But withhout further ado, here's how it all started:
(late 2010) (feb 2011)
Now, I can't exactly pinpoint the moment I got into swing music, but by
the end of 2010 I wanted to start a comic project about it. The drawing on the left is what it all began with, spontaniously doodled while doing my comic class homework. Prototype Holger was born. Still nothing much, but that little sketch soon got me to make up a swing band of several characters. At the time the band was pretty much based on American swing and on the more recent swing music. The characters didn't have much personality and there wasn't much of a story. They were just a band and in desperate need of an environment to get them to develop.During the process I was reading 'The Colditz Story' by P. R. Reid and realised a situation in a p.o.w camp would be interesting, not to mention a struggle for the characters as well as their music. Most of these camps actually had their own bands, musicians and theatre. A problem, though, was the inability to use the female band members. I wasn't there yet, but I was getting closer.
(Swingjugend in Hamburg - photo taken from 'Die Freiheit Lebt!' by Herbert Diercks)
(sketches from 2011)
Speaking of which: Holger was the very first of them. His personality hasn't changed much either, save for his family situation and that him not aspiring to be lead singer anymore ;) Piano and double bass are where he belongs. Despite the fact that he's not the main character I love to draw him, but that may be because he is what it all started with.Next episode: Klara
Wow, these sketches are amazing. They're so alive! :D I hope we'll get to see more of that stuff ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm never so confident about posting older works, but I thought this could be fun :) And there will be more parts!
DeleteEcht? ich hab dich auf die Idee gebracht? Das hatte ich gar nicht mehr so im Kopf..
ReplyDeleteDann bin ich stolz auf mich :)
Der letzte Sketch ist toll, die Energie kommt super rüber!
Ich bin nicht gaaanz sicher, aber ich weiß dass ich am Anfang noch die 'Swingband im KZ'-Idee im Kopf hätte. Dann hast du mir das Buch über Jugendbewegungen im 20. Jahrhunderts gezeigt und erzählt das Hamburg eine der großten Swingszenen gekannt hat :)
DeleteStimmt! Dann wirst du mich in deinem Buch wohl dankend erwähnen müssen. :)
ReplyDeleteAber natürlich! ;)
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