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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Mandala

Mandala (2007) was the very first story I wrote and published entirely on my own. The project's conceit was that it could only be enjoyed in a cyclical manner if it was read in book form. The reader was instructed to read all the pages on the right hand side until they would return to the beginning of the book reading only the left hand pages. The whole thing created a mandala in book form. I would even go so far that I conceived of it as an art object in the form of a book. I didn't give too much consideration to adding the lettering and sound effects into the book's layout because this material wasn't supposed to be in any other form! That explains why the images included here are taken from the book and not from scans of the art alone.

The story follows a young boy as he's swept up in a larger metaphorical process that might be mistaken for his life.

Some of the characters that appear here also make an appearance in my next major project, the Process. After selling out as a mini comic, Mandala was included in the fantasy anthology, Fablewood published by Ape Entertainment.

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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!

The Best American Comics Recognizes "the Process"

Just today I picked up a copy of The Best American Comics 2009, the comics anthology series by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. This year it's guest edited by Charles Burns and it was to my delight that I found out that  the Process has been included in the 'Notable Comics' section! Sure it would have been nice to see it excerpted in the book, but this is a wonderful honor all the same. Thank you so much!

Comic Book Club Podcast Now Available!

I think there might have been a couple of you that I didn’t see at the show last night. That’s cool, good thing is you’re in luck because they now have an audio podcast of the entire thing! You can visit the CBC site and comment on it or you can listen to the podcast directly here. Of course, iTunes users can listen to it by following this link.

Announcing: The Transmigration of Ultra-Lad!

Well, it's finally official. My none too subtle hints and news leaks have been pretty transparent but here's the official announcement. Look to the Act-i-vate site for my upcoming webcomic, "The Transmigration of Ultra-Lad" in early June. I'll have more exact information as we approach launch so please stay tuned.

This story is a future chapter of the Process and it is a standalone story. It's comprised of scans of a long lost comic from early in the last century so the print quality and pages are a little worn and deteriorated with age. The comic title is "The New Adventures of Ultra-Lad" and this issue's story is entitled, "The Transmigration of Ultra-Lad". Here's the logo design as best as I've been able to reconstruct it.

So there you have it. Aren't you excited! I sure am and I'll be posting more teasers prior to launch. Once we get that show on the road things will get a little more regular here on this site as well. Your patience and my hard work will be rewarded.

This Could Be YOU!

Here's proof that satisfaction is guaranteed when you commission a sketch. Not only did I get an email when the piece was delivered but an email full of photos posing with the sketch! This level of enthusiasm deserves recognition and here it is:

This gentleman is a fan of this project and was particularly keyed up about Ultra-Lad. So much so in fact, that I had to warn him that if he sent me any more ideas about the character, I'd have to credit him! In all sincerity, this sort of thing really makes me feel good…it's not often that I get to meet someone this excited about one of my creations. Frankly, his enthusiasm is infectious and I am very thankful to have his support. Cheers, you are a Prince among men

Want to join in the love? Well, it's a simple donation away. A $25 donation gets you a black and white sketch and a $50 donation or more gets you a full color sketch such as this. Please note, photos of you with the sketch are optional and public display of said photos is not required.

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!