Shout-out: Adam Hines

DIGESTATE CONTRIBUTOR:

ADAM HINES!

Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man

Adam Hines is the author of Duncan the Wonder Dog, a graphic novel series that is graciously published by AdHouse Books. He was born and raised in Illinois, and eats the same lunch every day.

Cover art for "Duncan The Wonder Dog"

Editor's note: Apparently Adam belongs to the James Kochalka School of Abbreviated Bio Blurb Writing as the above two sentences is all he gave me. So, allow me to expand a bit...

I remember Adam's book creating quite a buzz at the Small Press Expo a few years ago. The sheer heft of the book immediately caught my attention and looking inside I was immediately intrigued by the density and disparity of the artwork. Some pages featured lots of open space and simple clean lines while others had layer upon layer of collage, painting and drawing. Some characters were depicted with realism and others were cartoony, often on the same page. 

It wasn't until I brought the book home and started reading it that I realized that the content was right up my alley. Although the narrative veers away on tangents and subplots, the bulk of the story focuses on a world in which animals can communicate directly with humans. As could be expected, some animals react against the way they are often treated by humans by forming a terrorist group.

I won't pretend to understand much of what happens in this chapter (apparently this is the first book of a continuing narrative), but it was intriguing enough for me to finish the entire 400 pages in a couple of sittings. I liken Adam's work to William Faulkner or James Joyce in that it is often difficult to follow the story, but there are rewards in simply appreciating the beauty of the language (in Faulkner/Joyce's case) or interplay between art and language (in Hines' case). 

That said, it doesn't feel as if Hines' is attempting to be opaque or "show off", and there is plenty of humor inter dispersed throughout. I suspect he's just a naturally intelligent and prolific dude doing what he enjoys. I look forward to the next chapter of "Duncan the Wonder Dog"!

Wilfredo portrait on the internets!

I did a pet portrait of my old friend Clay's lady-friend Lisa's chihuahua, Wilfredo, a while back. A virtual tour of their apartment is featured on the Apartment Therapy website this week. You can see my painting along with several photos of the real Wilfredo gallivanting about (seemingly levitating into the sunlight in one) here.

Their apartment is chock-full of interesting artwork (Barry McGee!) and bric-a-brac. I love homes that are flooded with information...paintings & photos crammed in every available inch of wall space. I guess it makes some people feel anxious, but I like constantly finding new stuff to look at. Clay favors a more pristine environment, but they've managed to strike a compromise that works surprisingly well.

In other art-related news, I've finished the layout & sketches for my new comic (tentatively titled "Losers, Weepers"), and I've started transferring them to bristol. I freehanded the lettering, and I've noticed that my type grew in size as the story progressed. Now I'll have to go back and re-letter it using my trusty Ames Lettering guide, I guess. I usually use a Prismacolor Col-Erase non-repro blue pencil to transfer the sketches, and then ink on top of that. The Col-Erase pencils are extremely soft, so I end up having to sharpen them constantly, and use one up about every two pages. I just went out and bought some blue mechanical pencil leads to try out as a replacement. They're not non-repro blue, but maybe if I use them lightly it will work well enough. If anyone has any better suggestions, I'm all ears!

New comic (I Once Was Lost But Now I'm Found)

While waiting for the affadavits, photos & interviews from Gail to start the Slaughterhouse graphic novel I started on a less serious comic. I've always loved collecting notes, letters, grocery lists, etc. that somehow find their way onto the public sidewalks and streets. I have a huge file in my file cabinet full of these treasures. A few years ago, I stumbled upon a magazine called "Found" that collects such detritus and publishes the most interesting every so often (they've also put out two books of 'greatest hits'). I kept meaning to sort the wheat from the chaff of my own collection to submit to Found, and I finally did so. However, rather than just send them along, I thought I'd include a comic detailing the circumstances in which I found each item. So, without further ado, here is the first installment.

I'm intending to add some other drawings in that expanse of white space in the journal pages, but here's what I have so far...

(Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge)