#alabaster pizzo

[sw3012022]

Formative assessment

For the formative, I printed the comic/poster on an inkjet printer (as I couldn’t access the risograph printer before the assessment), and displayed it alongside the original drawings and the pieces of text I had written to be included in the book. 

I was happy with how this presentation documented the work I had made so far, but was a little disappointed with how the poster didn’t quite match with the other elements yet. Still, I felt it was a good representation of the work so far, and where it was going. 

Here are the notes I wrote to read from during my presentation:

-so far in this module, I have been working on a series of drawings or ‘panels’, in order to make a prayer in the form of a comic.

-the work is called Queer Prayer, and is an exploration of spirituality and the language of spirituality, through a queer and non-human centric lens.

-the panels of the comic interact with the text below them, serving as heterotopias that expand on the feeling created by the lines of the prayer. each line and panel act as small worlds by themselves, while also working together with the rest of the comic to create a sense of a full world through vignettes.

-in the comic, i have chosen to focus on broad statements with the text- for example, “may we all be born again”, a vague yet hopeful statement- and show small, focused scenes in the panels. i myself look at small details in nature to feel reminded of the beauty of life, and this is what I want these panels to express. i want to show and explore how focusing in on details can help us feel fulfilled in a bigger way.

-i intend to make this comic in to two outcomes by the end of the module: a risograph printed A3 poster, featuring the refined drawings and hand lettered text, and a hand bound art book, featuring the drawings and a range of short pieces of writing that i have been working on alongside the drawings, reflecting on aspects of my own spirituality and comforts.

-here i have a first version of the poster, printed with an inkjet printer as i haven’t had a chance to use the riso printer before this assessment. i’m really happy with it, i’m excited to print it using the risograph and on nicer more off white paper for a better finish.

-i also have the finished drawings and text that will be going in to the book. for the book, i intend to riso print the pages, with thick card front and back covers that i would like to deboss. i want to make one display version of this book, as well as some small zines that could be distributed.

-for research, i am looking into heterotopias as a way to describe the vignettes of worlds i am creating. i am highlighting small details in order to suggest the existence of smaller worlds within our own.

-artists: tove jansson, e.h. shepard, steve wolfhard (adventure time artists), becca tobin, alabaster pizzo

I’m happy with how the assessment went- it was good to hear that I was pretty much on track, and I was glad that the work was successful so far. 

[herefm]

🌟 Here Spotlight: Alabaster Pizzo🌟

A space for (almost) limitless creativity, Here lets you create rooms \ that let you fully express yourselves. But sometimes, we need a little inspiration. Welcome to Here Spotlight, a series of interviews with some of our favorite artists and creatives out in the world.

Hi Alabaster, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you in the world and what does your day to day look like?

Hi Here, I live in Los Angeles. Depending on what or where I’m working, I might work from home one day on drawings and comics, or go to my workshop where I make things out of concrete and recycled plastic, tile, and wood.

How did you get into drawing and making art!

I’ve always done it. My parents have comics I made when I was 3, before I could even write (I dictated and my Dad did the lettering).

Tell us a little bit about the room template that you made! What inspired it?

My house and my plants! I have about 200 plants in my apartment. Also, I love cinderblocks. I use them to make shelving or as plant pedestals a lot.

What are some of the projects that you were super excited to work on so far?

Ahhh, I always have like 6 or 7 projects I’m working on. I’m trying to develop a painting practice; like the drawings I do but way bigger. I have a work space that is not my house for the first time ever so I’m exploring bigger, messier work, which is so fun. In 2021 I serialized a 60 page comic on instagram, posting 2 pages every other day, and that was really exciting, reading people’s feedback as the comic was made.

Who are some of your favorite artists on the internet right now?

Because I’ve been teaching myself how to recycle plastic into art, I’m excited to have made internet-friends with cooltrashnet and funky_alchemy who are making innovative work out of similar materials and processes.

What are some of the things you would tell your younger self? Are there anything that you would like to know earlier in your life as an artist?

Actually nothing! Looking back, I think I’ve learned and grown and evolved in ways I’m proud of and also feel like they've taken the right amount of time. If I could redo my 20s, I’d take myself dancing more. I was too shy to do that alone until my 30s.

What are some of the anxieties that you have around being an artist and being online?

Being very visible online opens me up to a lot of stressful situations. I used to enjoy interacting with anyone who wanted to message me but I’ve had to turn those features off, which is unfortunate. I want people to enjoy and relate to my work but I try to stay completely away from pandering. It can be really easy to let that seep into your work, and then you are making work you know will get shared instead of work that is meaningful to you. Most of the paid work I get is from people seeing my art on social media, so this is difficult to avoid. I wind up having to sacrifice money for integrity, and the United States is a very harsh place in which to make this choice. But most online spaces are free, so the barrier for entry to start making and posting art and interacting with other artists is low.

What takes the most of your time in your day to day?

I spend way too much time poking and prodding at my plants when I should be working

What are you some of the things that you are working on that you’re excited about right now?

I’ve taken a small break from comics to explore material art but I think I’m going to return to comics soon.

Are there anything that you are looking forward to for the coming year?

Just hoping for a time when going out and being around other people feels safe again, it won’t be this year. Maybe next year

What’s a song that you listen to almost everyday lately?

I don’t know about every day haha, but the song I dropped into my room template is Inspector Norse by Todd Terje, and is an enduring favorite of mine. If you like dance music, you can check out my Spotify playlists, search for my name :)

[adz]

Alabaster Pizzo

[pizzashowgirls]

Summer Camp Island by Alabaster Pizzo

[summercampsummercamp]

And here are the second ten title cards from Season 1 :)

Popular Banana Split - Aleks Sennwald

Time Traveling Quick Pants - Alabaster Pizzo

It’s My Party - Monica Ramos

Moon Problems - Aleks Sennwald

Monster Visit - Anna Haifisch 

Ice Cream Headache - Sam Maurer

Pepper’s Blanket is Missing - Lucyola Langi

Hedgehog Werewolf - Sarah McNeil

Mr Softball - Hanna K. Nystrom

Fuzzy Pink Time Babies - Becca Tobin

[sequentialartistsworkshop]

Congratulations to our Students!

Congratulations to Miranda Harmon, class of 2015, who is now both working for Cartoon Network, AND has a 3-book deal in the works! (See below!)

Miranda says about SAW, "I learned so much in such a short amount of time from some of the most dedicated, compassionate people I've ever met, with 9 wonderful classmates."

We are so proud of Miranda and all of our students!

Here’s more:

Sally Cantirino (who we call Student Zero here at SAW, as she was our first student) has been kicking it at Black Mask Comics drawing Last Song for them, which has been reviewed at Newsarama who praised “Cantirino’s skill as an artist and storyteller “ and Comics, The Gathering says, “If you’re into killer art, this is a book you need to check out.“

Comic Bulletin says, “Take away the special effects, camera tricks, and the autotune, all there is left is authenticity. Sally Cantirino’s use of light to heavy inking and halftone shading works well with a grundgy, rock theme.“

And others have been doing amazing things. Our buddy Bjorn Miner was in Best American Comics

And the hits keep coming:

Kelsey Norman is now in the MFA program at SCAD and says,

And there’s more. Online student Emma Cook is now doing cartoons for her newspaper in New Zealand.

And Tom’s students from his days in New York are rising up.

Hurray Alabaster, also now working for Cartoon Network

And Tom’s student from 2002, Leslie Stein is now our visiting artist at SAW this week.

HOW COOL IS THAT???

Love to all our former students!

-Tom

[kushkomikss]

Don’t miss the š! #30 ‘Brooklyn’ Release Party at Desert Island, 8 November 2017!

[ryyyan-kiiing]

CORPUS: A COMIC ANTHOLOGY OF BODILY AILMENTS is now on Kickstarter!

I’m writing a 10-page comic for the anthology about my experiences living and functioning with a hoarding disorder, illustrated by one of my favorite cartoonists, Alabaster Pizzo.

CORPUS is an anthology about illness, both mental and physical, in any form as well as healthcare experiences. It is a full color book with over 200 pages of content from some incredibly talented folks tackling a huge variety of personal, scary, hilarious, and poignant topics regarding illness. There are 40 stories ranging from peanut allergies to losing an eye, from depression to epilepsy, from what it is to care for a sick person to tackling the stigma of a chronic illness yourself.

>>Check out the Kickstarter here<< There are tons of great rewards and the lineup is a real stunner (Tini Howard, Shing Yin Khor, Vita Ayala, Brian Level, and so many more!).

[poopsheet]

Mimi and the Wolves by Alabaster Pizzo

Mimi and the Wolves by Alabaster Pizzo

Mimi and the Wolves https://averyhillpublishing.bigcartel.com/product/mimi-and-the-wolves is a 204-page, black and white, fantasy comic written and illustrated by Alabaster Pizzo. Published by Avery Hill Publishing.

In this tale from Alabaster Pizzo a young mouse girl named Mimi dreams of a magical goddess as she maneuvers through relationships with old friends and new acquaintances. As Mimi’s…

[alabasterpizzo]

I adapted a short piece of writing by Horatio Baltz into a comic

[birdcagebottombooks]

We’ve got the third issue of Alabaster Pizzo’s “Mimi & The Wolves” (along with the first two) in the Birdcage Bottom Books distro. Click here to see Mimi along with more Alabaster comics!

[sw3012022]

Initial Research

The first bits of inspiration I got from this project were from comic artists that I follow on Instagram- in particular, the work of Alabaster Pizzo (@alabasterpizzo) and Becca Tobin (@beccateeth). Pizzo’s comic “Prayer To Saint Therese” was a big inspiration, in terms of spirituality being expressed though drawings and words. There is a section of the comic that really spoke to me: 

I really love the way this small prayer has been interpreted: the character is walking around a busy town/city, an area that should be noisy and overwhelming, but these thoughts/lines of prayer create a beautiful calm atmosphere. Saint Therese herself was a French-Catholic Discalced Carmelite nun, who had a practical and simplistic approach to spirituality. She had an idea about spirituality called ‘the little way’: “I will seek out a means of getting to Heaven by a little way – very short and very straight little way that is wholly new. We live in an age of inventions; nowadays the rich need not trouble to climb the stairs, they have lifts instead. Well, I mean to try and find a lift by which I may be raised unto God, for I am too tiny to climb the steep stairway of perfection. […] Thine Arms, then, O Jesus, are the lift which must raise me up even unto Heaven. To get there I need not grow. On the contrary, I must remain little, I must become still less.”

In the work of Becca Tobin, I am really drawn to the way they draw figures- their characters are often in between: not quite human, not quite animal. The scenes they draw showing these creatures in communities, happy and thriving, bring me a great sense of peace and hopefulness. 

The eccentric imagery and colours combined with the calmness that radiates from the characters is something really beautiful to me. It feels like, here is a community of weird little creatures who all love doing weird things, they are all strange and they love each other and they are comfortable together, they take care of each other and the things they love. I get a real sense of queer joy from Tobin’s work. 

[whatbrandonnnread]

Hellbound Lifestyle by Alabaster Pizzo https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30338500-hellbound-lifestyle

[librarycomic]

Mimi and the Wolves Volume 1 by Alabaster Pizzo. Avery Hill, 2019. 9781910395486. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781910395486?partnerid=34778&p_bt

I need to rave about Alabaster Pizzo's art. The anthropomorphic animals she draws are (mostly) wonderfully cute (the wolves can look a bit sinister.) Her writing plays against the cuteness in the most perfect way. It's like a deep, PG-13 version of Animal Crossing that looks better because it's drawn in black and white.

Mimi is a garland-making mouse who lives with her mate, Bobo. Ever since she was little she's had a recurring nightmare full of weird creatures and violence (it doesn't scare her). After taking a concoction to help her have a lucid dream, she speaks to the Holy Venus in her dream. Mimi paints the symbol Holy Venus shows her onto leaves and soon makes a friend who knows about Venus, too -- Egort, a wolf. He tells her about Venus, talismans, and spirit guides. Bobo is alarmed -- he tells Mimi its the symbol for a cult. After he finds out she's been hanging out with wolves, he's alarmed. (She didn't even tell him about the drugs she's been doing with them.) He forbids her from seeing them again, but she has to find out about the symbol and the meaning of her dreams.

Strange place for a cute anthropomorphic animal comic to go, but it's compelling. I'm waiting for the next volume.

[theanimeview]

Comic-Con@Home - Cartoon Network Studios: The Art of Storyboarding - Notes!

11:00 AM - Noon (PDT) | Thursday 23 July 2020 (1:00pm - 2:00pm)

Panel Description: “In this masterclass virtual panel, hear from artists behind some of Cartoon Network Studios' hit series as they share their journeys, learnings and top tips for aspiring storyboard artists worldwide. Join leading artists behind award-winning shows to learn how a concept or script is brought to life through the beloved art of storyboarding. Panelists include: Mic Graves, director of and voice on The Amazing World of Gumball; Chuck Klein, storyboard royalty and supervising producer/director, Apple & Onion; Julia Pott, creator of and voice on Summer Camp Island; Alabaster Pizzo, storyboard artist, Summer Camp Island. #ad” (Link to video: https://youtu.be/YlRT7lYIPXU)

Basically everything that comes after storyboarding becomes dependent on the storyboard artist. The story board will be reviewed by many people -- the writers, directors, the storyboard artists, animators, ect. It is generally the first sketch of the series taking the story from text to image. 

A good thing to remember is that while the storyboard might be considered a piece of art, it’s really a tool for the final animation. It should not be taken personally if directors or higher ups critique the work.

Almost everyone has started using Toon Boom Storyboard Pro. Lots also use post-it notes too. It's fast, easy to move, and you don’t treat the image “preciously” in the sense that you probably won’t spend an excessive amount of time on the drawing. 

Storyboarding for comedy? Tips: Simpler is better. You don’t need to create a lot of complicated camera angles or get showy. As long as you can see what is happening, and can focus on that (rather than rapid movement that might be distracting) the more the comedy has a chance to shine. Great model is the storyboarding for the Flintstones. 

What makes a great storyboard? 1. Getting to know the characters well! Then you can add mannerisms into their scenes, you can write in jokes, add movement, etc. 2. Do the motion (to the extent that you can) for yourself and in front of a mirror. Make faces, and use those for the outline of character and don’t be afraid to exaggerate! 3. Read the script multiple times and then sketch out the work in its entirety as best you can (and don’t mind doing it again!! -- remember that the work is in-progress and is or could change regularly and suddenly).

Storyboard pitch:

Cartoon Network tries to include their storyboarders into the art. 

Paying Your Dues and/or Do’s and Do Not’s: Clean up after yourself. Be on time. Don’t just do the work--try to do more by aiming to bring the work to life! Save your work often. 

Cartoon Network Studios has created a program that teaches storyboarding called CNS Academy. It is a 12-week, full-time, in-house storyboard trainee program designed to help train artists seeking to storyboard specifically for television. (Link: https://www.cartoonnetworkstudios.com/cnsacademy)

Advice: 1. Constantly work on personal projects. It's great practice, builds your portfolio, and shows your passion for the industry. 2. Be a team player. If people like working with you then you will go far! 3. Get known--fill a portfolio of work and constantly put stuff out on social media and such. Building an audience will help with getting hired for more projects. 4. Absorb visual languages. Watch a lot of visual media (movies, animations, youtube videos, etc.) and practice communicating your ideas visually. The technical skill of drawing can be learned, but the soft skills like communication is something that everyone needs to practice regularly.

[victoriakeyillustration]

it has magic,mythical exploration and a variety of cute animals...what more do you want...