Who is the Green Monk?
So If you've known me for awhile or you're one of the few that have actually been following this blog since its inception you might know about Green Monk, a story that's been ruminating in my brain for years now. About three years ago I got it into my mind to make a mini-comic of it, and since then its been a harrowing tale of a battle with myself to create a truly personal piece of art.
I've had to combat a lot of self-doubt, inexperience and perfectionism to get to a place where I now feel ready to dive into this project. So keep your eyes peeled for more news.
For those of you that are interested, here's the basic premise: In a mythical Medieval Russia, a Russian Orthodox Monk wanders the countryside doing good with the aid of a giant blade of grass that can divide anything asunder, whether made by hands or magic. I have a handful of short stories that center around the monk that span different stages of his life. The topic of the current project is one of those stories.
So here's everything I've done so far on the project. There are no words yet, but you should be able to follow the story okay. I'd love to hear any thoughts or comments whether critiques, curiosity, questions or shameless praise.
Without further ado:
Don't you wish you knew what they were saying?
Labels: comic, Green Monk, micron, mini-comic, procrastination
posted by Brandon @ 1:17 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
You're right, the story is pretty self-explanatory, even without words. But I wonder how the words would go? It seems that only a few frames really need words, for conversation. What about the others? It seems that most comics like to offer a narrative from either a narrator, or the main character himself. As I read this, I hear the voice of the main character. For some reason, I'm also hearing it in present tense, rather than past. More like narrative thought bubbles.
"Such a beautiful day in such a beautiful land. If days like this could last forever, I too would be happy forever. Ah, cookfires. I can already taste the mutton stew, or meat pies. Ho, stranger! Cannst thou recommend a decent inn?"
"Bitest me, for my village is now burnt."
"Burnt? No... those aren't cookfires!"
[two captivating frames of speedlines, followed by what appears to be a massacre]
At this point, I could really use some words. Clearly the village was attacked, and the villagers have decided against rebuilding. The fires imply to me that it was the work of men, rather than some force of spirit or nature. I'm reminded of the maccacre scene in Mononoke Hime, but I'm surprised not to see any dead people. Just evacuees. Did the general's guards decide to evict this poor village? Did bandits burn a few roofs, and leave no dead? Or have I just not seen the dead yet?
If this were in printed form, I would buy it. I also like that it's in black and white. It lets me focus more on the artwork and the story. It reminds me in a lot of ways of Jeff Smith's Bone, and that can only be a good thing.
Hey Joseph! It's a been awhile. Thanks for the great response. It's good to know that the visuals are basically clear enough.
Once I add the word bubbles, it'll answer some of your questions.
Is the guy the monk met saying, "Heeey, remember me? I was in Bone."
:D
Not really.
This is looking good.
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