Julian Lawrence
{{short description|Canadian cartoonist}}
{{blp sources|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Julian Lawrence
| image = Cartoonist Educator Julian Lawrence in 2019.jpg
| caption = Lawrence in 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|December 29, 1963}}
| birth_place = Portsmouth, England
| citizenship = Canadian/British
| alma_mater = University of British Columbia
| occupation = Senior Lecturer in Comics and Graphic Novels
| employer = Teesside University
}}
Julian Lawrence is a Canadian cartoonist, educator and comics scholar. A longtime member of Vancouver's DIY independent art scene, Lawrence is also an arts educator and researcher, with a specialization in using hand drawn comics as a tool to improve literacy, develop storytelling techniques and form identity. He currently resides in Middlesbrough, England, where he is a Senior Lecturer in the Comics and Graphic Novels B.A. Honours program at Teesside University.{{cite web |title=Prospectus - Comics and Graphic Novels |url=http://www.tees.ac.uk/prospectus/ug/UG_course.cfm?courseid=1265&fos=4&fossub=5 |website=Teesside University |publisher=Teesside University |access-date=28 October 2019 |ref=BA Honours - Comics Graphic Novels}}
Career
Born in Portsmouth, England, Lawrence immigrated as a child with his family to Québec in the mid-1960s, during an era of intense anti-English sentiment in that Province. To cope with the social rejection from his Francophone classmates, Lawrence turned to reading and writing comics for both entertainment and as a tool for improving his French language literacy.{{cite news |last1=Villeneuve |first1=Marie |title=Le bédéiste Julian Lawrence |url=http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/phare_ouest/2014-2015/chronique.asp?idChronique=394083 |access-date=28 October 2019 |work=Phare Ouest |agency=CBC/Radio-Canada |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=6 January 2016 |ref=CBC}}
= Artist=
In 1989, Lawrence moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he worked as an independent artist on a variety of projects, including: writer/illustrator for Fantagraphics (three issues of “Crucial Fiction”,{{cite web |title=Crucial Fiction |url=https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=22928199 |website=My Comic Shop |publisher=Lone Star Comics Inc. |access-date=28 October 2019 |ref=Lone Star Comics}} a historical biography comic series);{{cite web|url=http://inkstuds.com/wp-content/podcast/060622%20julian%20lawrence.mp3 |title=Julian Lawrence (Audio interview) |work=Inkstuds |access-date=February 20, 2010 |format=mp3}} storyboard artist for the a.k.a. Cartoon animated series Ed, Edd n Eddy; character designer for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network animated series Artie the Ant and Senior Editor at Zeros2Heroes Media{{Cite web|url=https://www1.gnb.ca/cnb/multimedia/display-e.asp?ID=1649&num=1|title = District 18 teachers awarded innovative learning funding}}.{{cn|date=August 2020}}
In the spring of 1999, Lawrence co-created (along with Robert Dayton) the Drippy Gazette{{cite web |last1=Lawrence |first1=Julian |title=The Drippy Gazette |url=http://www.drippytown.com/the-drippy-gazette.html |website=Drippytown.com |publisher=Drippytown Manufacturing Concern |access-date=28 October 2019 |ref=Drippy Gazette}} – a short-lived (12 issues) monthly two-color newspaper featuring comics from Vancouver artists, with each issue cover featuring an anthropomorphized raindrop named Drippy the Newsboy.{{cite web |url=http://www.drippytown.com/dp/index.php?id=12 |title=Drippy Gazette |work=Drippytown Comics and Stories |access-date=February 20, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002074625/http://www.drippytown.com/dp/index.php?id=12 |archive-date=October 2, 2011 }}
From this, Lawrence subsequently won a grant from the Xeric Foundation in 2000 {{cite web|url=http://xericfoundation.org/comicbooks/2000.html |title=Comic Book Self-publishing Grants |work=Xeric Foundation |access-date=February 20, 2010}} which he used to help publish Drippytown Comics,{{cite web |url=http://www.drippytown.com/dp/index.php?id=19 |title=Drippytown Comics |work=Drippytown Comics and Stories |access-date=February 20, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002074631/http://www.drippytown.com/dp/index.php?id=19 |archive-date=October 2, 2011 }} an anthology series which grew out from the Gazette and served to showcase the work of each contributing artist. Notable artists included Colin Upton and Jason Turner.{{cite web|url=http://ubyssey.ca/culture/drippytown-is-a-bizarre-decrepit-funny-and-morbid-commentary-on-our-wet-city |title=Drippytown is a bizarre, decrepit, funny and morbid commentary on our wet city |work=The Ubyssey |access-date=February 20, 2010}}
== The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam ==
In 2007, Lawrence contributed artwork to The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, a graphic novel documenting the life of a once famous Chinese vaudeville performer. The book was named on the American Library Association's Top Ten Graphic Novels for Teens{{cite web |title=2008 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens |url=http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists/greatgraphicnovelsforteens/annotations/08ggnt10 |website=Young Adult Library Services Association |date=15 January 2008 |publisher=American Library Association |access-date=28 October 2019 |ref=American Library Association}} and won the Doug Wright Award in 2008. Lawrence also worked on the animated film adaptation, produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
== The Adventures of Drippy the Newsboy ==
In 2014, Lawrence re-purposed his character Drippy the Newsboy as the protagonist for a comic book trilogy based on the writings of American author Stephen Crane. Lawrence emulated Crane's literary narrative style by contrasting exceptionally detailed artwork with slang-filled dialogue.
Conundrum Press published three volumes of The Adventures of Drippy the Newsboy: Volume I: Drippy's Mama (2015); Volume II: The Red Drip of Courage (2015) and Volume III: The Dripping Boat (2020).
Music
Lawrence was a founding member of Vancouver avant garde musical collective July Fourth Toilet.{{cite web |url=http://www.drippytown.com/dp/index.php?id=22 |title=Biography |work=Drippytown Comics and Stories |access-date=February 20, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002074616/http://www.drippytown.com/dp/index.php?id=22 |archive-date=October 2, 2011 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.julyfourthtoilet.com/performances.html |title=Performance History |work=July Fourth Toilet official website |access-date=March 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828171514/http://www.julyfourthtoilet.com/performances.html |archive-date=August 28, 2008 }}
Awards
- Jeanette Andrews Scholarship in Art Education, University of British Columbia, 2017
- Freeperson Award, Best Cartoon/Illustration (co-authored with Dr. Rita Irwin & Dr. Ching-Chiu Lin), The Canadian Association of Labour Media (CALM), 2016
- Gene Day Award, Best Self-Published Comic (anthology contributor, edited by Bevan Thomas), 2016
- Pop Vox Award, Best Digital Learning Initiative, 2009
- Sophie Burnett Award, Emily Carr University, 2009
- Doug Wright Award, Best Book (written, compiled and edited by Ann Marie Fleming), 2008
- Achievement Award, Emily Carr University, 2007 & 2008
Bibliography
- Lawrence, J. (Accepted/In press). 'Where the Action Is: Crumb, Semiotics, L'Ecriture Feminine, and Taste'. In D. Worden (Ed.), The Art of R. Crumb
- Lawrence, J. (2020) The adventures of Drippy the newsboy: volume III: The dripping boat. Wolfville NS, Conundrum Press. {{ISBN|978-1-77262-045-0}}
- Lawrence, J. (2020) Cartoons have always been for adults but here’s how they got tangled up with kids. Available at: https://theconversation.com/cartoons-have-always-been-for-adults-but-heres-how-they-got-tangled-up-with-kids-130421 [Accessed: 08 Feb 2020]
- Lawrence, J and Archer, N. (2019) Martin Scorsese says superhero movies are ‘not cinema’: two experts debate. Available at: https://theconversation.com/martin-scorsese-says-superhero-movies-are-not-cinema-two-experts-debate-125771 [Accessed: 08 Feb 2020]
- Lawrence, Julian, Lin, C-C., & Can, I. (2019) 'Relational Connections through the Space of Learning: Exploring Youths' Experiences of Filmmaking with Comics', International Journal of Education Through Art 15(3). DOI: 10.1386eta_00004_3
- Lawrence, J. 'Visualizing Conflicting Worldviews: The Comics Page and the Computer Screen' (2017). Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education, # 34.
- Lawrence, Julian, Lin, C-C., Irwin, R. & Lum A: Mentoring through the Comics. (2017) (Kutsyuruba, Benjamin & Walker, Keith. (2017). The Bliss and Blisters of Early Career Teaching: A Pan-Canadian Perspective.) Word & Deed. {{ISBN|978-0-9918626-9-6}}
- Lawrence, Julian; Lin, C-C; and Irwin, R. (2017) "Images, Speech Balloons, and Artful Representation: Comics as Visual Narratives of Early Career Teachers," SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2, Article 3.
- “Mentorship Comics” (2016). (Co-authored with Dr. Rita Irwin and Dr. Ching-Chiu Lin). BC Mentoring (webcomic).
- “Why Is Teacher Mentorship Essential?” (2016). Comics essay (co-authored with Dr. Rita Irwin and Dr. Ching-Chiu Lin). Teacher Newsmagazine. Sep/Oct, pp. 18–19.
- “Changing Notions of Teacher Mentorship in British Columbia” (2016). Comics essay (co-authored with Dr. Rita Irwin and Dr. Ching-Chiu Lin). The Canadian Association of Principals Journal. Fall issue, pp. 44–47.
- “Mentorship Confidential!” (2015). Comics essay (Co-authored with Dr. Rita Irwin and Dr. Ching-Chiu Lin). Teacher Newsmagazine. May/Jun, pp. 8–9.
- Lawrence, J. (2015) The adventures of Drippy the newsboy: volume I: Drippy's mama. Greenwich NS, Conundrum Press. {{ISBN|1-894994-94-9}}
- Lawrence, J. (2015) The adventures of Drippy the newsboy: volume II: The red drip of courage. Wolfville NS, Conundrum Press. {{ISBN|1-894994-98-1}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Canadian cartoonists}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Julian}}
Category:Academics of Teesside University
Category:Artists from Portsmouth
Category:Canadian comic strip cartoonists
Category:Canadian comics artists
Category:Canadian illustrators
Category:Canadian storyboard artists