iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2025

The poetry of these children arises from the fact that we find in them all the problems, all the sufferings of the adults, who remain offstage. [...] They are the monstrous infantile reductions of all the neuroses of a modern citizen of industrial civilization […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

Drawing by Charles M. Schulz of all the main characters of his comic strip Peanuts, which debuted on this day 75 years ago.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2025

Went to my kids' school yesterday for parents' night, and boy did my body exactly know what to do: Huddle in the back row, mind-wandering mode on, scribble for your life! It was like I never left. #dadtoot #artistslife

Crappy picture of my notebook.
Apart from, well, notes, it shows what I doodled with my pen during parents' night: First it was a rock with some moss and grass, then came a whole underwater world with plants, a snail, a big fish and some smaller ones as well as creepy eyes in an underwater cave.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2025

Welp, the next few comic pages will be a wee bit wonky :BlobCat_Bandage: #comic #comics #artist #artistslife #artistsonmastodon

A hand in front of a grassy background, the pinky is wrapped in an orthesis (for the next couple of weeks).

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2025

Through his extensive studies of slime molds (粘菌, nenkin)... – creatures that are not plants, fungi or animals, yet move – that have hundreds of sexes – that lack a nervous system yet process data, decentralized ...Kumagusu developed a holistic understanding […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

More pages from Mizukis manga. More of the protagonist, the cat and sometimes plant-shaped, at other times brain-like biological structures. Also, for some reason, naked female bodies.

Another double page from Mizukis manga. We see Kumagusu walking around town, lying naked on his home's floor writing something, and what looks like a drawing of a mythical Japanese merman-esque sea creature. Kumagusu often relied on folk tales to find the slime mold specimen he wanted to study.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2025

How I wish this #manga by Mizuki Shigeru would be translated into English! He portrays the life of one of Japan’s most fascinating intellectuals, Kumagusu Minakata – naturalist, Buddhist micobiologist and probably Japan’s first environmental activist. 1/2 […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

A black and white double page of a manga drawn by Mizuki Shigeru. I don't understand the Japanese word balloons, but across these pages, you can see the protagonist, Kumagusu Minakata, having drinks and talking to other older men, you can see trees, talking cats and weird microscopic fungal structures - an interesting mix!

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2025

I’m a huge admirer of comic artist Larry Marder, and love this #FantasticFour-themed cover by him. It was FF-co-creator #JackKirby who – through his art – introduced Marder to Native American designs, especially #Hopi kachinas. Very elegant how this abstract […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

A cover of Larry Marder's comic book "Tales of the Beanworld" issue number 19, published by Eclipse comics in 1991.
At the top you can see Heyoka, the bean who does everything upside-down and backwards bean, flying through a constellation of shapes reminiscent of the Fantastic Four. It's hard to describe the way this arrangement hovers between abstract and figurative, using basic geometrical shapes that correspond to the way the Fantastic Four have been portrayed in the comics by artist and co-creator Jack Kirby. If you know the comics, though, certain colors and textures form an unequivocal portrayal of these comic characters.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 06/05/2025

Just stumbled upon this box my daughter glued together for me many years ago, when she was just beginning to write single letters. I love the floating island she has drawn on it, but the secret highlight are all the zigzag lines around it. I remember asking […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

A wooden box with thick walls, crafted together rather roughly. On one side, you can see a children’s drawing with black marker, depicting a floating island with trees on top and a whole swarm of the letter N all around it.
It’s an adorable little nothing box.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 17/04/2025

[Cosmic transphobia in the Sandman comic “A Game of You” (adapted in Season 2 of Sandman, coming this July) – CW: Neil Gaiman] it doesn’t help much to get that dream image of dead-yet-happy-and-beautiful Wanda in the end. If there was this female essence […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

A comic panel from Sandman: A Game of You, written by Neil Gaiman, drawn by Shawn McManus.

This is a scene from a dream Barbie has at the very end of the story.
You can see Wanda in a pink dress with a huge bow on her waist, shouder pads and lots of lace – looks kind of like a wedding cake. Her hair is fuller, her face more rounded. Next to her is the silhouette of a girl the next panel will reveal as Death.

Two text boxes read in the voice of main character Barbie:

I dream of Wanda. Only she’s perfect. She reminds me of Glinda in the Oz movie, something I’m sure she’d get a huge kick out of hearing.
And when I say perfect, I mean perfect. Drop-dead gorgeous. There’s nothing camp about her, nothing artificial. And she looks happy.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 17/04/2025

[transphobia, spoilers for Sandman: A Game of You (and possibly Sandman season 2)] It’s not only Wanda dying during this story like black side charactes in an 80’s horror flick that makes me mad. It’s also the inherent cosmic transphobia of the moon and the […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

A comic panel from Sandman: A Game of You, written by Neil Gaiman, drawn by Shawn McManus.

You only see Wanda’s angry, defiant face.

George: It’s like gender isn’t something you can pick and choose as far as gods are concerned.

Wanda’s reply: Well, that’s something the gods can take and stuff up their sacred recta. I know what I am.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 17/04/2025

[Cosmic transphobia in the Sandman comic “A Game of You” (adapted in Season 2 of Sandman, coming this July) – CW: Neil Gaiman] This is explained to her by George, a gruesome creature that I have pixelated here in case you are not a fan of gore. When Wanda […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

Three panels from Sandman: A Game of You, written by Neil Gaiman, drawn by Shawn McManus.

Wanda: I am not a man.

George: Maybe not to you, you’re not. But you’ve got the uh, you know. Male nasty thing.

Wanda: Listen: I’ve had electrolysis, I’m taking hormones. All that’s left is just a little lump of flesh; but all that doesn’t matter… inside I’m a woman.

George: She doesn’t think so. [Meaning the moon] And to be honest, well, even if you had had the operation it wouldn’t make much difference to the moon. It’s chromosomes as much as anything.

(The first two panels show talking heads, the third one shows the moon shining through the window.)

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 17/04/2025

[transphobia, spoilers for Sandman: A Game of You (and possibly Sandman season 2)] My problem with the story starts earlier on, before Wanda’s death: Thessaly, a witch, and the lesbian couple Hazel and Foxglove decide to rescue Barbie from danger by entering […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

A comic page from Sandman: A Game of You, written by Neil Gaiman, drawn by @ColleenDoran

Thessaly, the witch, Hazel and Foxglove are about to step into a moon-like light and leave.

Thessaly: Wanda? You keep Barbie safe now. We’ll be back before sunrise, one way or the other, and--

Wanda: What? Look, Barbie’s my friend. I want to help her. I want to go with you – wherever you’re going.
Why can’t I help? Hazel? Foxglove? Listen…

Thessaly: This isn’t your route. It can’t be. I’m sorry.
But what you’re doing’s every bit as important. Guard Barbie. Don’t let anything happen to her.

Wanda: You’re a friggin’ lunatic, Thessaly! You know that?
Whatever’s going on here, you’re a goddamn loony-tune!
Fox! Hazel! Someone – listen to me…

(And then they have left, Wanda stays behind in an empty room, the light is gone).

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 17/04/2025

[transphobia, spoilers for Sandman: A Game of You (and possibly Sandman season 2)] But! When everyone has left, her friend Barbie takes Wanda’s favorite lipstick and corrects her name on the tombstone. Powerful stuff.

A comic page from Sandman: A Game of You, written by Neil Gaiman, drawn by Shawn McManus.

Barbie sits in front of Wanda’s tombstone and pulls out a lipstick. She says: “Oh yeah. And here… I thought you’d like it. It’s tacky flamingo, or whatever it’s called. Your favourite color.”
In the largest panel on the page, we see a close-up of the tombstone. The name “Alvin” is striked through in tacky flamingo, above it the name “Wanda” is written in large, equally pink letters.
Barbie packs her things, says “Hey, no problem. Least I could do” and leaves.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 16/04/2025

I miss Iceland and won't be seeing it for quite some time. Still such a privilege to immerse myself into its breathtaking landscape every day 💚 #comic #comics #graphicNovel #graphicNovels #panelPreview #mastoArt #fediArt #PenAndInk #brushAndInk #lineArt #wip #iceland

A comic panel, landscape format and landscape content: In black and white (with light blue penciling here and there) you can see an Icelandic landscape with hills and a waterfall. A road runs through, with two cars visible, but they are very small compared to the surrounding nature.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 01/03/2025

I love how #comic artist @Ullilust goes all in with her recent #Fediverse promotion. (The picture above is from a window exhibition in Vienna - the #Mastodon plug is as big as her new book!) And if you think about it, there truly is a connection between the […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

The same picture as before, zoomed in on the Fedi promo.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 11/02/2025

✨ Ulli Lust, spring goddess of German-speaking comics, has entered the Fediverse: "It's time to build up a community in a healthy environment." Please boost and give her a warm welcome @Ullilust! 🦣💚🙌 #comic #comics #comicartist #bd #GraphicNovels #UlliLust #DieFrauAlsMensch #feminism

An Instagram post from Ulli Lust, reading: It's time to build up a community in a healthy environment. You can find me on Mastodon from now on. I will keep updating Insta for some time, but links to reviews and events you will find on Mastodon and NOT on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me there!

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 02/02/2025

#Berlin comics scene showing up at today's demonstration against the return of fascism in Germany. The claim in the upper right corner of the sign reads #NoComicsForFascists. ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏿 #b0202 #WirSindDieBrandmauer

A crowd of people walking along a street, holding up protest signs.
A prominent one looks like the iconic cover of Captain America Comics #1 in which Cap punches Hitler. Here, instead of Hitler, Björn Höcke is punched, a prominent figure of the fascist AfD party slated to receive 20% of all votes at Germany's snap elections in three weeks.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 18/01/2025

I’m a proud dad today. In her English test my daughter was told to read an autobiographical text and then infer the author’s gender from hobbies like ”skateboarding”. She wouldn’t have any of it. #Gender #School #Sexism #Education #GenderEquality #Feminism #GenderNorms #Stereotypes

An actual English test for a German class. The task reads: “Read the text again. Who do you think wrote it? Is it a boy or a girl? Explain your decision by referring to specific points in the text.
I think it’s a boy /it’s a girl, because…”

The handwritten answer of the student reads: “I have no idea if it’s a boy or a girl. And there are no arguments for one side, because every girl and every boy writes differently, because we are all different people with different characters, so why should I decide on a gender group? Maybe it’s neither a girl nor a boy. And I know I write “he” but that was just a reflex (a bad reflex). Especially in an exam or in normal class we should not tell people that there are typical gender roles or that a girl writes likes this and a boy like that. I hope you understand me, because I really can’t find arguments for one side and I also don’t want to.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 12/01/2025

Archiving last year’s pictures and #comic-wise, it was a pretty good year. 🔹 I finished a long and complex chapter of my comic and feel like I nailed the landing; 🔹 I received a comics grant for working on my #GraphicNovel 🔹 In connection to that, I had […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

Two people in a museum hallway, standing in front of a few framed comic pages on the wall.

A close-up of the comics pages. Every black frame contains a double page - sometimes originals, sometimes prints.
The pages are black and white in front of a white and turquoise background.

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Dirk Schwieger @dirk.mastodon.art.ap.brid.gy · 17/12/2024

[AI art] Carson Grubaugh, for example, illustrating “The Abolition of Man” with various models, feeding the same prompts to varying versions and restricting himself to their very first proposal. www.livingthelinebooks.com/books/ab… Or […] [Original post on mastodon.art]

A page from Carson Grubaugh's "The Abolition of Man", in which he illustrates C.S. Lewis' text with, I believe, Midjourney results.
The six panels show dark figures, red shapes, among them a bus, and all in all look symbolic and eerie.

Two double pages of the comic "Fastwalkers" by Ilan Manouach.
You can't see a lot of details, but from afar it looks like a cross-breed of coloured Manga and Cronenberg body horror.

The text on Manouach's homepage reads:

"

Born out of Manouach’s ongoing experimentation with the informational abundance and affective economies of comics, this is a wildly vibrant hallucinogenic book in which all text and images have been produced by machine learning. Since its beginnings in the late 19th century the comics industry has expanded symbiotically alongside the development of printing, distribution, and communication technologies. As a highly digitized medium with active online communities, comics lend themselves to the programmatic processes that define machine learning and today synthetic processes are reshaping how we produce, consume, archive and understand all media, including comics. Co-created with the latest AI (GAN, GPT-3), and developed by an interdisciplinary team of computer scientists and designers, Fastwalkers is an amalgamation of different community datasets, proprietary algorithms, indexing regimes, beta testing, and generative models, all trained on millions of data units and text bodies specifically to make this book. (...)"

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