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The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) is a warfighting ship with a sole purpose of ensuring maritime defense of our nation, allies and partners, but even in the heart of this massive steel monster; art, dance, culture and creativity flourishes like summer dandelions in a cement lot.
Beneath the busy flight deck in a quiet TV control room, a crouched figure hastily sketches away on a glowing tablet screen, weaving whole worlds of mystery and suspense into visual existence with every stroke of stylized deliberation.
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Isaac Esposito and his passion for art surpasses his daily media work in graphics design, extending into the realm of graphic novels. His Japanese manga styled books have consistently been an alternate reality and refuge for him during deployment.
“I’ve been making digital art on the ship since the start of workups, but I only started working on my book during COMTUEX,” said Esposito. “I wanted to continue to try to improve my work and my style even though we were underway. There was no way that I was going to stop just because we were on deployment.”
His graphic novel series is a blend of supernatural and realism, a refreshing departure from the familiar settings of the carrier.
“I take inspiration from both Eastern and Western comics, but I definitely model my panel composition style more in favor of Eastern material, like Japanese manga and Korean manhwa, said Esposito. “I’m still in the process of broadening my horizons.”
Mystery-themed and rife with phenomena, his graphic novel follows a character-centered approach and wears its themes on its sleeve, according to the artist.
“The story that I’m working on right now is called ‘Time Killer’,” said Esposito. “It’s a supernatural thriller mystery series about a police detective from the 1940s named Henry Hughes getting tossed into the year 2005, only to find out conditions in his city have spiraled out of control. It’s a story of how anyone can make a difference, regardless of how futile others make their efforts out to be.”
Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thomas Boatright, journalist and photographer for media’s photo journalism department, said, “He is more dedicated to his work than I’ve ever seen anyone. He stays up late every single night working on his passion. He takes great pride in his art.”
When asked why he continues to stay up after work and burn the midnight oil to painstakingly craft his stories into a visual medium, Esposito, like many creatives, draws energy and inspiration from his passion for the art form.
“Some people just need a creative outlet,” said Esposito. “Having a creative voice is super important for a lot of people. It allows you to explore your interests in the most in-depth way possible. For me, staying creative also lets me take a mental escape from the day to day grind and just be my own boss of my own work.”
Esposito’s advice for other aspiring artists is simple: keep on investing in your passion, regardless of the outcome, because the rewards are deeper than monetary gain. Like rain on parched soil, creative hobbies can help nourish the mental and emotional states of Sailors during this test of will and endurance called deployment.
“Try to make as much time for yourself as you can,” said Esposito. “I usually do all my work after 8 AM and head off to bed at noon, and I try to get as much stuff done in that window as possible. Even if you can only spare a few minutes a day, take that time to do something that you can look back and be happy with.”
The future of “Time Killer” lays indefinitely on the drawing board, and like so many pages of dialogue filled sketches, the series’ direction remains subject to revision. Esposito hasn’t publicly released anything yet, but he’s been considering various options for publication.
“In the next couple years while I’m at my shore duty command in Japan, I’ll continue to refine my skills, test the waters online and see how wide of an appeal my work might have and how viable it potentially could be to publish,” said Esposito. “I plan to continue writing and drawing in the long term, even if I can’t make a career from it, because I’ve been into this for a really long time, and it’s what makes me happiest in life.”
For other creative-minded Sailors seeking solace in their labor of love, deployment shouldn’t be a roadblock in pursuing their favorite hobbies. Whatever creative pursuit a Sailor delves in during his or her own time, Esposito fully supports and encourages a hobby, skill or passion to pursue. For Esposito, it doesn’t take much to fully submerge himself like a penguin in the icy- cool narratives and vivid digital artwork of his natural element; graphic stories.
“Nothing feels better to me than listening to music and being fully immersed in an art piece or a comic scene that I’m working on,” said Esposito. “I feel like I’m at the top of the world. Everything else just falls away.”
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2022 17:14 |
| Story ID: | 436134 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Graphic Stories, by PO2 Charles Blaine, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
