The comic artist Jan-Michael Richter, better known as JAMIRI , is anything but a blank slate. He has worked for many different newspapers, magazines, online media and university magazines, has published a total of 14 albums with his drawings and was included in the “Masters of Comic Art” series by Kunstmannverlag. From the next issue he will be UNIGLOBALE's new house and court illustrator. Reason enough to get to know him a little better.
How did you come to UNIGLOBALE?
I worked with one of the editors on a previous project. So I'm happy that it's working again now.
What are you most looking forward to?
University magazines offer the opportunity to cast complex topics and ideas in comic form. Comics are often only associated with explosions and action, but the medium can do so much more. A mathematical theorem can also be the basis for a comic and a university magazine is of course the perfect environment for such things.
Have you ever studied yourself?
Yes, in Bochum and Essen. After graduating from high school in 1985, I started studying German, literature and philosophy in Bochum. But that didn't really make me happy, so a year later I changed my direction again and enrolled in communication design in Essen. I got my diploma in 1996 and the years in between were simply golden times in which I tried out and learned a lot. Back then, hardly anyone studied within the standard period of study; it was far too short anyway. I also believe that it is important, especially in artistic courses, that you can develop something in peace. Because only then can there be something at the end that deserves the conclusion.
Is there a memory from your studies that you still remember well?
There is a particularly beautiful one from the end of my studies. I wasn't planning on graduating at all. I was working as a bartender in a bar at the time and one evening the phone rang during my shift. At the other end was the head of the department's secretariat, Ms. Grigoleit, and said: “Jan, Paul wants you to get your diploma. Please come to my office tomorrow morning.” By Paul she meant Professor Paul Schüller, who was about to retire and wanted to supervise a few theses beforehand. The next morning I went to Ms. Grigoleit's office and got the deal that I no longer had to listen to lectures, but could complete all the remaining courses via homework. I then wrote what felt like a hundred term papers and my diploma thesis in one semester. Afterwards I was pretty exhausted, but also touched that I was taken care of so much. If Ms. Grigoleit hadn't called back then, I probably would have forgone my degree.
After all those years at university, would you have left without a degree?
The reality of my professional life is that what matters more is what you've done, not whether you have a college degree. I only needed the diploma when I applied for two professorships a few years ago. Without a university degree, it wouldn't have been possible to apply, otherwise no one would ever want to see my diploma.
What happened to you after university?
Like many of my fellow students, I initially dabbled in advertising for a few years. But I never really enjoyed painting cat food and detergent. And then it happened that I was able to draw comics for a Bochum culture magazine. This worked well from the start and the readers also liked my drawings. From then on everything kind of progressed by itself and before I knew it I had to declare my profession as a comic artist. Unfortunately, the medium of comics still has a very poor status in this country and is not part of the identity like in other cultures. Often when I say that I'm a comic artist, I get the answer: "That's great and what do you do for a living?"
Where do you get the inspiration for your comics?
I see myself as a kind of chronicler of everyday life. The spirit of the times always creeps into my drawings. Because many of my comics are either about my own life or about general social phenomena. I draw a lot of inspiration from my surroundings, my family and my friends.
How does your inspiration then become a finished comic?
Most of the time I have an image in my head, I then try to recreate it in reality and take a photo of it. I then draw based on the photo. Sometimes aliens, robots or something else from the science fiction sector appear in my comics, and of course I make that up. Basically it's always a mixture of very realistic elements and things that I made up.
Do you already have ideas for UNIGLOBALE?
Nothing concrete yet. I don't have a thousand topics in stock that I can just choose from when needed. Since I'm inspired by reality, it always depends a bit on whether there's something going on in the world that I want to relate to. I want to process things when it's time to bring them.
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The comic artist Jan-Michael Richter, better known as JAMIRI, is anything but a blank slate. He has worked for many different newspapers, magazines, online media and university magazines, has published a total of 14 albums with his drawings and was included in the “Masters of Comic Art” series by Kunstmannverlag. From the next issue onwards he will be
