Capstone 2021: What Lies Here, What Lies Ahead
A collection of projects from Seniors in Digital Media Design
Kyle Israel
Degree: Digital Media Design
Title: Poletown: Issue 1
Materials: Digital Drawing
Degree: Digital Media Design
Title: Poletown: Issue 1
Materials: Digital Drawing
Poletown is a short graphic novel that utilizes digital illustration and dialogue to tell a short story. I was inspired by notable series such as Riverdale and Scooby Doo, as the genre is a high school murder mystery. The inspiration for the design of the characters, such as main character J.B., comes from the Boondocks. I always enjoyed reading graphic novels as a kid, and I wanted to revisit those memories and tell a new story using the skills I have learned in the Digital Media Design program.
After grieving the death of his brother, J.B. arrives at a new school where students are also grieving the death of a fellow student. He befriends Lincoln and the two form a friendship that grows as the events of the book progress. J.B. is quiet and timorous at first, but Lincoln and Zoey encourage him to try new things to uplift him as his character grows. Poletown also presents other minor characters to the scene with personalities that add a variety of interaction to the story for an enjoyable experience.
One challenge I faced in creating Poletown was choosing a font that stands out from other comics. I wanted something different. Another challenge I had was time management, as one needs to put a lot of time into creating a graphic novel. Storyboarding, sketching, and creating a story are all elements of a graphic novel that take time, especially if you want it to be a great work. As I reflect on my project, I feel like I have gained the knowledge of what it takes to make a graphic novel story and will pursue developing Poletown more as a series for a personal project.
After grieving the death of his brother, J.B. arrives at a new school where students are also grieving the death of a fellow student. He befriends Lincoln and the two form a friendship that grows as the events of the book progress. J.B. is quiet and timorous at first, but Lincoln and Zoey encourage him to try new things to uplift him as his character grows. Poletown also presents other minor characters to the scene with personalities that add a variety of interaction to the story for an enjoyable experience.
One challenge I faced in creating Poletown was choosing a font that stands out from other comics. I wanted something different. Another challenge I had was time management, as one needs to put a lot of time into creating a graphic novel. Storyboarding, sketching, and creating a story are all elements of a graphic novel that take time, especially if you want it to be a great work. As I reflect on my project, I feel like I have gained the knowledge of what it takes to make a graphic novel story and will pursue developing Poletown more as a series for a personal project.