David Lawrence
Writing for comics presents a number of challenges. In addition to character, setting, plot and dialog, the graphic artist must deal with compressed pacing, page layout, and visual aesthetics. When they all come together it can be awesome. However, a failing in any area is a bit like playing a guitar with one string out of tune -- not pretty.
David is a bit of an unsung hero. He reads a novel, then somehow breaks the visuals up into "snapshots". He writes a description of each frame, describing the characters, background, action and pose that should be drawn there. Then he arranges those onto a page, using size, position and a variety of techniques to add visual interest. Because each page is an integrated work, he can't simply go back and throw a new frame or two in during edits, he has to get it right the first time or reword the page, and possibly multiple pages to accomodate a change.
His job is probably the most difficult and demanding part of adapting a novel to the comic medium, and he doesn't get his name writ large across the cover, or even a fair share of the praise from those who enjoy the product. Yes, the life of a hero is hard, but it seems to suit David well.
Back in June, three of the members of the Hurog forums did an awesome interview with David: Hurog Interview with David Lawrence
