Research Area & Question

The rationale which informs this research area was based on several influences. The main motivate was to develop the groups interest in illustration and art direction. Drawing, as a discipline requires commitment as well as an aptitude. The investment of time needed to produce a graphic novel may be extensive. The group choose thought this would help improve their current skills. The next factor centred around the themes covered with Irish myth. The groups decision to select Irish Folklore as the story topic was based on personal experiences of enjoying mythical stories of different Irish warriors, kings, gods and goddesses. The Fionn MacCumhaill legend held special significance to the group members as they could relate personally with the young character. The young hero Fionn faced trials and tests such as: the Salmon of Knowledge and Fionn and the Dragon. The group members had experienced Fionn’s adventures and many more Irish myths through textbooks. Text based books retold the Irish legends and was usually the first contact of the group and their peers. A recent trend of roughly the last decade is altering this primary encounter of the Irish myth. As the recent resurgence of Irish Folklore has emerged through animation (Ryan, 2006, p 313). Cartoon Saloon’s success (Emerson, 2019, p. 261), and popularity was an appealing way to familiarise young audiences with Irish myth. The group decided it would an interesting topic to investigate if the 18yr to 35yr demographic would consider the graphic novel as an alternative. Graphic novels are visual a contrast from the existing Irish Folklore textbooks which were accessible through school. In addition, the recent growth in the graphic novel as a medium, according to a study by EUDICOM (2021), Enrico Turrin (2021) in his article mentions that global sales of graphic novels have reached 6 billion euros. The above elements formed the research focus into the following subject areas: art, illustration, visual storytelling and how the story of the young Irish folklore hero is introduced to a global and local audience. These themes along with the current consumption of Irish folklore provides the basis for the study. For example, the primary research conducted within the focus group is interested in participants knowledge of, and or, prior knowledge of Irish Folklore.

Graphic Novels vs Comics

As part of the background research the group explored comics and graphic novels as a possible visual vehicle. For the duration of this study the medium and definition of graphic novel will represent a visual story which concludes at the end of the novel. The group plans to relate the entire saga of Fionn’s younger adventures in one edition.

How to create Comic books

The initial steps to creating a comic book have a fresh, unique, and well-flushed story. The creators must write a compelling story that will keep the reader intrigued or tell a story that captures the user’s interest. Brainstorming and planning are critical during the initial phases of creating a comic. A Script is needed and created. The script allows the creators to be focused and maintain a good narrative flow with their panels and illustration. It also prevents any errors that could result in the redrawing of entire pages. As well as the written story, character, and plot, the planning and layout of the pages are fundamental. Most graphic novel creators will roughly sketch each comic book page. This is to allow the illustrators to focus on the overall composition of each panel, ensuring the text and illustrations fit, is the momentum in the story-building and engaging to the reader, to ensure the dialog works and more. Consistency is vital when creating a visual piece. Rules must be established before drawing to ensure the artists maintain a consistent style to prevent any distraction to the readers. It is always essential to start with rough light sketches; detail must not focus on the steps. Each panel must be drawn individually as a whole to allow the planning and composition set up to work. A color palette must be decided on for the overall project; many recommend keeping the palette as simple as possible, characters need to have their own color scheme. Being consistent is critical. The creators decide whether to use hand lettering or digital fonts on graphic novels. Regardless of choice, the text needs to be legible to make an impact. If the comic is being printed, the selected format contributes and complements the overall graphic novel. Blurb’s magazine format is a classic choice for comics. Blurp bookstore has multiple options and ideas for inspiration. It is recommended to create a sample print to see how the graphics will look before commencing with any mass printing. If illustrations are created by hand, one of the quickest and easiest ways to make a comic is using Blurp’s PDF uploader, which allows the creators to scan pages to create a PDF that can be print- ready. Adobe InDesign can be used similarly.

Marvel case study

When creating comics, (Chang, 2012; Marvel Entertainment, 2019) a writer first pitches the idea of a story to the editor of a particular comic book title in a pitch. If the pitch is accepted, the writer and editor will create an outline of a Master Script that will include all essential elements that comprise each comic book panel. This includes characters, text, sound effects. Each page will also have an overall concept in relaying the story to the reader. A penciller will take the master script and will create the first artwork that captures the details of the script accurately. In conventional hand-drawn comic book production, these pencil sketches are then sent to an inker who will turn the sketches into black and white illustrations. The final part of the production process is adding colour and creating a cover for the graphic novel or comic book that accurately reflects the concept of the overall piece.

Why Graphic Novels?

The group choose the graphic novel format as all group members are interested in the creation of graphic novels and hope to pursue this hobby after the completion of their studies. The interest specifically in Manga comics and other genres of comics informed pivotal personal childhood memories. After the first meeting, it was decided that the group would create a visual story of Irish folklore. The decision to take this approach was based on past introductions to Irish folklore through word-based text, with a few illustrations. The group wanted to investigate if this was still the case in the 21st century (Hayot, 2021).

Software

The group had discovered that generally, comic book illustrators use a variety of software. The three most common software’s are: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint. A mix of all three software’s are used as each of them specialise in different categories. For example, Photoshop and Illustrator are used for their various tools to sketch and fill various objects in the drawing. Clip Studio Paint is known for its easy navigation of colouring the subject. As the graphic novel will be line-based art, the group illustrators, Medbh and Clemente, have decided to select Adobe products and ProCreate as their chosen software.

Methodology / Ethical Consideration

In regard to their approach to research, the group would like to construct a list of questions suitable for focus group use, in order to explore the 18yr – 35yr demographic and their thoughts relating to Irish folklore. Also, if the participants are interested in graphic novels. At the time of the printing of this report, the group have applied for ethical approval.

Target Audience

Initial research by the group lead to the identification of the age range of the target audience, 18yr – 35 years old. According to the (Public Library Graphic Novel Survey, 2018) teens were rated the highest group in consumption of graphic novels. In this study, they compare digital and print graphic novels. For example, the format of the graphic novel may change the outcome of buyer percentage in relation to the type of format that the graphic novel finally takes. A study conducted by Library Journal in 2018 surveyed 400 US and Candian participants found, that for print graphic novels, the second highest age group, with 98%, was children, with adults being 94%. In relation to digital graphic novels, the second highest age group was adults at 95%, with children in third with 92%. The group has found this research to be relevant to the project as they are creating both a print and digital version of the graphic novel with a view to creating an appealing graphic novel presentation tailored directly for teens and young adults.

However, there are many young adults who came to Ireland not having learnt about Irish Folklore. They would have learnt about the folklore of their own country. Also, there are many Irish born people who would enjoy rereading Irish folklore as adults. For these reasons, the group decided that the target audience should be the 18yr – 35-year-olds. That does not mean that people younger or older cannot use the website to reread the Irish folklore, but to be designed and developed with specific age group in mind. The range of ages among the demographic are more likely to enjoy using an online developed resource (Hayot, 2021) that they could use anywhere, such as on the bus or at home as they are usually the more tech savvy population who have grown up using the internet for reading.