Graphic Novel YONDER Is Cinematic
Amir Barda & Rob Walcott suffused the self-published graphic novel Yonder with their passion for fantasy films.
This Thanksgiving, sate your craving for storytelling mastery with a splendid new feast for the eyes: an all-ages fantasy-meets-reality graphic novel entitled Yonder.
It is the year 1200, and the Twilighter, a man with the unique ability of self-generated illumination, finds himself on a dangerous quest to locate the Cane, a powerful tool threatening world history.
"Yonder...features classic heroes and villains that compel the [reader] to follow along and become a part of the characters' journey," said co-creator Amir Barda.
If the eye-popping, oil painting-style visuals remind you of a movie, rest assured that it's no accident. Barda and partner Rob Walcott first devised Yonder as a feature film four years ago.
"Yonder is a movie contained within pages," said Barda. "As you turn each page the story unfolds before your very eyes as the images take [on] life and illumination..."
To achieve that, the creators used a synthesis of layout artists, pencilers, real-life models and Photoshop experts. The result was 120 pages of lush, cinema splendor, which producer Oren Ohayon agreed to publish after only a sneak peek. His faith was rewarded when Yonder won the National Best Books 2008 Award for Children's Novelty and Gift Book.
"It's been a labor-of-love," said Walcott. "Every day we would pour our creativity and devotion into this book. And we've delivered something that Amir and I both feel proud of. It's the quintessential story we've always loved."
[Art by John Barry Ballara. Thanks to USA Book News.]