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James Sturm’s Market Day is a book about YOU

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If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you make a living from producing art. And there’s also a good chance you struggle to make an honest living doing what you love.

James Sturm’s new graphic novel Market Day, on the surface, is about a eastern European Jewish craftsman at the dawn of the industrial revolution, struggling to make ends meet and provide for his family the only way he knows how — weaving hand-crafted artisan rugs.

It’s a heartbreaking tale, made even more heartbreaking by its relevance to today’s shrinking markets for craftspeople, artists, illustrators, and of course, cartoonists. The dying newspaper and magazine industries that once made celebrities out of cartoonists, are certainly represented here as the stores and marketplace sellers who can no longer afford to buy and sell handmade goods. To be sure, the book is dedicated in part “to all my fellow cartoonists”.

That Sturm can offer such a seemingly bleak outlook on the state of art vs. commerce, and at the same time usher in a new wave of young cartoonists each year through his school, The Center for Cartoon Studies, seems somewhat of a contradiction. “Here’s your diploma. Oh by the way, read this story I wrote about how you won’t be able to feed your family.”

But the ray of light here, is that Sturm is a true believer in craft, skill, and dedication to one’s life’s work. Market Day suggests that there has always been a struggle between artists and the economies that threaten how they make a living. And more than that, it suggests that perseverance and purpose are qualities that can’t be understated.

  • http://www.studiomiguel.com Studiomiguel

    Zoiks! Thanks for the insightful review. I have been meaning to pick this up, but now I'm really intrigued.

  • kaygraphic

    I have been told since I picked up a pencil that I should give up hope of ever “making a living” doing what I love…It was and is totally demoralizing to hear that over and over…sigh

  • http://2plyparachutes.blogspot.com/ 2-Ply

    Wow…I'll have to check this out. Its interesting you mention the contradiction between this work and his school. I had a couple friends who went to the Joe Kubert school who said the teachers were brutally forthright about the realities of the industry. At the time I found it shocking hear that. In retrospect I think its absolutely essential.

    Your last paragraph is spot on.

  • http://www.dino-digital.com Dino Digital

    I love this sort of illustration and book style. I have a couple myself and I am always on the look out for more of them.

    I think the whole world is very demoralising when it comes to people with ambition. I failed when it came to Art at school but love drawing. I failed at IT at school and love Web Designing and I fail to let a low paid badly structured examination board ruin my chance to do what I want in my life!

    Art is culture and culture is life!

  • http://twitter.com/Joao_Duke_Diogo João Diogo

    I love this style of work, and these kind of themes are always interesting, I'll have to check it online to buy it, i'm sure it's well worth it :)

  • http://www.aamedya.com aamedya

    A very nice post.

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  • http://drawn.ca/2010/05/03/james-sturms-market-day-is-a-book-about-you/#comments Mic. Gee

    Art is not culture. Art is what the affluent hang on their walls. And since the world's wealth is shifting to the East, the affluent will reside there. Artists would be wise to focus their efforts to win favor from those in the East. Artists should be be aware that the East has its own art tradtions and legions of artists, so there's not too much room for western artists.