Zine WIP-abandon or redo
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My goals when I started this "small" project a few months ago was to:
- Quickly create a small illustrated zine style book (half letter) that I could reproduce and sell cheaply
- Actually complete a project
It wanted to get it done quickly, but life happens, and this has dragged out longer than I thought, and now I feel like I've gotten lost, and I'm frustrated with most of the images now. I was going to hand right the text on strips of paper and lay it over the images, but now I don't like that idea. I'm tempted to just abandon the project, but, see above goal. I'm not proud enough of the images to add them to my portfolio, but it has taken up so much of my time already. The text is lyrics from a old camp song that my family grew up singing.
^The cover. The lettering really bothers me
^"Once traveling in a circus was an ugly grizzly bear, who hated all the world as if he didn't have care."
^"He shook his head in anger at the crowd around his cage, and growled and grunted as he tried to tell them in his rage..."
^"I long for the hills of freedom, I long for the mountain air!"
I realized that the bear is too small, doesn't fit with the medium close up range of all the other pictures.
^"Could I wag my stumpy tail once more in a mossy dale, then I'd be a happy grizzly bear!"
^"One day this bear escaped and quickly ran off to the hills..."
^"Where there he freely scampered happy 'mungst the rocks and rills."
^"Until a hunter came his way, and now my story's ore...."
^"Excepting that this bear now decorates my parlor floor." -
I wouldn't throw it away! I think you might like to share the writing portion with a critique group. It might need just a littlle bit of tweaking. I also think the lettering goes well with your art style. Sad ending....not sure if it would be good for kids to have the bear end up a rug It was really fun to read.......except the poor happy frolicking free bear got shot. Maybe you're trying to send a message to the readers?
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@marsha-kay-ottum-owen Thanks! This would be for adults, not children, as ya, its a little morbid. My childhood is filled will these strange little morbid nursery rhyme songs.
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Absolutely don't abandon this project! Looks great, although i am also a bit concerned about the ending but you said its an old song right? Concerning illustration, there is two that I would improve. 6th (bear on the wheel) - a bear gets a bit mixed with the tent. 7th - in my opinion bear lifework is a bit too strong or maybe its smh else but i can't name it. The rest is superb and i would show it to my kids with pleasure
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I think what I will do is finish up/fix them digitally rather than start all over. There is a rough of some ideas for the Escape/6th picture
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Finished the final page, have some digital adjustments to make plus text.
Redid the bear on this page.
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From what I see... I like it! In my untrained opinion, it may need tweaking with the text... but there is a certain charm to the strips of paper idea.
Yes I think the front cover type needs to be a tiny bit finer, but what I see is that it is all there.
Maybe you are having one of those bouts of self doubt that we all have? Morbid fairy tales would be awesome for kids... I mean minus torture, terrible wounds and violent death etc.. but morbidity in itself can teach kids as well as be funny! Just my crazy opinion...
I mean... think of roald dahl. What strange and morbid stories about horrible twits and evil aunties and revenge of little ones on one's own parents...
It seems that the bear receives his comeuppance and that is funny and deserving...
Really like the artwork!
Felix
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I am grateful that you shared this song. My mother used to sing it to us while we were driving to visit the towns where she and my father grew up. I hope you won't mind if I copy this book to share with my extended family to help us remember our mother's singing of this song on our family trips. It's charming!