This is the second stage following the Onion Method: An Outlining Method for Graphic Novels. You got the onion...now how are you going to present it? This post will talk you through how I craft the art direction of a graphic novel... weaving the thematic and character motivations established earlier in the outline into its final, ultimate mode of language: the visuals.
(more…)The unofficial start of the residency (at home).
(more…)I am reading The Penguin Book of Prose Poems, an anthology of... well, prose poems. A nicely-sized paperback made out of stacks of typical cheap FSC paper. But my goodness, the book smells good. Almost vanilla-ish, earthy, subtle. And I think, man I wish comics smelled more like prose paperbacks.
Comics smell like ink: heavy, pungent. Like glue in effect. I'd know β the Carpet Merchant came out as a dense giant sandwich of CMYK; nearly every page is covered from corner to corner. Apparently people enjoy that smell. It's the first thing they would comment on, before they talk about the art or the story. I like watching people plunge their face into my book. It's funny, but sweet.
Unfortunately I don't like that smell very much. It's not my thing. I wish comics smelled more like prose paperbacks. I want vanilla. I want the smell that comes with yellowing pages. I want comics to compliment the atmospheric scent of my studio-bedroom, which is also a library. I want comics to smell like a dusty library. I don't know. I have memories of reading that's incongruous to the materials my books are printed with. My entire history is cheap FSC paper and brittle ancient sweet stock. But comics are a different medium, and until they make ink that smells like prose paperbacks (though if we had a choice, I'd prefer peach or brown sugar), comics will have to smell like comics.
Most Alexander-the-Great-inspired fiction is arguably a fanfic of the man himself. This includes that 2000 year old tradition called the Alexander Romance, which is basically (simplistically) an isekai alternate universe history of the Macedonian hero going on wacky adventures, retold over and over again by writers and artists who admire his achievements. But what happens... when the author of the 21st century Alexander Romance is not herself a fan of Alexander?
(more…)Many things and not so many things occurred this week.
(more…)Here's a feature from Kenny Mah about my process, Seance Tea Party, and current and future projects. Also I can't get over the opening paragraph: "Malaysian illustrator, writer and designer Reimena Yee has a touch of the Fae. No, there are no pixies or goblins in her family tree (not that she knows of) but her whimsical illustrations evoke fairy tales and distant lands we travel to only in our dreams."
Reimena Yee is a graphic novelist, artist and flamingo enthusiast.
She creates the webcomics The World in Deeper Inspection, and The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya; the latter of which is the first Malaysian graphic novel to be Eisner-nominated.
Currently writing and drawing a whole bunch of stuff. Is a nerd for all things spooky and historical.
Melbourne / Kuala Lumpur
Who knows ??
me, shitposting in ancient greece:
*carving into stone tablet* if i were achilles i would simply protect my heel
(Adding novels/graphic novels to this too) https://twitter.com/magpie_feather/status/1383161859675668481
I wish it would be more normalized for cartoons to not always have kids as the main characters. When I was little I grew up with shows like Batman TAS, TMNT etc and I never was upset that the show didnβt have kids in it. (I know the π’ are teens but they donβt look like kids LOL) https://twitter.com/thecartooncrave/status/1383088877880107011
Didn't see this till now! At least, vaguely know your beginning, middle and end, and outline in batches.
@reimenayee How far into the story did you go when outlining your webcomics? What I mean is how many chapters in advance were outlined :)
Reminder that I have a website https://reimenayee.com and a blog https://blog.reimenayee.com for a decently active archive of my artwork and behind-the-scenes thoughts on craft, life and other things. Plus resources!!
I found that period of my life between ages 17 - 20 more impactful than preceding years, since it involved starting a new chapter independently, meeting new people outside of my bubble, lots of milestones, so why is this not explored more commonly in fiction and autobio?