DOCUMENTATION

To make a comic book means, sometimes, needing documentation. For example, a story based on the 19th century. The clothing will be different to the current ones, the vehicles, buildings, ... It is essential to get to know what all that was like, to make a good work.

 

But we don't olny have to do this when we have a historical script. For any detail it is important to get information, to learn about specific objects, clothing, people's customs, and so on. If we want to draw a bank's manager, we need to know what everything is like: furniture of his office, a computer, noticeboards, telephones, etc. If we have to draw an astronuat on the Space Station, then we need a picture of this machine, details about his uniform, complements, etc. And also about their tehcnical vocabularu, so as to invent a dialogue.

EXAMPLE 1:

A documentación nesta historia consistiu en remontarse á época de Xulio César. Houbo que averiguar que aínda non era emperador cando veu ás costas galegas, senón propretor, e arruinado. Por iso veu a estas terras, para conseguir riquezas. Había que dabuxar naves romanas, polo que foi necesario saber como eran exactamente. por último, as roupas de Xulio César e de Craso, o seu colaborador. porque non vestían igual os militares que os civís.

in this case documentation consisted of going back to the period of Julius Caesar. It was essential to know that he was not still an emperar, but a propretor. He had come to Gallaecia for treasures and richness. Ships from the roman Empire, soldiers uniforms, weapons, ..

EXAMPLE 2:

To draw this story, the author had to investigate about medicine and engineering. The protagonist, who is giving a speech, is an engineer specialised on machines for medicine, especifically pacemakers. The woman has got a pacemaker designed by him. He is professionally succesful, but not personally. her heart works htanks to him. And his heart will work thanks to her.

In this vignette we can see the result of documentation: the action takes place in the middle ages, and two people observe how ohters are building up a church. What was the real church like? And their dresses? And the machines they used to lift rocks? And...

 

PRACTISE

  • Enjoy the documentation of some excellent books, which you can find in your school library: BLACKSAD, MAGASIN GÉNÉRAL, EL ESCORPIÓN.
  • Invent a fragment of a comic story. Imagine a historical period, and place the action there, taking into account all the necessary things about documentation (clothes, architecture, ...)
  • Invent a character (not a complicated one), a man, a woman, a boy, ... Think of three historical periods. Now draw the character in clothes of each of the periods you decided.