I’m Stuart McMillen- a lover of science, communication, and cartoons. I’m a cartoonist based in Canberra, Australia and my passion is creating things like this:
I make non-fiction science communication comics in an attempt to tackle concepts, paradigms, and stories I want to share, discuss or attract attention to. I’ve been doing this since 2011 and have created over 15 comics since then. (You can see them all at http://www.stuartmcmillen.com)
Some of my comics are designed to tackle a certain issue like Rat Park, which is about the science of addiction.
While some of them are more of a personal reflection, talking about personal issues like Defending Dumbphones, which is about the reasons why I still choose to use a ‘dumbphone’, rather than a smartphone.
But all of these comics discuss science or the way that society is affected by our personal decisions.
Why Do I Do This?
From a young age, I’ve always had an interest in science. Particularly, environmental science at the way that human actions intersect with the natural world. The way that our inventions—for example, steam trains—require fuel inputs from the environment and release waste products back into the environment.
After talking to other people, I realised that not everyone sees the world in this way. I decided to start drawing comics in order to help other people see the world in different ways. This was something that I initially did as a weekend hobby, while I was working a 9-to-5 job. I now draw cartoons and comics as my main occupation (bolstered by a Patreon crowdfunding campaign).
My signature style: topics chosen, storytelling technique, artwork
I deliberately focus on topics that are on the margins of public understanding. For example, my Energy Slaves comic tries explain the huge amounts of energy that our everyday lifestyles consume. I do this by talking about the idea of ‘horsepower’, and then humanising it into ‘people power’ terms.
If I venture into topics that are fairly well-known, such as climate change, I try to find a unique angle. For example, my comic Hitler Denial is about climate change but focuses more on the social constraints that limit which actions are ‘possible’ or ‘acceptable’ in the debate.
I mostly lay out the stories with starkly-written, fact-by-fact accounts of the real historical events that occurred. For example, the way my St Matthew Island comic describes the way that reindeer were introduced to an uninhabited island off the coast of Alaska. (Spoiler alert: all of the reindeer died).
Artwork-wise, I’ve got a signature black and white / greyscale style. Page 1 of all of my comics are a homage to an album cover, movie poster, or similar pop culture artefact that suits my personal taste.
My favorite example, St Matthew Island is a homage to the Tintin book The Black Island:
Getting more obscure: Buckminster Fuller’s Chilling Domes apes the album cover for This Year’s Model by Elvis Costello.
One last one: Energy Slaves references the album Double Nickels on the Dime by punk band The Minutemen. (I am especially proud of the way that I included the periscope rear view mirror of Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion Car into the scene!)
I draw these things in purely to amuse myself. And it is often easier to copy a certain pose or arrangement, rather than imagine something completely new.
People have responded positively to both my storytelling style, as well as the artwork I use to tell my stories. Little by little, these comics took off and people began to become interested in them and asked for more. So, what did I do? I quit my job and began to pursue this passion!
Why am I on Steemit?
Besides having a knack for picking the next big thing, Steemit seems like a great opportunity to allow me to not only share my work, but also my process. Each comic is a journey of discovery, and I want as many people on this journey with me as possible!
Thanks for reading this, and I’m excited to become a part of the Steemit community.
Please let me know if you want me to post more about my work, or if you have any questions.
Stuart McMillen
Canberra, Australia
http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/
http://www.crowdfundstu.com/
