Tyler Sticka

Fragments Comic Anthology Available Now! Proceeds Go to Save the Children

I’m so wicked proud to announce that Fragments (the comic anthology I’ve been organizing to benefit the amazing charity, Save the Children) is finally available for purchase! If you like comics, or if you just like doing something awesome for a good cause, you should purchase a copy.

The book features awesome comics by Tram Ngo, Kristen Bailey, Pav Kovacic, Theodore Taylor and many more. The cover was illustrated by Tony Papesh, with a logo by Marc Roman. It’s thanks to all the contributors that this book exists.

The Fragments web site is the first time I’ve published a site written in HTML5 with liberal use of CSS3. Safari 5 users should notice a cool three-dimensional transform on the cover, accomplished via some CSS Transforms and a bit of JavaScript.

If you don’t have Safari, you can see the effect in this screencast:

A special thanks to everyone who has supported the project by tuning into its progress via Facebook or Twitter. Please continue spreading the word; with your help, this project will be a resounding success.

Fragments: Great Comics For a Great Cause

Fragments is a unique comic book anthology that donates its proceeds to those in need, but not without your help.

We’re now accepting submissions for comics and artwork to be featured in the first volume, benefiting the victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. If you’re an artist, please consider contributing. If you know an artist, please direct their attention to this project.

With our combined creativity, we can make this an amazing book that actually saves lives.

For more information, please visit the project’s web site or follow @FragmentsComic on Twitter.

Spider-Man Drawings

My favorite superhero is, without question, Batman. His is the simplest premise with the richest psychological results.

But just as certainly, my favorite to draw is Spider-Man.

When I was a very young comics fan, I was drawn to John Romita’s flawless brushwork. But as I grew older, I became increasingly enamored with Steve Ditko’s Spidey. It felt quirky, jittery, jerky. The opposite of graceful. In a world of sweeping capes, bold shapes and dynamic lines, Ditko’s Spider-Man (and to some extent, Peter Parker) was hopelessly broken and askew.

I would guess at least half of American cartoonists go through a phase of romanticizing superhero comics, and I was no different. I never thought I was very good at drawing superheroes, mind you, but they were really fun.

I recently stumbled upon some Spider-Man drawings I did as a freshman in college. It looks like I was reading a lot of comics by Sam Kieth and Humberto Ramos. I was obviously avoiding the “hassle” of rendering settings or backgrounds (something many young artists struggle with). But these drawings make me smile in spite of their flaws because I had so much fun making them.

And my Spider-Man is definitely quirky, jittery, jerky.

25 Years of Usagi Yojimbo

Creativity runs in my family, though not always as obviously expressed as through a career in art and design. I can recall countless projects undertaken by my parents, my mom’s strength being idea generation and my dad’s being execution. I dig the way my parents design their house, yards and living spaces; always warm, creative, modern and comfortable.

Oftentimes these projects would be built from scratch or from something salvageable from an antique store or garage sale. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford to buy brand spanking new materials. They loved giving these discarded objects a new lease on life beyond what you could purchase new off a store shelf. When I take on projects like repairing and improving a broken iPod, I believe I have them to blame thank.

Growing up, I was a daydreamer. To this day I have a terrible sense of direction, partially because I was never really aware of the world outside the car window. I was too busy conjuring images of ninjas, aliens, robots, superheros and dinosaurs to pay attention to things like intersections and traffic. Similarly I was never fully cognizant of what my parents were looking for in any particular antique store, so much as I was engrossed in the task of finding comic books.

One flea market in particular held many such treasures. It was where I found my second issue of Groo and the Space Ghost one-shot by Mark Evanier and Steve Rude. Most importantly, it was where I discovered my first issue of Usagi Yojimbo.

This was fantastic! My young eyes were dazzled by the economy and expressiveness of the drawings while my mind was engaged and enamored with the authentic Japanese history infused with a hardy sense of adventure and fun. Here was a comic accessible to me, but which didn’t talk down to me. I was in love!

Many years later at San Diego Comic Con, I had the opportunity to meet the man behind Usagi, Stan Sakai, and express my admiration. To my delight, I found him both friendly and humble. His stories alone earn him such a large audience, yet his level of graciousness emphasizes how deserving he really is.

This year, Usagi celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary. Members of the Usagi Yojimbo Dojo (a wonderful community-led forum in which Stan is an active participant) decided to put together a gift for Stan comprised of artwork, letters and congratulations from many of his appreciative fans.

While I was unable to attend this year’s Comic Con where fans presented the gift to Stan, I’m thankful to have contributed to the impressive, three-volume tome. I’m also thankful to Michael Takahara for publishing a video of the event (and for subsequently posting it to Vimeo for me to use here).

Watch Stan receive his gift and see my contribution

Comics’ Lost Audience

On Strange Love Live I made mention of a paper I had written in college on the decline of interest in American comic books, with a subsequent promise to post said essay online. I’m nothing if not a man of my word!

What follows is a somewhat younger Tyler’s passionate explanation of why fewer Americans buy (and to a certain degree, care) about comic books than ever before. Perhaps therein we may learn what to avoid as we drive forward the stories of tomorrow.

Comics’ Lost Audience:
An Analysis of the Decreased Popular Interest in American Comic Books

The superhero is an endangered species. Even with superhero movies at an all-time high in popularity (Spider-Man 2 was the second top-grossing movie of 2004, making over 370 million dollars, and its 2002 prequel is the sixth highest grossing film of all-time) (“All-Time USA Box Office”), comic book sales are at historical lows. In spite of America’s professed love in other media for the traditions and characters of comics, the top-selling comic book of 2004 barely broke 200,000 issues sold (Weiland), a number that, ten years ago, would have put the book up for cancellation. In stark contrast, Japan’s top selling comic books often sell upwards of one million copies every week! Japan’s comics sell incredibly well in all demographics, with more paper being used to produce comic books than toilet paper (Schodt 12). The decline in American comic book sales may have several contributing factors, but it becomes clear upon an examination of history that many (if not most) of the problems plaguing comic books’ accessibility are a result of the very industry that creates them.

Read the rest of this essay

Icons and Comics on Strange Love Live

If you missed viewing my Strange Love Live appearance when it was actually live, you can now view it on Blip.TV, in iTunes, or right here:

I had a blast being on the show! Thanks again to Cami Kaos and Dr. Normal for being such gracious hosts. I’ll be sure to post my comics essay (as promised) in the coming weeks.

Icon designers I should have mentioned (but didn’t for some reason) include Susan Kare, the Iconfactory, John Hicks and Adam Betts.

Some of the comics I talked about (not all of which are safe for youngsters) were Amulet, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bone, Groo, Usagi Yojimbo, Cerebus, Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. For a larger list of keen comics to check out, see my WebVisions follow-up.

If you’re hungry for more comic book, indie rock and tech geekery and don’t mind the occasional expletive, older audiences can check out the less structured Afterhours episode (with appearances by Peter Wooley).

Blast Processing for Young Imaginations

Despite his failure to adapt to a post-Dreamcast world, I have a soft spot for Sonic the Hedgehog. It started with his second game on the Sega Genesis, and shortly moved to an affinity for the licensed comic book. I was given my first issue (No. 13) by a grade school friend. Along with any Peanuts and MAD paperbacks I could get my hands on, Sonic helped kick-start my lifelong love of comics.

Published by Archie Comics (the same one that regularly dispenses Betty & Veronica “digests” to your local supermarket checkout stand), Sonic the Hedgehog was actually a perfect introduction to the world of serialized comics  The popular video game and cartoon show tie-in immediately hooked my malleable brain into an upbeat mixture of humor and action, the tone set by distinctive artists like Scott Shaw!, Dave Manak, Steven Butler,  Sam Maxwell, Manny Galan and Patrick Spaziante. The book’s level of continuity was deeper than in Valiant’s comparatively short-lived Super Mario Bros. comics, yet more accessible than that of Marvel or DC’s respective universes. It was entertaining, and it kept me coming back.

That trend has continued for over fifteen years; last month the series reached its 200th issue. For reasons of nostalgia, completeness or purely entertainment, I have stuck with it that entire time. Month after month and regardless of which mini-series or spin-offs were introduced, I was there. I mimicked my favorite artists’ styles in my own drawings, learning fundamental principals of expression and composition. One of my first experiences with HTML was in creating a Sonic the Hedgehog fan site. While that level of fanaticism waned with adolescence, those skills I practiced in reaction to it did not.

Above: At left, the ashcan preview issue ¼ of Sonic the Hedgehog published in 1992. At right, the recently published issue 200.

I love taking out my cardboard comic box housing the series, flipping through the hundreds of issues and remembering fondly the worlds they conjured. But alongside comics as challenging and thought-provoking as Maus, Blankets, Kane and the works of Moebius, it has struggled to compete. Issue 200 is truly a milestone; I decided months ago that it would be my last.

Inspiration comes from unexpected sources, and I doubt anyone would have predicted a passion for Lewis Trondheim and George Herriman would be cultivated from SEGA’s marketable mascot. I extend my sincerest thanks to the creators of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book for avoiding the oft-traveled path of half-hearted, licensed schlock in favor of a surprisingly rich continuum of stories that continues to ignite young imaginations.

If you’re a parent looking for a book your kids will actually read, I suggest you give it a shot.

WebVisions Epilogue (Slides, comics and more!)

Thanks to everyone who attended the Graphic Storytelling in New Media session at this week’s WebVisions conference. I couldn’t have asked for a better audience, both in the presentation’s reception and the thought-provoking Q&A that followed.

Attendees requested that I post the session’s slides with links to the comics I talked about. You deserve no less!

The Presentation

My slides are very visual, with nary a bullet point in sight. I’ve been told the session was recorded and will be available as a podcast; until then, these might be confusing out of context. I’ll update this post with a link to the audio when it becomes available.

Linkage

Here are the best links I could find for the comics I mentioned, in order of appearance.

Warning: Many of these titles are not recommended for younger readers. Explore at your own risk!

• Krazy Kat by George Herriman
• Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
• Popeye by E.C. Segar
• Peanuts by Charles Schulz
• Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons 
• Bone by Jeff Smith
• Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
• Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley
• Blankets by Craig Thompson
• Kane by Paul Grist
• Maus by Art Spiegelman
• Cerebus by Dave Sim and Gerhard
• PVP by Scott Kurtz
• Penny Arcade by Gabe and Tycho
• Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
• Garfield by Jim Davis (I recommend Garfield Minus Garfield or this video as much more entertaining alternatives)
• I Can’t Stop Thinking! by Scott McCloud
• The Right Number by Scott McCloud
• Magic Inkwell Comic Strip Theatre by Cat Garza, Jr.
• Pup by Drew Weing
• When I Am King by Demian 5
• Scott Pilgrim by Brian Lee O’Malley
• Tintin by Hergé
• Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo
• Downtown Smells by Will Eisner
• Fantastic Four by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
• Captain America by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Man, that’s a lot of comics! You can find my webcomics work in the extras section of this site.  Stan the Cat Goes Nuts!, Blip, Plod and Future Tale explore some of the infinite canvas techniques we discussed.

If you’re looking for comics in Portland, I would highly recommend the stores Floating World and Excalibur.

Other Stuff

I had a blast being interviewed on Strange Love Live. Cami, Kelly and Dr. Normal were all incredibly nice, and the tone was very relaxed and conversational. Allegedly, my interview exists somewhere in one of the two videos featured here, but my scrubbing did not reveal it. If you manage to unearth it, please post the timestamp in the comments!

Portwiture did not win the Mashup or Peoples’ Choice WebVisionary Awards. Luckily, we lost to a very capable adversary: the wonderful Twitter emotionscape-mapping Twendz. Congratulations to Waggener Edstrom for the double win!

The evening was not without it’s victories. Mallory and I had the chance to hang with Bram Pitoyo, Jason Grigsby, Amber Case and Matt Allen, which is always a good time. But perhaps most geektastic for me was finally getting to meet Dave Allen!

Dave’s an undeniably cool guy. He’s responsible for the excellent music and MP3 site Pampelmoose and the Director of Insights & Media at the always-impressive Nemo Design. But most importantly to me, Dave helped craft some of my favorite rock albums as the bass player for the seminal post-punk band Gang of Four. His thumping, primal sound is mimicked constantly by contemporary bands; it was thrilling to meet the man behind it, as evidenced by my goofy grin in the photo!

Your turn!

Did you attend the presentation? Jill Bruhn said it was her favorite part of WebVisions. Julie Cabinaw thought I was passionate, but wasn’t sure what to take from it. What’d you think? Better yet, what comics, film, music, art or web sites have moved you? Sound off in the comments!

Comics tricked me into experience design

This May, I’ll be presenting Graphic Storytelling in New Media at WebVisions 2009. I’m extremely excited to discuss the compositional, narrative and iconic potential of comics as applied to the interactions and communities inherent to the web. My knowledge of where these two incredible mediums converge did not come suddenly or unexpectedly; without comics, I may not have fallen in love with the web at all.

I was a wee lad when I first started accumulating old Peanuts and MAD paperbacks. They had the graphic straightforwardness of film and animated cartoons, but they moved at my speed, trading in the dimension of time for a command of composition. Of course, I had no idea that was why I liked them. Scott McCloud had to tell me that.

I remember vividly discovering and being enamored with Understanding Comics when I first found it at my local library. I read it cover-to-cover in one sitting, absolutely enthralled as McCloud de-mystified the elements of the medium while simultaneously elevating the level of wonder inherent to it.

Among other things, Understanding Comics partially or completely initiated my enthusiasm for:

• Storytelling
• Crafting experiences
• Composition
• Symbols and iconography

In short, the foundations of visual communication. The passion born at that moment exists to this day; I attempt to infuse that feeling into everything that I do.

Join me on Friday, May 22 at 10:30am Thursday, May 21 at 2:45pm at the Oregon Convention Center. We’ll take a look at the web through four-color, halftone glasses, and uncover your inner storyteller in the process.

Update (4/27): The presentation has been rescheduled one day earlier in the afternoon, see the correction above.