A 6-page fictional comic based on an ethnographic observation of Seward Park in downtown Manhattan, NYC.
THE OBJECTIVE
I went into this project very open-minded about where my park observations might take me. And one nasty interaction with a man in the park pointed me straight to making a comic about him being defeated.
Stylistically, I wanted it to tread the line between simple and detailed - going light on background details but highlighting each crease in the characters' faces.
THE PROCESS
1
I started sitting on the east side of Seward Park, drawing a 360° panorama of my surroundings in pen. This would become the basis for my comic.
Close up panorama panels 1 and 2
Close up panorama panels 3 and 4
2
Next, I decided what story I wanted to make. The central person in the panorama drawing was a man who heckled me in the park. I decided if he wanted attention that badly, he could be the star of my comic.
3
I wrote a script for the comic in which I fictionalized my experience with a male perverted antagonist who pesters readers of the story, creeping out of the frame.
Panels of the antagonist trying to creep out of the comic and get to the reader
4
But I needed a protagonist... The silent companions of my Seward Park visit were often the elderly. For the 5 hours I spent there, elderly people always smiled at me kindly. Thus, my protagonist was born
Old male protagonist on the right
THE RESULT
This is the first comic I have created that is longer than a single strip. It was very satisfying to see it come to life as I added details. I tried to let go and be a bit less meticulous with the details, drawing them straight in with ink rather than sketching them first in pencil. Overall, the process was wonderful, challenging, and fulfilling. One thing I would change would be adding a bit more differentiation between the old man and the pervert. Also, the red lipstick tattoo on the antagonist's neck should be more visible because it is imperative to the story, I should have highlighted it more.
