A talented artist is just as important as a creative writer. It is important that the passion for the project is shared between both parties in order to provide the best reader experience, and this helps comic book series have longer legs and consistency throughout runs.
This is why during our recent interview with The Eighth writer and creator Adam Lawson (TableTop, Game Therapy, Snakes on a Plane, The Kill Journal), we took the opportunity to focus on artist Jorin Evers. We wanted to learn more about the shared process between writer and artist as well as what both parties contribute to the finished product.
Lawson shared a lot of great information with us about Evers in addition to some trivia on the series. We also discussed his plans going forward, his relationship with the artist, and even information about the original artist who completed the first issue!
Check out what Lawson had to say below, and enjoy the press images for The Eighth that we've included to break up the text. Afterwards, be sure to check out the trailer for the comic and share your thoughts in the comments!
Joe: How did you come to work with Jorin Evers, the artist on this project?
Adam Lawson: I have really liked his work on ArtStation, that’s where I found him. I’m constantly following artists as a hobby of mine. And I loved what he was doing and I was storyboarding episode one of Escape The Night, so I thought that was a good chance for us to work together.
So he and I started doing storyboards and then we talked about doing comics. He’s my storyboard artist on a couple of things I’ve done. For example, in Worthy Opponents, Jorin actually created the animation.
Joe: Does Jorin handle the art and you take care of the story, or is he also involved in some of the writing?
Adam Lawson: I write the plot and send it to him, but he might say that it would be better if a character does something else. He lets me know if I’m doing something that could be a betrayal of a character.
So that is a great gut check because sometimes you can get carried away as a writer and in a lot of ways he has helped to keep the story pure.
Joe: What’s the process like creating a comic when your artist lives in another country?
Adam Lawson: In some ways we worked out those kinks before we began it while working on storyboards. He and I are quite close and we talk all the time even when it isn’t about the comics.
Part of it is that you don’t want to be in the same room as the artist. You give them an idea and they convert it to lines on the page and in that process it's good for them to do it without you and be disconnected from you because they have to swim in it in a different way because comic artists live and breathe and see things sometimes in a different way than the writer does.
I write the dialogue and describe what's going on in the panels. If there is a unique layout to the panels needed, I also mention that. I’ll write them in the corners but for the most part they’re interpreting that and they’re selling the drama that you’re trying to write. So I give him pages and he does the lines. He’s as committed and as invested as I am so that is crucial that I know there’s no ego in it.
Joe: Would you consider continuing the story, or would you prefer it stay self-contained to only eight issues?
Adam Lawson: I’d love to continue the story. I think eight issues tells you this piece of the story enough that you can know the characters and understand this universe and it gets quite climactic in the end but it doesn’t fully end. As they say in Watchmen, nothing ever ends.
I would love to explore more stories that might just be about Atticus or about Emma because the three of them are intersecting in this story but it would be interesting to see the other points of view.
Joe: Can you share any fun trivia about The Eighth?
Adam Lawson: If you’re a fan and you’re seeing the trailer it sort of sets the stage and gets you acquainted with David and the first initial problem of his life, but that isn’t where it ends and it certainly isn’t where it stays. The story leaves this town and quickly becomes much more.
And Atticus and Emma who are alongside David who are shifting and changing have stories that take on their own art and they have their own items and weapons they get. So the first teaser is just the opening of the egg.
And what’s interesting is that Issue #1 of the Eighth I did with a completely different artist. And he was amazing but ultimately he wasn’t able to finish the project and I loved what he had done but it didn’t work out for the whole ride. So there is an entirely different Issue #1 that is completely different from what fans will be getting.
Will you be checking out The Eighth? Take a peek at the cover art, animated teaser, and synopsis below and be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments section!
The Eighth is the epic and painful story of teenagers, David Wells and Emma Adachi, who unlock a piece of ancient Sumerian armor, but mismanage its power and end up committing murder. Before they know it, they find themselves on a terrifying journey to change or destroy the world with no going back.
Readers interested in checking out The Eighth can do so by heading to the Indiegogo page here.