Jack Stamp
Comics & Graphic Novels MDes
Illustrator from Edinburgh. My work involves combining traditional hand-drawn illustration with clean digital shapes and bold colours to create striking imagery
About
The (D)evolution of Man
Single page a4 comic. Comic depicting the (D)evolution of Man. The man wakes up on the street and is restored by drinking a beer, referencing the evolution of man chart whilst commenting on alcoholism. Although the beer is restoring him for now, the setting sun symbolises his long term decline. The panel borders are also made up of fences, this can work for setting the scene, as if the reader is viewing him through a fence, it also represents prison bars, showcasing the vicious cycle he is trapped in. This comic also contains many references to classic comics.
Wordless Comic
A 10 page wordless comic that follows a children’s glove that gets abandoned by its owner and placed on a fence, awaiting their return. The comic deals with themes of breakup, loss and grief and is completely wordless, the only forms of communication are signed in British Sign Language and are not translated for the reader.
Magdalen Magazine
Illustrations + designs published in the Magdalen Magazine in 2022/23. I was awarded Designer of the Year 2023.
Tarot Cards
Illustrations for King Gizzard themed tarot cards, sold by CosmicEvilToys
Crime Heist
My largest project this year has been a comic called Crime Heist. It follows a traffic cop on a mission to get a speeding ticket to his target: an Ex-Elvis impersonator, ex-casino owner piloting a blimp carrying his old casino, stolen back from its new owner. Think 'The Raid' meets 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' meets 'Up'.
The (D)evolution of Man - or - Hair of the Dog
The inspiration for my design comes from drinking! And of course the famous evolution of man chart which shows humans evolving from apes etc and growing as they go. In this case a drunken man wakes up on the street after a night out and is restored by drinking a beer. This is shown visually through his posture and body language. I chose to have him holding a sign post to rest on as a reference to the stage in the chart where man is holding a spear. I chose to keep the story speechless as I feel his body language and facial expressions convey what is occurring well. I had considered putting his speech on his shirt akin to The Yellow Kid by Richard F. Outcault but couldn't envisage anything that would enhance the story and therefore would just cause distraction for the reader. This piece is a comment on alcoholism - that although this beer is a good thing for him now, drinking in this way is a vicious cycle. Even though he is rising, the sun is setting. This can be viewed as time passing but I chose to add the sun to represent his future decline and how alcohol affects people in the long run. The sun also works as a visual device to lead the reader's eye towards the final panel where the character is restored. The sun is positioned (pretty much) in parallel with the man’s head and is also the same shape to enhance this mirror image. I also decided to use fence posts as the panel borders to comment on the fact that he is trapped in a cage of alcoholism.
Wordless Glove Comic Pages 2 + 3
A 10 page wordless comic that follows a children’s glove that gets abandoned by its owner and placed on a fence, awaiting their return. The comic deals with themes of breakup, loss and grief and is completely wordless, the only forms of communication are signed in British Sign Language and are not translated for the reader. In this double page spread the glove is seen falling from the childs hand and left in the snow.
Illustration published in The Magdalen Magazine #100 - The Commodification of Punk
Illustration for an article about the commodification of punk. I created many other illustrations and designs, and a front cover, for The Magdalen Magazine which won me Designer of the Year 2023.