Comic artists endure

Vancouver comic publication group keeps inspiration going

By LINA CHUNG

Despite declining numbers in comic book sales, a local non-profit comic organization is keeping the art alive.

Comic book and graphic novel sales fell 6.5 per cent in 2017 from a 2016 high of $1.015 billion. Graphic novels brought in $570 million while comic books brought in about $350 million, according to TechCrunch, an online publisher focused on the tech industry.

Jeffery Ellis founded Cloudscape Comics Society in 2007 because he always liked comics and wanted to find other comic lovers who were writers and artists.

Helena Wadsley, a Langara fine arts instructor, said that the event is great exposure for the public to know what’s going on in their neighbourhood. It is also great exposure for the artists to show their work to the general public.

“There are 400 artists and we get a lot,” she added.

Students go from Langara and sometimes finish their BFA somewhere else, but they usually do become professional artists, according to Wadsley.

Being part of the Crawl can be attractive to artists because it doesn’t require them to go through a formal application process. If their studio is situated within the Crawl’s boundaries, spanning from Columbia Street to Victoria Drive and First Avenue to Waterfront, they can take part.

Studying at Langara built a solid foundation for McIvor, which carried her over to Emily Carr University where she completed her BFA.

Beyond The Townsfolk, McIvor’s paintings are focused mainly on the waste of food preparation rather than the prized objects.

The inspiration came from her second year at Langara while she was on her final painting project for the last term. She was taking pictures while cooking.

“Just like the parts you're not eating. I just found that really interesting,” McIvor said.

This year, she is showcasing The Townsfolk series to the Crawl, drawn in ink.

It is the 25th year of the Eastside Culture Crawl, running from November 14 to 17. It began with four artists back in 1994, and this year there will be almost 500 artists participating.

McIvor will be showcasing her work out of Studio 580, situated on Clark Drive and Frances Street.