(Character study): Monsters and fiction creatures

(Nazgul of “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy. Peter Jackson. 2001-2003.)
REFERENCE:
{Lord of the Rings. A film trilogy inspired in the book. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson. 2001 to 2003. The three parts are “The Fellowship of the Ring”, “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King”. About the middle earth and the mision of a differents creatures (hobbits, elfs, humans and dwarvens) to destroy a powerful ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, to save the earth.}
For the design of the differents fiction creatures, I did a very big research, from old stories until new references about bestuary and fiction races. One book that is always a good reference about the middle-earth and the magic creatures, is “The Lord of the Rings”.
In this case, the most important reference was the design of Sauron, the dark lord, and the nazguls, in the movie. From the first moment, I was thinking in one design similar to these for Loneliness, the dictator king of the fiction land of my storye (Daydreamland), with a dark robe, with the face hidden.

(The Lord of the Locusts of “Bone”. Comic-book. Jeff Smith. 1991-2004)
{“Bone”}
But a perfect reference for Loneliness was “The Lord of the Locusts”, from the comic-book “Bone” that I explained previosly.

(Rat creatures of “Bone”. Comic-book. Jeff Smith. 1991-2004)
But “Bone” isn't a good reference only for the design of Loneliness. Is a good reference for the research of Fear, the servant of Loneliness, and the commander of the Monster's army. The Rat creatures, servants of The Lord of the Locusts, are stupid and strong creatures, like I would like that will be Fear, a creature who is stronger only when the kid is scared of the unknown world whe he lives. The structure and the design of this creatures, was perfect for be inspired and work about the Fear design, trying to make a kind of orc, like the middle-earth creature, and with “The Lord of the Rings” like a big reference again.

(Kampanilla of the comic-book 'Peter Pank'. 'Max' Francesc Capdevila. 1985)
{“Peter Pank” is a comic-book created by 'Max'. Is a humor and funny parody of the book Peter Pan, but like Peter Pan was a punk boy. So, tinkerbell is a punk girl too, and all the story is more pervert and strange. For example, the bad guy is not a pirate, is a rocker. And the sirens are nymphos.}
Another time, the illustrator 'Max' was a important reference for my work. Now, was his comic-book “Peter Pank” and the character of “Kampanilla”, a sexy faery, a punk representation of Tinkerbell of Peter Pan. This very erotic faery is a different design of the typical faeries, and this is the reason because I think that I need to do a similar faery, a representation of the feelings that the young Jerric has about his first love.

(“Faery” by Brian Froud.)
But like principal reference about the faeries (but not about the style, because I was looking for a different kind of illustration), of course I was searching the work of Brian Froud, a illustrator very famous by his faeries illustrations. I was reading the book “Bad faeries/Good faeries” of B. Froud to have better ideas about the faeries, the kind of faeries and his skills.

(Snorlax of “Pokemon”. Animated TV serie. Satoshi Tajiri.)
For last, another important character was Snowlax, a creature of “Pokemon”, the tv serie created by Satoshi Tajiri, about people who search and collect stranges creatures called pokemons. Snorlax is a creature very lazy, who's always sleeping, like “Sloth”, one of the creatures of Jerric's world. So, will be very important draw a similar creature, big, fat, because he'll block the way of Daydreamland.

OWN WORK:
After a good research, make the differents fiction creatures was easier, because I had the ideas very clear, and i was very decided about what I would like to do. So, I was doing only a few sketches this time, until a find the final ones very soon.





(Own sketches. Loneliness and Fear designs)

(Character study): First love, a girl

('Doug'. Animated TV serie. Jim Jinkins. 1991-1999)
REFERENCE:
{“Doug”}
Everybody remembers his first love, that love that change our lives. A lot of popular references: movies or series like Romeo and Juliet, Dawson creek, My girl, Sleeping beauty,...
One story like these is “Doug”, the Tv serie that I explained before. Doug is in love with Patti Mayonaisse, a girl of his class. Like Jerric, he has doubts and he dreams with go out with her. Is a good reference to make a similar story, with the power of the dreams to explain everything that he feels.

(I''s. Comic-book. Masakazy Katsura. 1997-2000)
{“I''s” created by Masakazu Katsura. Japanese comic-book. About the story of a young japanese, Ichitaka Seto, who's in love with Iori, a young girl of his class. He's shy, so he has problems to tell her what are his feelings about her.}
A japanese comic-book artist, Masakazu Katsura, is very famous because his love stories about young people. Usually, the main character is a shy boy, who is in love with a pretty girl who ignores him. And he evolve until he try to get her. This kind of boy is like Jerric, a shy and silent boy, doubtful, who needs to change to be stronger and to try to get everything that he wants.

OWN WORK:
I was doing a lot of sketches, until I found a good design. The character looks like a young girl, more adult than Jerric (taller and more pretty), but with the same age. That final sketche, a girl with ponnytail and with freckless, remembers me my first girlfriend. This is important, because Jerric is a part of me, so his first love need to have a part of my love too.



(Own sketches. 2011.)

(Reflexion): What to do?

('Illustration: Cancelled” by me)
Today I had the work in progress meeting and I received some critiques about my work, that make me confused. I would like to continue doing my own graphic novel, very personal, but I would like to change things to make it like the teachers told me: “more graphic and interesting”.
But I have the doubts about my spanish teacher, who will need a big project to decide and valorate my work. So, I continue working, because is the only thing that always works in my world: work ^^

(Character study): Friend, the eternal fellow traveler

('Doug'. Animated TV serie. Jim Jinkins. 1991-1999)
REFERENCE:
{"Doug". Animated TV serie. Produced by Jumbo Pictures and Ellipse programme. First was in Nickelodeon between 1991 and 1994, later was in Disney between 1996 and 1999. Created by Jim Jinkins. 117 episodes. United States. Is about Doug, a young guy with a dog, who lives in Bluffington. His best friend is Tito Valentino and he's in love with Patti Mayonaisse.}
Nobody is alone. Everybody has a partner: Calvin&Hobbes, Thelma and Louise, Don Quijote and Sancho Panza, Tom and Jerry, Spirou and Fantasio, etc. So, I thought that Jerric will need a best friend. 'Doug' is a animated tv serie that remember me my final project. He has a big fantasy, he's in love and he has the help of his friends.

(Paul Pfeiffer of 'The wonder Years'. Tv Serie. 1988-1993)
{"The Wonder Years". TV serie. Created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. In ABC tv channel between 1988 and 1993. Six seasons. Main actors: Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold) and John Saviano (Paul Pfeiffer). Is about one young guy, Kevin, and his life, in the 60s and 70s.}
Other example of friendship in adolescence is “The Wornder Years”. So, other reason to put a best friend in this history. But will be a friend who starts being a fat and displaced guy, to evolve in Jerric's bestfriend, becuase they are stronger together.
{"The Simpsons"}Milhouse, is other best friend very famous, and his weak too. Is from "The Simpsons", that I explained before. Weakness is a important factor, because they need help, and they can find it in the other.

('Milhouse' of The Simpsons. Animated TV serie. Matt Groening. 1989-2011)
OWN WORK:
These are the sketches: a fat guy, smart (like a freak) and weak.

(Own sketches)

(Character study): Teacher, the experience referent

(School director of 'Recess'. Animation TV serie. Joe Ansolabehere and Paul Germain. 1997-2001) and (Super of “Mortadelo y Filemon”. Francisco Ibañez. 1958-2011)

REFERENCE:
{"Recess"} {"Mortadelo y Filemon". Humor comic-book. Created by Francisco Ibañez, from 1958. Spain. About two special agents, Mortadelo and Filemon, who work for a privated company, CIA. Their boss is Super.}
I have memories of a lot of different teachers, but I remember two things in common: big moustache and glasses. Three of the director I have had in diferent schools (I changed 5 times) had glasses and moustache, like two of my tutors, other teachers or my own father. I think that is for this reason because I think that moustache and glasses are synonyms of intelligence, wisdom Rand authority. The character of Super ('Mortadelo y Filemon') or the director of “Recess” are examples of this kind of people.

(My own sketches)

OWN WORK:
I was working in the idea of moustache and glasses, an lather I was looking for one design very serious, who will inspire respect and fear to Jerric.

(My own sketches)

Finally, I found a style that remember me my teacher of spanish second language (valenciano), who I respected so much. So, I thought that is the perfect kind of character to be the Jerric's teacher.

(My own sketches)

(Character study): Mom, the unsympathetic adult who loves us

REFERENCE:{"Calvin & Hobbes". Bill Watterson}My mom is my most important friend, the person who is always close to me to say me how much she loves me. But sometimes, includes my mom, people don't understand me. And I can imagine that is worse when your mom is a TV addict and doesn't take care about you, like Jerric's mom.
For example, Calvin's mom doesn't understand her son and his huge imagination. So, Calvin has only the friendship of Hobbes. But his mother loves him, because every mom loves her son.

('Mom' of 'Calvin & Hobbes'. Bill Watterson. 1985-1995)

{"Pepper Ann". Animated TV serie. Created by Sue Rose, for the ABC tv channel. Between 1997 and 2001. About the life of a hiperactive and special girl, Pepper Ann Pearson, and her friends. Her mother, Lydia Pearson, is like her but older, and a little bit crazy, like her daughter.}
I remember other kind of original and funny mothers, like the mother of Pepper Ann, a animation tv serie. She was very strange and she never stop to talk. With glasses and dressing like an adult women, this is the kind of design that I'm looking for.

('Pepper Ann'. Animation TV serie. Sue Rose. 1997-2001)

{"Recess". Animation TV serie produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Created by Joe Ansolabehere and Paul Germain. About a group of school students and the time that they spend in the recess. Explain original stories about different students and teachers.}
Other examples are the teacher of the Animation Tv serie 'Recess', a smart and gentle person.

(Teacher of 'Recess'. Animation TV serie. Joe Ansolabehere and Paul Germain. 1997-2001.)

OWN WORK:

So, this is the evolution of the sketches: a old women with glasses, apron and home shoes. A typical housewife and mother.

(Sketches of “mother”. Own work).

(Character study): Bully, remembering a bad guy

("Moe" of 'Calvin & Hobbes'. Bill Watterson. 1985-1995)
REFERENCE:
{"Calvin & Hobbes"}
I remember my school years without melancholy. Between 9 until 16 years old, I didn't have real friends until I went to High school, so I had problems with other students. Like I was little and small, some bad guys were bad with me, like the bully is bad with Jerric.
("Nelson" of 'The Simpsons'. Matt Groening. 1989-2010)
{"The Simpsons". Animated TV serie. Created by Matt Groening for Fox Broadcasting company. 22 seasons. United States. About a american rare and original family from Springfield. The father, Homer Simpson, the mother, Marge Simpson, and his three sons: Bart, Lisa and Maggie. Is famous the big list of differents characters of the story, like Nelson.}
But everybody had a bully in his class. For example, Calvin had one: Moe. Taller, stronger and stupid. Bart Simpson has a stronger classmate too: Nelson.
("Phineas & Ferb". Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. 2008-2010)
{"Phineas and Ferb". Created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy for Disney channel. The adventures of two brothers very smarts and intelligents, Phineas and Ferb, and his friends.}
All bully designs are very similar: taller than main character, with a big structure, (sometimes fat). Other referent was one of the friends of the characters of “Phineas & Ferb”, a animation cartoon. IsI very similar a my first idea, so I worked with this referents, until I found a first good sketche.
OWN WORK. SKETCHES: 

And I worked in this idea. I like it because is veru expressive, and you can understand that is a bad guy, the typical bully.

(Character study): Jerric, looking for the main character

("Calvin" of 'Calvin & Hobbes'. Bill Watterson. 1985-1995)

REFERENCE:
{"Calvin & Hobbes"}
For the design of the main character of my final project, I was researching a lot of examples of kids, comic books and graphic novels. Like I told before, my most important referent was Calvin, he little boy made by Bill Watterson, because he has a big fantasy and his best friend is a Tiger.
{"Little Nemo in Slumberland"}

("Little Nemo" of 'Little Nemo in Slumberland'. Winsor McCay.1905-1911)
{"Little Nemo in Slumberland"}
After, in my first months here, I discovered Little Nemo, other important referent because is a kid who's always dreaming, like my main character.
("Bardín, el superrealista". 'Max' Francesc Capdevila. 2006)
("La biblioteca de Turpín". 'Max' Francesc Capdevila. 1990)
{Francesc Capdevila "Max" is a spanish illustrator and artist from Barcelona (1957). Is a speciallist in illustration, design and story. He made famous stories like "La biblioteca de Turpín" or the character "Bardín". Is very famous because his stories are different, very original and he has differents styles. Sometimes he makes a childhood work, and others an adult comicbooks.}
But I had other referents, like the characters of my spanish favourite illustrator, MAX (Joan Capdevila): “Bardín, el surrealista” y “La biblioteca de Turpín”. I like his simple style, very personal and original.
("Las aventuras de Marco Antonio y Cleopatra". Mique Beltrán. 1996)
Other referent was the comic-book “Las aventuras de Marco Antonio y Cleopatra”, because is a typical cartoon design very funny and simple, but always works, making very funny adventures.
MY OWN WORK. SKETCHES:

So, I was working in a lot of examples and sketches, looking for the final character. Was a very long way, because I was looking for the best character as possible.

When I had a main idea, I was working in different sizes, hair, eyes, … Until I choose one, very similar to me, and this is importanto too, because the character needs to have one part of me.


His name is Jerric, that means “the ruler” and “strong of mind”.