Combined with a media-saturated culture that perpetuates itself on clickbait titles and microposting, I feel my story of transition is not palatable in the long form. Not to be cynical, but people generally are uninterested in the plight of others, especially marginalized groups (like ‘the theys’). Ketsu (結): The fourth panel is the conclusion, in which the effects of the third panel are seen.” Ten (転): The third panel is the climax, in which an unforeseen development occurs. Shō (承): The second panel develops upon the foundation of the story laid down in the first panel. Ki (起): The first panel forms the basis of the story it sets the scene. This word is a compound formed from the following Japanese kanji characters: “ Traditionally, yonkoma follow a structure known as kishōtenketsu. Specifically looking at the Yonkoma layout (4 panel comic layout, generally used for ‘slice of life’), I find the structure of this essential for my own narrative. Through facial expressions, exaggeration, and smart paneling, these comics are able to turn moments that we may pass by into charming, memorable scenarios.
Unlike TV shows like Friends and Seinfeld where ‘banal narrative’ is driven by the insufferably of the characters and how they interact, illustrated content benefits from the ability to caricaturize everyday moments to bring the experience closer to how the situations actually feel. While I appreciate genre content (especially horror as noted in the last post), there is something incredibly charming about ‘slice of life’ content, which I have seen more prevalent in Japanese manga/anime than American media. Out of all the material we jived with, the most impactful in the long term for my practice was Yonkoma ‘slice of life’ manga, popularized by the likes of Yotsuba and Azumanga Daioh (samples below). Through these boards we were able to insert ourselves into our favourite content without same, and sometimes even made connections with others through our geekiness. Together we grew, sharing manga, comics, memes, and whatever else we could find in the Wild West of internet image boards of the late 2000’s. But during the summer, I went to camp with a group of imaginative people who let me be the character I was without shame. At school, I was the weird ‘cat girl’ who liked video games, Pokémon, and other things that were uncool. Mostly inserting my Military Camp friend group into other content (comics, music videos, memes), I excitedly used these as a way to feel connected to my comrades during the school year. In a red folder from 2006, there are piles of cringe-worthy comics drawn in glitter gel pen.
It would surprise no one that me, a queer character artist, had an intense relationship with comics and character-driven narrative material since childhood.
On my bookshelf there are folders, binders, and sketchbooks full of old drawings and comics.
― Koujirou Sasahara, from the television series Nichijou
“The ordinary days that we live in may, in fact, be a series of miracles ”