The Gulf is a multimedia comic that includes drawings, music and animation. It's inspired by my experiences and my family’s stories about life in Vietnam. It is released digitally on iBooks as individual chapters (10 planned). The title of The Gulf refers to the physical location of the gulf coast of Florida, where I grew up, as well as the idea of division: between adulthood & childhood, parent & child, Vietnamese & American identity. I update this page regularly with drawings, photos, music & videos!
Chapters 1 & 2 were made possible by an artist fellowship grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Chapter 3 was completed in 2014 while I was a Strathmore Fine Artist in Residence.
SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter!
Purchase the print edition of chapter 4 of "The Gulf."
Purchase the print edition or the iBooks version chapter 3 of "The Gulf."
Purchase the iBooks edition of chapter 2 of "The Gulf."
DOWNLOAD for free & share chapter 1 in the iBooks store!
SHOP in my ETSY store: Nguyenmade
10.30.2019 Animation for Ch. 6. What if we had stayed?
10.29.2019 A slide from a my Writers At Work talk at Loyola University Maryland
How do you get "Win" from Nguyên? Draft panel, Chapter 5.
5.14.2019 Grandma was the first one to call me Nguyên. Panel draft from Chapter 5.
3.15.2019 A morning ritual! The aroma of Vietnamese Iced coffee will always remind me of dad. This one page comic was originally commissioned for a comic anthology about food.
11.24.2017 Happy thanksgiving to every Nguyễn everywhere!
8.28.2017
Dad on couch. Chapter 5.
I googled Che Ba Mau and was disturbed to discover that there weren't any good images of this, one of Vietnam's finest desserts.
So I made my own!
9.4.2015
Whale To Scale Minh
9.2.2015
Draft of a spread from chapter four!
8.31.2015
Opening Screen Door
8.30.2015
Draft of the cover for chapter four!
8.17.2015
Help Dear Sister!
8.15.2015
Fold faster!
8.12.2015
Hiding
8.11.2015
Enter Kitchen
8.9.2015
This drawing required extra research, in which I ate Chines take-out for lunch.
8.2.2015
Litlle Hostess Draft 1
7.30.2015
Imminent Hug Syndrome
7.29.2015
The eighties weren't perfect.
7.27.2015
How Vietnamese-American kids learn their numbers.
7.26.2015
Dropped off new prints for the Strathmore Alumni Show!
7.25.2015
F&G Storyboards: Fred, Step With Me Into The LIght
7.24.2015
F&G Storyboards: Diptych
7.23.2015
F&G Storyboards: This World Can Be So Cold And Serious
7.22.2015
F&G Storyboards: Well Find The Humor...
7.21.2015
F&G Storyboard: All My Faults...
7.20.2015
F&G Storyboard: Here We Are, The Band Stopped Playing...
6.2.2015
Umm, Can You Show Me Agian?
5.6.2015
The old thumb trick!
3.20.2014
Cousins
3.12.2015
Temple Posture
12.23.3014
Cart Racers
Install day for the Strathmore Fine AIR Exhibition. It went so smoothly and a major reason why is because of Eileen's positivy and problem-solving!
7.30.2014
study.
7.4.2014
Study.
7.3.2014
The incredible Eileen Martin is creating glass art from "The Gulf."
7.1.2014
Study
Cousins.
6.28.2014
Eying The Tip Jar.
7.1.2014
Coming Soon. (Sketch)
5.4.2014
The Gulf 3/10th's Party: eBook Release Celebration
I just finished “Fifty Needles,” chapter 3 of The Gulf. That means the graphic novel is 3/10th’s complete! It’s time to celebrate and share the awesomeness.
Party-goers will enjoy:
-A display of original art from The Gulf
-Tablet viewings of chapters 1-3 of The Gulf
-Live performance of music from The Gulf
-Complimentary hors d'oeuvres
-Happy Hour Drink & Food Specials
-A Raffle to win chapters 1-3 of the The Gulf
-Original prints for sale
-Stay and hear Nguyen’s jazz trio: “Superior Cling” perform downstairs from 9-midnite.
Date: Thursday, April 17th
Time: 7-9pm
Location: 2nd Floor, Shaw’s Tavern
520 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
(6th and Florida NW)
AO TAY DUN NHIEU TANG
4.2.2014
Cool Cousins.
4.1.2014
Close-up of the Finishing page.
3.28.2014
Prints of "Getting Up."
3.24.2014
Patterns of a Dream
3.1.2014
After The Dream. (Pre-Scan)
2.28.2013
2.28.2013
Mom Tumbling (Pre-Scan)
2.22.2014
Back to real life.
2.18.2014
2.18.2014
Congratulations!
2.14.2014
1.10.2014
Test Day
1.7.2014
Spool
1.6.2014
Licking Thread
1.5.2014
Linh threaded a needle!
1.3.2014
A good pillow
12.30.2013
Cooking Fish
12.29.2013
Family Dinner
12.17.2013
Reading
12.13.2013
Close Observation
12.3.2013
xôi page
11.27.2013
Xoi Wide
11.24.2013
Walking In Town
11.12.2013
Close The Gate
11.4.2013
Grading The Dress
10.31.2013
Studying Patterns
10.28.2013
Scallions
10.27.2013
Sewing School
10.26.2013
Marking Fabric
10.25.2013
In Class
10.23.2013
Mom hairstyles
10.21.2013
Every Night's A Sleepover
10.21.2013
Family Study
10.17.2013
In progress: Every Night's A Sleepover
10.14.2013
diarama of Saigon house
10.13.2013
cutting
10.8.2013
Pants
10.7.2013
Every Night's A Sleepover, study
10.6.2013
Study: Mom & Siblings
10.04.2013
Dress Pattern With Mom at 17
9.18.2013
sketches for chapter three
8.30.2013
Split Screen
8.27.2013
Wonderbread Factory
8.26.2013
Above Ground
8.12.2013
Mango canopy from the old pink house.
8.10.2013
Flora
8.8.2013
Gator Sighting!
8.5.2013
On the beach.
8.2.2013
Bird's Eye Boat
7.31.2013
Almost To Shore
7.29.2013
Skimming
6.19.2013
Wake up!
6.16.2013
Out The Window
6.13.2013
Drop Off
6.12.2013
"He's going in the wrong direction!"
3.31.2013
3.30.2013
3.29.2013
2.21.2013
2.20.2013
2.9.2013
12.31.2012
First panels!
12.31.2012
Reference photographs.
The wetlands at Ecopark, Cape Coral, Fl.
This four mile cove is just a few blocks from where my parents live.
Reference photographs.
The wetlands at Ecopark, Cape Coral, Fl.
This four mile cove is just a few blocks from where my parents live.
I spent a few meditative hours recording sounds and snapping photos.
This little chunk of land is all that's left of what Cape Coral looked like before the city was invented by the Rosen brothers in the 1950's.
12.1.2012
Studies
