt a new stratagem. ...In the meantime have my spies keep watch on the Queen, I will not suffer her betrayal."

Bazil: *sigh* "Yes my Lord."

I'll have the second comic up sooner or later. It's harder now that my personal computer is being repaired. Relying on the school's programs has proven somewhat problematic.
Heerererergggll...