The Plotted Narrative: Friction, Code, and Materiality in Computational Comics

I propose a practice-based presentation examining plot art and abstract comics, where code, materiality, and sequential storytelling converge. As a fine artist, a significant portion of my practice has been integrating my love for comics with my computational research – finding ways in which machine arts and graphic storytelling coexist. In my work, I have explored the usage of computerized knitting machines, embroidery machines, pen plotters for installation, narrative and video work. This practice-based presentation will primarily focus on a recent mural I was commissioned to create — In the Footsteps of a Stranger. For this project, I utilized procedural generation, web scraping, and Axidraw plotters to construct a sequential narrative on hospitality. The text bubbles themselves can be swapped to other languages, as this was an initiative from CMU's Language, Cultures and Applied Linguistics (LCAL) department. This presentation will unpack the human-machine collaborative workflow, demonstrating how the friction between digital vector inputs and physical ink outputs creates a unique visual language. This process moves beyond simple automation; it is a negotiation of physical constraints and algorithmic logic. By analyzing the workflow of plotted comics, I argue that the medium's future lies not just in screen-based infinitude, but in the tangible, glitch-prone dialogue between human intent and machine execution.