Animation: Principles of Communication

A few principles of communication that I remember from our class discussion were discourse, ideology and audience. These three principles play a part in understanding key elements of communication and are necessary topics for communications students to understand.

Discourse is written or spoken communication or debate. You encounter this not only in communications classes, but in everyday life, with your friends, family, at work, on the computer. This way of relaying information and opinions to one another is one of the most common forms of communication we encounter on a daily basis.

Another topic that we discussed in class is ideology. Ideology is a system of ideas and ideals. This contributes to people’s thoughts and opinions, which contributes to what they communicate.

Another thing that we discussed is “audience.” The audience are the people who give their attention to something. It can refer to a subject having a particular audience, a certain type of group that the material would appeal to. For example, when “Edward Scissorhands” was being screened for the first time (in Orange County) it went over horribly, because the people were not the right audience for the film (they even supposedly sided with the villainous bully character!)

                These three principles are keys to understanding effective forms of communication. Discourse is necessary as participants of a discussion, debate or conversation can trade ideas, information nad opinions. Ideology is a belief system that many people may share, and when these people with similar ideas come together, they may want to communicate their ideas to the world. An audience is very important to understand when you are putting together any sort of production. That plays a part not only in the content (for example, you wouldn’t put a lot of graphic violence in cartoon aimed at preschoolers), but the marketing campaigns to advertise the product as well. With an understanding of these three principles, you can begin to better communicate with the world around.

Preparing for Presentation, Completed Scenes

I'm a little nervous for my presentation on Tuesday. I have been working over spring break to complete illustrations and re-write or cut any scenes/dialogue. Here are two scenes that I completed editing today that introduces the main human antagonist in the story, Chairman Rose, the most powerful politician in Vizarro Grand.

This scene is meant to illustrate the tension not only between Mr. Squelge and Chairman Rose personally, but racial tensions between humans and other races like "Tahnzi" people (like Barker) or rare people that have special magical powers called "Ethereals" (Squelge is one, as he can speak to rodents.) Though Rose is stoic and calm on the outside, he is, like many other humans, fearful and suspicious of these other races.

As described in a scene posted a few weeks ago, Mr. Squelge learns that the allowance promised him by the government following an enormous war that took place fifteen years prior has been significantly reduced. We see two powerful forces meet each other head on, displaying two different types of power, one magical, one practical. The second scene is brief and sends the villains off on their hunt for Snow, who is across the world now.

Scene Five – Squelge visits the famous “Glass House of Rose Court”

We are now in a beautifully lush greenhouse, with crystal windows and golden support beams. In the nursery, long tables held many different types of plants and flowers, from exotic orchids to hanging fly-traps that sway as insects buzzed by.

At a table pruning potted white roses was Chairman Rose, the most powerful man in Vizarro Grand. Rose was a at seemed to sway  sway d.  that passed. om exotic orchids to hangingbeams for support. en. While the nurse and missionary fit, handsome man in his forties, with a thick mustache and a deep tan, leftover from years of cricket, golf and rugby on the country club grounds. He wore thick goggles with small magnifying lenses on them, to look for imperfections in his roses and quickly dispose of them. Thorns, bad leaves, insects. All were swiftly eradicated.

Through the doors, wrought iron and decorated with intricate curls and rose patterns, strode Squelge. By his side was Lucinda, now free of her leash. At the guarded door, Barker stood on the other side and leaned against the wall.

Chairman Rose look up for a moment from his roses.

“Oh dear,” He said to himself. “A couple of rats in the garden.”

Squelge bowed deeply and swept off his topper, a few rats falling from it.

“Chairman,” He said with his forced annunciation, putting his hat back on. He looked around, smiling a forced close-mouthed grin. He waited for the Chairman to speak but he did not.

“The garden is looking…splendid as ever.”

“Have you any information, Squelge?” Chairman Rose was abrupt and tired-looking.  

“I’m afraid that’s not why I’m here.” Squelge said.

“Hmph.” Rose said, without looking at Squelge. “Then Mr. Grulling in the Treasury department owes me ten notes. I knew you’d be the first one to come crawling on your belly for your pocket money.”

Squelge furrowed his bushy grey brows and opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again. The Rat Master was attempting to rethink his strategy, but was coming up short.

“It’s funny, you wif all these roses, ain’t it?” Squelge commented, watching the Chairman clip the thorns.

“The irony is not lost on me.” The Chairman said, without looking up.

An uncomfortable silence settled, only interrupted by the steady hiss of the sprinklers misting the hundreds of leafy green plants and the occasional squeak of one of Squelge’s mice.

“Chairman, I have it in writing.” Squelge pulled out an old document, faded with age. “It’s old, but it should still 'old up.”

“Yes,” Rose said. “And I’m sure the treasury department will be hearing that at least ten thousand more times this week.”

Squelge gritted his teeth and began to feel anger bubbling up inside.

“I’m not just some boy who served a week and was sent home with a broken nose!” Squelge spat, clenching his fists. “Years! Years and years of my babies and I making sacrifices for this country! I brought over information, I was tortured, I freed a work camp myself, JUST ME!”

“I’m familiar with your service at Greycliff.” Rose had finished with one rose and moved onto the next. “Resourceful, courageous, patriotic. Even putting your…affliction…to good use.”

He cast a glare towards Lucinda and back at Squelge.

“You were given three medals and everyone knows your name. But…no matter if you’d saved us all singlehandedly, I can’t authorize it. Not for anyone.”

Rose brushed his hand across the table, sending little dead leaves fluttering to the floor.

 "The compensation you fellows received was always far too extravagant to my way of thinking anyways. I suppose when a war ends, we’re so happy it’s over, we simply lose our heads and give our heroes everything.” The Chairman clipped a few stray leaves from the stem of the white roses. “I had to do something for the relief effort."

“Are the human’s compensations being cut at all? Hm?” Squelge said. “Or are you letting the Tahnzi and men like me go first?!”

“My, my. You certainly are in rare form today, Squelge.” Rose said. “You’re not going to send your mutt in to rough me up, are you?”

Chairman Rose looked out the glass door to Barker, who still leaned against the wall, cross-armed.

“Strange,” Rose said. “Always with a companion, but never a wife. One would think you had no interest to marry. How very odd.” 

“Mind if I take yours then? I hear she’s not getting any use from you anymore.”  

It was the most well-known secret in the capital that Chairman Rose kept several mistresses and rumors persisted that his wife was frigid.

Rose walked down from his platform and stood in front of Squelge. Squelge was slightly taller, but Chairman Rose was still intimidating none the less.

“Believe me,” He said, his eyes narrowing. “I’ve much more on my plate than listening to you beg for money to piss away. Take your filthy rat and leave.”

Lucinda hissed at Chairman Rose. 

“You ain’t the only one with power, mate.” Squelge said darkly, stepping away from Rose. “My darlings…”  

A rat came creeping from under a table and then another and another, till nearly fifty rats had flocked from the crooks and crannies of the green house to Squelge’s feet.

“You know, I can always weed out the diseased rats, even if they don’t tell me.” Squelge said. “Every year, I lead ‘em to a cliff where I tell ‘em there’s lots of food waiting and…I push ‘em off into the sea. It hurts me…but I do it for the “Grand City.”

He walked back to Rose with all of the rats following behind.

“It would be just as easy for me to bring them in as it would be to push them out.”

Rose’s face remained stony and hard as he went the wall and pressed a button. The heavy doors opened and soldiers with masks with eerie blank faces with only slits to see and breathe, came pouring through, large guns slung across their shoulders. Squelge could see Barker being surrounded by a few of them, as he himself and his babies were.

Rose nodded to the General Paperface. Squelge quickly grabbed Lucy up in his arms as a soldier yanked him out of the line of fire. The Paperfaces mowed down nearly every rat with their fire. 

“Stop!” Squelge cried out, holding a wriggling Lucy. Two pulled Lucy from Squelge’s grip, one ramming the butt on his gun in Squelge’s stomach. Squelge fell to the ground Lucy bit and clawed at the soldiers, but they seemed to take no notice. They held her to the ground and a soldier stood above her, his rifle pointed directly down at her head.

“Is this a display of your power, Squelge?” Rose said, mockingly. “Please, let me show you mine.”

“I HAVE INFORMATION!” Squelge shouted, hoarsely. “ABOUT THE SNOWFALLER! I DO! I DIDN’T TELL YOU BEFORE!”

“Indeed?” Rose raised his brow.

“Y-yes, yes, just away from Lucy!” Squelge cried, looking to Lucy who struggled under the weight of the men.

“Go on, then.” Rose said.

“The Snowfaller was pregnant, with…I dunno, something,” Squelge said. “And she gave birth.”

“You’re lying.” But the tone in Rose’s voice was unsure.

“It was swollen when it was last seen.” Squelge said. “I gave all my information years ago and I’m giving information now.

“Where did you hear this?”

“Where do you think?” Squelge said, looking to the dead rats on the ground. “They gossip, but they ain’t smart enough to lie, rats. They’re simple, ya see.”

“When did this happen?”

“Must have been a while ago.” Squelge said. “Enough time for it to grow.”

“Then it must be…found.” Rose said. “Where is it?”

“Now that I ain’t tellin ya’” Squelge said. “And ain’t no one but the rats know.”

“You’ll tell me or I’ll have your head.”

“I won’t and you won’t find it till it’s a big enough problem ta knock on your front door, Chairman.” Squelge said. “You give me what I’m owed and Barks and I’ll bring it back to you. Lucy can track it. Rats can describe smells. She already knows what this thing smells like.”

Rose seemed to be thinking for a while.

“Well, it would get you out of my hair…” Rose pondered aloud. “If what you say is true, you are to find the beast and bring it back to me alive. If you do, I’ll triple your allowance. If not…don’t bother coming back.”

Mr. Rose went back to his table.

“Men, you will escort Mr. Squelge on his journey.” Rose turned to the General. “He has six months. If he comes up with nothing, shoot him.”

 

Scene Six – Squelge and Barker set off

 Squelge, Barker and Lucy-Darling leave with a small band of Paper-Faces. Barker can hardly believe what is happening.        

“Once we get to the car, I say we make a break for it, mate,” Barker gruffly, in a hushed tone. “Clean getaway.”

“You outta yer gourd, Barks?” Squelge whispered. “Then we’ll never be able to come back to the only good city in this wasteland! We’ll have ‘em on our backs forever and I’ll never get my money! My precious money! All of my cute, darling little notes! We’ll have to work for them! Me? Work for a living?!”

“I mean…we could do that.” Barker said, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous!” Squelge said, waving his hand dismissively. “Besides, rats are too stupid to lie. They’re just a bunch of bloody, little gossips. There must be something out there. Besides, Lucy knows the smell of the thing, don’t’cha, darling?”

The Rat chattered excitedly as hoped into the shiny orange automobile. Eight Paperfaces, loaded and dressed in military uniform, crammed into the car behind them.

“We know it’s somewhere in Light Island.” Squelge said. “And we know it’s a kid. I’m pretty sure we’d be able to spot some little monster-spawn. Oh, think of the money, the possibilities, Barksy!”

“If we find it.”

“We will! We will find it!” Squelge revved up the car. “Look out Snow-Baby! Squelgey’s out for the big bucks! Hahaha!”

The car takes off from the property and out of sight.


So in these scenes, I wanted to bring all of my villains together and give them motivation and even a little bit of sympathy. Though Chairman Rose is corrupt, brutal and abrasive, he is a frazzled man who just wants a moment alone in the garden to relax, which is partly why is so annoyed by Squelge. And Squelge, who is greedy and conniving, only wants what he was promised. Squelge also has moments of vulnerability to him, revealing the personal sacrifices that makes to keep the city safe and then how much he loves Lucy.

I have tried in these scenes to make sure that the character's personalities are correct and that all of their motivations make sense. I want this story to have as much life and depth that I can bring to it.

Further Progress: Finishing "Snow"

I am progressing with this story and plan to complete it by the end of the week.

I have been giving a lot of thought to backstory in my graphic novel, as well as the aesthetic. My mother own a wonderful book series entitled "This Fabulous Century," which has a book dedicated to every decade of the 1900's. This has been helpful research to me. I am particularly studying the 1920s. The book covers the history, the Crash, the fads, the fashions and pop culture of the decade. This is helping me write what leads up to the events of "Snowfall," which is set in an alternate 1929. For what is going on in the story's present to make sense, I have to flesh out the past.


Many of the characters in my novel are older to help establish some of these references to what happened in the world before my character, Snow, came into it (many older characters often reference "The Greycliff Siege," my world's version of WW1.)

I have also decided to include segments that are in the style of radio broadcasts, so that I can provide some exposition and still have these transitions fit the period (well, the fantasy version of it, anyhow) that I am writing for.

I am also continuing to experiment with creative transitions. I have taken an interest in pages that have no formal separation, but chunks of dialogue. I find this style interesting and I think that it can add a feeling of surreality and the abstract to my story.

For example, in the illustration on the top left, Snow is at a ceremony commemorating the life of her late adoptive father, a world famous physician and philanthropist loved the world over. The event is being broadcast over the radio and as part of the ceremony, people can speak about any experiences they had with Dr. Light.

A man gets up tells a story of Dr. Light saving his sons life. This experience can be paralleled in Snow's life, as Dr. Light also saved her life. I thought that to keep this feeling, I wanted this sequence to all be one page. For me, it just made sense.


Another thing that I want for a lot to be shown, not told. The "telling" is a common and tempting pitfall as a writer (or at least for me it is), but it is so much more powerful to show and with the ability to show through descriptions AND illustration, there is so much potential for a really striking image that says everything.

Snowfall Scene: Squelge and Barker

According to the syllabus, there is not a blog due this week, but I wanted to share with you a scene that I have written for Snowfall that introduces two of my villains.

In the last scene that I submitted on this blog, my main character Snow was delivered and rescued by the retired physician Dr. Light from her frightening mother, The Snowfaller. The only other witness to this event was a wood rat. Nearly a year later, through a chain of gossip between rats, the news reaches the other side of the world, in the enormous, thriving Vizarro Grand.
Here, we meet Illius Squelge, a man who speaks to rats and his friend, a half-dog man, named Barker. Squelge, a man who speaks to rats, finds himself in a situation that threatens his frivolous lifestyle (and suspects that racism may be behind it.) Luckily for Mr. Squelge, a rat delivers some very, VERY important information to him, information that would be very useful in negotiating for what he wants.

Scene Four - Mr. Squelge and Barker

On the other side of the world, in the gigantic city of Vizarro Grand, we see a rat running through the street. It gossips to another rat who takes off down a long alley. We see the rat turn and run down several more streets. As he whispers to another rat, we see two men walking down a narrow, back alley street.

 On the left is a man, skinny as a rail, his grey braid swaying with his hoppy, dance-like movements as he walked. The man would occasionally twirl or tap his cane, fitted with a silver handle in the shape of a rat’s head, on the ground. His beaver-skin topper and long, patched overcoat stuck out oddly among the people walking by, not only because the outfit was nearly twenty years behind the current fashion, but because out of his many pockets little rodents peeked out, whiskers twitching, and round the brim of his has was a tiny wire railing, which kept the mice from falling off.

The man beside him was opposite in nearly every way. He was a towering, grim-faced fellow in plain clothing. His boxy shoulders, hulking arms and a severe underbite with a single tooth jutting out, gave him the appearance of a Neanderthal. The cap that fit snuggly over his head did a poor job of hiding the pointed ears that protruded underneath the fabric.

“Well, Barks,” We overhear the man begin, annunciating things sharply to mask a common accent: “we have already imbibed and gambled at the three penny parks and said “’Ello” to nearly every painted Lulu on the street, and it’s not even 2 o’clock yet. Ha! What a life, aye?”

 “I don’t really think that counts as saying “’Ello” to ‘em if ya’ jus’ play Mah-Jong wif ‘em.” Barker observed. 

“I pay ‘em to do what I want to do wif ‘um, which is to play a lovely tile game with me. Besides, I can always get a laugh out of ‘um, unlike you.” Mr. Squelge said. “Ya know I love ya, Barks, but you’re about as cheerful as an undertaker.”

From above, a red-faced man on the balcony of a building called down to Mr. Squelge.

“Top o’ the morning, Mr. Squelge!” The man called, smiling broadly.

“Good morn’in and e’ryblessin!” Mr. Squelge called, tipping his hat.

“Where you off too?” The man called.

“Off to pick up Lucy and pick up the ‘ol paycheck!” Squelge called. 

“Oy, never enough is it? Especially these days!” The man called, with a hearty laugh. “Have a good day!”

“And you!” Mr. Squelge called up.

The pair stopped at a pretty blue shop, with a wide viewing window in the front where several ladies in matching blue uniforms were washing and grooming several dogs. The pair went in and came out a few minutes later with not a dog, but an enormous white rat, the size of a basset hound, on a leash. Around her neck was a collar, with a bright pink bow and a tag that read: “Lucinda.”

The white rat walked like an iguana, feet turned in and hissed and sputtered at those that passed. Her blood red eyes narrowed at the rats who followed at Squelge’s feet and she bared her long sharp teeth menacingly at them.

“Now, Lucy-Darling,” Mr. Squelge said. “Do you feel much more a lady?”

The rat squeaked and chattered at Squelge, as a woman walking a dog passed. 

“No, we’ll feed you when we get home.” Squelge said, firmly as Lucy-darling eyed the dog. “We’ve got to stop at my mailbox first. Time for my allowance! After the motorcar, I’d thought we’d be eating scraps for a month.”

“Still dunno why ya bought the damn thing,” Barker muttered. “You can’t even get it through these narrow roads ‘ere.”

“Now, now, Barks,” Squelge said brightly, tipping his hat to a lady that walked past. “I worked and waited my whole life to be an extravagant fool, and by god, that’s what I’m going to be.”

The pair stopped along the side of a building that had many brass mailboxes in rows along the wall. Mr. Squelge unlocks the little door and removes an envelope. He continued to chatter as he opened it.

“So, I was thinking, how about that new place that opened on Rose Street. Steaks and ribs, I think. I dunno, either way, I’m just absolutely famish-“ Mr. Squelge’s eyes widened as he counted the notes that were in the envelope.

“This isn’t right…” Squelge said. He reread the message, his eyes growing wider and wider.

 “WHAT?!” Squelge cried out, hands shaking. “I-I-GAH! They can’t DO THIS to me! I’m a bloody national hero!”

“What you on about?” Barker said, as he leaned up against the wall.

“Dear Mr. Illius Squelge,” Squelge growled through gritted teeth. “The Treasury Dept. of Vizarro Grand and Greater Greycliff territories wish to inform you that until further notice all superfluous outflow is to be temporarily suspended. Your monthly allowance will continue as promised, but with the state of emergency that we are in, we ask for your patience in this time. For any questions or concerns, please contact - blah blah blah! HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO ME! HOW DARE THEY? I'M A BLOODY NATIONAL HERO!”  

“I knew we was gonna get crowded out when it got bad enough.” Barker grumbled. “The humans’ll be getting their paychecks cut last, wif’ out doubt. Us Tahnzi-folk always gettin' the shaft.”

 “I’ll go straight to Chairman Rose himself!” Squelge spat, crumpling the letter in his fist. “I’ve got it in writing! I am getting what I was promised! They ain’t rippin’ me off!” 

 A rat soon begins to squeak at him by his shoe.

“Wot are you on abou’?” Squelge said. The rat repeats himself.

“It can’t be. How? Where?”

The rat squeaks again.

Squelge’s jaw has dropped and then he seems to get an idea.  

“I have just received some very valuable information, Barks,” Squelge stuffs the letter in his pocket and straightens himself up. “C’mon. We’re going to see the Chairman.”

The pair set off down the street, Squelge with a spring back in his step.

 

 

 

Further Snowfall Progress

Dr. Light ventures into the woods...

I've been continuing work on Snowfall. I've also finalized a few more chapters of my story as well, adding a few new characters and going through my already written chapters to make sure that the story makes sense and there aren't any glaring mistakes or plot holes.


With my artwork, I'm at work sketching and inking my scenes and adding them into ComicLife to build the foundation of my novel. I am then bringing in the dialogue from my word working with making panels less like storyboards and introducing scene transitions that are not just cut and dry. I've discovered through this that instead of harsh, hard-lined boxes, I like using atmosphere to separate scenes.

Inked Scene: Dr. Light prepares Snow's first meal.
 

I've also been working on reoccurring themes in the story. I think by having them a little more organized, I can weave them into my novel more effectively and create a richer story. A few of my story's themes:

- Created Families and Adoption: In the world of Snowfall, Snow is abandoned by her mother and her father, who remains a mystery through most of the story. The only family Snow ever seems to know or encounter are ones that are made up and have no blood ties. Throughout the novel we see reoccurring instances of loving created families and distant blood-related families.

- Racism and Interracial Relationships: In my story, the world is full segregation (a great deal of it self-imposed) and intolerance. There are humans and "Tahnzi," human-like people with varying degrees of animal-like characteristics. The Tahnzi are met with mild aggression to being kept against their will as "pets." Snow has feelings for her friend, a Quetzal bird named Bertie, who is Tahnzi. Their relationship is generally considered taboo and "dangerous" by humans, many of which hunt Quetzal's for sport (our main antagonist is often seen sporting a Quetzal feather tie pin.)

- Making Tough Choices:  Many times in the story, Snow is faced with making a tough challenge. Early in the story, she is separated from her guardian Rigby. When she discovers that he has been captured, she makes it her mission to save him. Along the way, Snow continues to make friends and is nearly always forced to part with them so that she can save Rigby.

- Victim-Blaming: Several times in the story Snow encounters forms of victim-blaming. After she buys a new red dress, she is chased by a gang of "Squealers," men with the head of boars. When she later explains the incident, someone implies that she shouldn't have worn "that color." Tahnzi characters also encounter this when they are bothered or attacked.

- Destiny: Throughout the novel, many characters often reference the fact that their destiny is out of their control and therefore take no initiative or responsibility for things. Snow discovers that she has certain abilities that do make her powerful. The novel takes the stance that there is no pre-determined fate, that it is your actions that are your power.

Snowfall is beginning to take shape finally!





"Snowfall" Progress

 



I have completed the first six chapters of my story "Snowfall" and I'm fitting my scenes into Comic Life. I'm working on concept art for the upcoming chapters and finalizing my ideas. Below I am posting the first scene of my story, as well as some character profiles.

SnowFall, Scene 1

"It is a frigid, snowy night in what appears to be a remote wooded area. There is a strange sound echoing through a clearing of the forest, in a small hill, we see a large house, with the appearance of a place well-loved, but worn with age. Through a first floor window, an elderly man cups his hands to the glass and peeks through.

“What on Earth do you suppose, Rigby?” Dr. Light said, addressing the goldfish that swam in a bowl by the table, as the howling wind whistled and the snow swirled. The sound outside was a terrible strangled cry.

The Doctor furrowed his brows. 

“Well, if something’s hurt…” The Doctor thought aloud, not finishing his sentence as he walked to the door, throwing on a heavy coat. From a table beside the door, he grabs a doctor’s bag and a lantern and heads out the door. The elderly man fights the heavy wind and journeys deeper into the forest, towards the wretched sound.

After walking a ways, he spots a light through the trees where the sound seems to be coming from. As he approaches, he sees a stunning sight. There is a gigantic circle of icy stalagmites, glowing and jutting up from the frozen ground like a crown, as a sort of barricade. In the center was a figure, doubled over, making the sound. It is bent down and it appears blood is gushing from between its legs. It is attempting to give birth. Dr. Light steps backwards, frightened and makes a sound. The creature turns and looks at him. It is a terrifying creature with a icy, crown-like head and frosty, blank eyes. It is at first fearsome, then pathetic. Dr. Light cautiously approaches it.

“Hello! I’m a doctor,” He called out, stepping forward. He held out his bag with the tools. “You see? Please allow me to help you!”

The monster seems to ignore him until he comes closer. Up close, the monster is even more terrifying. Towering over him, even when bent over slightly, she was well over six feet and would roar and thrash her head about. Finally she drops to the ground, trying to hold herself up.

“Let me help you.”

He cautiously puts a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at him through wincing and roars in his face, a burst of icy snowflakes on his face. He looked down and could see something emerging.

“It’s not going to come out that way, it needs to be turned!” He says, loudly. She tried to swipe at him with claw like hands but has become too weak. Dr. Light grabs the clawed hand and holds it.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I’m going to help so the pain’ll be over.”

The creature looks around wildly and then cries out in pain again. He directs her to turn onto her back as he grabs his bag. She starts to whine and groan as he spreads her legs and helps deliver the child.

From the creature, emerged not a baby, but a small, bloody child, who appeared as a human-looking girl of no more than two. The doctor had seen horrors this night, and this was not least among them. Never in all his born days, more than fifty years practicing as a physician all over the world, had he seen or heard of something like this. How could something have grown so old within the creature’s womb? The doctor removed his cloak and wrapped the child, whose eyes remained shut, but cried weakly, in his brown rag coat.

“Your…your child.” He said, attempting to hand the bloody bundle to the mother.

But the creature had already began to stand, the gush of blood between her legs slowing.

“I never want to see it again.”

Then with a rush of wild ice and snow, wind flared up around her, whipping around her icy-looking garments. Her power seemed to surge so powerfully, the protective crown of ice cracked and split. She took off, fast as can be, seeming to run a top the air, just above the ground.

Dr. Light was left standing there, holding the child that cried softly. He wondered if the child knew how unwanted it was because when she opened her bleary eyes, she looked in the direction her mother had fled and shut them again.

As Dr. Light fled the circle, back towards the house, a woodrat, who had witnessed everything, runs into the forest."

 

I have also been organizing little character profiles.

 

Snow

Snow is the protagonist of "Snowfall." She is a child born from the wild and dangerous "Snowfaller." Snow is adopted by the kindly Dr. Light and lives with him for many years. After the doctor's death, Snow finds herself thrown into a frightening world filled with magic, tragedy and wonder. With the help of her friends and a magical doctor's bag, Snow grows and learns to courageous and strong, think for herself and be kind to others.

The Snowfaller

The mysterious ice monster that gave birth to Snow. This ethereal, but dangerous creature seemed to come from nowhere, using her elemental powers to destroy anything in her path. Her fury has destroyed railways, villages and countless lives, making her the biggest natural disaster in the world's history. She flees after giving birth to Snow, who later begins to come to terms with just how dangerous her mother is.

Dr. Light

Dr. Xandrius Light is a wealthy, world-famous doctor, now retired and living on his own island. His world traveling days have come to an end and the Doctor has grown accustomed to a comfortable life in his house with his goldfish, Rigby. He delivers Snow and adopts her when she is abandoned by the Snowfaller. Even after he passes, the values that Dr. Light has instilled in Snow persist and influence her decision-making and what type of person she will become.

Chairman Rose

 

While Dr. Light is raising Snow, on the other side of the world, Chairman Icarius Rose is the most powerful man in the world's biggest city, Vizarro Grand. An extremely popular politician nearing the end of his first term in office, Chairman Rose is facing his biggest problem yet: dealing with the Snowfaller. The fallout of the creature's reign of terror has caused an economic depression and widespread panic. When Chairman Rose learns that the Snowfaller gave birth, he decides to have it destroyed. Chairman Rose is the antagonist of the book, but it is later revealed that there is an important element that ties Chairman Rose and Snow together in a way that neither would ever expect.

 

Mr. Squelge and Barker

The bumbling baddies of the story, Mr. Squelge, a man who can speak to rodents, and Barker, a half-man,, half-dog character, are charged with hunting down and bringing Snow to Chairman Rose. With a crew of frightening soldiers with masks for faces and Lucinda, a rat the size of a dog, they travel across the world to catch Snow and turn her in for a huge cash reward.

Rigby

Rigby is Dr. Light's goldfish, who is then turned into a man. Rigby becomes Snow's guardian after Dr. Light's death and her first "true friend." He is a tall, gangly man with wavy copper-colored hair and gigantic, circular glasses. He is highly intelligent, rather nervous and completely neurotic. When he and Snow become separated, it is her duty to find him again.

Bertie

Throughout her travels, Snow accidentally encounters a rare and beautiful creature, a Quetzle Bird named "Bertie." Bertie is an enthusiastic and proud (if not slightly boastful) young bird who allows Snow to stay in his nest home with him when she is injured. Bertie is Snow's second "true friend" and the friendship between them hints a romantic relationship. Bertie is small and light, graceful like a dancer and covered in brilliant blue and green feathers.

Strongheart

Another animal-turned-human friend, Strongheart is Snow's third "true friend" found throughout the course of the story. Strongheart saves Snow in a perilous situation and swears herself to Snow as a bodyguard and, eventually, a surrogate mother-figure. Strongheart, as a dog, is sleek and athletic. As a human, she is an Indian woman in a guard's uniform. She is six feet tall, with a extremely long, raven hair wrapped into a huge bun at the back of her head and two scimitars on her back. Strongheart provides Snow with a sense of peace and clarity and Strongheart is fulfilled with having someone to love and protect.

"Blankets" of Snow

I was going to use a source mentioned in my proposal, but after I met with my teacher Monica and I was embarrassingly unprepared, I was given “Blankets” by Craig Thompson to refer to when working on my project and I’ve found it much more helpful than the source I originally referred to. This story is beautifully and creatively structured, as is the story and dialogue. This graphic novel has been giving me ideas of how I should be approaching my novel.

Generally, when I am telling a story, my mind is the lens of a film camera and I am attempting to think of all of the interesting ways to show the action. Of course, though, this is not a film, it’s a graphic novel and I’m trying to break myself of my habit to layout my stories as a storyboards.

I generally err towards larger panels because, for aesthetic purposes, a cluttered page with about fifty panels and crammed dialogue bubbles just turns me off. I am taking note of this novel though. The layout of each page is varied, some with lots of panels, but it is never over-crowded.

Moments in the story with real weight demand a fair amount of attention, so I can’t just have each panel be the same size. It takes away from the importance of the moment, so I really need to figure out appropriate sizing for each panel.

There are a lot of moments in the story of this novel that demonstrate a valuable story-telling lesson: show, don’t always tell. There are many moments when nothing is said at all in the main character’s internal monologue, but simply shown in an image or in reaction shots. There is one particular section of the story that really sticks with me. The main character is leaving a girl that he has really fallen for. They have to separate after a visit and there is a page of the car he is in backing out of a parking lot and then just falling off the face of the earth. Translating that heartbreaking feeling into a single image is just so much more powerful than explaining it and giving it the space of an entire page adds to the impact of it.

 

This story has been helpful when helping think of how to approach my story in terms of not only the layout and my artistic decisions, but also the story and dialogue, creating a meaningful story that shows, and doesn’t just tell. This author has his own unique style, which is something that I hope to create and begin to lay the foundation for in this project.