Inky Stories at Arisia 2013

For the third consecutive year (Arisia 2011, Arisia 2012), I've had honor and privige of being a panelist at Arisia, New England's premier scifi convention for fans and professionals.

David Marshall

James Mobius and I at the Moebius panel

The panels were designed to present comics as entertainment, art, history and business. I was lucky enough to work with new and old colleagues, each an expert in their chosen areas of focus.

The Panels

Creating Minicomics

  • Saturday January 19, 10:00pm-11:15pm
  • Panelists: David Marshall, Dan Morris, Richard A. Silva
  • Moderator: E. J. Barnes

Minicomics are a great DIY way of making comics with very minimal requirements, and a popular way of getting started in the indie comics scene. There's a lot of material for discussion: comparing and contrasting with webcomics, different methods and genres of comic storytelling, the 24-Hour Comic movement, and local creators. Boston has a number of mini creators and several comic shops that sell minis.

Moebius Retrospective

  • Sunday January 20, 2:30pm-3:45pm
  • Panelists: James Mobius, Dan Morris
  • Moderator: David Marshall

Jean "Moebius" Giraud, influential comic and SF artist, died last year. This panel will show some of his prolific art, and discuss trends and other artists that were inspired by his visionary work.

Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures
(TV documentary, 2007) A very fine documentary on legendary artist Jean Giraud (Moebius) featuring interviews with film makers Alejandro Jodorowsky and Dan O'Bannon as well as artists Philippe Druillet, Jim Lee, Mike Mignola, H.R. Giger and Stan Lee. Posted Daily Motion as "In Search of Moebius" in three parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three
Moebius on the "Monstrous" role of comic book letterers
(Comics Alliance, August 2011) "I don't really understand how an artist can entrust something that is important to a hired hand, no matter how good he may be."
Moebius/Jean Giraud videos
(Art of the Comic Book) Interviews and drawing demonstrations
Silver Surfer: Parable
1988 collaboration between Stan Lee and Moebius
Moebius' Grand Conversation
(Fischer on Comix, Craig Fischer, July 2011) "Ben Towle and I organized a panel for HeroesCon 2011 titled 'The Master of Screaming Metal: A Tribute to Moebius'..."
Jean Giraud on Wikipedia
(Wikipedia) "Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (1938-2012) was a French comics artist, working in the French tradition of bandes dessinées. Giraud earned worldwide fame, predominantly under the pseudonym Mœbius, and to a lesser extent Gir (used for the Blueberry series), the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings. Esteemed by Federico Fellini, Stan Lee and Hayao Miyazaki among others, he received international acclaim. He has been described as the most influential bandes dessinées artist after Hergé."

No Capes! Non-Superhero Comics

  • Sunday January 20, 4:00pm-5:15pm
  • Panelists: Alexander C. Danner, David Marshall, Dan Morris, Everett Soares
  • Moderator: Alex Jarvis

A discussion on the politics, economy, and personalities involved in the world of non-superhero comics, with particular focus on the recent image surge and the apparent "rats leaving a sinking ship" trend at the big two.

I'm Just Wild about Kirby

  • Monday January 21, 2:30pm-3:55pm
  • Panelists: Mario Di Giacomo, Karl G. Heinemann, Alex Jarvis, Dan Morris
  • Moderator: David Marshall

A discussion of the work of Jack Kirby, one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books. He was the co-creator of such enduring characters and popular culture icons as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, and Captain America. He also created the highly innovative Fourth World series of comics for DC. His style has influenced comic book artists and authors for years, and his imprint upon the field of comics can still be felt to this day.

Matt Thorn on Jack Kirby
(Voices From the Archive) "Kirby seems unable to successfully step outside of the world inside his own skull. His half-hearted attempt to write 'groovy slang' illustrates that he didn’t know much about or really care much about the world outside his skull, at least not after WWII."
Jack Kirby Videos
(Art of the Comic Book) Interviews on YouTube
Jack Kirby's "Street Code"
1983, 8 pages, written and drawn by Kirby, reproduced straight from the pencils. Kirby's semi-autobiographical look at his Depression-era youth in New York's Lower East Side.
Jack Kirby’s In the Days of the Mob
One of Jack Kirby's first DC projects the black and white magazine In the Days of the Mob, which featured on stories of organized crime in the 1930s, in the style of the The Untouchables television series.
Reference

— Dave "Living Legend of Arisia" Marshall