The SwipeFile approach does evoke a stiltedness, a lacking of fluidity, which removes expressionism from animated feature. It does contain coherency and cnsistency which is needed for that sequential narrative, but the closer towards the perfect photorealist part of McCloud’s triangle loses that. Neither is it related to important academic manga eg. first aid, how to change a tyre. Lets face it, dominantly often in comics heroic narrative (while re-presenting positive humanitarian values) are so heavily coded in layers that any original meaning or education becomes lost in the photorealist artists swanning about. Illustration in the discourse assumes a seated position of exemplary art, but really its much more subjective than that.

Uh-Oh, I hear Kochalka’s ‘The Cute Manifesto’ coming out of me. Time to stop!

As for yourself jonesing for a way to use photoshop but not being able to afford it or a system that supports it; (just how old is your system anyhow that it can’t support some version of photoshop?) You can always download Gimp 2.0. It’s free and pretty close to photoshop. At least close enough to do work like Greg Land. It’s also not a process hog.

As a viewer though I do have an aesthetic leaning away from the psuedo-real gloss that are found in superhero books of all things! Jesus, how mismatched. And theres a fair argument for saying that these programs take a certain standard of processor on the pc for them to work. As the boring poor struggling artist I am, I cant really afford something in that cash band.

I used to feel guilty about using the tv for reference!