Introducing "paraluman"
A new Friday featurette
I do not know exactly when I started reading a softer world, but I do remember the feelings I had when it ended in 2014. The collaborative effort of writer Joey Comeau and artist Emily Horne is one of several works that I would call a touchstone to understanding how I understand a perceive. The webcomic was a series of static photographs will simple lines of text. Usually only three panels, sometimes six. It was simply a *vibe* and in many informative insofar that it expanded my understanding of what a comic could be. I have the printed collection and I consider it a prized possession. When I first started to make zines, a softer world definitely guided some aesthetic choices. Hell, to this day, musing text and image is a staple of my general creative existence.
Back in the late 2010s and early 2020s, my attempts and aspirations to try traditional “long form” comic scripting didn’t really pan out (long form is in quotes because even a 4 panel spread hurt my head). This is a recurring thing with me. I think a lot about the way that I think, and I don’t think like a comic writer or artist. I don’t think in panels like that. I don’t have the cadence for it. And there is a gulf between understanding a thing and being able to express in the thing with that same fidelity. But in the discarding of one thing in favor of another, I did discover I do think in zines. I do think in the juxtaposition of text and words and that’s something that I revel in. And in a timeline where I continue to have an unexpected amount of energy and the want and need to channel it into something productive, well we do we can with what we have and what I have is access to a nice camera on my phone, Google Slides, and MS Publisher.
“paraluman” is going to be a new feature on Mixed Media with Mikkel. It’s going to be a weekly webcomic directly inspirted by a softer world. The term itself is Tagalog for muse colloquially, although it’s original meaning was “magnetic compass” (the evolution of language is fun, since it went from being a thing that physically guides to a thing that inspires and therefore metaphorically guides). I wanted a title that spoke to my heritage because well, as my friend Tylor pointed out “owning who you are is the most defiant act of rebellion.” It’s gonna come out every Friday and if you’ve been following me on other social medias (which I’ve seen the subscriber list, most of you have), you are also familiar with #liminalspacesofthemidwest, a ridiculously long hashtag that is mostly me just taking random snapshots of places that made me feel… something. A longing, a transition, a fleeting thought, truly just a vibe. (There are corresponding hashtags for the other time zones, including the fictitious mountains).
All of this is in fact just a vibe. Because the vibes aren’t really great, so our response is of course to make.
This isn’t going to be professional or profound. It’s just going to be a fun thing I do to take photos and write even more words because it gives me joy and I’m going to take whatever means necessary to take joy from this world.
The first strip goes live in 30 minutes. And shout out to my friend yeti whose comics also help inspired this side bet of a side bet. Check them out.
