Flowfield Unity
Encyclopedia
The Flowfield Unity is a hand-drawn, web and print comic by Adam York Gregory which began in 2005. The strips initially appeared in several UK-based publications such as the Paper Tiger Comix
Anthology and The Orphan Leaf Review before debuting in US literary journals such as The Florida Review and the Backwards City Review.
The Flowfield Unity moved online in 2005, initially hosted at Comic Genesis
, then Smack Jeeves before becoming a member of the Transplant Comics collective in September 2006.
Print
As of April 2008 The Flowfield Unity is available as a print collection. However, rather than rely on a traditional publishing route or print on demand
services, the author hand makes every 80-page book himself, stating that 'The aim is to make each copy an individual and to keep the ethic of the comic itself alive in print'. Adam invites his readers to select any of the 300 or so strips available online for inclusion in their copy of the book, essentially making it totally customisable. Whilst this seems to have been a successful approach online, it has caused problems concerning ISBN and ISSN definitions. The method of publication, and the inherent variability of the content means that it can be considered both a book and a serial publication. Sally Brown of ISSN UK Centre, British Library, states, 'this is an unusual publication in the way that it is produced, and is not something we have come across before'. It looks likely that a compromise will be reached with a standardised release available through traditional retail outlets whilst the customisable versions will still be available for the comic's website.
. There have been persistent rumours on the comics site about a fully animated version of The Flowfield Unity, however other than an early version of the strip Corporate machine this has yet to materialise.
Paper tiger comix
Paper Tiger is a co-operative of comic artists based in Brighton, UK.The anthology is designed to showcase up and coming self- published comic creators as well as more established indie, alternative and underground comics artists....
Anthology and The Orphan Leaf Review before debuting in US literary journals such as The Florida Review and the Backwards City Review.
The Flowfield Unity moved online in 2005, initially hosted at Comic Genesis
Comic Genesis
Comic Genesis is a free hosting provider for webcomics. It is a service of Keenspot, which covers hosting costs.- Services :...
, then Smack Jeeves before becoming a member of the Transplant Comics collective in September 2006.
Style and themes
Whilst The Flowfield Unity adheres to a set style visually, utilising monotone line drawings with heavy black inking, the subject matter varies greatly, however there are several recurring themes, notably the future, the failure of technology, social dislocation, puns and wordplay.Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
services, the author hand makes every 80-page book himself, stating that 'The aim is to make each copy an individual and to keep the ethic of the comic itself alive in print'. Adam invites his readers to select any of the 300 or so strips available online for inclusion in their copy of the book, essentially making it totally customisable. Whilst this seems to have been a successful approach online, it has caused problems concerning ISBN and ISSN definitions. The method of publication, and the inherent variability of the content means that it can be considered both a book and a serial publication. Sally Brown of ISSN UK Centre, British Library, states, 'this is an unusual publication in the way that it is produced, and is not something we have come across before'. It looks likely that a compromise will be reached with a standardised release available through traditional retail outlets whilst the customisable versions will still be available for the comic's website.
Animation
As well as static comics, Adam also creates the occasional animation. These have mostly been music videos for various bands, most notably for the song My Black Dog by The Adventures of LokiThe Adventures of Loki
The Adventures of Loki were a 3 piece punk rock band from Lancaster, United Kingdom.The band was formed from ex-Angelica members; Brigit Colton and Rachel Parsons , who then teamed up with ex-Fifty Heads Wide guitarist and vocalist Steve Wade....
. There have been persistent rumours on the comics site about a fully animated version of The Flowfield Unity, however other than an early version of the strip Corporate machine this has yet to materialise.