Why I make Comics
I realized that my creative muscles in both visual and written storytelling were best utilized through comics.
Shalom Chaverim,
I am currently working on the prologue to Dawn of Mashiach, which consists of a few pages introducing the world before the main story begins.
I have now drawn 29 pages, including the prologue, and I’m still shocked I didn’t quit after the second week.
My love of Comics has allowed me not only to absorb great works of art but also to be inspired to create art of my own, even when I previously doubted my ability.
I originally wanted to go into the animation industry during high school, having created a portfolio I am still proud of, and being accepted into several art schools. However, having explored animation in college, I realized that the process of animating was not my strong suit and that my creative muscles in both visual and written storytelling were best utilized through comics.
Ironically, I had drifted away from comics.
As a kid, I devoured Marvel through my library and a Marvel Unlimited subscription. Eventually, I became tired of endless continuity, characters who never stayed dead, and stories that never truly ended. I followed comic YouTubers instead of reading the books myself, which saved me time and kept me up to date.
Then, almost by fate, I rediscovered the medium.
One day, I found the first three volumes of The Walking Dead sitting around my house. They belonged to an old friend and had been misplaced by the cleaners. Before returning them, I read them, and they completely changed how I thought about comics.
Soon, I was buying graphic novels and checking them out from my school library. Persepolis, Watchmen, and most recently Absolute Batman reminded me just how much the medium was capable of.
Rediscovering comics didn’t just rekindle my love of reading them; it convinced me that I had found the right medium to tell the stories I had always wanted to tell.
Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t go with my original plan of animation. Part of it could have been imposter syndrome. I undoubtedly have talent as an artist, even if my animation skills are lacking. However, I could always be a storyboarder or visual developer, which is already what I do through comics.
However, animation is competitive, and due to the high budgets of producing even a few minutes of animation, you have to have lots of industry experience and trust to even pitch a story. And even if you land a pitch, the story has to be appealing to the widest variety of people, as millions of dollars are on the line.
I cannot tell a story like Dawn of Mashiach that is overtly zionist and Jewish. Not without a proof of concept.
With comics, I can begin immediately. I don’t need years of industry approval, investors, or permission to tell stories that fall outside the mainstream. My only real limitation is my own ability.
If I continue improving, perhaps one day Dawn of Mashiach will be adapted into an animation. But first, it has to exist. At the same time, the comic I am creating is not made because I want it adapted, but because I want it to be a comic.
I want my story to be both a proof of concept and something that stands on its own, just like Japanese Manga.
Comics, graphic novels, sequential art, cartoons, or whatever name the reader chooses to assign are mediums that have the most to prove. And I hope to one day help to transition it into a prestigious art form as it deserves to be.
Shalom,
Ari Tamani