A "Air" One, A "Sea" One, and a "Land" One 1917

This surreal comic strip by George Herriman, called "A 'Air' One, A 'Sea' One, and a 'Land' One," is made with pen and ink. I can imagine Herriman bent over a table, carefully building up these strange scenes with delicate lines, each panel a little world of its own. The drawing is so particular, with each little mark contributing to the overall feeling. It makes me think about his process, his hand moving across the page, deciding where each line should go, almost like he is feeling his way through the story. The way Herriman uses simple lines to create depth and texture is pretty amazing. And it reminds me that, as artists, we're all kind of in conversation with each other, riffing on ideas that have been around for ages, and reinterpreting them for our own time. To consider how we each, in our own way, can make something new out of something old... that is a joy!