In a post on her artistic techniques, Colleen Doran reveals that she’s working on a graphic novel with Neil Gaiman, to be published by Dark Horse. The two previously collaborated on issues of THE SANDMAN.
The post wpould be interesting in its discussion of pencilling techniques alone!
My pencil technique is exactly the opposite of what they teach now in art school. I do not use the side of the pencil, or graphite. I use the sharp tip of the pencil, and build up everything from hundreds of strokes. This is the way old masters drew back in the day with silverpoint. It’s a look I love, but almost no one does it because it is so laborious. The popular prejudice is for the 1950-ish commercial art drawing style. I like that, but it’s not what I want to do myself.
I am using this technique on the new Neil Gaiman graphic novel I am doing for Dark Horse. You can imagine how happy I am to be doing this project! The drawings will then be colored with thin washes of watercolor, digitally, or both.
The drawing above of Thessaly and the Sandman is a commission piece and not a sneak peek at the book.
As for what this book might be about…we’ll have to call out the legion of internet detectives for that.
She is also currently adapting a Neil Gaiman short story into graphic novel form for Dark Horse, which will be released in 2012.
Thanks to detective Synsidar for the ground work on this.
What a tease!
I imagine that the new Dark Horse Graphic Novel will be an adaptation of one of Gaiman’s short stories, like the P. Craig Russel Murder Mysteries or the Michael Zuli strange Case of Miss Finch. Just a guess, of course.
Fortunately, you ARE an Internet detective, right Heidi?
RIGHT?
I’m excited about this, whatever it is.
http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/books/Chus-Day/?isbn13=9780062017819&tctid=100
Meanwhile, a picture book in January.
And…
Stardust: the Gift Edition – Deluxe Signed Limited ($150)
I hope that it’s an original story, NOT an adaptation of a previously published short.
@Peter – You and me both.
Torsten gave it the old college try by asking Collen Doran directly in her comments section, but didn’t get very far. I suspect an announcement should be forthcoming.
I found this statement re the Gaiman project: She is also currently adapting a Neil Gaiman short story into graphic novel form for Dark Horse, which will be released in 2012.
If that’s correct, the possibilities are fairly limited.
SRS
“She is also currently adapting a Neil Gaiman short story into graphic novel form”
In which case I would throw my full support behind the project if she were to adapt the short story
‘Being an Experiment Upon Strictly Scientific Lines’
from Angels and Visitations.
I would guess “Chivalry” among the Gaiman short stories I’m familiar with that haven’t been adapted to comics yet. I’d also guess they’d try to get her old adaptation of “Troll Bridge” in there, maybe expanded and/or newly coloured to make a two-story book like the Zulli/Gaiman CREATURES OF THE NIGHT.
Ms. Doran is usually very secretive with projects, until the publisher announces them. As she should be.
I remember her teasing artwork for “Mangaman” at the American Library Conference in DC in June 2010. The book was published in November 2011.
She did the same with “Gone to Amerikay”.
Since she posts so much wonderful and entertaining stuff on her website, one doesn’t mind the wait. It’s worth it.
—
But it does make for interesting conjecture:
What’s your favorite Gaiman short story?
Which would you like to see adapted to comics?
Who should do the adaptation?
And:
Should Dark Horse dust off the business model they used for Harlan Ellison and adapt it for Neil Gaiman?
http://www.comics.org/series/5359/