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.

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Robot 6: Unbound: Joe Infurnari on the Process

Brigid Alverson, writer of the webcomics column at Robot 6, recently contacted me about doing an interview regarding the Process. The thrust of her piece was to be how webcomics end; sometimes prematurely and of natural causes. I'll admit that I was embarrassed to be singled out as exemplary of this but I agreed to answer her questions. The results of that interview are now available at the Comic Book Resources blog and I think it's a good interview. Here's a tidbit:

Brigid: Will you finish it, online or in print, or has it served its purpose already?

Joe: The Process was set up to be a very large epic story that tried to encompass as much of my imagination/psychology as I could get. It was an exercise that I created for myself to keep me making art and exploring new art styles and storytelling techniques. As such, the Process has been a success and has actually never stopped for me. I'm working on Ultra-lad, a character that comes directly out of the Process, and wherever possible the ideas that I had for the Process are incorporated into other projects. If I were to wax mythic/poetic about this, I would say that the passing of the Process is like the death of Orpheus whose dismembered head and hands continue to play and sing music as they float down the Hebrus. I've scavenged different pieces of it for different projects and its ideas still resonate with me and my work to this day.

There's plenty more at the site itself. To read the rest of the interview, click here. Thanks Brigid!

Robot 6 Covers Earth 2100

Comic Book Resources' Blog, Robot 6, gave Earth 2100 some love today, too! Jk Parkin had this to say about the project:

As Kevin mentioned yesterday, ABC News will present an environmental special called Earth 2100, which is hosted by Bob Woodruff and will feature a graphic novel-style sequences by Josh Neufeld, Sari Wilson, Joe Infurnari, George O’Connor, Tim Hamilton and Leland Purvis. The special runs tonight on ABC at 9 p.m. Eastern.

From Kamandi and Scout to “Old Man Logan,” comics have had a long history of detailing life after everything falls apart, and it’s pretty cool to see that ABC noticed.

Thanks, JK!

OUTED! The Act-i-vate Primer!

JK Parkin of Robot 6 posted this announcement regarding the upcoming Act-i-vate print venture, The Act-i-vate Primer! The official announcement of this project was made at our recent event at Bergen St. Comics on Free Comic Book Day but I suspect JK had other sources…

I seem to remember reading something about a potential anthology of work from the webcomics collective ACT-I-VATE, but I don’t think I’ve seen a formal announcement yet — unless an Amazon.com listing is considered an announcement.

In any event, it looks like IDW is putting out the ACT-I-VATE Primer in the fall. The book is due Oct. 29, and the site lists the contributors as Dean Haspiel, Nick Bertozzi, Michael Cavallaro, Mike Dawson, Simon Fraser, Michel Fiffe, Tim Hamilton, Ulises Farinas, Leland Purvis, Joe Infurnari, Roger Langridge, Molly Crabapple, John Leavitt, Pedro Camargo and Jim Dougan.

Haspiel, it appears, will have a new Billy Dogma story in it (which is, I bet, where we’ll see this), while Langridge says he’s doing a “Mugwhump” story set before the current strip started. According to Amazon, all the material will be new: “The ACT-I-VATE PRIMER is a PRINT EXCLUSIVE anthology by many of the Act-I-Vate creators none of the material in this book will appear on the Act-I-Vate website for at least one year from publication date.”

So now that it's out there swimming in the digital ether, I thought I'd post a little preview of one of my pages from said book:

This 12 page story is a prelude to the Act-i-vate story and is a memoir of Victor 'The Kid Immortal' Kronos. We see his rise and ultimate fall as a brutal Battle Brawler and, of course, as…ULTRA-lad!