CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS AND ORGANIZATIONS: ComEdu:Creating Comics for Education

 We're excited to announce the open call for participants and organisations for the first co-working meeting within the international strategic partnership project "ComEdu: Comics for Education"!

Supported by the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme, together with partners: Mondo (Estonia) and Rotaj Jovem (Portugal) we are bringing together 20 youth workers and artists to develop something new - comics for non-formal education of young people!

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

If you are a comic artist, illustrator, student of arts, self-taught artist, a youth worker or youth educator from Latvia, Estonia and Portugal - take a look and apply for the one-week international co-working meeting "ComEdu: Creating Comics for Education" that will take place from 28 January - 3 February 2019 in Latvian countryside!

The international team - comic artist Amanda Baeza (http://amanda-baeza.tumblr.com/) (Portugal/Chile), non-formal education facilitator Sintija Lase abd comics editor Sanita Muižniece - will be there every step of the way. Lots of inspiration, experiments and sleepless night of 24-hour comics marathon guaranteed!

Application deadline: January 11, 2019,  apply here: https://ej.uz/ComEduLV

More info:

CALL FOR ORGANIZATIONS

If you are a member of an organization in Latvia, Estonia or Portugal and your organization is engaged in youth work or education, and you have facts, messages, processes, stories or concepts that need to be explained in a visual manner of comic language for better educational experience for young people, we may help! 

Share your ideas or needs here by 11 January 2019!

How it works: you share your idea or need for a visualization with us, and we will select the most suitable ones to work on with our artists (1-2 comics for each country). We will visualize your content during the project. For free! The only thing you need to make sure of is that the created materials are widely used and available for free in youth education afterwards.

More information about the project ComEdu: COMICS FOR EDUCATION:

We will contact the selected participants by 15 January and organizations by 21 January 2019 (at latest)!

If you have any questions write us to sanita.muizniece (at) gmail (dot) com

Behind The Comics (22) - Aseyn

'Behind The Comics' continues, this time with Aseyn. He contributed 'Deep Shit Honey' to š! #25 'Gaijin Mangaka' and here he tells a bit how he creates his comics.

Aseyn / // *1980, France. Aseyn is a cartoonist living in Paris since forever. He varies techniques according to the story he wants to tell, from the softest to the hardest. Aseyn has published several comic books since 2010 and is currently working on a long sci-fi saga. His favourite manga is a short story by Katsuhiro Otomo called "Speed."

Aseyn: I'm living in Paris and I work at home. I use computer or traditional techniques to draw my comics, it depends on what I want to say, but mainly it depends on what I want to see once the work is finished.

As I work every day for comics and illustration, mostly mainstream, when it comes to my own stuff, I consider different ways to tell a story, leaving aside the usual codes. I'm counting on the reader to fill in the blanks. It's not a lazy statement, I prefer to rely on the cleverness and feelings of people. Anyway, I keep the panels. When we see panels, we think "it's a graphic novel, there's a story". That's a clue.

In my work, I depict things that make me dream, fantasise, or just interest me to draw. But things that can speak to everyone who sees them, just by their nature. A palm tree, a cell phone, a girl walking. So why would I tell the story if you can do it yourself?

Technically I draw a lot of stuff, without thinking or any method. After I've done like 20 of drawings, I look at the whole thing, and I put together the pieces. As you can see in these images, it's not sexy, and most of the time, I erase things that I consider useless.

In the particular case of my story for Gaijin Mangaka: Environment is important ; not only what we can see but what we can hear. That's why I use lyrics, or quotes from songs or book that touch me. That's not original but as an illustrator I must rely on other people’s work and this work is often words that accompanies your illustration. And of course I prefer drawing text than writing it.

The song in the comics is 'I Follow Rivers' by Lykke Li. I do not particularly like this song. It just came from a misunderstanding I had. I remembered "deep shit honey" instead of "deep sea baby". As the songs are often found in love stories, in the beginning as well as in the end (and it's often the same song), I thought it could make a good short story, this story of misinterpreted lyrics. Here, we are at the end of a love story and of course the two characters are in a deep shit.

To see in how deep shit they really are, better read Aseyn's finished comics in š! #25 'Gaijin Mangaka'.

Behind The Comics (21) - Hetamoé

'Behind The Comics' continues, this time with Hetamoé. She contributed 'Trance Dream Techno' to š! #25 'Gaijin Mangaka' and tells about her process of developing the story.

Hetamoé // *1984, Portugal. Hetamoé is a visual artist from Lisbon and a founding member of the zine label Clube do Inferno. She works in a variety of media and is currently pursuing a PhD in the field of painting. Thomas no Shinzō by Moto Hagio and Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma are her top favorite mangas.

Hetamoé: I live and work in Lisbon, where I’m finishing a PhD in Painting. I have, for that reason, two separate work spaces: a desk at home, where I mostly write and draw on the computer with my graphics tablet (a Wacom Intuos Pro‎); and a small studio, where I paint and make everything that’s too messy for the house. Because I follow Parkinson’s Law − “work expands so as to fill the time and space available for its completion” −, I tend to be all over the place no matter what I’m doing. Often there are books, random drawings and stationary everywhere, which can be very annoying for those with whom I share space... I’m also overly sensitive to criticism while working on a piece, so I’ll shut myself at home or my studio and won’t come out until it’s complete! However, despite my best attempts at seclusion, I inevitably come across comments and advice from my loved ones that fill me with self-doubt and force me to rethink my practices. Though I’m reluctant to such destabilization, I know it helps me become a better artist, so in the future I’d like to control my insecurities and actually listen to more feedback at production stages. Below is a photo of my desk at home, where I made “Trance Dream Techno” for š! #25 ‘Gaijin Magaka’. I tidied it up a little so you won’t think too badly of me! 

Behind The Comics (20) - Ben Marcus

Ben Marcus contributed the story 'Fool Of Memory' to š! #25 'Gaijin Mangaka' and provides a little look behind his desk, telling about his process in this newest instalment of 'Behind The Comics'.

Ben Marcus // *1983, USA. Ben Marcus is an artist and illustrator living and working in Chicago. His favorite manga is Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo.

Ben Marcus: I live in Chicago. I have a studio in Garfield Park. I drive to it from my apartment in Pilsen when I'm not at my 'day job'. It's a nice little studio.

I'm still learning how to make comics. The comic I did for kuš! was my longest comic to date. 8 pages! I'm more of a weird narrative drawing person than a full on 'comic' person. But it's coming together, I was happy with what I made. Although it was really hard for me to do. This is my drafting table at the start of my process. Just flipping through sketch books, looking at drawings of Buddhas, trying to figure out the look of my characters. The proportions of the facial features is important to me and I draw and re-draw them. Too many times. I wanted my characters to have a contemplative complexity to them. A depth of consciousness that a sense of animation is born of.  I drew everything by hand and scanned it and added the half-tones in photoshop.

Behind The Comics (19) - GG

In 'Behind The Comics' kuš! contributors give an insight into their work. After a longer break this blog feature finally returns! GG is telling about creating her story 'Lapse' for š! #25 'Gaijin Mangaka'.

GG // *1981, Canada. GG grew up during the 1980s in a small Canadian prairie city. In this pre-Internet era, isolated geographically and culturally, drawing and making up stories was her means to connect to something more. Her favorite manga at the moment is Seiichi Hayashi's Red Colored Elegy.

Follow her also on twitter.com/ohgigue and blog.ohgigue.com and support her on Patreon, where you can get more insights behind her work!

GG: My work space is pretty minimal. I don’t really stick to one set up. Sometimes I’ll sit on the floor  to draw or sometimes I’ll work in bed or sometime I’ll stand or sometimes I’ll even sit in a chair at a desk like a regular person. But even though my set up is flexible and portable, I can only really work from home while alone. I find it extremely difficult to work in public places like cafés or new/unfamiliar places if I happen to be traveling.

Before I started focusing on making comics, I traveled a lot for a few years and that forced me to keep my physical possessions to a minimum and I just got used to living like that. It’s so much easier to keep my surroundings organized this way. This is especially good because my work process is a bit messy – not messy in the sense of paper laying around everywhere and paint splattered on the floor – but in the sense that a lot of it happens in a jumble of information stored in the weird space between my mind and my hard drives and I’m constantly adjusting my methods.  

Behind the Comics XVIII - Pixin

This time 'Behind the Comics' continues with an insight to the work by Singaporean artist Weng Pixin, who contributed to š! #15 'Cats'.

Weng Pixin // *1983, Singapore. Pixin is from sunny Singapore. She loves to draw comics inspired by memories and desires. When she isn't drawing, Pixin loves to watch television, read books and hold her cat like a baby.

Visit her blog: www.rollinghometoyou.blogspot.sg

Pixin: Hello! This is the area I live where tons of construction work is going on all the time. Singapore is a very small country. Due to limited land area, there is a constant motion of destruction and construction to use every space possible for the economic growth of our small nation.
 

Imagine the noise of bulldozers knocking down walls, concrete crashing, cars and trucks honking, stilettos clicking on every sidewalk. Hence I introduce to you, my corner: Where I blast music to the right and to the left, I watch YouTube videos. I use my noise to over-ride the noise outside.

Behind the Comics XVII - L.L. de Mars

L.L. de Mars contributed a comic to š! #15 'Cats' and gives a little look behind his desk, telling about his process.

L.L. de Mars // *1967, France. Lives and works in a very very small village. Playing the clarinet allows him not to draw comics; writing essays on Italian painting allows him not to play the clarinet; making animation movies allows him not to write essays; teaching medieval theology allows him not to make any cartoons; making documentaries allows him not to teach; painting frescoes allows him not to film anything. Thanks to all these methods, he can find time to sleep... Visit: www.le-terrier.net

L.L. de Mars: Each new story moves my work into new modes; the forms taken by the work itself must be regarded more as a speculative way I want to bend it than as a functional couple "right shape for right project." 

Behind the Comics XVI - Inés Estrada

This time it's Inés Estrada's turn to give some insight into the making of her mini kuš! 'Borrowed Tails'.

Inés Estrada // *1990, Mexico. Inés is an illustrator and comics maker from Mexico City. Every day she is exposed to huge amounts of car smog and colours that might have damaged her brain for worse. She enjoys making sandwiches and stickers and together with Ginette Lapalme co-edits the bilingual anthology Gang Bang Bong. Her self-published book 'Ojitos Borrosos' was nominated for the 2012 Ignatz awards in two categories - "Outstanding artist” and “Best collection”.

Find her on tumblr and visit her colorful webshop!

Inés: This is my studio. It is also my bedroom. And also the only room in my house! I live in a really small apartment, but I like it that way. I love the orientation it has, it gets sunlight all day, which is perfect for drawing. I live in Mexico City, and let me tell you, we have sunlight for 12 hours all year round. It’s a beautiful thing that sadly everyone takes for granted here... I can tell you that I wouldn’t be able to survive somewhere like Latvia with such harsh, dark winters!

Behind the Comics XV - Lai Tat Tat Wing

'Behind the Comics' continues with an insight into the work of š! #14 'Sports' contributor Lai Tat Tat Wing.

Lai Tat Tat Wing // *1971, Hong Kong. Lai Tat Tat Wing is one of the most prolific Hong Kong comics artists. He’s been published over 20 conceptual and experimental comics books in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and also in France. Recently Wing devotes his energies to theatre and animations for television. He loves sports and goes swimming 2-3 times a week.

Wing: Hello, I am a 41 years old comic maker from Hong Kong. Crazy about doing comics already when I was very young. I used to bring my hand made comics to school and share them with my school mates, most of the stories were about fighting between animals and silly things happening on the school playground. One of the strangest stories that I remember was a little boy who always picks up food which was left on the playground by his school mates and puts it into his mouth. How I love strange stories!

My handmade comics at the age around 10 years old

Behind the Comics XIV - Jeroen Funke

'Behind the Comics' continues with an insight into the work of š! #14 'Sports' contributor Jeroen Funke.

Jeroen Funke // *1976, The Netherlands. Jeroen is part of the colorful comics group Lamelos (featured also in kuš! #4 'food' and 'š! #4 'Lost in the City'), founded with his buddies at the Kampen Art Academy in 1997. He also creates a lot of solo projects, like murals, children’s books, monstersuits and comics books with his characters Victor & Vishnu, Pinky and other funny guys.

Visit the site of his collective Lamelos and his flickr!

Jeroen: Ready to get started!

Behind the Comics XIII - Amanda Baeza

'Behind the Comics' is back with an insight into the work of š! #14 'Sports' contributor and cover artist Amanda Baeza.

Amanda Baeza // *1990, Chile. Amanda grew up in two different hemispheres and currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal, where she obtained a degree in graphic design. She makes zines with her siblings, together they are known as Los Spoquitos. Amanda eats comics for breakfast and plays the baritone saxophone at lunch.

Make sure to also follow her tumblr and read this nice interview on Future Positive. 

My creative process is led by my curiosity. I feel the need to explore different techniques for each comic I make. Even though this sounds pretty random, I try to choose techniques that fits with the story I'm working on.

My workplace right now is our floor. I feel comfortable spreading my sketches all over it and sometimes I find nice friends lying over there while I'm drawing. They give me the best tips.

Comics Residency in Riga I - James Turek

During the whole month of April kuš! hosted the first CUNE comics artist in residence in Riga in cooperation with NOASS. Now James Turek is back in Leipzig and he sent us the following report with pictures (some additional ones added by us):

CUNE Residency RIGA, April 2013

Notes from the field

April 1st, shortly before midnight I arrive in Riga airport and pick up my bag. David Schilter is waving me on..."We have to run to catch the last bus!!" We run across a nearly empty parking lot as snow falls heavily and spring into the bus as the doors close behind us.



This was the first residency I have ever had and the first for kuš! to host. From the beginning until the end (one month later) it was a bit like hurrying through the snow at night, inspiring, new and exciting, and a good feeling of relief when you make it to your destination.

Behind the Comics XII - Marlene Krause

The newest 'Behind the Comics' comes from š! #13 'Life Is Live' contributor Marlene Krause.

Marlene Krause // *1984, Germany. Marlene founded the comics anthology Two Fast Colour together with Martina Lenzin. She has contributed to publications like ORANG, Colibri, Nobrow and Turkey Comix. Her first graphic novel ‘A un autre endroit’ is published by L’Association in May 2013. Marlene loves black chocolate with almonds and riding her bike up and down the hills of Barcelona.

Now read about her adventures drawing her comics for š! #13 'Life Is Life': 

Well, unfortunately on New Year's eve I crashed with my bike and broke my left collarbone. At first I wasn't even able to walk, so I spent loads of time at home, and the first thing I did was sending this NewYears-greeting to my friends:

It says in German: "Happy New Year! oh, what's that? ---My broken collarbone--- My bike is well though... See you soon!"

š! #13 'Life Is Live' coming out soon!

š! # 13 is coming out on the 29th of April.

For this issue 26 international artists contributed comics to the theme 'Life Is Live' which focus on autobiographical stories. But don't worry, you will not get to see the classical autobiographical comics which currently are all so popular. Most of the artists taking part usually don't make autobio strips at all and interpreted the theme freely from very different perspectives. Some of the stories are also "only" semi-autobiographical and some even "autobiografictional"! Overall the issue is filled with very colorful, weird and surprising stories about life-from childhood through cyberspace until ...

The cover of š! #13 'Life Is Live' was drawn by Ana Albero, a Berlin-based artist who together with previous kuš! contributors Till Hafenbrak and Paul Paetzel founded Edition Biografiktion.

See all the contributors of this issue:

Akvilė Misevičiūtė (Lithuania)

Ana Albero (Spain)

š! #12 contributors

Only about twelve days left until the release of the new š!- high time to get to know the contributors! Twenty-nine stunning artists from Europe and North America created comics for the upcoming š! #12 'future 2.0'. Seventeen of them make their very first kuš! appearance, mostly (but not only) the artists invited by our special co-editor Annie Koyama from Canada.

Here you can see their portraits from the future and click to their sites to discover their works from the past:

Anja Wicki (Switzerland)

Charles Forsman (USA)

š! #11 contributors

27 international artists created comics for the upcoming artventurous š!. The contributors come from Latvia, Russia, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, UK, South Africa, USA, Canada and Brazil. 15 of them are for the first time published in (ku)š! and some of them make their very first international comics anthology appearance. Here you can see their portraits and click to their sites to discover their works:

 Aidan Koch (USA)

š! #10 'sea stories' artists

After a few days š! #10 'sea stories' will be out. 148 pages of comics and illustrations in full color by 29 international contributors. Now we would like to introduce you already to them. Visit their websites, say "Ahoy!" and don't forget to pre-order your own copy.

 Ābols (Latvia)

š! 'midnight sun' portraits

In November we released our special Finnish issue: š! #8 'midnight sun' (get your copy here). It contains comics from some of the best current comics artists from Finland. John Porcellino commented it like this: "The new issue is the ALL-FINNISH issue, and if you're an aficionado of European comics, you know the Finnish are producing some of the most brilliant and cutting-edge comics today. Featuring an all-star cast of contributors. Highly recommended!". What wasn't mentioned here so far is, that also Latvian artist contributed to this issue! They didn't make comics, but they drew portraits of each Finnish artists for our bio pages, and now we would like to share them with you also here:

Aino Sutinen drawn by Kristofers Reidzans

š! #9 "female secrets" preview

In June we together with guest editor Ryan Sands announced an open call for female artists to contribute to š! #9 “female secrets”. We received well over 100 contributions by 97 international artists (including 27 from Latvia). The works were of utmost diversity and it took us a while to select the comics to be published. However, now after litres of sweat (gallons for Ryan) it is done and the issue soon will go be out (according to our printer on the 21st of November)! Here we proudly reveal the up-to-now secret artist list:

 

 Akvilė Misevičiūtė (Lithuania) www.magicdust.molestar.org

kuš! in Austria

Since the first of March kuš! editor David is in Vienna as guest of the KABINETT comic passage. What exactly he is doing will be revealed in a later post, now he would just like to share some links to the many artists he met in Austria:

Heinz Wolf and Nicolas Mahler (drawn by Wolf)