Creating a Graphic Novel : Art – Food – Photography

Link to Kickstarter

Bless the Children is a Western horror story by Joseph Duis where he describes it as a cross between Ravneous and Sixth Sense. It follows Edsel who stumbles into a town of mysterious silent children. The creator, Joseph was kind of enough to share some of his time to answer a few questions about the Bless the Children Kickstarter.

Thanks for your time! What was the inspiration behind Bless the Children?

The inspiration was actually history, as with most of my stories. I started researching a lot about very early westward settlements that didn’t work out and I started thinking about how most of these migrations probably ended in failure and how terrifying it would be to be stuck out there in basically hostile territory. Kind of reminded me a lot of Ravenous, and how that movie really worked as a horror movie, with the isolation and desperation palpable.

I started thinking about horrific elements I could add to it and children can be very creepy especially if they’re completely silent, which is wholly unnatural for kids. The second creepy element was some kind of repetitive enigmatic sound. I think I managed to work that in too.

I didn’t really know how it was going to look until I read a book someone gave me about the earliest comic books. They were right in the period when the story takes place so I decided to go with that style. Hopefully it gives a bizarre discordant feel being in a format that’s recognizable but not exactly what we’re comfortable with.

You mentioned an enigmatic sound? How did you work that into the comic medium?

The SFX and dialogue are done a little bit differently. Dialogue bubbles weren’t in use at the time in comic books so I gave each character a different font and their dialogue kind of hovers near them in boxes.

How was it like working with Greg Woronchak?

Love working with Greg. He is so fast, his style can be adapted to anything. I couldn’t approve his pages as quickly as he was doing them! Also Greg added a ton of little touches that are all Greg. The design of the wallpaper, adding children in the background when they weren’t scripted in, and reaction panels really showing the emotions of the characters!

What have you learnt from your first Kickstarter?

After the first Kickstarter I learned to spend a LOT more time before the Kickstarter promoting it!

All the best with your Kickstarter! I know it’s already funded but hope it finishes strong!

Link to Kickstarter