Pursuing Perfection

JULIANE NORSKE

PURSUING PERFECTION

This is a bachelor project from Graphic Storytelling, The Animation Workshop, VIA University College.

A MEMOIR ABOUT BODYBUILDING AND IDENTITY Juliane Norske

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JULIANE NORSKE

A MEMOIR ABOUT BODYBUILDING AND IDENTITY

This is a bachelor project from Graphic Storytelling, The Animation Workshop, VIA University College.

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Definition: Bodybuilding (noun) “a sport involving strenuous physical exercise in order to strengthen and enlarge the muscles of the body.”

Source: Oxford Languages

MADE WITH THANKS TO MENTOR Justin Hall COORDINATORS Peter Dyring Olsen Erik Barkman ADVISORS DJ Cleland-Hura Jericca Cleland Steve Seagle Cecil Castellucci Sofie Louise Dam Angelica Inigo SPECIAL THANKS TO Cecilia Murillo Valdez Magnus Leopard ... And all my amazing classmates at The Animation Workshop! You guys rock.

Juliane Norske, 2021. Copyright 2021. © Juliane Norske

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AFTERWORD On this page: Early concept work. Note Gains Goblin in the middle. He never made it into the final version of Pursuing Perfection, sadly.

I made this graphic novel first and foremost, because I wish it existed when I was younger. I was far from athletic, let alone muscular, back then. In hindsight, bodybuilding has given me the confidence to take up space and become a role model for others. It didn’t occur to me how my hobby could slowly become an obsession and take over my life. I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until I listened to competitive bodybuilders describe their experiences dealing with body dysmorphia on podcasts.

There are great podcast episodes on this subject; I’ve provided links in the Resources section at the end.

It’s also important for me to clarify something about the flashback on page 44-45. My intention is not to demonize my partner but rather to show my tipping point. There’s a lot pressure for women to look a certain way, and I was willfully ignorant of this until much later in my life.

I hoped pursuing a muscular physique would “free me” from others’ expectations, but it isn’t that simple.

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In my early development of this comic, Aesthetic Amazon was accompanied by Gains Goblin. He was meant to persuade Juliane in the story to skip training at all costs, so they could play video games together.

I scrapped this idea when I realized he didn’t have much personality beyond being lazy.

Deep down, Aesthetic Amazon is the manifestation of my inner, critical voice, and I based her appearance on characters from my favorite video games. As a child, I was very drawn to Amazonian women. Their confidence and strength invoked a sense of empowerment I hadn’t experienced before. Bodybuilding enabled me to pursue this in a way other sports couldn’t. It redefined my perception of feminity and made me understand my body’s signals. I have learned how my dedication towards bodybuilding also translates into better concentration while drawing.

Body dysmorphia manifests in different ways for different people. But there’s a common link: what you see in the mirror doesn’t reflect reality.

I was fortunate to have a supportive family, partner and friends who helped me when I needed it the most. In the end, I realized it was my own pride preventing me from seeking help earlier. I still have bad days where I feel skinny and weak, but I acknowledge it’s a feeling I have, and not reality.

Thank you for reading my comic and this afterword. I hope you have gained a new perspective on bodybuilding, and perhaps gotten interested in learning more about it.

On this page: First prototype page (Left), Old version of Aesthetic Amazon and Gains Goblin (Right).

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On this page: Final Character Line-up. From left to right: Cardio Bunny, Gym Rat, Gym Shark, Cecilia, Juliane and Aesthetic Amazon.

RESOURCES

Iron Culture: Ep. 17 - Examining the Psychology of Bodybuilding (Podcast, 2019): https://ironculture.libsyn.com/episode-17 Klub Skov: Ep. 4, 5, 7 (Podcast, 2019-2020, NOTE: This podcast is in Danish): https://fornuftig-fitness-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/michelle-part-1 https://fornuftig-fitness-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/5-med-michelle-lindop https://fornuftig-fitness-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/trine Pumping Iron 2: The Women (Documentary, 1985): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089852/ Generation Iron (Documentary, 2013): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2205904/ Practical articles for bodybuilding and strength training (Dan Chavez, Bret Contreras, Pavel Tsatsouline): https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/the-ultimate-minimalist-training-plan https://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/10-Rules-of-Progressive-Overload.pdf https://www.strongfirst.com/the-fighter-pullup-program-revisited/

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ARTIST Juliane Norske has a degree in Graphic Storytelling from The Animation Workshop. She is born in 1996, resides in Copenwhagen and has drawn since she could hold a pencil, Katsuhiro Otomo is her biggest artistic influence, and she gets most of her storytelling inspiration from current and historical events.

Juliane also enjoys lifting heavy weights and playing online games in her spare time. In particular, she is a sucker for World of Warcraft.

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FOLLOW MY WORK WEBSITE art-by-juno.com

INSTAGRAM @art_by_juno

FACEBOOK @julianenorske

E-MAIL contact@art-by-juno.com

Juliane Norske, 2021. Copyright 2021. © Juliane Norske

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JULIANE NORSKE

PURSUING PERFECTION

This is a bachelor project from Graphic Storytelling, The Animation Workshop, VIA University College.

A MEMOIR ABOUT BODYBUILDING AND IDENTITY Juliane Norske

Pursuing_Perfection_Cover.indd 1-3

1/20/2021 9:51:06 AM