DEATH TO THE UNIVERSE: "Flash Roughs/In A Hole: Jul-Aug 2010"

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

"Flash Roughs/In A Hole: Jul-Aug 2010"

{click pages to enlarge}

19 comments:

Morgan Jeske said...: This was fucking beautiful Matt. I'm deadly serious.

The lone panel "It matters where you are." leaped from the page. It was stark and caught me off guard. Nostalgic for something...

Also "Just worship me...". that whole page was great.

Wicked COMICS.; February 1, 2011 at 9:38 PM
Matt Seneca said...: Thanks, I'm so glad you liked it! Doing the additional lettering on the facing pages made me really want to draw a "finished" version again and also realize again that there was definitely no way I ever could... so it's a good thing you enjoyed it this way. Thanks again for the kind words!; February 1, 2011 at 10:08 PM
Sophie Yanow said...: I enjoyed reading this... I didn't get too caught up in the panels to be honest, but for me they were excellent texture.; February 1, 2011 at 10:31 PM
brandonsoderberg said...: This is excellent, sir. I really wish I had more comments for you, but I don't. This is what "alt-comix" should be like and even where superhero deconstructions should be headed...or something? Sorry, just kinda bowled over by this. Thank you.; February 1, 2011 at 10:39 PM
Morgan Jeske said...: I'm definitely going to revisit this again in the morning.

I meant to also thank YOU for posting this in the form that you did. It works, it most definitely works.

This is going to stick with me for awhile. Pardon the comment barrage.; February 1, 2011 at 11:24 PM
Sasha said...: This is so incredibly powerful.; February 2, 2011 at 7:58 AM
Yan Basque said...: Amazing!; February 2, 2011 at 8:52 AM
Rubber Justice said...: This was a blast to read, Matt. The real emotional core of reading this comes from the relationship cross-examination aspect, but it was a huge insight to see into your note-taking process. The artist study was a clear motivator for your work, though it wouldn't have been apparent without the annotations. Think it's hilarious you described Barry as a "gay painter/writer type, but ripped".; February 2, 2011 at 9:08 AM
Matt Seneca said...: @everybody: Thanks, I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this! Your kind words mean a lot to me.

@Rubber Justice: yea, I actually know a guy who IS Barry Allen but with no muscle so that's where that description comes from, ha ha. Something I neglected to mention in the "criticism section" is the intense femininity of Infantino's Flash, both in his supple, willowy figure and in Barry Allen's tight, slimline, flavor-of-the-'60s clothing choices, which work perfectly as products of their time, but might raise an eyebrow or two if worn to work by a cop today. Another little thing I was kinda chewing on, though I didn't really nail it as much as I would have liked.

Also wow, are people actually reading those scribbled notes on the facing pages? CAN you guys read those things? I posted this assuming they'd be like 99% illegible....; February 2, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Robin said...: Matt,

This piece of art is something truly revolutional, bold and so deeply personal that words cant adequately describe it.

It dislike trying to sum up a experience on every level that you ever felt it, you can try, but nothing matches the reality - reading this piece is the only way to enjoy this

The idea of taking fragmented drawings and layering on top of them what was happening as you drew them in such a incredibly layered approach one can only look aghast and pay due to the sheer artistry that bursts through the pages

The use of colours paints, the size of the letters, the small black boxes with the words that say it all

You share everything no hold barred

It's so rare to find someone who is that willing to be that honest to really show what is going on behind that brush strokes - it is a inspiration to everyone who reads it

To coin a phrase (and a REM song) "everybody hurts, sometimes" - so the reader who has had experience hurt of their could well pick up the brush and paint their experience in broad strokes as well

Thats the sign of a true work of art

Something to experience, learn from and be inspired by

I hope you are rightly proud; February 2, 2011 at 10:09 AM
jamie jamie said...: I have to say how impressed I am by this. It not only looks utterly beautiful, but it brought a tear to my eye, something that only 2 or 3 comics have done before. Really, really good stuff.; February 2, 2011 at 3:40 PM
Krietta said...: 500 pages of summer? 500 pages of LA?

whatever you wanna call it, i say fantastic and shuddery and probably what superhero comics should be like anyways. LOVE the lettering LOVE the cleanness of the over-paint (technical term?) and the black/white!

all in all, a great exorcism; February 2, 2011 at 10:38 PM
Shannon said...: Great stuff, Matt.; February 3, 2011 at 9:28 AM
Bobby Cunrow said...: This has definitely stuck with me over a couple days.; February 4, 2011 at 12:23 PM
Matt Seneca said...: dude you guys, Douglas Wolk just reviewed this comic over at Time/Techland! http://techland.time.com/2011/02/04/emanata-novels-in-woodcuts-comics-in-words/ oh my god oh my god; February 4, 2011 at 11:25 PM
Cormacaroni said...: Matt - It takes serious bravery or arrogance (or just balls!) to both bare your soul like this, and to show the roughest possible work you are capable of. Amazing stuff. The smudged fingertip to sign off on the coda is just PERFECT.; February 8, 2011 at 1:24 AM
Joe Willy said...: Matt,
It's interesting how much of the comic is really just a text piece on comics art history and a personal relationship illustrated by roughs from a different story. You did a great job pulling those threads together and making a compelling story. I was a little reluctant to read it at first based on the quality of the art (yeah, I'm kind of an art snob that way at times- speaking of Panter, it took me years to get over that he wasn't trying to draw better than Frazetta or someone) but you're such a good writer and you know comics' language so well that I knew it would be good, and then I glanced at Wolk's review and knew I better hurry up and read it. Must be nice to have enough readers to get a reaction after posting something like this. You're blowing up!; February 10, 2011 at 5:16 AM
Nitz the Bloody said...: Dude, this was brilliant! I would've read it if it were just the Flash comic, based on the solidity of the craft, but literally painting the protagonist's story of love and loss over it gave it so many dimensions of drama. I knew you were a great critic, but you're an even better creator.; February 11, 2011 at 9:23 PM
Matt Seneca said...: Another great review, this time by Sean T. Collins of Robot 6, the Savage Critics, et al!

http://seantcollins.com/2011/02/comics-time-flash-roughsin-a-hole-jul-aug-2010/; February 16, 2011 at 9:36 AM