Dan Santat - Graphic Novelist?

Lately, My work has required that I do more comic paneling. First it was with "OH NO!"...

and now it's with Ms. Andrea Beaty's "Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies" with Harry Abrahms Books which has also been transformed in to a middle grade chapter book/graphic novel. Here is a quick view of some of my thumbnails...

I have also been hard at work on my graphic novel....

I really do have to switch my method of thinking as I toggle between comic storytelling and narrating with single images, which, by the way, are still tasks that I'm juggling. Here's a piece from Nanny Piggins, which I am waiting for revision notes...

and here is a glimpse of the back cover of the book which I proposed to be an old circus poster of back when Nanny Piggins was still a circus performer...

On a final note, October is just around the corner and it is going to be one hectic month. Here are a few highlights I wanted to point out....

OCT 4- Orange County Book Festival (selling prints and books)

OCT 10- Appearing with Lisa Yee at Vromans to talk Bobby Vs. Girls

OCT 23- I'll be in New York for the Original Art Show

OCT 22- Speaking at the 'Rhode Island School of Design' to talk to students about the profession of illustration .... WHAAAAAAAAT!??!

Seacrest out.

Comments

[lisa@magicpencil.com]

Uh, Dan. It's October 10th, South Pasadena New Moon Festival. October 18th, Vroman's BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) Launch Party.

[Ian Peter]

Nice work Dan!

Sequential storytelling is super tricky, it's all about juxtaposition, spaces, timing.
Almost as difficult as single image storytelling...

[theartofpuro]

Wonderful work,love your storytelling.
I ador the flying pig

[Nina]

The back cover for Nanny Piggins is too cool! When are all these projects coming out? The characters in your graphic novel kill me- so great! Oh, the illo you posted from NP made me chuckle- B.Y.O.G. (Bring Your Own Guitar) Nice nod to Julie Andrews!

[Joey Livingston]

Well, I've looked through your entire blog, searching for little morsels of your experience in creating a graphic novel. This is the most valuable resource that I've found online so far for this type of information. And your artwork is breathtaking and inspirational, so yeah, that helps. :)

But the earliest post I could find is when you started thumbnailing. What about before that? Did you begin your story by thumbnailing? Or did you write a story first? If a story, then in what format? Did you just write a simple short story like any other short story writer, (or novel, as the case may be)? Or did you write a script? Or was a mix between the two? Or just scratch notes? Outlines? Did you do any character development, and how deep was it?

I hope it's okay for me to heap these questions on you. Your blog is awesome!