MOTIONARY COMICS 2.0 is a live arts event, a collaboration across disciplines, and a performance of art-in-process.
A return engagement from 2010, this year Motionary Comics 2.0 features Tea Krulos as the creative director, conducting a real life-sized comic strip about Real Life Super Heroes (RLSH). On April 29, 2011 at the Moct Bar, nearly 30 artists will create a mural-sized comic strip along the walls, documenting the project at the same time for late-comers or for people who arrive early and return a second time. Working from only a common, basic storyline, the artists will riff off of one another’s creations in a jazz-like structured improvisation. By the time the final artist steps forward to add the text, it’s anyone’s guess what the final product will look like.
The evening begins at roughly 5pm. Choreographers Dan Schuchart and Monica Rodero will create a silhouette driven story using six volunteers. Their profiles will be rendered against canvas on the wall by our team of colorists from 2010 (Skylight Theater scenic artist Carri Dahl, freelance painter Andrea Toussaint, and freelance scenic designer Nathan Stuber) painting their bodies. As they step away, they will leave a white silhouette against a colored backdrop.
Illustrators follow on the next pass, including local comic artists Matt Chic, David Beyer Jr. (who provided the artwork featured in this press release), Christopher Macdonald, Pietro Norante, Dan Hernandez, and Michael Cothroll. The illustrators create characters out of shapes, and emotions out of line.
In the third pass the colorists return to give depth, dimension, and shading to the characters.
The fourth pass sees the illustrators define the background, and the fifth has all nine artists applying any finishing touches.
As the artists finalize their last looks, creative producer Tea Krulos will begin to create and apply the text to the individual cells with the assistance and contributions of the audience.
The entire process, from blank canvas to full comic, will take between 6-7 hours. Photographer Kelly Crandall charges the still documentation, taking photos of the artists at work as well as demonstrating the work flow. Computer interfacing will further allow audience interaction with and commentary by some of Tea Krulos’ contacts within the Real Life Super Villain (RLSV) community. There will also be appearances by local Real Life Superheroes The Watchman and Blackbird as well as other surprises throughout the evening. Live, accompanying DJing will be provided by DJ Dori Zori of WMSE. In keeping in the spirit of the Real Life Superheroes, we are also proud to announce that the show is sponsored by Chang beer, which will donate a percentage of beer sales to United Way.
