The Bee’s Knees: Graphic Poetry

Graphic Poetry
Hello, and welcome to The Bee’s Knees! This is a new weekly column where I will take an in-depth look at some of the more creative ways in which indie artists blend pictures and words, the many “side comics” that don’t entirely fit in with the traditional genres and media. These “side comics” have a wide range — everything from the many kinds of book arts out there to the out-of-the-box (or, if you prefer, out-of-the-books) Motion Poetry.
For this first installment, I am going to look at something that may on the surface seem like normal webcomics (if there is such a thing as a “normal” webcomics) – but there’s a twist. It’s pictures. It’s poetry. It’s an all-new creative genre called graphic poetry!
Graphic Poetry

 

How does this work? W. C. Pelon, graphic poet and photographer, puts it this (poetically styled) way on his site, graphicpoetry.net:

i love comics.  i’ve wanted to make my own for as long as i can remember, but felt limited by an inability to draw. when I read a softer world for the first time, all that changed.  it rewired my brain.  after wading through its archives and others like it, the proverbial wheels were in full spin.

Graphic PoetryBut Pelon isn’t alone in this. A few years ago, a book titled Graphic Poetry came out, featuring the work of many artists specializing in blending poetry and image. Like any comic, there is an infinite range of artistic styles out there, from the soft and cartoony to realistic photographic images. The balance between words and pictures sways, and each variation of this new art form is riveting and beautiful.

If you’re like me, you’re probably feeling inspired by this new idea by now. How do you create your own? Where do you start? Of course, you can go about it in any way you want, from collages to crayons. A fun alternative to going all out can also be found on Ariadne Calling, where you can create instant graphic poems simply by moving your mouse around. But I’ll warn you, it’s addicting!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s The Bee’s Knees. Check back every Friday for more interesting combos of pictures and words! Also, be sure to let me know if there’s anything like this that you’d like me to take a look at, and maybe include in a future article. There’s a lot out there, and I’m excited to learn more of it!

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Comments (1)

Skott_Jimenez

I haven't looked at these yet. Glad I did, 'cause I know someone who might be interested in this. I'm going to like this on her facebook right now!

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