ART & TECHNOLOGY
Spring 2021 Juried Exhibition of Student Works
ART 5890: Web Comic Production
w/ Instructor Mitch Vicieux
Deathbound – Jamie Bridle
Deathbound is a story that I originally tried writing when I was 11. A lot has changed from those early drafts, but the basic premise has remained the same. A young girl, Andi, is murdered in her home. Many years later, a young woman named Kory moves in and, through some unknowable force, meets the spirit of Andi. Together, the two endeavor to solve Andi’s murder, a case that the police put on the back burner well over a decade ago. Through their trials and time spent together, the two grow close and become bound by their common goal.
Artist Website
CHONGO – Giancarlo Fiorenzo
With Chongo, I wanted to create a character who was simultaneously simple, unique, and charming: “The People’s Mickey Mouse.” Chongo is an accident-prone adventurer keen on exploring the world’s most beautiful landscapes. Inspired by rubber hose animation and 90’s cartoon schlock, Chongo is part comic book, part children’s story, part meta-pop-culture chicanery. My primary goal with this series is: keep it fun! Chongo is my release from the suppressing formalism of the “high art world.” The simplicity of the character allows me to adapt Chongo to any style or reality I can imagine. This allows Chongo to be a source of play- my little soccer ball to kick around the page. Chongo has been a great way to develop my illustration and design skills, and try out new storytelling and narrative techniques. I hope that you have as much fun with Chongo as I do!
Artist Website
Symbiosis – Son Hess
Isolated and out of touch with society, a young adult becomes disillusioned with life. They live monotonously, surrounded by their decaying home. Their routine is suddenly interrupted when a small feline crawls into their living room claiming to be a God of Death and demands their soul, but can’t take it without permission. When they reach an impasse–and with the soft encouragement of the young adult’s cabinet of snacks–the God decides to stay and wait for a crack in his hosts armor. However, the God finds themselves starting to fill those holes instead of utilizing them.
Will the young adult give in to the God, or will their hostile arrangement shift? Are they simply host and parasite, or can their relationship evolve into symbiosis?
Artist Website
Love, Me – Sydney Kit
“It’s okay to not be okay.” That is something that is not said enough. Love, Me is Sydney Kit’s way of representing that phrase through illustrations.
Love, Me serves as a collection of short comics that share advice and personal stories from friends and family. Each comic tackles subject such as depression, sexuality, deaf awareness, and more, in hopes that others can find comfort in relatability.
Artist Website
Artist Instagram
Harold’s Adventure – Danh Nguyen
I created the piece to illustrate my personal idea about what it would be like to move to a new city. Surviving on your very own, without a soul to help you. Harold represents a departure from family and familiarity. I make Harold go through these different situations to weave humility and hilarity into what would usually be mundane everyday situations. Without that element of humor, each page would fade into the background, with monotony dominating the page.
Harold’s Adventure illustrates this feeling of unwavering determination in the face of numerous setbacks and overwhelming bad luck. Perseverance and learning from failure are the key lessons vested within the bullet-shaped frame of a plucky, down-on-his luck penguin.
Artist Website
Just Us Two – Gabriella Stauffer
A girl and her dog traverse their new country home and encounter many dangerous magical creatures. Used to being saved just in time, the girl must grapple with the consequences of past trauma when a terrible accident occurs.
Just Us Two follows relationships of the family, friendship, and childhood trauma with gentleness. The joys of childhood and the struggles of growing up are thoughtfully bridged with love from family, honest communication, and the much needed care from a close friend.
Artist Website
It’s A Reach – Serena Yoakum
Tori hardly fits in anywhere. At home, she deals with her sunny mother who couldn’t be more different than her. Outside, Tori experiences extreme anxiety going to dance class each week. Her singular solace is the time she spends alone on her drive there, singing along to music and anticipating what she will soon confront. At the studio, she can’t seem to connect with her dance teacher or fellow classmates; a hurdle that she faces every time. Yet one dancer at the studio has caught Tori’s eye—Dahlia, the only classmate who will acknowledge her.
With recital creeping closer, Tori must overcome the physically hindering effects of her mental state and accept parts of herself she keeps suppressed.
It’s A Reach delves into the inner turmoil of social anxiety experienced during adolescence, which is especially escalated when also grappling with introversion and queer identity. The comic offers a look into common experiences that may be extremely difficult to manage with these mentally taxing adversities. Judgement, misunderstanding, and high expectations can become heavy burdens that turn interactions from average to arduous. Sometimes the best remedy for this obstacle is when someone extends a hand in compassion, whether it is well received or not. Opening up to compassion can also mean opening up to vulnerability. Breaking down the invisible wall is the hardest part.
Artist Website