Oct 04 2008
Notes on my comic
Several people have expressed interest in information about the comic series I’m working on, so I’ve created this public page to satisfy their curiosity, at least a little. If you are an artist who may be interested in working with me on this project, please e-mail me for access to more detailed information. All other pages here are password-protected.
My yet-to-be-named comic is a girls’ fantasy/adventure series, initially spanning five manga-sized volumes with the potential for more should it be successful. The idea for the series was born several years ago, on a trip to Poet’s Seat Tower in Greenfield, Massachusetts, thirty miles north of where I live. Along the road to the tower there are several park benches set off from the road at intervals, presumably for visitors to rest their feet, but their positions are so awkward, it is difficult to imagine what purpose the park planners really had in mind. (Click here, here, and here for examples.) I joked at one point that they might be portals to another dimension, and it was this idea that became the seed for the series. It originally began as a YA novel, but as I was writing it became clear to me how much more powerful the story could be in comic form which is what I’ve been working toward for the past year. I have the each of the series’ initial five volumes outlined and summarized, as well as a nearly-completed script for the first volume. I am currently seeking an artist to work with me in putting together a pitch for publishers.
The series introduces us to 15-year-old Renate (Ren), who has just moved to a small New England town with her parents and younger sister, Becky. Ren is a quiet, withdrawn girl who has spent most of her life torn between two worlds: the familiar cocoon of family and school offered by her waking life, and the dark, desolate world of her dreams. After an incident in the local park, and an unexpected encounter with a boy in her class (Kai), Ren is swept up into a dangerous adventure involving missing persons, multiple dimensions, hostile invaders, and family drama, which bring her face-to-face with her own dreamworld and the brother she lost there years ago.
Intended primarily for teen readers, the story’s universe is often very dark, and the story itself is a character-driven adventure with only a little bit of romance mixed in. The storytelling is strongly influenced by Japanese comics, and I expect the art will be as well, but I’m more interested in contributing to the growing body of manga-influenced American comics than I am in imitating an authentic shōjo manga, so while the story is definitely aimed towards young, female readers, I’m expecting it will not look or read quite like most mainstream girls’ manga, at least what we’ve seen published in English.
Feel free to e-mail or comment with any questions you might have, and please wish me luck! :)
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[...] I think it is really too early to talk about it publicly in detail, I’ve created this short public info page to try to satisfy their curiosity somewhat. I’m afraid it reads a lot like those horrible [...]
I’m grateful for the info page. :) Sounds good to me.
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