Behind the scenes of Ascendant's Demon
The inner workings of collaboration between a writer and an illustrator.
Hello to you, my Misfit friend.
Almost two weeks ago, we released the first short story of our initiative, 'The Ghosts Within Us.' I've talked about it enough here, but one last reminder for those who missed it: from now on, and for the next twelve months, paying subscribers will receive two short stories each month. Each month will feature a comic and a prose story accompanied by stunning illustrations (more on this at the end of this newsletter). And at the end of the twelve months: everyone who subscribed for at least a year will receive a physical copy compiling the 24 stories into a beautiful book, at no extra cost!
The first one, Ascendant’s Demon, was released almost two weeks ago. Again, for those who missed it, you can check it out here. While the initiative is primarily for paying subscribers who support us financially, the first two stories are and will remain free so that potential readers can get an idea of what we're offering.
Today, I've decided to give you a glimpse into the collaboration between Jeremy Huet and Huan Wilches, the two talents behind AD. A quick look back at the journey from the initial drafts to the final version that you can read at any time if you haven't already!
Page 2: A charisma issue
AD tells the descent into hell of a father and his son who are trying to mend the pieces of a badly damaged relationship. The first two pages revisit the youth of Ruben, the father. To say he wasn't the ideal son-in-law would be an understatement.
On the second page, young Ruben finds himself threatening an old man on a suburban train. While, in my opinion, the page's composition works very well, we encountered an unexpected issue with Jeremy (the writer): the victim of Ruben was too charismatic in the first version.
Huan is very skilled at character design, but in this instance, he went a bit overboard. To use Jeremy's words during the debrief of the initial pages: "He has too much charisma! I want to know who this super classy old guy with his hat and flamboyant mustache is, now! I want to read his adventures."
That's how we ended up with a victim who doesn't steal the spotlight from our protagonist:
Page 3: Keeping It Real
Page 3, back to the present, to the monotony of day to day life. Ruben has grown up, calmed down, and has become a father in the meantime. But the divide between him and his son is more than just generational. This page depicts a scene that anyone could witness while waiting for a train: a father and his son having an awkward exchange on a train platform.
Before collaborating with Happy Misfits, Huan was already a very talented illustrator. For instance, he was already capable of creating this kind of wonder:
However, while he dreamed of working in comics, he had never really tackled the exercise. As illustrated perfectly by the drawing above, before being entrusted with the drawing of AD, Huan had a rich imagination that nourished his drawing skills. However, after two quite dynamic opening pages, it was time to ask him to depict the banality of daily life.
Here’s the first version:
The script talked about the distance between Ruben and his son. A distance that was ultimately more emotional than physical. A distance that felt too unnatural in this first version. Also, depicting a train platform clearly took Huan out of his comfort zone.
After a feedback session with Jeremy (who is probably a better editor than me in this regard), Huan decided to prove to us that he had what it takes even when he had to draw something other than monsters or action sequences.
And the least we can say is that he convinced us:
We'll notice the attachment he had for this young girl on her phone 👀
Page 6: Hazy Influences
The first version of this page was drawn before the feedback mentioned in version 2 of page 3. It features the empty station and that infamous grumpy tree. However, the discussion during the feedback mainly revolved around two seemingly insignificant elements: the cigarette smoke in the second panel and Ruben's facial expression in the last one.
Huan undeniably has manga influences. Ruben's embarrassed face at the end of the page is the ultimate proof, if any were needed. Although his expression made me smile upon first reading, Jeremy pointed out that it contrasted too much with the overall atmosphere of the story and Ruben's tough-as-nails past. And he was right. But the point that both of us raised, which might seem insignificant at first glance, was the importance of accentuating the smoke blown by this character we referred to as Fridge behind the scenes.
All non-smokers have experienced this: that unpleasant cloud of smoke that invades your nostrils without you asking for it. Those foul odors of torched tar and charred tobacco that flood your delicate little nose (full disclosure: I'm totally a smoker 👀).
Here, this smoke is at the heart of a budding conflict. A turning point in the story. It had to be almost a character in its own right. That's how we got to this second version:
And I'll stop here for this behind-the-scenes preview. Revealing more would be spoiling the story for those who haven't read it yet. But a more detailed making-of will accompany the physical version of The Ghosts Within Us!
Some announcements
If you've read Ascendant's Demon and want to discuss it with us, provide feedback, or ask us questions, we now have a subreddit dedicated to all that!
We hope to see you there, and we promise a warm welcome!
The second story from The Ghosts Within Us, which will also be free, is coming online in just two short days! Shaft, written by Juan Carlos Fernandez. An author hailing all the way from Florida who possesses a writing style reminiscent of Bukowski, does us the honor of being our first prose short story writer.
But as we know you appreciate beautiful artwork, it will be accompanied by three illustrations that, we are sure, will leave a lasting impression on your mind. Readers of the new version of the French magazine Métal Hurlant, published by Humanoids Publishing, might recognize the name of the artist behind these true works of art: Jorg de Vos.
If his name doesn't ring a bell, do yourself a favor and search his name on Google to see what this guy is capable of. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a preliminary sketch he did this summer to give you a taste of what to expect with this new horror story.
Wishing you a pleasant start to the week, my Misfit friend. See you in a few days for the release of Shaft!
Steeve Aubert
CEO of Happy Misfits Publishing