Graphic Novel TK

Latest Episodes:

Episode 20 - Graphic Novel Printing, with Linda Palladino Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

Paper + ink = book! But how does that paper combine with the ink to make a book? What dread machine combines the two -- and how does it get them to look like a comic in all the right colors in the correct trim size and with a cover that has spot gloss in the right place? Today we take a trip inside the printer to find out the answer to all these questions (and so many more). Joining us on Graphic Novel TK to explore these mysteries is Linda Palladino, the Vice President and Director of Production at Random House Children's Books. For more information about Linda Palladino and the books she works on, you can check out the Random House Children's Books website.

Episode 19 - Book Blurbs, with Diana Pho Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

Sometimes when you pick up a book, you'll find a quote from an author (not the one who wrote the book) on the cover saying how great they thought the book was. That's a book blurb! And in this episode of Graphic Novel TK, book blurbs are the focus: we talk about how to get them, who to get them from, when to get them, and why (and if) they're important. We're so pleased to have Tor Editor Diana Pho join us to talk about book blurbs, outlining in great detail her whole process and philosophy in finding and acquiring them. Besides editing science fiction, fantasy, and graphic novels for Tor, Diana also runs a blog called Beyond Victoriana, which gives a multicultural perspective on steampunk. You can find her on Twitter at @writersyndrome.

Episode 18 - Comics as a Full-Time Career, with Jen Wang Nov 07, 2018

Show notes

Making comics full time is the dream for a lot of people in the comics industry! But what does being a full-time cartoonist mean practically? What do you do every day? And can you make enough to live on? We're excited to talk to Jen Wang, the creator of the graphic novels Koko Be Good, In Real Life, and The Prince and the Dressmaker, about exactly those things (and all the questions in between). And in addition to her graphic novel work, Jen also does freelance illustration and co-founded and co-runs Comics Arts LA -- she has a unique perspective on the industry. Find more about Jen and her work online at http://www.jenwang.net/ or on Twitter at @alooghobi.

Episode 17 - Cover Design, with Colleen AF Venable Oct 16, 2018

Show notes

Can you judge a book by its cover? That's what cover designers aim for -- creating a cover so amazing that the people who would want to read the book are drawn to pick it up. And covers are probably the most-seen parts of books -- the book's visual identity. Today, we talk to Colleen AF Venable, Art Director at Odd Dot, about why cover design is important, and about how the process works for her and for the author (which as an author herself, she has a lot of experience with). Find out more about Colleen online (and share in some of her cover design adventures) on Twitter at @colleenaf

Episode 16 - Production, with Alexa Villanueva Oct 01, 2018

Show notes

How do books get made? You might think that's a comprehensive statement about the theme of our podcast -- but for this episode, we're focusing specifically on how physical books actually get made: the process of working with a printer to produce physical book objects. Turns out: it's fascinating! And also complicated. Today we talk to First Second's Production Manager, Alexa Villanueva, about how she works with the team at First Second and the printer and a shipping company and a warehouse and a whole lot of other people to get books to turn from files to physical things on bookshelves. So how does that all happen? Tune in to find out! Want to see more of Alexa's work at First Second? You can always find pictures of their books on the First Second twitter, @01FirstSecond.

Episode 15 - Listener Q&A, with Alison and Gina Sep 18, 2018

Show notes

Comics and graphic novel publishing! It can be a strange and confusing landscape if you're not someone who has spent a lot of time working closely with the industry. (It can be a strange and confusing landscape even then!) For this episode, we asked GN TK listeners to send us any questions that you have about how publishing works -- anything that we haven't covered yet or is particularly topical, involved, or that we didn't get into enough depth about when we talked about it previously. So tune in for all the crazy things about publishing that you all wanted to know! This podcast is structured to approach the publishing process chronologically -- from pitching to editing to design to marketing to sales. So there are many more topics to come in the future that we'll be getting to soon. As always -- more TK! Thank you to all our listeners who follow us on Twitter who sent questions -- we appreciate it.

Episode 14 - Comics Design, with Hilary Thompson Sep 04, 2018

Show notes

Designers have one of the most visible jobs in comics -- someone puts the covers and the page layouts and the lettering and the page numbers and the files from the artist and the colorist all together on the page, right? But how does a designer's job work? What do they do on a day-to-day basis? In this episode, we talk to Hilary Thompson from Oni Press about all of these things. Hilary takes us through the process and timeline of creating graphic novels and pamphlet comics at Oni -- and we're excited to share this look behind the scenes. For more information about Hilary, you can check out her @hilaryfamiliar -- or check out Oni Press online at https://onipress.com

Episode 13 - Managing Editorial, with Jill Freshney Aug 21, 2018

Show notes

There are a number of jobs in publishing that happen behind the scenes -- and one of them is the Managing Editor. In this episode, we talk to Jill Freshney about what's involved in being a Managing Editor (spoiler: it includes scheduling, data management, copy-editing, and a whole lot of other administrative management and process development/maintenance). Jill shares some information about how authors and Managing Editorial staff interact, how to deal with copy-edit changes, and thoughts on how to pursue a career in Managing Editorial. We're excited to share this look behind the scenes! Jill Freshney is the Senior Executive Managing Editor at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group -- a company that includes the graphic novel publisher First Second Books.

Episode 12 - Finishing a Graphic Novel, with Jenni Holm Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

So you're making your graphic novel -- and you're coming to the end. The final page/final panel is in sight. Yay! It is an exciting milestone you are approaching: soon you will be entirely done with your book. But is that really the end? When you put your pen down after inking that last panel, are you done with the process of making a graphic novel? Is there more to do after that? To answer those questions, we talk with best-selling, award-winning author Jenni Holm about what happens around when you're done with the creative part of making your graphic novel. (It turns out that there's still some stuff left to do.) For more about Jenni Holm, you can check out her website: http://www.jenniferholm.com/. Or find her on Twitter @jenniholm!

Episode 11 - How to Make a Graphic Novel, with Carey Pietsch Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

You've got a book deal! Or a self-publishing plan! A graphic novel is your next project. Yay you! But how do you go from a book deal, or a plot idea, to a final finished book? What does your day-to-day work look like? How do you plan for the process that takes you from the blank paged to a comic? In this episode, we talk to Carey Pietsch about the creative and logistical process she embarks upon when she's creating a comics project. From scheduling to strategy, she has some amazing advice! For more about Carey, you can check out her website, www.careydraws.com, or find her on Twitter at @careydraws.

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