Pocket Dimension is a feature at Comics Odyssey wherein I share inspiration which recharges my creative battery (like how Green Lantern charges his power ring from a battery he stores in a pocket dimension). Let’s get into it!
Comics
Michel Fiffe just completed a monster retrospective of Keith Giffen. It’s in 6 parts, each a couple hours long. I have never seen someone so lovingly comb through an artist’s entire printed career. Where he found all these books, I do not know but the man loves Keith Giffen and has a lot of knowledge to impart about the man. The series stars here with part 1. But he is continuing on his channel with more deep dives into other artists such as Steve Lightle, Paris Collin and Ernie Colon. Go check out his youtube page!
More Comics
I picked up the O’Neil / Joe Quesada Azrael Deluxe Edition and oh my! does it look good! To me, this is what the street level superhero genre should look like! Just look at the slick storytelling and character design in these images! Some sequences from the book are even used in the DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics as exemplary interpretations of a comic script. I tip my hat to the inks and colours, the whole team!
You can bet I’ll be studying these drawings to improve my own!
I really hope they also reprint the ongoing Azrael series!
Character Design
This guy did a full analysis of every movie Batman suit and there is tons to learn from this about visual character design.
Saint of the Week
St Dumas, who features in the Azrael book, is a saint that O’Neil concocted. But St Vincent de Paul isn’t.
St Vincent de Paul is a 17th century saint whose most fervent desire was to be with the poor. But he kept being sent to the rich by his Bishop and, bound by a vow of obedience, would comply but eventually would end up “escaping” to serve the poor. Isnpired by this Vincent’s zeal for the poor some of the rich he had served followed in his example which led to the creation of a charity for the care of the sick and the poor. St Vincent made it fashionable in his day for the rich to care for the poor, not just by giving them money but by caring for them directly. It became so popular that even when the plague tore through communities, there was never any shortage of volunteers to stay by the bedside of the dying. Even those who died in service to the sick, were easily replaced by new enthusiastic volunteers.
In the 19th century a charity was revived with St Vincent as its patron. They bring food to the needy, assist with housing crises, operate non-profit thrift stores and advocate for social/political reform where they can. If you or a friend is in need of some help, search to see if the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is in your area and call them. If you are not among the blessed poor, consider donating or volunteering to SSVP. The charity accepts non-catholic volunteers.
