Thursday, December 6, 2012

2012 in review: Toby Morris

 Toby Morris

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

I've had a great experience working on my book about my son, 'Don't Puke on your Dad'. That's been a really cool time and I've had a lot of fun translating that into drawings. I had a couple of exhibitions this year which were a good experience - gotta do more of those. And I moved back to NZ which has been a huge change, but a lot of fun to catch up with all the good stuff going on here, lots of good stuff happening here, it's exciting.


Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
 
The first half of the year I was living in Europe and before I left I got really into the art of Bastien Vives, a young french guy. He has a lovely loose expressive style which can be quite different from book to book - I love 'Dans Mes Yeux' where he does this quite frantic loose coloured pencils thing, very human and beautiful, then in a book like 'Polina' its all black and white, blobby and sort of stilted. Quite primitive.


I'm told he's great writer too but my french is really basic so I'm 90% looking at the pictures really. But he is certainly a good storyteller, you can see that.
 
What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

I've got a young kid now so I'm developing a new appreciation for children's books. I loved 'Where Is My Hat' by Jon Klassen - really simple and funny.
 
Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

I've been trying to be looser and more expressive I guess. Less rigid, make sure I'm only drawing things I'm enjoying.
 
What are you looking forward to in 2013?

I want to have a proper crack at doing a kids book at the moment. I've done bits and pieces but never really gone for it. Try to get my 'Don't Puke' book publishers. More exhibitions. Getting married. Enjoying an NZ summer.


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