| Neko-Con -
Colleen Doran |
| For several years, artist and writer Colleen Doran has worked on A
Distant Soil, a story of spacefaring civilizations, metaphysics and transgendered
romance. In the next year, Doran expects to finish that story, following
a plot line she laid out years ago and has followed with only minor changes
since then. After the 2001 release of the final volume of that story, Doran
plans to move on and create only graphic novels instead of serializing
stories, saying that it's easier to create one large story instead of the
many pieces of cover art needed for monthly issues. Doran also hopes to
spend more time on another project which she couldn't discuss at Neko-Con.
She's created the character and concept designs for an animated film that
could go into production next year. |
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| Since some of Soil's story involves men in love with men, some fans
have compared it to Japanese yaoi art. Doran understands the comparison
(and notes that her art is going in an Italian gallery with other yaoi
work), but says her drawing is based more on the styles of artists, such
as Aubrey Beardsley, who worked in black ink only. "I loved the calligraphic
graphic style and the use of black and white that gives you the impression
of color that's not there - the impression of texture from lines on paper. |
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| Although Doran's work seems akin to manga, her pacing and storytelling
comes from American comics artists such as Will Eisner and Frank Miller.
doran dislikes the slow, measured pace of manga that take dozens of pages
to set the mood of s tory without advancing the story line. "The Japanese
storytelling technique doesn't work in American comics because it drags
on for so long,' she said. And while the sex in A Distant Soil hasn't created
much troubles with comics retailers, Doran looked at the censorship talk
from the Presidential candidates and said "I do not want the government
telling me what is bad for me or my children." |
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