the Process

The Process began with the idea to set up a narrative that gave me an occasion for experimentation in the art and story. Each chapter was going to be stylistically different while the reader traveled through my brain while passed out from hypoglycemia. After slipping away at the end of the pages above, my 'reality' would be revealed as a metaphorical stage before an audience of personified aspects of my mind. All are asleep but one. After the curtains close, there would be incredible crash and the one awake personification would leap to the stage to investigate backstage. The elaborate setting for 'reality' collapsed. It's splintered. Shattered. The stage is strewn with wreckage. In looking for survivors, one man was saved. Me. Likely in a coma. The personification volunteers to enter my mind to rescue my consciousness from within. From there on I would have complete license to put this character through any paces using any style of art with the larger 'bookending' quest being to resuscitate me.

Unfortunately it never got to that sweet spot. What you do have though, is 32 pages of me cranking on all cylinders at the time. Each page became such an epic venture to finish that burnout set in and the project has lain dormant since. Looking at these pages again in putting together this post, I can't deny that I felt a thrill at some of the pages and at memories of my plans for the Process. If I had my druthers I would force myself to do at least a page a month and just let it take me where it goes.

In the meantime, I'm thankful for the many great things that have come out of this project. I first had the idea for Ultra-lad in these pages. The strip was nominated for an Eisner under the Digital Comic category in 2008. I think it was through that nomination that I got in touch with Jeff Newelt who put me in touch with Act-i-vate. Countless great things have come out of joining Act-i-vate so I am definitely thankful for that, too. Thank you.

For more thoughts on the end of the Process, please read this great interview with Brigid Alverson over at Robot6.

As always, if you enjoyed this post, please show your appreciation with a comment below or by sharing the link using your preferred social network. I don't keep a donation button or a tip jar on my site because sharing is the currency for free content.

Vs.

Here it is, the entire 12 page story of my sordid New York City rental history! This story, written with Alexis Sottile and edited by Dean Haspiel, first appeared as part of SMITH magazine's webcomics series, Next Door Neighbor in 2008. It was also my second Eisner award nomination for the digital comics category. I have very fond memories associated with this piece. As battered and bruised as I am in the story about neighbors and NYC apartments, I was as optimistic and naïve about the comics industry and publishing when I created this. This story coincides with a time where I met many of the folks that I now call friends and studiomates. Deep6 studios (Joan Reilly, Simon Fraser, Mike Cavallaro, Leland Purvis, Tim Hamilton and Dean Haspiel) opened their doors to me and allowed me to create much of the work that went into the comics I have on Act-i-vate and more. For that, I am eternally grateful because in the time I've spent working alongside them, I've learned so much about comics storytelling, art and writing. I would not be the creator I am (such as it is) without them.

The naiveté I associate with this time only hints at some of the ways I've since been buffeted about by the ups and downs of creating comics professionally. Don't expect any exposé any time soon but rest assured when I do it will cut to the bone and no doubt implicate myself as much as Vs. does. If I had to come up with a title now, it would be Gutter-Snipe!

As always, free content has one string attached; if you enjoyed what you read, please share it.

Finder Wins Best Digital Comic!

My sincerest congratulations go out to Carla Speed McNeil! Her webcomic, Finder, won Best Digital Comic at this year's Eisner Awards! Since I didn't attend SDCC this year, the above image from Finder best captures my mental image of the ceremony. Since my webcomic, Vs., did not win, I guess I'll just politely stand in the back. That's me third from the left. Huzzah! Go read it here!

Eisner Nominations at Girls Entertainment Network

The folks over at The Girls Entertainment Network have discussed every Eisner nomination this year. That means that they have been kind enough to give my Next Door Neighbor story, Vs. with Alexis Sottile, a closer look. Here's what Jill had to say:

Vs. by Alexis Sottile & Joe Infurnari, smithmag.net/nextdoorneighbor/2008/12/08/story-18/

The best way to describe Vs. would be to call it “Green Eggs and Ham” on acid.

Mostly in black and white, dashes of color in key panels make it a wild ride for the eyes. Artist Joe Infurnari was nominated in this same category last year for his work on The Process, but this time around he’s got a co-writer, Alexis Sottile, for this off-the-wall look into the dangers of renting. Vs. is part of SMITH Magazine’s Next Door Neighbor weekly web comics series and tells Infurnari’s real-life horror stories from his various New York dwellings. Of course, there is a slight twist: it’s in verse. But don’t even think of reading this one to the kids before bedtime. Here, in Infurnari’s own words, is what you can expect: “My terrible run-ins with vociferous fowls! Frankensteinian pooches! Tentacled jam bands! Drunken cro-magnons! Pill-pushing werewolves and many, many more!”

He admits he wasn’t the greatest at coming up with rhymes, but that’s where Sottile came in. She compliments Infurnari’s personal woes, which are smoothly narrated even as his Hulk alter-ego slowly emerges. As an extra bonus, Infurnari has posted a “director’s cut,” if you will, on ACT-I-VATE—where he tells the story behind each page. –Jill aka TheNerdyBird

Thanks Jill! To read the rest of the reviews, click here!

SMITH Magazine Honors Vs.

SMITH Magazine, the home for the Next Door Neighbor webcomix series has posted a notice about the recent Eisner nomination. Jeff Newelt, SMITH Magazine Comics Editor, had this to say,

Eisner Nomination for Next-Door Neighbor’s “Vs.”

SMITH Magazine congratulates Joe Infurnari and Alexis Sottile on their Eisner nomination (think Academy Awards for comics) for Best Digital Comic for “Vs.,” their virtuoso contribution to Next-Door Neighbor, SMITH’s truelife webcomic anthology, edited by Dean Haspiel. “Vs.” is the tale of Joe’s nightmarish neighborly encounters, one after another after another after another. Told as an autobiographical monologue written in verse, juxtaposed with rabid remembrances, dizzyingly visualized like a sickedelic melange of EC horror comics, The Twilight Zone, and Universal’s Monster Movies meets Cronenberg and Lynch, “Vs.” has got to be seen to be believed (and you can believe it, because it all happened). (more…)

The above image is my annotation for the page at the top of this post. Now you can read a fully annotated version of Vs. at Act-i-vate.com! If you've read it at SMITH, now read it with all the supplemental information! It's like having the dvd extras for every page! Read my comments for fun factoids and real life anecdotes behind my neighborly misadventures retold in Vs.

If you like Vs. enough, please consider voting for it for the Best Digital Comic Eisner award. You can do so here:

www.eisnervote.com

Thanks so much for your vote, support and readership!

Vs. Nominated for an Eisner Award!

Lightning has struck twice! This just in, Vs., my story written with Alexis Sottile for SMITH magazine's Next Door Neighbor webcomics series, has been nominated for an Eisner award in the Digital Comics category! WOWEE ZOWEE! I'm thrilled to have been honored again this year and I want to thank Alexis for her magical wordsmithery, Dean Haspiel for his edifying editorial, Jeff Newelt for his incisive curating and SMITH magazine for their committment to bringing stories such as this to the masses. Click the image to the left to read the story and the graphic below to see the full list of nominees.

Eisner Voting Now Online!

Hey, Industry Professionals! It's that time again where we all vote for our favorite Eisner nominees. This year, as many of you already know, I've been nominated in the Best Digital Comic category for the Process. This is a huge deal to me so if you haven't already seen the webcomic, go check it out. Your journey through the Process starts here. When you're done, head on over to the Eisner voting website, www.eisnervote.com and cast your vote for your favorites. If you took a shine to the Process and think it deserves wider recognition, I would very much appreciate your vote! Thanks for your support, everyone!

the Process Nominated for Eisner for Best Digital Comic!

I’m speechless. Unfortunately, that isn’t conducive for writing posts so I’m putting aside all stupefaction to confirm that the Process has been nominated for an Eisner Award in the Best Digital Comic category! This is the single greatest honor (besides winning) that could be bestowed on this project and I am very fortunate to be in such esteemed company as the other finalists, The Abominable Charles Christopher by Karl Kerschl, Billy Dogma, Immortal, by Dean Haspiel, PX! By Manny Trembley and Eric A. Anderson and Sugarshock!, by Joss Whedon and Fabio Moon. The awards ceremony, held during San Diego’s Comicon International, will be at a gala event on July 25th, 2008. When this really sinks in, I’ll write a followup post but in the meantime, I’d like to thank the judges for their consideration and thank YOU for supporting this project.

Best,

Joe