Narrative: Small Works/In Depth - Zine Close up ( Crude: The Amazon Reality)

Crude: The Amazon Reality 

This Zine was a learning experience! I enjoy the making but it seem to be easier than what it really is. There are so many things you need to consider since the planning to be successful. As an amateur in  the art of zine/book making it was a little difficult to consider all! I like the idea of aware people about what is going on in the world through zine's :)

Narrative: Small Works/ In Depth Project- Zine/Container (Crude: The Amazon Reality)

Crude: The Amazon Reality

Container in progress

Container, Zine & Objects

Zine

My zine for this small works is inspired in Oil Spills. I want to aware people about oil companies and how they exploit the amazon rain forest and how they invade ancestral tribes causing major damages to the environment and the community. I felt I had to speak about this topic because while I was growing up in Ecuador Chevron/Texaco was involve in a international trial because of the damages they cause to the Shuar's for their careless drilling. Also, in the lately years the Ecuadorian government want to allow Chinese oil companies drill oil from Yasuni National Park, a protected area where million of unique species live. 

Converting color images to black and white for zine

Stamping Zine

Zine in Progress

First idea of wrap for zine

Testing covers for zine

Last Page of Zine ( 2nd Edition)

Objects

My Objects for the container are:

1. A pamphlet of why we have to end amazon crude
2. Invitation to sign petition to end amazon crude at www.amazonwatch.org
3. 2 glass bottles filled with tissue paper representing clean water and contaminated water
4. Stained money representing the dirty business of prioritizing economy rather than protect the amazon and ancestral cultures
5. A glass bulb representing the Shuar community and their knowledge

Clean water bottles

Clean water and dirty water bottles

Drying stained fake money

Staining tissue paper

Money, bottles and bulbs

Staining fake money with tea

End amazon crude pamphlet

End amazon crude pamphlet and invitation

Shuar Knowledge ( feathers and bulb)

Container

The container resembles the beauty of the amazon rain forest, full of green and vegetation!

Cutting the felt

Gluing felt in box

Finished lid

Bottom of Box

Narrative: In depth project- Container Proposal

Zine Container

The container for my zine will be a box,very beautiful in the outside and all dusty and stained on the inside to resemble the damage oil companies produce on the amazon rain forest and create a contrast between the untouched amazon vs.  man touch amazon. 

Details of inside of box

Details of outside of box

Color palette for felt

Narrative: Outside Visits- Book Fair "Destination Comics Response #2 (Play to Win: GN Games with authors Ryan North, Gene Yang and Box Brown)"

The books and authors from this panel

Play To Win : GN Games

What I liked from this talk was the fact that the authors made their books interactive. These books include puzzles to be solved within their chapters. Gene Yang book Secret Coders:Paths and Portals is about computer science and I found very interesting how kids reading this type of books might get inspired on studying coding and computer technologies while learning the fundamentals of game theory. Other interesting approach  is Ryan North way of writing, were the reader choose the destiny of the story. Personally I enjoy the idea  of the authors of teaching young readers thru their books. 

Extracts from books Tetris, Romeo and/or Juliet, Secret Coders:Paths  and Portals

Other important thing that the authors of these books mention was the "struggle of the making process". This comment make me feel better because I realize everyone trying to make art goes thru frustration and doubt, believing your art or creation is not worth it is part of this process. During this semester, especially in WARP I've been debating if grades define your talent or how the audience will love or hate your artwork. As well as if  working hard, experimenting, trying something completely new and building work ethics to become a better artist really matters? Other useful comment from these authors is how they use comics to tell a narrative and the tip of using computer software to make the organization of the narrative more tangible. I found these suggestions might be useful on the moment of putting together the zine. 

Reflection on Building 8

Narrative: Outside Visits- Book Fair "Destination Comics Response #1 (Teenage Riot: YA Reality with a Comics Kick with authors Margaret Stohl, Jessica Abel and Maggie Thrash)"

Maggie Thrash, Jessica Abel and Margaret Stohl

 Teenage Riot: YA Reality with a Comics Kick

This conference make me very happy, I was glad to hear that now days authors are starting to put female powerful characters in their novels. I was surprised with the background of the authors: from someone very known in the comics world going to a young writer that is self-taught. Also, I was very interesting with how Maggie Thrash, Margaret Stohl and Jessica Abel have a deep connection within the characters of their novels, the  hidden secrets, the way they to come out  and their own personal lives. How they write because they want to see themselves through their novels and the way they used  writing to reflect on their own situation. I love how Maggie Thrash used her book We Know it was You to reveal her sexual orientation to her parents even when her parents did not realize at the first moment what her daughter was trying to say. Also, I enjoy the fact that not  all the writers in this panel had the same interest in comics and the fact that they like different genres of literature. I am glad authors are portraying minorities  in a positive way, acknowledging us on their books.

Presentation before the start of the panel

Other interesting aspect from this talk was the way teenage oriented books are actually more read by adults. Personally I am part of this group, by some weird reason I am more attracted to teenage or kids literature. Authors like Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blum or John Green are in my top list and sometimes I prefer to re-read one of these books from my childhood than reading something new and more related to my age.  Also, authors agree with comics as a successful way to communicate non-verbally and to introduce more people into the lost hobby of reading. I felt very inspired by the ways writing as art are a tool to take power back and to make a change in our community. Also, how literature give us strength to be proud of ourselves and to empower who we are. 

On the street fair

Narrative: Small Works - Depressing Running Discrimination

Depressing Running Discrimination

For this small works exercise I was inspired by the racist atmosphere going on in the country. I decided to take the challenge of drawing  and mix it with a little bit of collage to complete the artwork. I used the same type of paper and magazines cutouts to make it continually.Other challenge was creating the sentence without including the mood,action or topic word itself, that required thinking outside the box in order for the sentence to make sense especially when English is your second language. 

  Mood/Emotion : Depression 

                                     

   "Drowning in the most deepest sadness and loneliness."

  Action: Run

      "At full throttle in the hypocrite limits of love and hate."

     Topic: Discrimination

      "Rejecting everyone that thinks, believes or looks differently."

      Place: The City

       "In a non outlet road at the residential area. Surrounded by parks and streets. Where life and death play on the same space."

Narrative: Small Works - Poem/Comic " Be Eco Friendly"

Final Small Work " Be Eco Friendly"

For this small works I decided to do recycle paper because my poem was about being eco friendly. The process of making the paper was a learning experience, it was the first time I do it so it was a process of try and error and ruining the paper on the drying process until realizing when it was ready to use. I have to be super delicate when adding the text with the marker cause it will start to break the paper as well.  I did not feel comfortable drawing so I decided to use felt and recycle materials to complete the images and at the same time practice what I preach in the poem.

The images of the process of making the paper:

Paper ready to be transform into pulp

Paper with added color ready to use

Paper in tray ready to dry

Improvising the drying of the paper ( rainy outside)

Gluing felt on the paper

Adding the lettering and details on paper