In defense of Moray's paycheck

In case anyone wonders what I do at Beat Comics, I thought I'd give you a for instance of what some of my job entails using an actual example from one of the stories we're working on. So it's a deleted scene...

Before the script even gets to page illustration stage, Eddie Maluleke (the editor) triple checks everything from dialogue to plot structure and scene transitions. I then check page to page and panel to panel (as well as structure) and the script might go backwards and forwards a few times until we're all happy.

Karl Mostert - the penciler - then does thumbnails of all the pages which we discuss and then he proceeds to do pencil layouts.

Excerpt from the script by Wayne Robbins:

FRAME FOUR
SCENE
Close on the getaway driver – gangster 3 – as he takes a bullet.
GANGSTER 3
Yaahhh!
GANGSTER 2
Sbu’s hit!

Karl's initial illustration (BEFORE) had the driver and passenger swapped (most likely a result of doing to many american comic book submissions). It's my job to pick up such anachronisms and get changes done to correct it.

In the AFTER version: Karl swapped the characters. I also asked Karl to add in a section of the steering wheel to just ensure that the reader is absolutely clear that it's the driver that got shot. In addition - bullet time is slowed down so that the reader can see that the bullets are coming from behind. All this might not be necessary as the preceding and following panals on the page clarify the action, but I'd rather not have the readers lose their "suspension of disbelief" at all.



Mike Crafford inks from the pencils and Andrew Cramer ads colour and lighting effects -and I get to interfere with every process along the way, which is why I am still smiling.



END

Thanks,
M.