Hey There!
Happy Thursday! I hope you’re having a good week. I’ve got more exciting project updates! And scroll down to see the lettered version of the first page of No Spell Lasts Forever (I shared the unlettered version last week). As always, feel free to keep reading and/or check out my video update.
So here it is (drum roll)…the first lettered page of No Spell Lasts Forever that I’m sharing with the world! It’s page one of the first issue. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Aimee Hawley’s artwork is amazing! And I’ve so enjoyed working with her. Check out more of her awesome work on her Instagram and her website.
I’ve had a great time doing the lettering. It’s so interesting to me how much the lettering can affect the way that a line of dialogue or narration hits. It can really shift the emotional impact of a panel or a page. And as a writer, doing my own lettering is helping me gain a better understanding of how my narration and dialogue will land and flow on the page. I’m looking forward to doing more of it, and I’ll share more lettered pages as I get them done.
I’ve got an Olive and the Ogre update, too! Olive is the four-page story of mine that will appear in the forthcoming urban fantasy anthology Concrete Arcanum. The amazing artist I’m working with, Sara Setna, is expecting to share the first finished page with me at the end of the week, and I can’t wait! Her thumbnails were great, and I loved her character designs. The faces in particular were awesome, just really expressive and unique. Check out Sara’s work on her Instagram and her ArtStation page.
Ok, so as far as comics I’ve been reading this week,I’ve been making my way through the parts of the Scott Snyder Batman run that I hadn’t read yet. I’d already read Court of Owls, City of Owls, and Death of the Family, and now I’m circling back to the rest. The Black Mirror, by Snyder, Jock, and Francesco Francavilla, broke me! I’ve already read the James Jr. stuff in Batgirl, so I know what’s coming and I knew going in that The Black Mirror was going to be sad…but I wasn’t prepared for that final scene! Jim Gordon and James Jr. are back on the bridge James. Jr. got thrown off of as an infant, and he falls off again but this time Jim catches him and tells him “I’m not letting you go!” He wants to be there for his son, despite the sister things James Jr. has done! I had to put my iPad down and just stare at the wall blankly for a while to recoup. It just really hit me!
Now I’m up to the first volume of Talon. It’s by James Tynion IV, Guillem March, and Miguel Sepulveda, but takes place within the Snyder run. I’m really enjoying it. I’m only one issue in, but I like Calvin Rose a lot as a character and I’m looking forward to a more detailed fleshing out of the Court of Owls, who are awesome villains!
On a final note, the Doctor Strange giveaway I’m a part of is still going on, but the clock is ticking. We’re down to the final week or so. Click here to share your email with the participating indie urban fantasy comics creators and you’ll be entered to win $300 of Doctor Strange merch!
Well, I think that’s it for me this week. As always, I’d love to connect with you on Instagram, @sarahcookewriter and @nospellcomic.
Have a great day!
Best,
Sarah