Wednesday, June 27, 2007

HANA PART 2: Epilogue

I can't tell you enough just how much THE DEATH OF HANA GITELMAN has changed my life.

It was an incredible and exhausting experience, and something I'd do again in a heart-beat. It almost put me in the hospital, but I enjoyed every minute.

Here's a quick recap:

1. My blog was averaging around 500 hits per day for a week after Hana was uploaded. Before that it averaged about 7. The idea that 500 people were taking five minutes out of their day to see my behind the scenes process. That blew me away. It was the most inspiring validation of my art that I'd ever received. I also want to especially thank the 80 or so people who drop by every day to quickly check what I'm doing. Your support means the world to me!

2. The 9th Wonders favourite artist fan poll was incredible. I was nervously watching the numbers expecting a nice close race, and I won by a landslide (94%). I was totally humbled. Especially because I was so nervous about the style I had used for the story. I'm so glad to see it was so well received. In fact, the whole experience has changed the way I draw. Right now there's PH (Pre Hana) and AH (After Hana). =)

3. The 3HEROES podcast interview. In the past I've done interviews that were then published or posted online as text. But I'd never had the opportunity to do a recorded interview before. Paul was brilliant and so incredibly supportive and helpful. He was also a joy to talk to, which helped enormously. I apologise to anyone if we went too off-HEROES, but we just got chatting. Paul assures me it's fun and we do keep coming back to HEROES.

4. The online friends and support network I've made blows me away. If I've ever forgotten to reply, just shoot me another email. I'm terrible at remembering what I have and haven't replied to. There's no slight intended. I'm just kinda useless like that. But I will reply! To all the people that email, to all the people that help me - thank you!

I've also posted the above original version of page 11. In some ways I like it more, in other ways it lacks. If you look back at the layout I did ( a couple posts ago) you will see that I also included the HEROES logo. Here's a version I did with the logo included.

Here's my worklist right now:

Final page of the Emperor (almost done)
Zero G - laid out pages 1-11. Start drawing asap!
HEROES con sketches.

Keep your eyes peeled for the above and some surprises in the meantime.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

You big lug...

I of course like the final page as it appeared, but that monochromatic page is way cooler for me. What do you like better about the color version?

The podcast was fun and entertaining. Makes me that much more excited to catch up with you in NYC. Are we still on?

Anonymous said...

I agree with Ryan, I'm in love with the monochromatic page, personally. The other was gorgeous, but this one is my fave.

Loved the podcast, BTW.

Unknown said...

Dude, you are one of the nicest people I've ever met, on or off the internet. (Hey, that rhymes!) You deserve every bit of this wonderful experience and recognition, and then some. Look forward to an amazing life, Jas... sky's the limit now.

((((((((((HUGS))))))))))

Unknown said...

Listening to the interview now... and you sound EXACTLY like I thought you would. How about that? Verrah nice. 8-)

Unknown said...

OMG! That interview is GREAT! Hilarious stuff in there!!!

"I still can't figure out at what point that drawing went from a pile of crap to something I would pay hundreds of dollars for..."

ROTFL!!!

Doc_Bo said...

... totally enjoyed the podcast and your enthusiasm for your work. The questions you were asked were ones I would have asked you had we met..and they were all answered in depth, I thought. I so enjoyed listening to your voice.. matches up well with what I thought. I tend to like the color version..anyway, wish I was still living in NYC so that I could drop by, and say HI in person.
..enjoy your success since you have earned it. Sheindie

CurlyMarie said...

I, too, like the sepia-toned version of the last page. It feels more flashback-like, which is the way that page functioned for me. The color version is great, but it's almost too much color. The monochromatic look is more restful, somehow. Our eyes have been through a lot over the last 21 pages, and it's nice to give them a place to land! I do think that Hiro running from the army is much better in color, though.

I can see how difficult it is to make decisions about how each page should look. I love having the HEROES logo in the middle of the color page, but it really is very busy. It's a tough call as to which way to go--a great look, with a terrific posterize-able logo, or a cleaner look that's less cluttered but is missing that interesting element added by lettering. This "art" thing is hard! ;)

Anonymous said...

Woohoo! Yay for monochromatic sepia! I really, really, really love HRG (er, Noah...) in monochrome. But CurlyMarie is right, Hiro and the soldiers looks better in color :)
I still have to browse back further through the 170 some odd blog entries and see some more of your non-Heroes postings, because I'm lame like that, lol. They're such easy characters to get wrapped up in and forget other ones! A friend has asked me to do some illustrating for a semi-autobiographical book he's writing, and I'm having a hard time sketching concepts for it without doodling Sylar, Hiro, or Peter in the margins, lol.
Anywho, back to topic - I love the image with the logo - very wallpaper-y like. Oh, come to think, I've actually seen this turned into a wallpaper on deviantart! I'll find the link if I can again.
--Toni

Anonymous said...

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/55922899/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/55911079/
ok, so 2. lol.

jasonb said...

ryan: We are DEFINITELY on for a meet up. Can I leave it up to you to pick the place? Anyone else going to be around?

Kara: thank you! (the monochromatic is really growing on me!)

polsons: Awww, thanks Willow!

Ron: thanks again, mate! A shame we can't meet up.

curly: yeah, mono is easier on the eyes, hence why I didn't want to colour it myself.

acid: good luck on the commission! heh! Thanks for the links! Is it worth me making a wallpaper?