Liminka comic journalism workshop

COVER

HI THERE

What you hold in you hands is the result of a 10 day comic journalism workshop held at Limingan Taidekoulu autumn 2017.

As a practicioner of the field, I enjoy these occasional “fishing trips”that I feel these workshops are.

Comics can be a monotonous and antisocial craft, so the opportunity to see new faces, meet fresh talent, and deconstruct what exactly it is we are doing is always welcome.

Fishing trips?

Yes, that’s what it feels like. I put some bait on my hook, throw it out and hope.

The bait is a technique, concept or an idea.

The hook is the course.

The catch are the ideas the students attach to this course. It never ceases to amaze me what comes in.

The perspectives and viewpoints the students offer up are fascinating and refreshing. There’s ghosts swishing around the corners, farmers dealing with bad seasons, there are more than two genders!

Humans believe things and that can easily get very complicated. People struggle with mental issues and providing help is a unique challenge.

The subjects covered in this magazine are all chosen by the students themselves and they show a unique awareness of the world around them. There’s a sensitivity to the complications in that world. It

also shows guts to cover themes that are not usually seen in mainstream media.

As a guy of my generation (Generation X, I believe), it’s heartening to see the subjects the students chose to tackle. It’s heartening to see people discuss so openly topics of genders, anxiety, mental problems and eating disorders. I know for a fact that 20 years ago, this would be something one would only speak with a close friend with. In hushed tones sometimes after midnight and after plenty of drinks.

It gives me hope, it shows that even if things might look miserable, we are willing to discuss this and acknowledge these issues and that is the crucial first step. Just by opening our mouths and after that, our hearts, we can hopefully make it a little bit easier to be human. Subjects that seemed taboo only a few years ago is not new thing, but we are finally talking about it openly.

There are different perspectives, there are different levels of competence. But it’s never boring. And in this issue you get to see a lot of promising artists at the starting gates.

Here’s waiting for issue #2!

Karstein Volle 19.10-2017