Jackson Palmer is carving out a space of his own in the Iowa City arts scene. Not just behind the counter at Daydream Comics but within the community itself, he uses comics to entertain and challenge readers to think harder about what they consume.
Palmer grew up in the South where his mom encouraged him to pursue art, from taking painting classes to participating in theater. He attended the Mississippi School of the Arts high school, where, at an early age, he learned being an artist is an inherently headstrong profession.
“There’s just the real stubbornness in doing art that I drilled into myself,” Palmer said. “I don’t want to be the one who just puts art behind me.”
As a kid, Palmer dreamed of creating newspaper cartoons. This interest expanded over time. He wrote prose, dabbled in drawing with Microsoft Paint, and eventually decided to make comics himself. His work balances both writing and illustrating, though he tends to emphasize the visual half.
“When I was younger, I always thought if I made comics, it would be me writing and working with an artist,” Palmer said. “Eventually, I decided I would just try my hand at doing it myself.”
Since then, he’s become both writer and illustrator, putting out his own anthology, “Fungus,” and preparing to release “Corn Smut,” a collection that brings together Iowa City artists.
For Palmer, the goal isn’t just to entertain, it’s to experiment with the medium and to push readers to look at art differently.
“With comics being a visual medium, it’s so important that your focus is on that,” Palmer said. “If the narrative is the first and only priority, you might as well write it as a novel.”
Palmer’s stubbornness is something Nathan Parriott, owner of Daydream Comics, sees clearly in his work. Parriott said he’s watched Palmer grow more focused over the artist’s two years working at the shop.
“He constantly challenges himself,” Parriott said. “He’ll see something in another person’s art and be like, ‘I want to do that.’ Whether it’s trying the De Luca effect or making a silent comic, he just goes for it.”
The Deluca effect is named after Italian artist Gianni De Luca who used tracking throughout panels to create a naturally flowing composition. Parriott said Palmer has a knack for pacing and presentation.
“He just gets an idea, and he follows through on it,” Parriott said. “He has this ability to investigate an idea and figure out exactly how long a story should be. It’s a natural skill.”
That philosophy carries over into the kinds of stories Palmer tells. One comic imagines a parody version of James Cameron’s “Avatar,” where the character questions whether giving up his human body is worth never tasting Cool Ranch Doritos again. Another, “Disneyland Gaza,” satirizes political apathy by showing Disney superfans who refuse to acknowledge the conflict around them.
“All of your actions are political, whether you like it or not,” Palmer said.
Accountability, both for artists and audiences, is a main goal of Palmer’s. He doesn’t want readers to consume stories the way studios “like Disney pump out Marvel movies.” Instead, he wants them to stop and reflect on how art shapes culture and the way we see the world.
“Capitalists have created a system that encourages us to consume thoughtlessly, either following clichéd paths or just mindlessly watching the next thing in a franchise,” Palmer said. “I would just encourage people to take art seriously. Think about the media they’re consuming and the effect it has on them and the world around them.”
Although Palmer’s work can deal with serious subjects, there is always a laugh to be had. His eye for detail is clear; each panel is deliberate, and with each look, something new stands out.
For Palmer, Iowa City is the perfect place to explore his creativity. Between performing in “Grease” at the Iowa City Community Theater or finishing his horror film “Pull Some Strings,” in which he built the puppet villain himself, he says Iowa City’s support for the arts keeps him rooted here.
“There aren’t many towns that support film, musical theater, and comics the way Iowa City does,” Palmer said. “No matter what art form you’re working in, you can find support here.”
Palmer knows his work can be weird, funny, and even a little uncomfortable, but that’s exactly the point. He wants readers to laugh and then think about why.