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Before Comics: We've Been Telling Stories with Pictures for a Long Time

In terms of human culture, comics as an art form is relatively new. “The Yellow Kid” started in 1895 and Rodolphe Töpffer first published his work in 1833. So, about 200 years. Yet if we broaden our scope and use the term sequential art, then the time frame opens up dramatically. We leave print behind and start to look at sculpture, weaving, and painting. And this is what I want to do with…

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In tribute to Paul Auster: "Detection"

The writer Paul Auster died on April 30, 2024. I have a handful of writers in my life whom I have become obsessed with and have read nearly all their output: Hermann Hesse, Angela Carter, Haruki Murakami, Shirley Jackson. Paul Auster is also on that list. Most of his works I checked out from the library, which seems fitting though it meant that he received very little financial compensation from…

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May 2024 update

I haven’t posted here for awhile. Mostly, I’ve just been busy with my paying jobs. But, as I’ve said earlier, I’ve been having trouble completing comics projects. Case in point: I have given up on Slough and Stair. Yet, that doesn’t mean that I’ve given up entirely. Basically, my new approach is to start a lot of projects at once. What that means is that I’m in the planning stages on multiple…

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This was in my bedroom growing up. Haven't thought of it in decades until seeing it here.

ムカデ凧　mukade tako centipede kite 香川県高松

#centipede #ムカデ #百足 #kite #japan #japanese folk art

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20 Years Ago: Litmus Test 13

In October of 1996, I put out the first issue of my title Litmus Test. It was my early place to explore comics and try out ideas. Eventually, I wanted to create longer works and move away from photocopied minis. So in February of 2004, I put out my final issue of Litmus Test, issue 13. Since it was the final issue and maybe the last time I’d be hand-assembling my own books, I got a unique paper…

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Slough & Stair pages 12-15

New pages will probably take awhile after this. I need to plan out the next chapter and write some (!) dialogue. But here are the last few pages of (what is now) the prologue:

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Bonfires

This is another little thing that I discovered. I quickly pencilled this back in March of 2022 and promptly forgot about it. I found it again when I found “The Secret” and also decided to ink it up. I kind of like the idea, but the layout is a tad boring. But sometimes something leads to something else.

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The Secret

This is a little comic that I pencilled back in March of 2022. I found it the other day and decided to flesh it out. It fits with my other comics about my NPE experience, but this is a more generalized statement than a purely personal one. This is the lesson that I came to after looking for my biological father for years and finally discovering that side of my biological family through 23 and Me.…

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The Weary Blues

Twenty years ago, I was finishing my comics adaptation of the Langston Hughes poem “The Weary Blues.” The final page was completed on January 14, 2004. I remember that my goal was to replicate the rhyming couplets of the poem visually. So I composed the pages as a series of paired panels. The title design was inspired by some old record label that I had seen and maybe Chris Ware’s Ragtime…

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2023 - Year in Review

This has been a slow and haphazard year creatively, extending from the feelings of last year. As I said before, I’ve lost some faith in my art, which has slowed my momentum and caused me to repeatedly abandon projects, something I have never done before. I started Callisto 7 three different times before finally shelving it for the last time this July. I often end up starting a project a few times…

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Nibs: Brause 50, Kakimori Stainless Steel Nib, and two vintage nibs

I recently discovered a new store that sells nibs: St. Loius Art Supply. What first drew me in was that the store purchases old nibs and makes them available for sale. You can check out their stock here. It’s an incredible list and I haven’t seen many of these nibs before. So of course, I got a few. Gilbert & Blanzy-Poure #29 Lance Nib This one stood out to me due to its sleek lines. It is a…

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Slough & Stair pages 10-11

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Slough & Stair pages 7 - 9

And you can read all the current pages of the work-in-progress graphic novel on Grandpapier.

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Slough & Stair page 6

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new article surveying my comics work

Ryan Carey has written a long article about my comics work, focusing on especially on my books. It’s titled “All the Time in the World – Except When There Isn’t: The Comics Work of Nick Mullins” and it’s in the second issue of Canon Zine by Colin Blanchette. If you’re interested in comics, I recommend you get both issues of Canon. It’s a great zine and will introduce you to new work and give you…

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Slough & Stair pages 4-5

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RIP Joe Matt.

This is from a parody I did way back in 1998.