Graphic Novels and Comics

Lately i have been working on my story and characters ready to implant them into a graphic novel but what is a graphic novel. I have been working on what i have come to think of what a graphic novel based on what i graphic novels i have read and comics. For this project i will need a good base of information to prove that i have understood what is asked of me in the brief. Research will also help influence my own work to help me achieve a better overall standard and hopefully a good mark at the end.

Graphic novels to me always meant story's told in picture form so most could be classed as a graphic novel such like comics and manga and things like that but although the close relation between them graphic novels are more of there own area as they focus on a whole story in one book. A graphic novel is seen as more of a high class art piece were as comics and others are seen as lower forms of art and also are more produced to be long term and many for mass audiences.

Basic History:

Drawings depicting events or telling stories have been around since the being of humans with cavemen and primitive humans painting on rocks. Graphic novels are the book form of these story's that use art as the main medium. Graphic novels came from wanted more out of graphic jokes and novelty comic strips in newspapers and other magazines. It was thanks to the rise of early comics that started off graphic novels.

The first Graphic Novel is said to be created by Will Eisner's titled "A Contract with God and other tenement storys" which was published in 1978. It wasn't the first full titled and labelled graphic novel but it was the first serious long comix (Comix is a term that is used to describe self published comics as well comics with drug use, sexual imagery and violence) The Graphic novel told some small linking stories that build a bigger story altogether. This began the Graphic novel but it wasn't named a graphic novel. Comics were still more popular. Eisner had already planned and thought about the combination of comics and books to create more than just a short story. The Comix writers in the 1960s apparently sought out the idea of Graphic novels but it wasn't put into creation. Eisner conintured to create graphic novels through the years and produced The Building, A Life Force, Dropsie Avenue and To the Heart of the Storm.The actual term was created by Eisner by while trying to pitch he book to a publisher, due to the worry that the term comic would turn of publishers he chose to say 'Graphic Novel'.


What are Graphic Novels?

Popular Graphic Novels

Thanks to popular comics and a large fan base for Graphic Novels the continuation of great novels have appeared. Titles like Watchmen and V for Vendetta created by Alan Moore also The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. These titles are most likely reconzied more as the films they have been made into. This shows you how popular and how a graphic novel can be transformered into a bigger media. This also means that couldn't Graphic Novels also then become a game? This is what we are currently looking at and creating.

Games like Halo have there graphic novels to help tell the storys behind the game. Other stories of the game can be used in graphic novels as it both is a visual style like a game as well as it doesnt take away from the game. Mostly graphic novels could also be turned into game or be a way of getting the audeince into the game story before the release.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel
http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=20&s=164&ai=64513&ssd=
http://www.ipl.org/div/graphicnovels/gnsHistBasics.html
http://www.time.com/time/columnist/arnold/article/0,9565,542579,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Eisner

Creature Design

Other than my character, i need a creature for my graphic novel to help tell the chosen piece of story. Due to time restraint i didn't want to go into as much concept detail as my character as i spent to long. What i chose to do was to create a creature out of reference images and piece different creatures together using my drawings skills. I already had an idea that would also relate to my character. A lizard like creature would relate to the armour that the hunter is wearing it also could then appear realistic and not a creature totally made up and alien like.

My created creature:


The look and style i ended up with was a large spiky lizard that is potentially poisonous. i did add detail to the creature and because this graphic novel is meant to relate to a game i also had to think both how it could attack and defend. a well armoured back and bone tail it is dangous creature but i liked the creature to have a more stealth approach. I coloured it a green/purple so it would have better ability to hide in large forests and woods. It would be fast and quiet but very brutal to its prey.

I wanted it to be more of a grab and bite creature so that its tail is mainly defence, what i did was create a sack on the neck of the creature to make it more frog and poison like, it also connotes that it would be able to spit or slime the poison out so a bite would be most treating.

Finished Character Design

I have finished my character design for my chosen area of narrative for the graphic novel. Continuting from the silhouettes and the rough character designs i chose to do a combination of ideas and a combination of two of the rought sketches. During this process i had a talk with mark in which he guided me to a more different approach and pointed me towards a different way of showing the character within the chosen area of narrative.

Full Concept:



My first attempt a finished piece is seen next to the finished large images at it is of a combine version of the two closest sketches with it. My aim was to create a scifi looking hunter and i like how one of the small concepts looked mostly hunter and the other had more futuristic parts to it. When combining the two i relized that it didn't look right so i added in more of a scifi underlay and hunter overalls. The weapon idea progressed into both areas as well with a scifi chainsaw with a tractional sword allowing for both styles. It was after a discussion with mark that my character would be better suited as a hunter because i could then always lure in the scifi into the story as a part twist. Also keeping in one area would make it visually more easier to determine what and who the character is.

With this advice i went back to my old concepts and started to work on the bottom right as it looked more hunter like as well it was my favourite design because the materials appeared more natural and i liked the style of the dreaded hair with free flowing animal hair on the shoulders which was almost like a camoflaughe. When i took this idea and coloured and added more detail i felt that to me more naturalistic i had to keep with jungle like colours so greens and browns as well as keep him simple as i was going to add lots of small fetures that would of been hard to re draw over and over in a graphic novel.

One concept from the original final character was the boots. I like how they looked crafted from a creature. It looked more fanasty and brought a new level of story in as it would make the ready question the type of animal it is made out off. The character is also armoured out of a similar skin so that i could also project the idea of him making the most of the creatures he has killed. This to me relates to making this a game as it could show how you can create armour out of creatures. His weapon again is old and is made out of carved bone to keep with the time and style period this character is in at the present moment. This instinctually tells the reader how he would hunt and fight like, this also then relates to his size meaning i had to make him a strong build.

I like this character as he is simple and that he projects information of the environment the creatures and the era he's living in at the same time as well as looking like a different hunter rather than a character already in a game or book.

Chosen Plot Points

In my last post i made a list of plot points that would tell the whole story in the graphic novel. Due to time demands its recommend to only choose a section of the story this is why i am only going to create point the first chunk of the story.

The chosen section i have picked to do is:

- Beginning on the novel a man is on the hunt

- Walking through the overgrown jungle like like location. he seem is curious.

- A creature soon spots him and makes its moves. Its well hidden.

- It swiftly attacks and the man finds himself in danger. he arms himself.

- During a quick fight he injures the creature and it falls and drags with him down off a small cliff.

- Landing in a old building he reaches and pulls himself up as the creature lays dead.

- As he pulls himself up he activates an old hologram.

I feel this might grasp the most excitement and allow me to explore twists. This choice also means that i will only have to create 2 characters. The first is the main player, the other is the creature that attacks. It means i don't have to focus to around lots of character designs as with limited time it would make it hard to get the project finished in time. Actions i see the character doing in pushing through leaves and plants while looking around.

Enviroment in these scenes is mostly all forest/jungle with new plants and maybe deformed plant creatures or new spices of plants. I want it to look well overgrown in parts with large leaves and trees. Maybe lots of vines connecting trees together to make it more trapped. During the fight i might create a more open space in this setting to show room to fight. The room the main character enters will be almost pitch black other than light coming from above as he will most likely smash through glass that is covered in plants.

I like the progression of this part of the story as it isn't very informative, more pictures and action rather than text and speech which allows people to make up there own mind of whats happening. Also means that i can twist their minds with the part i will develop as they may believe its all about hunting rather than science fiction.

Work Update:

Yesterday i forgot to mention that we had a lesson in After Effects to help us in creating our portfolio. We learnt the basics from simple uploading images and motion to importing multiple layers and a adding effects. We also learnt about vectors and masking work. I found this software tricky at first but also very good. I can see myself using this software for my final piece of show real. Also i like how slight movement could be created with one image with multiple layers to create an effect that makes it look like a camera is panning in an environment. I might implement this into my graphic novel.

Plot Outline

Current Work
As i have been designing my character lately just using a simple plot design i created at the beginning at the brief. During my time designing i have already thought over the plot and ideas for the graphic novel. After having a brief chat about the brief and if we needed any help with what we were currently working on. What was brought up was how creating a step outline of my plot would help me understand what area of my novel i will create thus showing what i need to look at for characters and environments. It would also help to show my thought process. Also mentioned as a break down of the character and environment to give a full explanation why they look like they do and what makes them unique.

Plot Outline

Overall Plot:

Evolution created humans. Humans are seen to be perfect, humans were so evolved that there was nothing unexplored and nothing could stop the humankind controlling the world. Over thousands of years humans stopped evolving and hit their peak and so did most creatures. Dispite that humans lived using their knowledge to allow them to do things that they naturally couldn't. The question is can technology and knowledge beat evolution? During 2160 its documented that a lot more new species had been found, Questions were raised about how they never were noticed. Over the next 100 years records show of more new bigger and dangerous species appearing. In 2300 history goes dark.

In 2622 humans live as hunters in a new world were creatures and wildlife has taken over. Humans find themselves protected in walled cities. During the lost time humans had become more primitive. Dispite that they live with remaining technology and find themselves combing both natural substances and technology to make best of the world. The result is a very futuristic fanasty world with humans hunting to live. Trading is at a high and there are many different people in the world to the tribal to the governing people who believe returning to technology is the only way. In this world you play as a hunter that finds combing both natural parts with old technology can allow him to survive. But is survival enough? lately the attacks from creatures on the citys are getting more regular and the stress of mixed believe is making everyone struggle.

After learning at a young age your character has a knack for finding lost tech you use this to survive. By hunting the creatures to live and finding lost tech for money life is hard. But this life throws you a new twist as you find history from the dark time. This new information provides scary information and what you have worked for you life was a lie. What will you do now you have a chance to find out what really happened and is there really a way of living in this world without a worry of whats outside?

Plot Outline:

- Beginning on the novel a man is on the hunt

- Walking through the overgrown jungle like like location. he seem is curious.

- A creature soon spots him and makes its moves. Its well hidden.

- It swiftly attacks and the man finds himself in danger. he arms himself.

- During a quick fight he injures the creature and it falls and drags with him down off a small cliff.

- Landing in a old building he reaches and pulls himself up as the creature lays dead.

- As he pulls himself up he activates an old hologram.

- The hologram runs a screen that talks over information from the 'dark period'

-Flash backs to a leader of a company that is looking into the human body creating a new cell that would help against most deadly dieses

-It also hows there was some complications with the creation

- The hologram cuts off and leaves the room pitch black

- You see a room from the characters eyes

- He has awaken in his room

- Jump in time to him leaving the room holding a data card in his hand

- images of the streets as he walks through pin pointing key feature like characters and life style.

- walks to the exit of the city and nods to guards

- big clunky doors open with a none smooth rusted look to them

- again we see a gap in time as he arrives at a bunker like home

- as he reaches his destination he turns to face the way he came.

- hes looking at the city from a distance peaking over a forest

- a voice comes from behind ' Trouble again huh?'

- He looks down

- Voice ' What you gonna do this time then?'

- Cuts to black as an end

Designing Character

Today i spend my time beginning the design for the main character of my game. As i am creating a new story i needed to create a new main character. My story idea is combining the future in with old styles of living and creatures i needed to look at similar styles and types to help my mind see how i can combine both the concepts.

A series that is similar to my idea is the popular series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. Released in 2002 the series firefly looked at a crew that will take any job even if its against the law, based in 2517 space travel is at its peak but what this series creates if a scifi weston with cowboys. farming and iconic clothing was included. What i like about this is how it fits together well, at no point do you feel that they the style doesn't work and you don't feel yourself questioning about cow boys in space. This is similar concept to what i want to pursue with a more tribal hunter type period being integrated with the future.


http://astrowright.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/mal05.jpg

Nathan Fillian as Malcolm Reynolds

This is a picture from firefly showing the main cast. Looking at the image without knowing that this series if based in the future you would only say its a western thanks to the costume design. This means that visually you can define a style and then just use assets and environments to change the perception.


Taking this in mind i want to crate my character more hunter costume based and use assets to help show that theres more to the story that it seems. This way i automatically like the picture above showing that its hunting based but with a twist. This twist could itself be purposely implemented into the graphic novel as it would change how the story is looked at and might make it more interesting to read.

To help myself get formiliar with what my characters might be wearing i have drawn some images that creates a mood board so that i can always see what i want to create, it also means that i have already drawn similar shapes and design so my mind will pull on those resources.

Moodboard:


What i did today was make a start on my character design like i wrote in my timetable. Because i am worried about the time we have to create a graphic novel i didn't want to spend to much time in the fine detail development of the character but just the look, style and flesh out what i am after. What i did was create 15 sihouttees to flesh out some ideas in my mind. Taking a similar approach to last time character design i next then took some of my better concepts and just fleshed out lines and detail onto the characters to see how clothes might look and the style. Again i only used and few and didn't spend to much time refining detail.

My Character Sheet In-Progress:

Story ideas

Story Concepts

--Keygate--

Plot (100 words Max):
During the viking era the Blood Key was stolen, usually it would be carried by the king or queen of the land, this Key opened the doors to the demon world. As humans were the slaves of the angels and beasts they were to look after the keys that stopped them both entering the human realm. As the Heavenly Key had been kept hidden by another group of humans. Find the key and open the door to receive help from the angels before its to late.

Gerne: Celtic Viking.

Similar Games: Viking, Dragon Age, Nohir, oblivion

Game Type: 3rd/1st Person

--Relic--

Plot (100 words Max):
In an alternate future humans face large creatures that threaten human society. As they grew stronger and better humans slowly disappeared as they were now the lesser species. As time pasted humans protected themselves in towns guarded from the outside creatures. The world had more to offer now and technology wasn’t important. Now people live as hunters combining what was and what is to live until one lone hunter who had a skill for finding old useful technology found more than he bargained and would change everything the people believed.

Gerne: Steampunk, Medieval, Sci fi

Similar Games: Monster Hunter, Final Fanasty

Game Type: 3rd Person

--The Raccoon--

Plot (100 Words Max):
During the last couple of hundred of years there has only been one thing to remember and that is its a dog eat dog world. We grew with technology and humans learnt from there mistakes but they didn’t learn how to be equal, as the rich got rich the poor got poorer. People began to question why they lived, worked and died to be no body. The leaders watched as everyone suffered, in 2442 the Raccoon was born, a thief and a rebel that would give hope to the poor.

Genre: Sci Fi, Action, realistic.

Similar Games: Mass effect, Halo, Assassins creed, duez ex:Human Revolution.

Game Type: 3rd Person.

--Frozen--

Plot (100 Words Max):
You committed no crime, you protected the law as police officer but yet the police sentenced to prison to hide their mistakes. Prison isn’t were you landed. You ended up to be cryogenically frozen as a test subject. After 10 years they tubes were moved into a deep bunker were they were forgot as an alien attack left humans as slaves. 50 years on from there your cyro finally opens. What will you do in this alien ridden world.

Gerne: Sci Fi, Action, Thiller

Similar Games: Crysis, Halo, Call of Duty

Game Type: FPS

This are my current plot ideas for my graphic novel, I wanted to keep in mind that i wasn't creating just a graphic novel but a story that would help tell a game plot. These are all leaning to one direction which is more of futuristic style novel but i am highly interested in Relic because it combines scifi style and old hunter style. This story might be better to do as its creating a new look and style and its combining two completely different genres. This also could be problematic because they might not work together. I feel that i can create an interesting piece of narrative that might be alluring as it will make people question the style and what it is. This could then mean the Graphic novel could be a advertising product.

I feel next i need to focus on creating a mood board ready to create a character for the story that would combine both genres and research on Graphic novels so i fully understand what has been asked of me.

Brief and Graphic Novels

Our newest project is looking at finalising concepts and ideas into one piece. For 2D designers like myself we have to create a Graphic Novel that uses interactivity which could include buttons and and choices. For 3D designers they must complete a fully finalised character that could be used in a game engine. The aim of the project is to use all of knowledge of what we have learnt over the year to create a finished piece of work that helps show our strengths.

As I am 2D art based i will work on creating a Graphic novel for this unit. Because this is a new unit and its something i have never attempted before i want to start afresh and create a new narrative and story all together and reuse my last projects ideas. This in turn would both allow me to explore new and creative ideas for imagery and a story that would work better as a Graphic novel rather than a game.

To create a Graphic Novel there are many things i will need to create like a story, characters, plan, storyboard, flow charts, program interaction and create all the panels of the Graphic Novel. This means i have a lot of work to do to insure i have a well thought out and nicely designed novel. As part of our first task we were asked to complete a time table to help us organise our working sequel. I used our university timetable as a base and layered over what i would be doing.


I am currently looking at story ideas for this project. As i am only creating a story concept i am not going into detail and writing down the plot idea, Iocation and styles. This would then allow me to choose which story idea is more appealing to myself and then create a drawn mood board to help me understand what i am trying to create visually.