Between the Panels: An Inside Look at the Making of Eleven Exciting New Graphic Novels

By Macmillan Publishers

Have you ever asked yourself what goes on in comics between the panels and behind the scenes? Now, you can get an inside look at the making of eleven exciting new graphic novels and learn more about how they're put together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Oct 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781429966085

Book preview

Comics: What Happens Between the Panels?

If you’re reading this, it seems probable that you’ve read a comic before. But if for some strange reason comics have not occurred in your life, here’s a quick primer.

Comics are made of images and text together! And from there, things proceed in a sequence.

/end primer

But what happens between the panels? How do comics get made?

The following essays will give you a glimpse behind that curtain; give you a chance to meet the authors and illustrators of some great graphic novels and hear about how they make their books.

Be prepared for essays on collaboration, character design, adaptation, and much, much more – everything from baking to science to sonnets can be found within these pages.

So go forth! And discover the creative genius that has always before lurked just out of site – between the panels.

Eye of the World: The Art of Chase Conley

by Chase Conley

Chase Conley, the penciller and inker for The Eye of the World graphic novel, shares his approach to designing the beloved and well-known lead characters of Robert Jordan’s New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, the Wheel of Time.

When starting the character design phase of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World, I wanted to establish a unique visual that was a mixture many traditional fantasy worlds and combine them in a way that had not been achieved before. One could simply look at the covers of the novels and see that Robert Jordan was trying to create an original visual approach to his world.

For this story, it was essential to get the main characters correct because we follow them throughout the majority of the story. Rand al’Thor and his friends Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara, and Egwene al’Vere will be seen almost the entire volume. They are from Emonds Field, a small village where fashion isn’t the first thing on people’s minds. They are simple farmers and sheepherders who dress in more neutral colors, and they would be outfitted similarly since there’s only one dressmaker and one cobbler and they would probably only make a few select styles.

Rand al’Thor was a little tricky to get down at first. There are a lot of subtle visual qualities that help suggest personality. Rand is nineteen. He is a head taller than his father. His eyes look blue or gray depending on the light. (Women in these books can get quite lyrical about Rand’s eyes!) His hair is unruly, with a reddish tint. His skin is lighter than the other Emond’s Field folk, but his farmer’s tan covers it. He is about six foot five inches and roughly 235 pounds with broad shoulders, a deep chest, and a narrow waist. He is a very good looking man; a good many female characters think him either pretty or beautiful. Now, at first glance I thought, this guy is very attractive and has the build of a superhero, how am I going to make him look timid and unimposing? What makes Rand difficult is the fact that he’s just the son of a farmer. He hasn’t seen much in his life and he’s pretty naive when it comes to the outside