Greg Ruth, David Lynch

There's an uneasy relationship between film and comics right now, and as with all awkward family quarrels the side effect is a polarizing of the extremes. In comics there's either a kind of scorn of film or a hapless blanket-embracing of film that leave little room for any interesting middle ground. I think once you recognize comics and film language as being related but still utterly separate from each other, then there's a healthy place to build a happy relationship.

I first started to fuse together the idea of telling stories through pictures together because of David Lynch. There's a way he puts still images together, and uses motion in those frames to tell a story through time that I believe is deeply valuable to anyone looking to explore one of the endless possibilities comics storytelling has to offer. Eraserhead is comics on film for me in many ways, and it is an especially delightful film because of that. I learn something new every time I see it. There's an confidently elegant dance between symbols and shadow and light that is unspeakably wonderful to watch as someone obsessed with storytelling. So for all of you story nerds out there, here's a nod to one of the greats.
Greg Ruth 2009.
Sumi ink on paper 9'x12'