Tales of Maora
Adam Casalino, writer
Check out a behind the scenes look at upcoming issue 51. It is the preliminary pencils, done in Photoshop. Oh, and I was watching the Simpsons at the same time. Technology’s great.
Be on the look out for this issue next week! And keep visiting the site each week day for fascinating stories, articles and bliggity-blogs!
This is a big deal folks. I’m giving ya a sneak peak at Al’s new duds for the 2nd year of the comic. The style is a bit more simplified than what it is normally in the comic–but you’ll get the idea. It goes without saying that big new things will be going on in the upcoming year (Observant readers will notice something very interesting in the picture!). Click on the thumbie for a full view of the changes:
Also new for Year 2: he’s going to be speaking in a British accent. Up until now it was more Welsh. Now, this may not be the final design for his clothes–and it will be a while until we actually see them on him. Most likely, you’ll forget you’ve seen this by the time they show up in the comic, unless of course you bookmark this post. But why would you do that, weirdo?
Anyway… keep your browsers tuned for Tuesday. Year 1 is getting mind-numbingly intense. Just 3 more issues until the mighty finale!
P.S: a more finished version of Al, including background and color highlights, will be posted soon!
As a child I was fortunate enough to have access to my grandfather’s copy of “The Boy’s King Arthur.” Although the book itself was in a fragile state, I took great pains to peruse its pages. I remember being captivated by not only the legendary stories, but by the breath-taking artwork within. Having an inclination towards the visual even then, I can not embellish the dramatic impact these illustration had on my imagination.
The artist was none other than the seminal N. C. Wyeth, student of the great artist Howard Pyle, father of artists Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. He illustrated many classic stories, including Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, and Robin Hood. His artwork was vividly realistic, capturing the adventure and depth of the Arthurian legends as no one else could. It brought those timeless characters to life for me, and I knew a part of my soul would never escape their mystery and influence.
Whenever I think of those wonderful stories, in fact anything relating to the Middle Ages, I think of the artwork from that book. My great love for the fantasy genre and for the culture and ascetic of those times can be largely credited to that work.
For more examples of N. C. Wyeth’s contribution to “The Boy’s King Arthur,” browse Wikimedia Commons’ collection of page scans.