I broke one of my private ‘rules’ of Neo Dullard here by using a swear word in the promo text.
Swearing is entirely absent in ‘Neo Dullard’, as it does not assist in the message. Your message must be clear and effective and no amount of emphatic swearing will carry a weak panel.
This particular thought-bubble swear doesn’t even belong in this comic, it was actually used for a stand-alone promo. There is a suggestion to like – share – follow, and the other character is exasperated by the sheer wall of public apathy.
I spent several years reading my poems at open mics and spoken word events. Not poetry slams, which I find too competitive and histrionic.
Or another word.. melodramatic, theatric, and bombastic.
But I do wonder about the limits of free speech and what is considered ‘protected’. Not all printed material must be informative, of course, and poetry is especially ethereal.
Must the printed word be ‘useful’?
Must it have an obvious, single purpose.. or message?
Another comic strip I was uncertain about posting publicly.
There is indeed an alley/laneway in St Kilda named after a dead rock guitarist. I wonder why council decided to name an alley after a lifelong heroin addict.
It struck me odd in the same way as the Harold Holt Swim Centre is a local swimming pool named after an Australian Prime Minister who drowned at sea. The naming is.. kind of inappropriate?
A bit conflicted on this comic, as I dislike using complicated words that the audience may not understand. In this case, however, the word ‘dramaturge’ was just too perfect for the precious, self-deluded caricature. It speaks to the sense of tunnel vision and self-importance that I hope to convey.
I agonised over the term ‘dramaturge of puppets’ for days despite the hmm… let’s say, very few people actually read this comic strip, so it’s a non-issue.
(For int’l audiences, ‘JobSeeker’ is a government initiative to provide income support to the unemployed/under-employed. Financial assistance.)
Melbourne COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
Background rendered in coloured pencil, which I find scans better than coloured markers. Digital scans really warp any fluorescent colours, so I stopped using them. Glitter, too, is a nightmare to scan.
(And yes, the punchline is another stab at ‘Aussie-style’ cuisine, which consists of adding bacon and eggs atop a dish. Add.. more breakfast?)
I’ve never owned a scanner or a printer. It’s quite frustrating, but I do not have a home office to setup a variety of office equipment. I have a simple wooden desk and that’s sufficient for my coloured pencils, markers, pens and paper.
I suppose advanced technology would make the process more efficient, but it would make the images look.. computer-generated, slick and dull.
Neo Dullard 