Guelph illustrator and cartoonist Seth is used to working in a space somewhat smaller than the side of a building.
So when the Downtown Guelph Business Association approached him about doing a giant piece to run the length of the Bookshelf’s exterior wall in their Quebec Street parking lot, it required some thinking.
“The closest to this I’ve ever done was a very large banner out front of a gallery in Regina. It was about half that size and much simpler,” Seth said while standing before his latest work, a 10 foot by 60 foot cartoon strip called The Junkyard of Memory on Saturday.
The super-sized comic strip got its official launch Saturday in the parking lot beside the bookshelf where the new giant comic strip and accompanying rhyme overlooks.
Seth offered a few words of thanks then retired to the Bookshelf to sign and draw on the inside of some of his book covers for fans who came to meet him.
“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do at first. I was contemplating a single image,” Seth said.
“But I had a little dream that started the little rhyme and that gave me the clue to make it as personal as my own work, but to make it a little less straightforward,” he said.
Downtown Guelph Business Association events manager Sam Jewell is the one who approached Seth and the Bookshelf about the idea.
“I had the idea of doing a giant comic strip. I just wanted a big piece of public art. Not necessarily by a local artist, just something people would look at and possibly read,” said Jewell, adding that she wanted the artwork to appeal to all ages.
“It wasn’t about local, it was about good, and we’re just lucky to have both of those things in Guelph.”
Both Seth and Bookshelf owner Barb Minett were on board right away.
These days Seth said he is doing some commercial work and some private projects “that I’m not really sure where they’re going.”
“But as usual the next thing for me is another graphic novel. I’m finishing one up that I’ve been working on for 20 years and it will probably be done next year,” Seth said.
“Graphic novels are always the mainstay, but I think as you get older it spreads out … I will always do comics, but I might be interested in a few other things at the moment.”
A selection of some of Seth’s most recent work is currently being featured in the Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art gallery on Quebec Street until the end of June.
