The Making of Kazumph

A sneaky peak of our process...

"Old Timer, how do you make an adventure?"

It all starts with an idea. The story of Kazumph! is built around the main characters and how they interact with the world around them. It is a long process to write down what could become an adventure for our heroes, but once that has been done, then the real fun starts!

Once a storyline has been agreed, we put it onto a page and start identifying places where a drawing or an illustration could be placed. The picture opposite is a real example of how that process works.

"There are so many things to think about! However can we do it all?"

Written words normally guide what our drawings will look like. From our characters' actions, Dione is able to think up of a few ideas, per scene, of how it could all look. Once we have her test drawings ready, we decide whether a larger or a smaller illustration is more appropriate for the scene.

It is a lot of work and as you can see, Dione carefully prepares alternative drawings so we have options for how the story will look. Sometimes, if a scene is particularly difficult, I help with the process by offering both Dione and Ayeen my owndrawings. The goal is always for both the drawings and the written story to look as good as it can on the page!

When we have approved the excellent sketches that will be used, Dione goes about rendering these sketches (rendering means making them look even more awesome) into full-colour illustrations.

"The best Adventurerers always work better as a team!"

And so that process is repeated. We do this each time, for every scene you read and for every Instagram post you click on! Each scene becomes a mix of all the great elements each team member has contributed.

Even though the drawings are directed by the storyline, Kazumph! is actually a tight collaboration between the entire team. Storyline ideas can easily come from Dione's inspired sketches, and brilliant drawings can come from ideas that Ayeen or I suggest. We all work together!

Hopefully this brief look into the making of Kazumph! has taught you a little bit about the process of making such a cool book. Perhaps it inspires you to make your own story! All you need to do is to pick up a pen or pencil and scribble those ideas down until they are perfect in your mind!

Visit our dedicated Kazumph! page here.

You can also follow Kazumph on Instagram for exclusive pics and updates!