Who better to show us how to create a totally unique and unputdownable comic than The Etherington Brothers? Juliet Vandensteen meets the dynamic duo.
Robin and Lorenzo Etherington are the whacky duo behind comic creations including Long Gone Don, The Dangerous Adventures of Von Doogan and Monkey Nuts. In addition to creating their own weird and wonderful comic book characters, the brothers have also worked on Star Wars, Madagascar, Angry Birds and Transformer comics.
Bringing their characters to life is a job for two, with Robin in charge of the writing and Lorenzo providing the illustrations. “The great thing about working with someone else is that they give you ideas that you never would have thought of on your own,” says Lorenzo. “The best ideas that I have are the ones that come from something Robin has sparked in my mind.”
To kick off their session at the Festival, the high-energy pair spoke about the importance of genre, characters and vivid settings within any story. With theatrical insanity for the kids and satirical humour for the parents, their interactive performance included improvised acting which gave the audience endless opportunities to let their imaginations run wild.
Robin and Lorenzo then shared their top secret tips for creating unusual and exciting comics. For budding illustrators Lorenzo reveals the three most important things to remember are:
1) “Think all the time about the characters body language and actions.”
2) “When creating and drawing your characters think about their individual core mood.”
3) “Little details, such as facial expressions and exaggerated features, really help to express emotion and feelings.”
To be first to find out about exciting new comics from The Etherington Brothers, follow their blog here.
Images by lieselbockl.co.uk; @LieselBockl
