FROM DUSK TILL DRAWN: Comics Art Studies and Graphic Narratives Composition, Workshops, Events & Zine Publishing @ Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University [Bangkok – THAILAND]
It was an honor and a pleasure to visit the prestigious National University of Singapore with khun Cue and 15 junior students in the International Program of Communication Management (Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University), and to give a short lecture on the development of Thai Comics during the first half of the 20th century. Our warm thanks to our host Associate Professor Dr. Ian Gordon, Head of the Department of History (NUS), and to Associate Professor Dr. Titima Suthiwan, Director of the Centre for Language Studies (NUS). We also want to thank Singaporean comics scholar Lim Cheng Tju for his presentation on “Consumption of Manga and Anime in Singapore”! Glad we were able to share perspectives on South-East Asian Comics, Manga and… Superman (as Dr. Ian Gordon is the author of Superman: The Persistence of an American Icon)!
Singaporean comics scholar Lim Cheng Tju holding his presentation on “Consumption of Manga and Anime in Singapore”.
Yours truly introducing CommArts “Graphic Writing” course to our hosts.
Slide from the presentation on Thai Comics (and localized American superheroes).
Discussion with Associate Professor Dr. Ian Gordon, Head of the Department of History (NUS).
This faculty field trip also gave me the opportunity to prepare our CommArts students for next semester’s Creative/Graphic Writing for Printed Matter course! Comics Shopping Day in Singapore!
Comics Shopping Day in Singapore; at GnB Comics, at Comics World, and at Kinokuniya.
Comics Shopping Day in Singapore; at GnB Comics, at Comics World, and at Kinokuniya.
Comics Shopping Day in Singapore; at GnB Comics, at Comics World, and at Kinokuniya.
Singaporean purchase: “Black Hammer tpb #1” (because Luc Brunschwig says it’s good), Thai Comics “The Sister’s Luck” by Shari Chankhamma, Anders Nilsen’s “Wolverine” (in “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl – Zine Issue”), and “Superman: The Persistence of an American Icon” by Ian Gordon (thank you, Ian, for the gift).
A week before the field trip, great discussion at CommArts on Thai, Singaporean and ASEAN comics & cartoons with Lim Cheng Tju and CommArts alumnus Albert Potjes!
Thai Comics (comic books & rare original artworks) are on display at theMangasia: Wonderlands of Asian Comics exhibition, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, Italy. Curated by Paul Gravett and a team of over twenty advisors, and developed by The Barbican Centre, the 5-year world-touring exhibition presents the largest ever selection of original artworks from Asian comics. For the first time at an international level, Thai Comics are well represented; original artworks from Thai master cartoonists p’Tawee Witsanukorn (and classic 5-baht ghost comic books of Krasue Sao, 1968), p’Raj Lersroung (Singh Dam), p’Padung “Aoh” Kraisri (Noo-Hin), and p’Suttichart Sarapaiwanich (Joe the Sea-Cret Agent); comic books by p’Hem Vejakorn (Ngo Paa), p’Sawas Jutharop (Phra Apai Manee), p’Pakdee “Tai” Santaweesuk (PangPond); issues of the famous KaiHuaRoh magazine; rare issues of “one-baht comics”; as well as various video clips (Noo-Hin: The Movie, Noo-Hin animated clip, Joe the Sea-Cret Agentanimated clip). My heartfelt thanks to Paul, the Barbican Center, and all the Thai publishers and artists involved in this meaningful project. Special thanks to Chulalongkorn University students Birdme, Suttiarpa and Kaikaew for your invaluable assistance; I could not have fulfilled my role of “advisor on Thai Comics” without your help! Aj. Nicolas Verstappen
Cover of Lorina Mapa’s graphic memoir “Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me”.
Filipino Canadian cartoonistLorina Mapa, author of the graphic memoir Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me, was a guest at the Bangkok Edge Festival 2018, with the participation of the Embassy of Canada to Thailand. On Saturday 20, the artist gave an delightful and interesting public talk on her work, and held a comics workshop on Sunday 21. The Embassy of Canada to Thailand opened extra seats for my students (CommDe & CommArts, Chulalongkorn University) who wished to take part in the (fully booked) workshop (KhopKhunMakKhrap khun Noppawan!)
My warmest thanks to Lorina Mapa, the Bangkok Egde Festival, and the Embassy of Canada to Thailand!
Lorina Mapa’s public talk. Bangkok Edge Festival, January 20, 2018.
After Lorina Mapa’s talk on her graphic memoir, a Thai monk asked the artist a few questions. The first one was on how her drawn memories related to, and maybe enhanced, the vividness of her actual memories. An interesting question, as I sense more and more that the Buddhist notion of “sati” (“mindfulness”) and graphic memoirs might have a lot in common, being both “recollections in praesentia”… A question to further explore… Bangkok Edge Festival, January 20, 2018.
Mise en abyme. CommDe sophomore student Pin (foreground) reads Filipino Canadian cartoonist Lorina Mapa’s graphic memoir “Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me”. Meanwhile, Lorina Mapa (background) reads the comics zine Bang Bang You’re Deadgathering collaborative stories by CommArts Thai students and European cartoonists… Bangkok Edge Festival, January 21, 2018.Lorina Mapa’s comics workshop; comics composition. Art by CommDe ajarn Oat Montien (foreground), and CommDe sophomore student Pin drawing (background). Bangkok Edge Festival, January 21, 2018.Lorina Mapa’s comics workshop; comics composition. Art by CommDe sophomore student MedFai. Bangkok Edge Festival, January 21, 2018.Lorina Mapa’s comics workshop; depicting emotions. From left to right; CommDe ajarn Oat Montien, Lorina Mapa (background), and CommDe sophomore students Pin and MedFai. Bangkok Edge Festival, January 21, 2018.Lorina Mapa’s comics workshop; depicting emotions. Sketches by CommDe ajarn Oat Montien. Bangkok Edge Festival, January 21, 2018.Lorina Mapa’s comics workshop; comics composition. CommDe sophomore students Pin (center) and MedFai (right). Bangkok Edge Festival, January 21, 2018.Lorina Mapa’s comics workshop; depicting emotions. Bangkok Edge Festival, January 21, 2018.
#UltraVioletChallenge: “Making Sense of Signs (and Fragments)” in-class creative assignment (“Intro Comm” & “Visual Media Studies” courses developed by the Faculty of Communication Arts; Semiotics chapter); create a figurative comics based on an imposed abstract comics (duration: 90′). Based on a constrained comics exercise used atPierre Feuille Ciseaux international comics residency-lab.
SEE MORE #ULTRAVIOLETCHALLENGE RESULTS HERE (PART 2) AND THERE (PART 3).
BLURB!
“Brilliant – thanks for sharing!” Nick Sousanis (January 16, 2018; commenting the page by Fern, Lukpearr, Oom & Bank), assistant professor of Humanities & Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University. He received his doctorate in education at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2014, where he wrote and drew his dissertation entirely in comic book form. Titled Unflattening, it argues for the importance of visual thinking in teaching and learning, and was published by Harvard University Press in 2015.
Students from the Faculties/Departments of Architecture (INDA), Communication Design (CommDe), Language & Culture (BALAC), and Engineering (ISE) creating their #UltraViolet comics. August 23, 2018. Visual Media Studies course, INDA, Chulalonglorn University.
SOME RESULTING NARRATIVES:
#UltraVioletChallenge final page by Fern, Lukpearr, Oom & Bank, fresh.wo.men students at CommDe, Chulalongkorn University.#UltraVioletChallenge final page by Arty, Pin & Darnis, junior students at CommDe, Chulalongkorn University.#UltraVioletChallenge final page by Pin, Fa & Pat, sophomore students at INDA, Chulalongkorn University.#UltraVioletChallenge final page by Gap & Yong, junior students at CommDe, Chulalongkorn University.#UltraVioletChallenge final page by Iced, Deedee, Fern & Jam, junior students at INDA, Chulalongkorn University.#UltraVioletChallenge final page by New, Uang and Wee, junior students at CommDe, Chulalongkorn University.Students from the Faculties/Departments of Architecture (INDA), Communication Design (CommDe), Language & Culture (BALAC), and Engineering (ISE) creating their #UltraViolet comics. August 23, 2018. Visual Media Studies course, INDA, Chulalonglorn University.
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