Alexandra Gregory BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017
This is Not a Dog
My thesis is an interactive online comic about a gender-neutral, anti-heroic dog, simply referred to as “dog.” Like global politics and the climate of earth, “dog” is going through an existential crisis. I draw on existential philosophy, particularity the concepts of absurdity, choice, mundanity, and indulgence, to create the skewed reality that “dog” operates in. I use dry humor and hyperbole to mock the perceived hardships of “dog.” The minimalist style of the illustration forces the viewer to project some of their aesthetic preferences onto the comic. Non-linear story telling devices are used in the randomization of the web design to actively engage the viewer with the content. It does not matter what order the viewer reads the individual comic panels in. To achieve this, I have created an online comic, hosted on its own website, that features ten animated comic panels.