I remember growing up and watching the students in class who could draw and think “Wow, they are artists. I wish I could do something like that”. In college I entered my first creative writing contest, and I placed third. A friend of mine, who in 10 minutes could draw you basically an entire page of beautiful characters said “Man, that is so crazy. I don’t know how people write like that, I could never be that creative”. In my mind I thought “What do you mean?! You’re the artist here! Not me!” But really we both were following our own artistic paths.
Working In: The Arts is a comic tribute to artists of all shapes sizes and professions, but mostly it is an informational to all of those who may not fully understand what artistry and its paths can actually look like. This book created by a collaboration of several artists in different career fields. Artists who want to say “There is no right or wrong way to enter any creative field professionally”
From the start this book is gorgeous. The first few pages are fully in color and establish the tone. Which is very much a showcase of art and design. As the book continues, each of the showcasing artists highlight their career fields. Which include: comic book artists, game designers, and graphic designers. Each section features a brief introduction to the artists they came to their career. Each of these are about a page long and do a great job of not only highlighting the differences in each art style of even those in the same profession but also on how art can be showcased. All artists focused on different elements of their art as well as different ways to portray what they love to do.
Working In: The Arts is much more than the sum of its parts. Which is saying a lot seeing how well executed each part was in the first place. This is the type of project that shows as much as it tells. Each artist involved has a clear personal stake in this narrative. This isn’t a showcase of their art but a validation of the work they had to do to get to this point. But much more than that Working In: The Arts is an inspiration piece. It is more than a love note to a craft, it is an invitation. For artists and artistic types who may be lost and confused on how to break into their industry this comic is a how-to guide. Or creative types who may feel what they produce isn’t art at all.
Though this review only focuses on the 24 page preview, it does seem like they will speak on other careers, like photography, knitting, and even design. As a comic book reviewer I spend quite a bit of my time reading amazing art and stories. Having a comic book dedicated to those who commit themselves to the development of these crafts and narratives is a truly special work, and it definitely deserves your attention.
