Spiritman Comics Blog

What is the deal with the Spiritman #1 cover? It is not like a normal comic book cover.

Good question.

The Spiritman cover was featured in a gallery exhibition in Saint Cloud, Minnesota just a few days before the Springcon convention. We had to smuggle it out for the weekend. While at Springcon it was especially fun to see people's eyes pop wide open when they saw this unique work of art. 18" wide by 24" high, the art is carved out of layered oak panels and painted with acrylic paints.

However, the convention experience did not stop there. After wide open eyes we were treated with vocal expressions like "wow" and "cool" when the cover was opened to reveal the pages that are inside. More than cover art, this is a full blown comic book, with metal hinges. The comic art inside was sewn together on high quality paper. It was a very physical and tactile experience for people.

My first goal was to make the coolest thing I could think of. I am definitely happy with how the cover turned out but I am not sure that I actually arrived at the coolest thing I could think of. A part of me feels like there is more to say.

Also, I love books. I love the physical interaction with a real book. Going digital with our comic makes a lot of sense but I still want to create that physical experience. While the mass production of comics happens in the digital realm, the physical and tactile experience of comics can develop in whole new ways.  Digital comics are liberated from the constraints of printing cost and technology.  In like manner the physical comics that we show to convention goers can lose the chains of past restraint and explore a totally new area of comic art.  An area that is sculptural and physical and... different.

written by Everett Paul Burris
find my art in Spiritman Comics