Looking For Jake.

The following post is one of my Degree projects in its entirety. Its a 15 page comic based on the short story "Looking For Jake" by author, China Mieville. The story focuses on the plight of an unnamed narrator as he looks for his best friend in an increasingly malevolent London. The story is written as a long letter, in which our main character details his search to find the missing Jake, to Jake himself.

What's really interesting about the narrative is that much is left to the readers own interpretation. It can be a tale of an apocalyptic London gone mad to some people, and yet to others (who may or may not be speaking from long and bitter experience), it can be the miscellaneous ramblings of a drug crazed man-child, who is in the middle of some very bad (or very good) acid. Either way the atmosphere of the writing is oppressive, and haunting. A feel that I've tried to maintain in my art. The painted, rough backgrounds, which are intended to reflect urban decay, and the pencil drawn and photoshop coloured characters are intended to reflect the main characters displaced attitude to his surroundings. As if he doesn't belong in the dying environment he inhabits.

At least i hope thats what you get from it.

Words and Story by China Mieville.

Art by Chris Townsend.

Looking for Jake

Looking For Jake

Looking For Jake

Milling Witless.

Here are some more recent pages of mine. These were part of what was originally a college initiated comic book. Each student was asked to produce 2 pages of sequential work, centering around the topic of "transgression". The best and most challenging of these were chosen for inclusion in the final book. For various, irritatingly bureaucratic, reasons, the comic was blocked by the college. Despite this the book (now named "Milling Witless") was still produced, printed, and is slated to be sent out to the major comic companies around the world. Where hopefully they'll realise the talent lying untapped in the UK and decide to throw some work our way.

My submission, which you can find in the final comic, is below.The story I produced is centred around an elderly ex-soldier, whose life has been ruined by the guilt of his actions. You'll have to read the story to find out more.

SeaGulls Ate My Dingo Design.

Hello there, you my friend have stumbled upon my first ever post. I salute you. My name is Chris Townsend, and having just spent 3 grueling years gaining my BA in Sequential Illustration, I'm looking to do something with it. I'm hoping that by getting my work on here, (amidst other places I'm looking into) somebody will decide to employ me. I specialise in comic book art, but will happily (some might say estactically) take on any other illustration work that you have to throw at me.

If anyone out there has any advice on how to get into the comic book industry, job offers, or general comments please don't hesitate to contact me.



But now just to whet your appetites here are 4 pages of work that i did in year 2 of my course. The story is based on the apparently true plight of a group of children that live on a South American dump. These kids are supposed to have to sell on the things that they find there in order to subsist. The media i used for this project was pencil, paint and some mad photoshop skills. Ignore the rubbish lettering, it was an experiment.