Category Archives: Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle

24-Hour Comics 2018: Observations & Recollections

Oliver’s Upper Bar. Mayflower Park Hotel is gorgeous and charming!

I have much to say and little time. This is true in the big picture and in the current timeframe for all of us, right? Okay, right. Right on! So, let’s do here a recap of this whole 24-hour comics thing that I just did. I want to follow that up with a separate review of the wonderful place I stayed at, Mayflower Park Hotel. Then, full speed ahead with some full-on comics reviews including this year’s Best American Comics. Later on, I’ll have a surprise or two as the month unfolds and son on. Almighty then, first up, a movie that I put together: My 24-Hour Comics Stay: Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle…

There’s a bunch of comics theory swimming in my head that I want to pour over into select spots such as this post. One thing: Comics are very weird and wonderful and, if you let process take over, you can achieve great things. I see comics in the same light as any serious fine art: there is room for the raw and the ragged, work that comes off as out of place; but, at the end of the day, it is up to the creator to suss out and to be honest. Does this work rise to the level of being “art,” if that is what you are seriously, and sincerely, aiming for? Some hipster sentiment might see things differently. Well, time will tell because sometimes it takes time for certain work to come into focus.

Emily, my sweet main character.

Drawing. Writing. Both are essential for the independent cartoonist who chooses to create a comic alone, as opposed to being part of a team. In the old tradition, the alt-comics creator is a lone wolf. Packing a bunch of lone wolves together can sometimes work but they then become a pack and that has its pluses and minuses. You can also just pack a whole room with people of varying degrees of talent or simply enthusiasm. That can be good. That’s what you usually call a “drink and draw” gathering. If you place it in a formal setting and have one lone wolf as leader, you might call that a workshop. Ultimately, that lone wolf would prefer to be left alone to grapple with word and image. Thus, we come full circle.

It’s important to pace myself, considering the material I want to get through in the days ahead, so I will wrap things up by simply thanking all my readers and just reiterate what I’ve said many times: whatever you do, keep a sense of humor.

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Filed under Comics, Hotels, Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle, Seattle, Travel

24-Hour Comics Day 2018: First Steps in Process

Creating Characters.

I have gotten situated. I have lots of books and various reference material. I’ve got the whole frick’in internet! And, with the Mayflower Park Hotel, I’ve got a wonderful and stimulating environment.

I try to include a bit of everything during these precious hours of creativity. Brett Kavanaugh is certainly fair game as he dominates the news. You’ll find him in the background music to the above video.

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Filed under 24 Hour Comics, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle, Seattle

24-HOUR COMICS DAY: Henry Chamberlain at Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle, October 6th, 2018

Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle

I am looking forward to this year’s 24-Hour Comics Day, kicking off world-wide this Saturday, October 6th. I want to approach it from many sides. As I always do, I will include the hotel I’m staying at. This year it is the Mayflower Park Hotel. As a lot of my regular readers know, I like to include sketches in my observations as much as possible, whether for a book, travel, hotel review, or whatever it might be.

24-Hour Comics Day 2018

I will have my comics-making coincide with the internationally observed 24-Hour Comics Day. I will start drawing from 10 am on Saturday and continue from there to 10 am on Sunday. There are a bunch of guidelines to this activity. The goal is to create a 24-page narrative in sequential art. If you finish early, great. Or you can take a detour from that goal and work on whatever comics project you like. There are other variations, like creating two 12-page comics. I will attempt to do as much as possible, leave the process open-ended.

Okay, with all that said, I anticipate doing a lot of drawing. I foresee doing a lot of full-on comics as well as creating a bunch of drawings that I will end up in need of a proper comics framework at a later date or may end up just standing alone, as is. And, suffice it to say, I intend to honor my gracious host, the Mayflower Park Hotel.

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Filed under Cartoonists, Comics, Drawing, Henry Chamberlain, Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle, Seattle