ABSOLUTELY True Comics
Description
"One of the first things you notice when you read Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian is that it is full of drawings and multi-panel comics that provide insights into the life of the narrator, Arnold “Junior” Spirit, a Spokane Indian who lives on the reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. We are going to create our own comics, but ours aren’t going to be about Junior’s life, they’re going to be about the historical reasons that Junior’s life is like it is. " - Dr. Alec Patton
Artist Statement
My name is Kevin Belew, and I am an artist. Although I didn’t always feel that way there have been a few times in which I have made a few nice looking art pieces, but I always figured myself as someone who was unable to draw. This project has opened my eyes to the world of comic making. Comics are a lot less simple than I thought they were. I had no idea that there was a very specific and meticulous way in order for comic book makers to create comic books. When I have made comic books in the past I have always just made random people talking and no actual story and just bland boxes showing random scenes. Comics are pretty much just as structured as any other writing style which can convey stories just like any other writing style. What also makes me think of this is the fact that Romeo and Juliet as well as many more very dramatic and serious books have been converted into comics called: Graphic Novels. These are no different than any other kind of comic. This project has really made me understand just how far my skills can go in different fields. I have always put up a wall in my mind telling myself that I am an awful artist. Someone we all know and love also went through something very similar, Superman. As a child Clark Kent knew that he was not human but he never really accepted it, so he thought that he was exactly the same, except a little bit stronger and a tad bit faster. He ate, drank, and slept like a normal person, when really he didn’t need to being a Kryptonian. He was also not able to fly because he didn’t except exactly who he was, but once he broke that mental wall, he became the greatest defender of Metropolis ever! Anyways I always told myself I couldn’t draw but not until recently when I sat down for a long time and drew Morgan Freeman’s face I realized that I actually wasn’t that bad I just needed to spend a little bit more time on it and not rush it. So I would naturally have to bring up the habit of Heart: Unlimited Potential in which I personally believe I have showed very well throughout this project mostly in the field of drawing.