Tag Archives: Graphic Recording

February 12, 2024 · 5:00 am

Sarah Firth Interview: Eventually Everything Connects

“It’s about things that I’ve seen, things that I’ve learned, questions that I have. This graphic novel is a piece of philosophy in the traditional sense of taking the experience of living and then asking questions about what does this mean, how does this work, how do I know what I know.”

— Sarah Firth, describing her new book, Eventually Everything Connects: Eight Essays on Uncertainty

A Groundbreaking Graphic Novel

We are in the midst of an ever-expanding world of graphic novels with new work popping up each year that affirms this phenomena. Such a title is Sarah Firth’s Eventually Everything Connects, a collection of eight inter-related philosophical visual essays, a fresh and audacious exploration into what it means to be human. Read my review here. I would go as far as to say that Firth’s book is a groundbreaking work. As Firth herself describes the book, think of it as a music album, a collection of songs connected to each other by an overriding theme. In this case, the big theme is a journey to discover and better understand our collective reality.

We kicked off our conversation by focusing on the motif that flutters throughout the book, the bogong moth, a very capable and industrious little creature also quite inept when it comes to getting too close to bright lights. It is, truth be told, an excellent metaphor for the human condition. We humans, as Firth points out, are so remarkable and yet we keep shooting ourselves in the foot with how we are prone to hurt ourselves and other organisms and environments. We can’t seem to help ourselves–or can we? Therein lies a key factor in this exploration, a search for answers to the human riddle.

Life is made up of some many amazing elements, and so many mundane little routine details too. We are constantly buttoning and unbuttoning; composing and decomposing. What gives life purpose and meaning? Firth is eager to tackle philosophical questions, match them up with her own lived experience and see what she comes up with. Your mileage may vary but it’s safe to say you will find much in common in Firth’s exploration–as well as discover many new things about being human and the world we live in. It was a great delight to have this chat and I welcome you to check out the video below. What Firth has created with this book is a wonderfully original contribution to visual storytelling and the comics medium. Moreover, it is distinguished by being such a multi-layered work in comics: what happens in one chapter is picked up by the next chapter, expanded upon, contradicted and reevaluated. We need to cherish these gems in the ever-evolving world of comics. In this in-depth interview, Firth speaks at length about the dynamics at play in her book. I highly recommend anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of comics-making to tune in.

Lastly, I just want to come back to what I’m calling the “multi-layered” aspect to Firth’s book and focus in on one quirky factoid you’ll find among so many in this unique book. As Firth points out during our conversation, we humans are dealing with a never-ending flow of data. In order to deal with this, we must find shortcuts to help us make sense of reality. We have models, organizing principles and various heuristics to help us cope and see the big picture. But, due to the overload of information, we will usually miss something. This phenomena is described well by The Invisible Gorilla Experiment. I guess I zoned it out, or maybe I knew about it at one point, but it’s definitely a popular thing. Basically, it shows how you see what you need to see. Even if you’re told ahead of time to expect to see a gorilla appear in a video about basketballs, you’ll likely miss other anomalies. As I promised Sarah, I would end up becoming an Invisible Gorilla expert and now I can’t help but think about it.

Eventually Everything Connects is published by Graphic Mundi in the United States and will release in June, 2024.

Eventually Everything Connects by Sarah Firth book review

Eventually Everything Connects: Eight Essays on Uncertainty. Sarah Firth. Allen & Unwin, 2023. 288pp. AUD $34.99 (Graphic Mundi, June 2024 U.S. release.)

Imagine someone in the most uninhibited, vivid and precise way sharing with you what is going on in their mind. We are all capable of such things, given enough trust, and we welcome such primal and articulate sharing. Well, that is what you get in this highly engaging tour de force, a book about everything by an artist at the top of her field. Sarah Firth is an accomplished artist who is known for her work as a graphic recorder. That’s someone who is hired to do a live drawing of any given event or meeting and dissect what is going on, bringing out the essence of ideas and strategies discussed, which results in an info-graphic type of mural. Firth has taken this skill and elevated it to an extended narrative in her new book where she walks and talks the reader through not only her life but what it means to be alive in the first place. Quite an ambitious task that totally delivers on its promise.

Firth’s book was originally published by Allen & Unwin, under the Joan imprint, in Australia and will be published by Graphic Mundi in June of this year in the United States. It’s wonderful to see that Graphic Mundi picked it up in the States as it’s an imprint of Penn State University with a growing reputation for books on health and well being. The book is a collection of eight observational visual essays, each piece is an extended narrative in comics format. In this way, Firth organizes her lines of thoughts by separately covering topics in manageable chunks: the joy of life; sexuality in general; what gets our attention; what makes up a person; and so on. I think each segment is a gem to itself and it all adds up to a satisfying whole that invites rereading.

First and foremost, this book is for everyone and all ages, starting around age 14 but your mileage may vary. While it is not the primary subject, there is nudity and honest discussion of sex, which is in a tasteful and educational manner. On the whole, this book will be of prime interest to young adults, college students and discerning adult readers. Alright, with that said, Firth does a great job with sustaining the concept of the author engaged in a personal essay with the reader. Firth, at times, is literally a symbolic stock character, naked with nothing to hide. She could be you or me. I think it’s a healthy way to address oneself and your audience. In fact, when it makes sense for me, I am happy to include myself naked in my own work. In the end, it’s really the only way to get to the root of the matter: we are all beings, sharing so much in common.

Firth, by profession as a graphic recorder and by nature as an inquisitive person, is a consummate explainer. She knows how to explain. She loves to explain. She will explain anything to you. It is that kind of energy and passion that is like rocket fuel for this marvelous book. I will say that this is just the sort of book that many creatives imagine themselves doing but maybe are daunted as to where to begin. Well, it takes persistence and it definitely takes planning. A careful reading will show you that this is a work built upon a steady amassing of elements.

Take, for instance, the metaphor of the moth that visits Firth at the beginning of her journey and comes back to recap and reconcile at the end. You can imagine that little moth, can’t you? In Australia, it’s the bogongs that are the prominent breed. In fact, the First Nations people of Australia perfected the preparation of this moth as a delicacy. Firth masterfully weaves these moths into her narrative as she does with various other compelling items, some familiar and some uncanny, the very stuff of life. At the end of the book, it is a massive hive of moths, trapped by their unrelenting attraction to bright lights, that provide the satisfying existential grace note.

One of the prime characteristics of an excellent graphic recording is managing to collect as many of the key kernels of wisdom that bubble up during an event. It’s not necessary to capture every insight but the ones that resonate the most in the moment. In the right hands, a capable and confident graphic recorder, the big picture emerges buoyed up by the sum of its parts. And so it is with this book, which is an ideal example of a graphic narrative that adds up to a treasure trove of ideas and thoughts. With just the right sense of storytelling, Sarah Firth assembles and reassembles. Whether it’s a moth, a slug, the perfect quote or a case made for the best way to carve up an orange, eventually everything connects.

1 Comment

Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Graphic Mundi, Graphic Recording

Tagged as Art, Books, comics, Entertainment, Graphic Mundi, graphic novels, Graphic Recording, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Well Meaning, Wellness

September 16, 2023 · 9:20 am

Nick Abadzis interview: The Cartoonist Life

Meet Nick Abadzis. He’s a guy who has basically been a cartoonist all of his life, in one form or another, or maintaining that connection one way or another. Making comics, worthwhile stuff, is never a simple cakewalk. Success in comics, on the professional level, involves persistence, passion and a bit of luck.

Excerpt from Laika.

Nick got his name on the map, at least in the United States, with the publication of his graphic novel, Laika (First Second). It is the story of the first Earthling (dog) to be sent into outer space. Laika was launched into Earth Orbit aboard Sputnik II on November 3, 1957. The story of this Soviet dog cosmonaut is poignant to say the least and certainly just waiting to be adapted into a thoughtful and inventive graphic novel. Laika went on to in win a number of awards, including the coveted comics industry Eisner Award in 2008 for Best Publication for Teens.

Nick chats about the early days, circa 1980s-90s, going back to his first major work in comics, Hugo Tate. It’s a story that grows darker and more interesting as it unfolds. You won’t easily find it in the States without a bit of digging but that may change soon enough. Nick thinks it might be due for a revisit and reprint. Remembrance of things past led us to the glory days of British comics and comics journalism as exemplified by Escape magazine, founded by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury.

Our conversation also covered a bit of shop talk about the world of graphic recording. It’s not as simple and easy as just drawing pictures of a business meeting. But, if you are a particular kind of cartoonist, one who really knows how to pare down to the essentials and, most important, knows how to listen, you may have a future as a graphic recorder. That said, if you have the stomach for that, then maybe you have the stamina to pursue one graphic novel after another. I always find it a little amusing, perhaps even troubling, that some people think they might someday take up the goal of creating a graphic novel. Honestly, your odds are maybe better that you’ll follow through on writing a prose novel rather than a proper full length graphic novel. But live and learn I always say. Anyway, we have a bit of fun chatting about the curious world of visual storytelling.

A sneak preview of the new book!

Last, but not least, Nick provides us with a sneak preview of his new and forthcoming graphic novel project. It is about race and it has been years in the making. What began as an idea to explore the life of a mixed race couple evolved into a give-and-take discussion of how to expand the narrative. Initially, the book was inspired by the relationship between Nick and his partner, Angela. Nick is of Greek heritage; Angela is of African heritage. The editorial process took over. There were numerous discussions about combining the subject of race with immigration and that led to a number of drafts. Ultimately, the book came back to the original concept. This particular project evolved over the course of 14 years, about as long as Nick has been a graphic recorder. In fact, during the editorial discussions, he would graphic record them. Just goes to show you how important persistence and passion are in this business!

Find Nick Abadzis here.

3 Comments

Filed under Comics, First Second, graphic novels, Graphic Recording, Interviews

Tagged as British Comics, Cartoonists, Comics Grinder, Comix, Entertainment, Graphic Recording, henry chamberlain, Illustration, Interviews, Media, Nick Abadzis, Pop Culture, Publishing

August 28, 2022 · 7:00 pm

Infographic: FedTalks: Digital Transformation

FedTalks, 24 August 2022, Digital Transformation. Infographic by Henry Chamberlain.

FedTalks is a conference series, presented by FedScoop, a gathering of leaders in government and the tech industry. Last week’s FedTalks, on Digital Transformation, sparked a number of lively discussions centered around the focus of the citizen experience. A recent executive order issued by the Biden administration presents a bold vision of streamlining government service to the public. This order is a comprehensive plan to meet the challenges of the 21st century, especially when, left without leadership, government actions are slow and often counterproductive. But that is no longer something that can be ignored or put off for the future, not when our national security hangs in the balance. With that in mind, this conference took on the challenge of presenting twenty-three talks, one after the other, each lasting around ten minutes each, discussing as many facets as possible of the work ahead as the federal government faces a major shift in how it operates: a full-scale digital transformation.

But, you may ask, hasn’t the country already gone through a digital transformation? Well, has it? Business has. Many individuals have. But government, not so much. Government, left to itself, will take the path of least resistance, the path that is most familiar, and definitely not the path that is most visionary. There’s a reason that the very mention of government conjures up thoughts of red tape and bureaucracy. Think about it. Anything that involves government usually, if not always, involves some painfully slow process of unnecessary complexity. And maybe we’ve heard promises of change before. What makes things different this time is that our sluggish ways have left us completely vulnerable to attack from other countries and various other malicious agents.

The Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government is the catalyst for change that has arrived not a moment too soon. Here is a link from The White House on that order.

Will an executive order truly make a difference? This one is certainly one of the most articulate, ambitious and credible of such orders. The big takeaway from this FedTalks conference is that people want to rally around a certain set of goals that make sense and can actually lead to a lot of good. So, in that regard, this order is a football in play. The game has begun. And no one appears to want to let the hard-fought momentum slip away. The overall consensus is that experts in tech and government already know that we have a broken system and any push toward fixing it is more than welcome.

FedTalks is a series of discussions and presentations that brings together some of the greatest minds in the tech, government and academic communities. Now in its 13th year, FedTalks is the premier federal IT event, showcasing the most important conversations on topics like modernization, the evolution of zero trust security, the adoption of emerging technologies like AI and 5G, and the importance of culture, talent and innovative thinking in making the government a more digital institution.

Here at Comics Grinder, we remain a steadfast observer and commentator on the cultural landscape, and various related themes. For a look at my specific visual storytelling services, I invite you to refer to WordtoPicture.com.

Henry Chamberlain at work during FedTalks.

2 Comments

Filed under Comics, FedTalks, Graphic Recording, Infographics

Tagged as 5G, AI, comics, Cybersecurity, Digital, Education, Entertainment, Federal Government, FedScoop, FedTalks, Government, Graphic Recording, Illustration, Infographics, Media, Pop Culture, Sketchnotes, Tech, Zero Trust

August 17, 2022 · 1:40 pm

Thaddeus Stevens: An Infographic of an American Hero

Civil Rights Leader Thaddeus Stevens

It was my pleasure to connect with the Thaddeus Stevens Society and its president, Ross Hetrick. As a freelance writer and illustrator, I end up meeting a number of interesting people and learning a lot about so many subjects. In a visual thinker role, I can facilitate in clearing away the clutter, help organize thoughts, and make sure goals connect with results. That brings us to today’s infographic, a concise look at one of America’s lesser known heroes. Thaddeus Stevens was arguably the most important member of Congress during the American Civil War. His passionate and unrelenting work in support of civil rights helped lead the way to the Emancipation Proclamation, and the 14th, 15th and 16th Amendments to the American Constitution, all working to ensure the rights of Black Americans after the war.

Sarah Firth interview – Eventually Everything Connects

EVENTUALLY EVERYTHING CONNECTS by Sarah Firth

Sarah Firth is one of my favorite creatives. She is a Melbourne based artist who studied visual arts at the Australian National University. In the last decade or so she has earned numerous awards, commissions, residencies and a fellowship. Firth is a creative entrepreneur running a creative services and consultation business offering graphic recording, illustration, animation, film and creative workshops. Her first graphic novel, Eventually Everything Connects, has a publisher, JOAN (Nakkiah Lui with Allen & Unwin), and will launch within a year. More details on that as we get closer to that date. In her new book, Firth explores, as she states, “personal narratives woven together with philosophy, psychology, theory, and criticism. It’s a humorous and idiosyncratic exploration of multiplicity, fragmentation and intertextual play that fits into the autotheory genre.” In this interview, Firth shares a little bit about that upcoming book, the world of graphic recording, and thoughts on the whole creative process, particularly the creation of comics. For one thing, we discuss the amazing Comic Art Workshop residency program. We also discuss the awesome Graphic Storytellers at Work research project. Firth says, “It’s really worth downloading and reading their report. If you want a printed poster contact Gabriel Clarke.”

Sarah Firth, the artist, the person.

So, now I’ve set up for you a little bit about who Sarah Firth is but let me go further in sharing with you about this remarkable talent. I find Firth to be a vibrant artist, unafraid to be silly and to experiment with various media. She mentions in our interview that she began as a sculptor and I’m not surprised. If you take a look at her videos, you get a strong tactile vibe. Firth uses her hands a lot: to mold shapes, to present, to sew, to draw, to perform. And I’m not surprised that such a lively and curious artist gravitated to graphic recording. That is a special discipline that, on the face of it, is essentially documenting some meeting, whether a conference or a workshop, and distilling the essentials from it in concise words and picture. Of course, it’s more than that–as if that wasn’t enough!

Graphic recording can be a vehicle for deep exploration. You can’t just be an artist to do it professionally. And you really can’t just be a writer either. You need both skill sets along with a strong analytical mind, and even sheer guts, to do this at an exceptional level! That said, anyone can do some form of sketchnoting and Firth offers up a free mini-course to help you discover the world of graphic recording.

Graphic recording is just like any other skill, you can do it at your own pace to meet your own needs. You’ll discover that, if you can take notes of any kind and even if you think you can’t, sketchnoting is useful at work and to help you problem-solve just about anything.

Sarah Firth books.

You get good at graphic recording over time as you develop your own style, your own way of problem-solving. I’ve reached a certain level with my own graphic recording and I know I’ll keep getting better at it. Everyone keeps getting better as long as they’re curious.

THINK ON THE PAGE by Sarah Firth

Finally, I’m not surprised that, after years of doing graphic recording, of getting down into the weeds of processing raw information, that Firth has found her way to creating a graphic novel, one that, in a sense, attempts to make sense of it all. Autotheory, as I understand, is using the self in order to understand the world. That’s a lot of what graphic novels are about and I know Sarah Firth is a natural at synthesizing data and explaining the world around her in whatever medium she chooses to use.

I hope you enjoy this video podcast. And, if you get chance, I’d really appreciate a like and even a comment on my YouTube channel. It’s totally free and it helps to keep this whole enterprise moving along. I will continue to provide more of this kind of content, as I juggle various other projects and assignments in the background. I reached a point some time ago where I can only post the content that engages me the most. As always, your support means a lot and is actually part of this whole process, whether you know it or not. It’s so true. Eventually, everything connects!

Comments Off on Sarah Firth interview – Eventually Everything Connects

Filed under Comics, Graphic Recording, Illustration, Interviews

Tagged as Art, Books, comics, Entertainment, graphic novels, Graphic Recording, Humor, Illustration, Interviews, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sketchnotes

March 27, 2022 · 12:00 pm

Think on the Page by Sarah Firth review – short comics collection

Think on the Page. Sarah Firth. 2021. purchase here.

Sarah Firth is a very busy and quite popular artist and all-around visual storyteller. Based out of Melbourne, Australia, Firth is a Eisner Award-winning cartoonist, comic artist and writer, speaker and internationally renowned graphic recorder. This book is a collection of various observations which all add up to a heady stream of consciousness, an expansive working out of this or that issue or problem, plainly said or with a touch of mystery. Just one human, being human, being real. She’s made an art out of removing any filter and letting all the bits and pieces of life tumble out in messy, funny, and profound ways.

The theme of this book is about embracing the process of problem-solving, not overthinking it, going with your first impulses, and drilling down to something authentic. It’s part improvisation, part meditation. It’s what happens when you think on the page! This is about comics, art, illustration, and especially that curious beast, live illustration or graphic recording, where the creative is engaged with the subject in the moment and proceeds to not only document but to synthesize, digest, and filter down to the essential. The results can be pretty awesome.

Here’s an insight I’m happy to share again and again: there is an art to sketchnoting. What Firth does with her graphic recording is an art. The industry mantra is to say that any form of quick concise drawing is not art because the thinking is that this message appeals to a general audience. So, sure, the tools and techniques involved here are generally in the service of commercial and educational interests. But what it all amounts to depends upon who is using these tools. If you need remarkable results, something that truly resonates, then you hire a professional like Sarah Firth.

More wisdom I can pass down to you: sketchnoting and comics do indeed mix. Now, the general misconception is that the world of graphic recording and comics have nothing to do with each other. Again, this is an industry mantra thinking that, to even suggest otherwise, is going to confuse people. Ah, and again I state that it all depends upon who is making use of the virtually limitless possibilities available to any artist/commercial artisan. Yes, anyone can doodle (and gain so much from it) and some folks cultivate a special skill set that includes doodles and beyond! Okay, as you can tell, I’m passionate about comics and the wider world it is connected to. That is what is so wonderful about Sarah Firth’s work. This is someone who said, hell yes, here’s a massive playground of creative fun and I’m diving in and making the most of it! As you can see from these examples, Firth is a master at taking choice bits of images and text that result in compelling content that invites discussion and contemplation.

Let’s focus in on one of Firth’s longer comics in her book, this story is entitled, “On Loving a Difficult Creature.” It’s an 11-page story told with a sharp and vivid energy. The little guy who stars in it is named, Ferretie. This is a very specific tale from Firth’s youth when she inherited a ferret from a previous relationship. It all sort of just happened. Firth never intended to find herself with such a challenging pet. Ferrets might seem cute but they pack a wallop of a bite and can take down a rabbit within seconds. It became an ongoing thing for Firth to explain to newcomers to the house that, when Ferretie began to gnaw on your finger, he was only playing, actually holding back quite considerably. What is so impressive to me is how clean, crisp and clear the whole narrative is. That’s not to say it can’t be messy, unclear and ambiguous because that approach can definitely work as you are figuring something out. Firth is capable of whatever vision she wants to share. My point is that there is much to celebrate for well-executed clarity of purpose. What drives this story is providing a portrait of Ferretie and Firth. The ferret proves to be an intelligent, loving and noble little soul. Firth, despite feeling misgivings, does very well by her furry friend and learns many valuable life lessons on responsibility, empathy and compassion. Ferretie lives on in Firth’s own noble and genuine work. Firth is the real deal with her memorable and engaging comics.

Comments Off on Think on the Page by Sarah Firth review – short comics collection

Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews

Tagged as Art, Books, comics, Creativity, Entertainment, graphic novels, Graphic Recording, Humor, Illustration, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sketchnotes

May 26, 2021 · 8:10 pm

Interview: Brian Fies, A Fire Story, and the Art of Comics Storytelling

There is a true art to comics storytelling. Don’t let anyone tell you different. And, if you’ve joined me here, you most likely already know. Heck, you can tell when a story has got that crunchy goodness and when it falls short. Maybe you’ve had the pleasure of reading the comics of Brian Fies. He’s the guy who did that webcomic that went viral and ended up inspiring the creation of a Digital Comics category at the Eisner Awards. It was the webcomic, Mom’s Cancer, which won in that category that first year, back in 2005. Comics scholar Scott McCloud was there to hand Brian Fies his award. Recently, Brian’s book, A Fire Story, was released in an updated and expanded edition. Read my review here.

Mom’s Cancer

How do you end up creating a comic about your own mother’s cancer? Well, that’s where the power of storytelling comes in. You can tell any story, of course. And there’s something about the nature of comics, the medium’s built-in tendency to organize thought, that can lead both the creator and the reader down some very unexpected and rewarding paths. And, yes, you can even extract a touch of humor from the most challenging situations. Fies did it with his groundbreaking webcomic and he did it again with his more recent, A Fire Story, which has just been released in an updated and extended edition.

A Fire Story

I hope you enjoy this interview. It was a pleasure to do. I hardly had to refer to my notes as I had a million things I could talk to Brian about. He even knew, right away, about my favorite pop culture hero, George Clayton Johnson. I focused much of our talk on comparing Mom’s Cancer to A Fire Story. Maybe we’ll need to do another talk that compares his book, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? with his upcoming book, The Last Mechanical Monster, due to be released early next year.

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?

The Last Mechanical Monster

It is safe to say, in my opinion, that all auteur cartoonists share the same trait of being compelled to also be journalists: to act as caretakers of a big story and be obligated to gather all the facts, process all the facts, and present the best, most detailed yet concise, version of these facts. Some do it better than others. There are numerous variations and ways of doing this. But, at the end of the day, a real cartoonist is every bit as capable and driven as a real reporter.

Panel excerpt from A Fire Story

If you are new to Brian Fies and to A Fire Story, and if you’re looking for a perfect textbook example of how to tell a story through comics, then seek out this book! For more details, go to Abrams ComicArts.

BONUS: We avoided a detour during our conversation and had meant to return to it. So, for all you true believers, this is the bonus content. Brian wanted to share some hard-won process insights. Here is what he later related to me via e-mail:

“My Last Mechanical Monster anecdote is that I’d written the whole story and penciled more than 100 pages when I realized I wasn’t having any fun drawing the story. Every day at the board was a slog. I figured that if I didn’t enjoy writing it, nobody would probably enjoy reading it, either. So I paused, rethought the whole thing, turned those 100-plus pages of penciled drawings over, and started drawing a whole new story on their backs. I thought of it in the context of “wasted time”—in one sense, I wasted many months (maybe a year?) writing and drawing a story that I abandoned. But I had to work through that story to get to a better story I liked.

My lessons from that: you have to trust your process; you can’t be afraid to toss something that isn’t working; and sometimes you have to dig through crap to find gold (or at least less stinky crap.)”

Thank you, Brian! You are a modest and gracious person!