(Reference): Batman Begins

(Michael Caine in "Batman Begins". 2005)
“Why do we fall, sir?...So that we can learn to pick up ourselves up.”
{"Batman Begins". Movie. 2005. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Is the story of the beginnings of the superhero Batman (Bruce Wayne) and how he'll be the superhero and why he choose the bat like symbol. Michael Caine (Alfred) is the servant of the Wayne's family, and like a second father for Bruce Wayne. He takes care of his lord always.}
This is the work spirit. The perfect sentence of Alfred (Michael Caine) in “Batman Begins” is a good example to follow in every work. Because each mistake, is a lesson to learn.
Each fear and problem that Jerric will be have, will be helpful for future to grow up and be stronger. Finally, this project is about the evolution of one kid, growing up in his own mind.

(Reflexion): Turning point!

("Chaos army" of 'Warhammer'. Rol game)
Last days, I was living a little bit in a big chaos. Life disorder: working until very late, sleeping at morning, with a lot of stuff to do, and each day with less time to finish my final project sketches and follow my own calendary correctly. Until today.
(Flipbook and business card)
Today was the Self-promotion assesment, and see all the works of the people was a very good inspiration, and wasn't a problem see my work in the “no good work box”, a funny litter. Because I learn a lot about the mistakes, like Jerric. Jerric will be a kid who tries to survive in two confusing worlds, using his fantasy to create creatures and find the axis of his life: what he wants to do when he grows up.
Self-promotion is a work for 3rd year of Illustration in my university, Southampton Solent Uni, about create a promotion staff to send and promotion my work (like postcards, little comic-books, business cards, personal magnets and other kind of designs).
(Self promotion. Luke Skinner)
I remember that I decided very early, like Jerric, who will decide what he wants be when he's 10 years old. I decided be a illustrator because is a mix of the 2 things that make me happy: to writte and to draw. Jerric will be a succesful writter, thanks to his big fantasy and creativity. He has a piece of me, because is my own creature, my “perfect” work: a little kid who creates his own world. Like my dear Calvin.

All self-promotion work that I saw today help me to understand that I need to enjoy more the process of make my final major project, because is the only way to make a perfect work: enjoying it! So, my first step is start to make a good presentation work, talking about my feelings, my ideas, my dreams... everything that is going to be inside of this project, and maybe you can't see it. Because this is more than one work made it with pencils, watercolours and photoshop. This is a graphic work that wants to be a good one. One dream that wants to be real.

(Concept): Final scheme of the story

("Little Nemo in Slumberland". Winsor McCay. 1905-1911)
The structure and style of the graphic novel will be a mix between the structure of Calvin&Hobbes and Little Nemo in Slumberland, but with a little more of narrative and “darkness”, like in Sandman.
The final structure will be in 8 chapters, with the next story.
1. Initial Approach.
- Loneliness kingdom. With the help of his servant, Fear.
- The mind is a maze, with a lot of ways and walls (Loneliness made them).
- Kid (Jerric): the world exists inside of him. Alone and misunderstood.
- Beginning of the adventure: walking on unkown ways.
2. Discovering the creatures:
- The creatyres are feeling's representations of Jerric. Accompany/follow (blues) him or scare him (reds).
- Jerric try to scape, like a pasive creature. He search his own promised land (his dream, what he want to be when he'll be adult. He's scared about this question that the teachers/adults ask him). But he's lost and can't find the center of the maze, the exit, the axis of his world.
("Calvin & Hobbes". Bill Watterson. 1985-1995)
3. Jerric falls in love.
(First turning point)
- He meet one girl, a new girl in class.
- She's strange. Sometimes she's nice with him, but other times she's very cruel and cold. She's represented like LOVE, the Faerie's queen, in the dream's world.
- Jerric is confused and doesn't know what do with her (more doubts).
4. Inestability in Dream's world. Earthquake.
- Inestability created by love's feelings about the girl. Earthquakes and the fear very close to find Jerric and capture him.
- Some walls begin to fall, closing all the free ways except one, blocked by Laziness, a bit and fat creature who's always sleeping.
- Jerric hasn't other way to scape. He begin to think about be more active.
5. Revolution:
(Second turning point)
- Jerric, lost and plagued, decides to act.
- He scream to Laziness, who wakes up and leaves the door. Now the way is free.
- His change of actitude, makes that the pasives creatures begin to evolve.
("The Sandman". Neil Gaiman. 1988-1996)
6. War against Loneliness:
-Jerric want to destroy the walls of the maze to be free and find the axis of his world (the paradise). Stars a revolution against Loneliness, looking for him to kill him. Loneliness begin to be less powerful.
- Jerric has the help of the blue creatures. Fear is the first to lose.
- Jerric is the leader of the army. He'll be the new king of his own world.
7. Jerric declares his love:
(Third turning point)
- He's rejected, but he's happy because he has done it.
- Loneliness and Fear lose the battle and disappear.
8. Final. Moral of the story:
-He's happy and the way is free to find his future.
- The axis of his word is be a writter. He find it, the paradise, the center of the maze.
The end.

(Concept): First concepts

(Brain concepts. Blue and red contrast)- Theme:

• Doubts and shames.

- First ideas:

• Main character: a kid.
• Real world: Black and white
• Fantastic world: Two colours (red and blue).
• Real world (common life) and fantastic world (imagination/dream's world)
• Blue: Pasive. Feelings like loneliness, sad, laziness, unhappyness, etc.
• Red: Active. Feelings like fear, love, wrath, fury, anger, etc.

- Basic structure:
8 chapters.

• 1st , presentation main character and initial approach.
• 2nd, presentation relationship between reality and fiction world (dream's world).
• 3rd, first turning point: falls in love. Presentation girl.
• 4th, problems and doubts of the kid. Coming insane.
• 5th, second turning point: revolution of the kid, turning active.
• 6th, war. Trying to control his ownself.
• 7th, final turning point. Declaration. Victory.
• 8th, final. Moral of the story: find the axis of his world, what he want be.

- Stages:

• Mind: like a maze, dark and long. Like a catacombs.
• Mind: paradise. The axis of his world.
• Reality: the city, the common places where he's always.

(Inspiration): Catacombs (Paris)

("Catacombs". Paris, february 2011) "Catacombs" are a old mines where you can find the rest of the old Saints Innocents cemetery since 1897. Is a underground place, Other place of Paris that was a good inspiration for the design of the maze (dream's world) was the Paris Catacombs. A strange and enigmatic place, underground and scaring, with skulls everywhere.
("Catacombs". Paris, february 2011)
The architecture, that was a old quarry, helps to imagine a maze, a magic way where you can lose yourself.
("Catacombs". Paris, february 2011)
I love this kind of places, because are different, new and with a little bit of magic. I took a lot of photos that I'm using like referents for my background's design.

(Inspiration): Métro (Paris)

The "Métro" ('Chemin de Fer Métropolitain') is one of the most useful ways to go everywhere in Paris. Is less deep than the London Underground, but is very big. Have 16 lines and 214km, being the 3rd longest subway of Europe (after London and Madrid).
One of the most importants stages of the story is the maze, one world inside the kid's mind. So, the metro of Paris, like the London subway, is a perfect inspiration, because remeber me a huge maze.
And like is underground, is more like a mind maze, that is inside of the people's head.

I don't know, but I like the underground placer since I was kid. Something misterious lives there, like the fiction creatures that will live in my story.

(Inspiration): Notre-Drame (Paris)

("Notre Dame". Paris, february 2011)
The "Cathédrale Notre-Dame" is a gothic cathedral of Paris, builded between 1163 and 1345. The name is a reference to Maria, the mother of Jesus (Notre Dame means 'our lady'). Is in the island "l'ile de la cité". Is very famous for his gargoyles and his decoration.
One of the most amazing things from Paris was Notre Dame and his gargoyles. For me, the best one. The gargoyles are very special, and you can feel a kind of magic inside them.
For my project, the designs of monsters very strange are very helpful, because is perfect for creatures like the Hates, Fear,...
The mix between fantastic creatures in sculpture and the background of the city of Paris: really awesome!