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Graphic Novel

Artemis Fowl The Graphic Novel
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The Artemis Fowl Graphic Novel will be a complete rendition of the first Artemis Fowl book, in comic style. Colfer has said that it will be out sometime in September, and Amazon currently have it set for 2 October, 2007.

Colfer has worked on this with Andrew Donkin (Who also worked on Batman), and the artist is Giovanni Rigano, who also worked on Disney’s “The Incredibles.” Colfer has said:

Some of you are worried about quality. Don’t be. The Artemis Fowl graphic novel will stand proud beside any work of art on the bookshelves. I know you think that I have to say all of this- but it’s true.

The official US site has uploaded 3 preview images of the upcoming graphic novel. Click the thumbnails below to see them in full!

Preview 1Preview 2Preview 3

Designing the Novel Video

Puffin released a video of the process behind creating each frame in the novel, which you can view below. It shows everything from the initial sketches, to the final lighting and special effects.

Interview With the Artist

The artist behind the graphic novel, Giovanni Rigano, joined us in May 07 for an interview on his experience creating the book (And please remember that his primary language is Italian, not English).

How did you first get involved in the project?

I received a request from Disney Italy some time ago to make a visual proposal of comic book with Eoin’s characters. At that time I already knew the Artemis’ books, but didn’t read them yet. So I bought the two first book, I studied them for good and I did some fast sketches to submit to them. Then I didn’t receive any new for almost three years, until I was contacted by Hyperion for more inspirational artwork at the end of 2005.

Looking now at those early sketches it’s funny to see how changed my art and my point of view to the original novel: at first I was attracted by humouristical and grotesque side of it, and I made drawings with a cartoon style.

Then, under Eoin’s request, I focused myself on the general atmosphere of the book and I digged the characters’ personalities. The result was more gothic and realistic, and I’m really happy of it.

What interested you most in taking on the project?

Mostly the fact that I liked it a lot. the first time I read the book I tought: wow, this would be great in comic!

In fact, it’s not so obvious that a good book could be adapted in graphic novel with the same result, but, by reading it, I really had the feeling I could have done something good.

What has been your favourite scene to create?

When Mulch Diggums is in a little room in Fowl’s Manor and he has some problems with his stomach. So he leans over and claps his knees for support with his bottom directly pointed at the open door. At the same moment Butler enter in the room with his gun aimed just in front of him ready for action and…

What would you consider to have been the most challenging aspect of turning the Artemis Fowl story into a graphic novel?

Artemis himself: he’s a genius and he acts as an adult, but he’s a child. If we forget this we risk to see him only as bad boy with money and a good brain. In the book Eoin’s describes perfectly his frailty, his relationship with Butler, his mother and the missing father. But in fact he never shows so much his feelings, his acting is very subtile and that was the harder part to visualize. In that it was really useful discussing with Andrew, the Adaptor: he came to Como twice and we did the storyboards of the whole GN togheter, sitting in a bar just in front of the Lake. I remember people glancing at us while we were speaking and acting as if we were characters from the book: it was really funny!

How did your original vision of the characters compare with Colfer’s?

All and nothing, I guess. There were a thousand possibilities, and no right or wrong. I gave my personal point of view of them, as it should be, and surely the big gap between the earlier sketches and the next ones helped me to develop myself as artist and, by consequenze, my vision of Artemis’ world. Eoin was very respectful of my choices, but that means mostly that I was in the mood of what he intended, so I did respect his book as well. Other artists could have done differently, I did it too realizing at first some humouristic sketches and then some more realistic and grotesque ones: it’s a question of mixing up the ingredients in order to express the character’s personalities the best. Finally the difference is that Eoin choiced my vision of his world, and that’s all.

Are there any plans for other books in the series being adapted into graphic novels?

Probably yes. It depends mostly on how much the readers will appreciate this first Adaptation. I did, Eoin did, Andrew Donkin ( the Adaptor ) and Paolo Lamanna ( the Colorist ) did as well. That’s a good beginning, I guess. We’ll see!

And finally, what advice would you give to all of the aspiring artists out there who draw Artemis Fowl fan art?

I suggest them to carry on! I hope they will enjoy with my vision of Artemis’ world, but I do hope as well they will carry on with their own, which for sure will be always better than something drawn by someone else.

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Thanks Giovanni! Don’t forget to check out his personal blog for examples of his artwork.