The Thai Loop was a workshop held on June 23, 2015 as part of the activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University in association with the Thai Reading Culture Promotion Program, the Thai
Cartoon Association, the publisher Let’s Comic Publishing and the ChiFouMi Association. The story created during this workshop was displayed at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (USA) during the fifth Pierre Feuille Ciseaux collective experimental comics residency (see below).

The workshop aimed at the creation of an exquisite corpse, based on the constrained exercise La Boucle/The Loop developed by the ChiFouMi Association, with 17 participants, whether professional Thai cartoonists or enthusiasts. Duration: 1 hour.

Step 01: After a presentation of the OuBaPo, the ChiFouMi Association and the exercise (10’), 9 of the 17 artists create the design of 9 imposed elements (3 characters/ 3 objects/ 3 backgrounds). The 9 imposed elements are: Yeti/Hunter/Bat, Mushroom/Whiskey Bottle/Mirror, River/Snowy Mountain/Cave. Time limit: 10′.

Khun OM Ratchawej designs a mushroom, one of the 9 imposed elements.

The 9 imposed elements. All rights remain to the authors.

Step 02: Each artist is given a comics page with 4 empty panels. Every artist must start the action of his/her story in the fourth panel using one or several of the previously designed elements. When done, he/she gives his/her page to the artist on his/her left. Time limit: 10′.

Step 03: In the first panel of the page he/she got from his/her seatmate, the artist must continue the action he/she started on the previous page. When done, the artist gives his/her page to the artist on his/her left. Time limit: 10′.

Step 3 by khun Sombat Khew

Step 3 by khun Sarita

Step 04: On this page, where the first and the fourth panels have been completed by two other artists, the participant must fill panels 2 & 3 to create a sequence linking panels 1 & 4. Time limit: 20′.

Step 04 by khun OM Ratchawej

Step 04 by khun Sitthiporn

Step 4 by Tanadek

The Final Story: As presented by the Association ChiFouMi: “The story that is made through all these joints makes an infinite loop, where all the elements that were produced before gives some kind of common road where each author can intend its own singularities and its own imagination, while following a protocol nearly invisible.” The complete story (PDF file, 6,5 mo) can be downloaded here.

The 17 participants:

– TUNA DUNN (Tunlaya Dunn) – Thai, F, 22, freelance illustrator and cartoonist

– SITTHIPORN (Gulwarottama) – Thai, M, 45, cartoonist trainer, Cartoon Camp organizer and exec. member of the Thai Cartoon Association

– OM RATCHAWEJ – Thai, M, 58, professional cartoonist and exec. member of the Thai Cartoon Association

– SIA TAIRATH (Sakda Saeeow) – Thai, M, 60, editorial cartoonist and exec. member of the Thai Cartoon Association

– SOMBAT KHEWHOK – Thai, M, 59, children’s book illustrator and professional cartoonist

– SALAH (Nakbumrung) – Thai, M, 54, professional cartoonist

– FAH (Laothanathavorn Panada) – Thai, F, 21, Psychology student, intern at Let’s Comic Publishing

– NUTTO (Ninthomya Watcharachai) – Thai, M, 26, graphic designer at Let’s Comic Publishing

– SONOSON (Tunyaluck Techasrisutee) – Thai, M, 30, CEO/Editor at Let’s Comic Publishing

– IN – INSINE CARTOONIST (Intrayuth Thepakun) – Thai, M, 38, professional cartoonist

– SINE – INSINE CARTOONIST (Panee Itthibamrungrak) – Thai, F, 30, professional cartoonist

– PAVEL SLUTSKIY – Russian, M, 36, PhD, Assoc. prof. lecturer at Comm. Arts, Chulalongkorn University

– TANGMO – Thai, F, graduate student, BA in Animation Design & Production

– TANADEK, NK, SARITA & PANLOP

Meanwhile in the USA: The story created during this workshop was displayed at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design during the fifth Pierre Feuille Ciseaux collective experimental comics residency. More information over here.