Introduction The component our group has chosen to research on is illustration. The branch of illustration I have explored on is comic book illustrations, specifically, the tasks of a penciler or inker. The penciller or inker essentially, has to take a script or any literary work and give it form. I have been keen on comic books since I was very young mainly because I admire how the artists can translate a story into beautiful visuals. The illustrations of a comic book are meant to transport the readers into the story in a way that words cannot. Illustrating, on the other hand, means to enhance writing by providing visual imagery or representation that matches to the associated text. These visuals can be in the form of artworks or photographs or a combination of both. Illustrations may be used to explain concepts or objects that are difficult to describe through words. If we think about it, the first images drawn by man depicting their everyday lives are in fact illustrations. This is because before the common alphabets were invented, illustrations were used to describe their habits which give us the opportunity to get a glimpse of human prehistory. The main reason for this research is to properly understand the section of illustration that I’m truly interested in as well as to share the information with anyone interested in this field. Comic books have been a cultural icon since they made an impact during the Second World War. Now, they are going through a modern day renaissance ever since Hollywood and other major film companies are bringing comic book heroes to the silver screen. "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power -- Green Lantern's light!"  - Green Lantern Comic Books: A Brief History Scholars are still searching for the origins of comic books but for now, they have concluded that the first comic book was ‘The Yellow Kid in McFadden’s Flats’ by E. W Townsend created somewhere in 1897. There was an older book called ‘The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck’ created in the early 1800’s by the Swiss, Rudolphe Töpffer but it was argued that the book was more of a picture book than a comic book. (Coville, 1996) Comic books from that time until the 1930’s were never true comic books in the sense that it did not have the familiar comic formats we see today like panels and balloon dialogue. Although, in 1933, a comic called the ‘Famous Funnies’ were published and historians agreed that this was the first true American comic book which had most of the elements in the comics of today. It became a success during the depression era in America. These comics usually tell humourous stories of ordinary looking people in odd situations but during and after World War II, there was an advent of characters that possessed strong moral codes that protected the weak; they are the superheroes. During this time, people were looking for hope and comic books churned out superheroes that helped solve the problems of the world. Soon after the rise of the superheroes, other genres of comics fast became popular such as horror comic, ‘The Tomb of Dracula’ and monster pulp ‘Swamp Thing’. There were also comics which started to be influenced by Japanese manga art further varying the many artistic styles of modern day comics. ‘The Famous Funnies’ ‘The Yellow Kid in McFadden’s Flats’ ‘The Tomb of Dracula’ ‘Batman’ first appearance Pencilers and Inkers: Who are they? Pencilers are the people who take a script or text and give it form. They are the ones who will visualize everything from the text and make concepts easier to understand. Also, they are the controllers of the ambience of the comic book. Inkers on the other hand are the people who go over the pencilers work in ink. This makes the art more striking, giving it depth and dimension. Once, inking was used to prepare a comic page for printing since pencils were picked up in light hues by the printer. Now, inkers are vital in producing a comic book. The reason for combining the two jobs together is because some pencilers are also inkers who ink their own work as well as others. Other pencilers like Arthur Adams who can ink, often gives his work to be inked by other people since his pencil drawings are very detailed. He inked his own work when he was on a tight deadline with no other inker to ask from. Besides that, pencilers tend to create partnerships with inkers depending if they are comfortable with each other’s art styles. Some notable pencilers are the grandfather of American comic books, Jack Kirby, the stylistic Will Eisner and the superstar, Jim Lee. Famous inkers include Tom Palmer, Al Gordon and Mike Esposito. Prominent penciler-inker partnerships are Frank Miller/Klaus Janson (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), Jim Lee/Scott Williams (All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder) and Jack Kirby/Joe Simon (Captain America). Jim Lee Mike Esposito The Skills of the Job Both these jobs require more or less the same skills and expertise. Mastering these skills require constant practice and have been recommended by comic expert, Aaron Albert. Artistic knowledge and vision: Pencilers and inkers alike must have the knowledge to draw. They need to know anatomy, architecture, scale, perspective and balance. Sometimes a penciler will draw rough sketches and it’s the inker’s job to finalize it before the colouring stage. Pencilers must also be able to visualize stories from the script. Flexibility: Jobs for a penciler and inker can come at unexpected times so it is best to keep a flexible schedule. In the case of an inker, if they are working with a penciler, they may need feedback from them or the writer on how the image should look like. Inkers usually take directions from others about the visuals. Pencilers on the other hand must be flexible to change elements in an image for a client. Co-operation: Making a comic book is a team effort. Everyone must be able to cohesively collaborate with each other for things to run smoothly. Consistency (penciler): As the person responsible for the overall look of a comic and its characters, the penciler should remain consistent in the character design even if they change and evolve in the story. Readers might get confused if the character looks too different. Sense of shadows and light (inker): Inkers only work with two colours; black and white. They must know the values of shadowing and lighting to give depth to the comic. Speed (inker): Inkers are not given much time to work on an art which means they have to work fast while making good quality art. The Equipment: Penciler A penciler is the person who starts visualizing the comic; making this the primary stage of the imaging of a comic. Here are some of the tools a penciler requires; Drawing utensils: The title of the job is penciler; obviously the main tool needed is the pencil. There are many drawing tools that can be used, from normal pencils to mechanical pencils as well as the blue coloured pencil where the value is light and the lines can fade as the artist works on it. Different artists prefer different types of pencils they are comfortable with for example; Jim Lee uses a hard lead pencil to avoid smudging while Adam Hughes uses soft lead pencils to achieve softness in his drawings. Different tonal values of pencils Paper: Most artists use Bristol Board or Bristol Paper, an 11 X 17 size piece of multi ply paper with a 10 X 15 size working space. This is pretty much the industry standard but there is nothing wrong with using other types of paper. Types of Bristol papers Sketch Book: Every artist has a sketchbook regardless of material or size. This is because ideas can come at any moment and the sketch book will be there to capture the idea. Workspace: Most professionals have a kind of art table where all their materials are stored. They most likely own a light board or light box which is a flat surface that lights up. This helps the artist in tracing over their work on better quality paper after doing rough sketches on a cheap paper. Types of light boards Reference Material: Reference can be found anywhere from the internet to books to pictures. Books are a great tool of reference It’s also good to study poses used by other artists. This is by Alex Ross The Equipment: Inker The inker inks and brings to life an image the penciler has done. Here are some of the materials required; India ink/Chinese ink: This is a type of carbon based ink mixed with gum and resin. It is used because of its ability to retain its colour when applied to paper. Inking utensils: The tools for inking range from thick nibbed Sharpies to pens of all sizes to crow-quill pens and to brushes. Sometimes even sponges and toothbrushes are used to accomplish certain effects like blood-splatter or terrain textures. From top to bottom: Inks, brushes, art pens of many sizes, crow-quill pens White out: When mistakes are made, white outs are the ones to use to fix it. In layman’s terms, its liquid paper. Any kind of white out used is fine but most artists use gauche water based paint. Ruler: To make straight lines like panels. Workspace with good lighting: It is important that inkers ink the shadows and lighting as accurately as possible so a good work station with ample lighting is needed. Computer: This is a very useful tool for inkers since comics are entering an era of digitalization. Illustrating software: Software’s like Photoshop and Sai are now being used quite often to ink art although most artists still prefer to work the old fashioned way. What Professionals Say Arthur Adams, penciler (interview with Jon B. Cooke from twomorrows.com): “I just wanted to be a professional comic book artist. After I decided that was what I wanted to do, that's all I ever wanted to do. So, I sent these samples to everyone at Marvel, and apparently Al Milgrom at that point was just beginning to go freelance, so he had a big pile of Xeroxes, and Carl Potts was moving into his office, and so Al was just going through this pile and tossing ones he thought might have some potential over to Carl! So I got a call a couple of days after that from Carl or Ann Nocenti, who was Carl's assistant at the time. They thought my samples might have some potential, so they sent me a script they wanted me to take a pass at (that was already being made into a finished story by another artist). I did thumbnails, sent those in, and they seemed to like my work okay, but then the real comic book came out, and I thought, "Wow, mine's actually better than that! Mine's actually funnier!"” (On how many pages he produces a day) “I can apparently produce two pages in a day, but I have to be in some weird state of panic. As a general rule, I tend to do 2/3 to 3/4 of a page a day” Alan Moore (interview with Jon B. Cooke from twomorrows.com): “You know, I’m hoping in the future we’re going to be able to do the stranger stuff. I’d like to do westerns and all these old genres they used to have in comics and we decided to get rid of them for some reason. I remember fondly when there used to be war comics and western comics and teenage comics and friendly ghost comics and things like that.” Tim Townsend, inker (interview by Daniel Best on Adelaide Comics and Books): “Go to college, get an education, and learn how to draw. Don't put all your eggs in this basket because, chances are, you won’t make it. That's the cold, hard fact of the matter. Have an education to fall back on, a Plan B if-you-will. If you're insane enough to pursue it further, be prepared for a lot of criticism and LISTEN TO IT! Keep your ego in check and realize that no one cares who you are, only what you can do. This market has a surplus of talent and a shortage of projects. You're going to be competing with seasoned pros', some who have been doing this for decades, for the same jobs. You must be better or at least more marketable." "Inkers especially need to be on their toes. Learn what the heck inking is. Learn how to draw. Anyone who thinks inking is a job for failed pencilers or an easier route to go hasn't got a clue and probably won't have a prayer.” Dustin Evans, illustrator (interview from blogs.payscale.com): “Your work experience, skill level and connections are the biggest factors on your payscale, in my opinion. They say it's all about who you know, but I would say that's half true. Certainly having connections and knowing people for bigger companies will earn you more pay, but if you don't deliver as an artist, it doesn't matter if you're best friends with Stan Lee. Experience is key, because the more you know, and the better you are, the more in demand your work becomes. Then you can ask more for your work than a first year rookie.” The Best of the Best: International Jack Kirby (Comic artist legend) Born as Jacob Kurtzberg, he is the major influence in American comics of this century. He and Stan Lee made Marvel into the biggest comic house in the world. He is an important figure in the comic book world for many reasons, one of them being his artistic flair. He combines efficient storytelling with dynamic visuals, energetic fight-scenes and even comes up with the most unthinkable technology in comics of his era. He didn’t just stick to superhero comics but diversified himself by drawing everything from sports comics to romance to westerns. “The King of Comics” as he is known, kept inventing visual ideas like incorporating collage and using photographic background into his work (Adams, Murray, Phipps, Pierce, 2009). Jim Lee (Modern comic artist superstar) It must be very obvious that I am a fan of Jim Lee since I have mentioned him in the previous chapter. He is of Korean American descent and originally intended to enter the field of medicine but his love of comics drove him to become what he is today. He is best known for his style in anatomy. He manages to exaggerate the human form in a way that seems believable to readers. His drawings also carry a sense of dynamism even when they have fine details decorating the image. My favourite work from him is the ‘Batman: Hush’ story arc which emphasizes his visual style against a compelling storyline written by Jeph Loeb (Batman: Hush, 2009). Jim Lee is now still working on many prominent projects while continuing to run his own publication company; Image Comics. The Best of the Best: Local Lat (Iconic Malaysian cartoonist) It is blasphemy to report on local comics without mentioning this man. Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid known throughout Malaysia and the overseas as Lat, is a cartoonist icon. Most of his works are cartoon panels for newspapers but he has created many great cartoon comics that have broken social barriers. His comic cum memoir is called ‘Kampung Boy’, which is an entertaining read no matter how many times I go through it, is a critical and commercial success especially since it has been warmly received by countries like America, France, Portugal and Japan (Bernama, 2007). The most special element in his work is the fact that he illustrates the people of Malaysia as who they are and he is proud to showcase his ‘kampung’ roots to the world. Adijin (Visionary artist of the era) Born as Aad’i Salman Ayob Khan, his art is a semi-realistic form that is immediately captivating. He has been in the local comic scene for eight years creating well-known originals like’Pinky’, ‘Siapa?’ and ‘Coco, Cherry and Berry’. He now lives, for the time being, in Quebec City, Canada because he is currently working as a concept artist in Volta Creations. Although he now no longer focuses on comics, he still loves doing comics for self-satisfaction (Hafizi, 2009). His international comics include ‘Silent Hill’ the graphic books, horror comic ‘Hack/Slash’ and ‘Small Gods’. Mainly an illustrator with exceptional colouring skills, his inking is also remarkable. His lines are never dead-weight, meaning a line of consistent width; they flow from bold curves to narrow planes. Conclusion It is never easy doing anything that seems worthwhile but the journey towards it is the most important aspect to appreciating the job we choose. Breaking out in the comic industry is a hard one to do. Locally, Malaysia is home to man y talented illustrators, comic artists and the like but there is never really a strong organization that brings them all together. Regardless, it is still awe inspiring to know that there are many wonderful local illustrators like Lat, Adijin, Tan Eng Huat, Mohammad Yazid, Sandra Khoo, Melissa Celestial and many more, who are succeeding in what they do best. References Albert, Aaron. “Comic Book Penciler- How to become a Comic Book Penciler”. http://comicbooks.about.com/od/artists/a/penciller.htm. Retrieved November 11, 2011. Albert, Aaron. “How to be a Comic Book Inker”. http://comicbooks.about.com/od/inkers/a/inker.htm. Retrieved November 14, 2011. Adams, Sam and Murray, Noel and Phipps, Keith and Pierce, Leonard. July 20, 2009. “Reinventing the pencil”. http://www.avclub.com/articles/reinventing-the-pencil-21-artists-who-changed-main,30528/. Retrieved November 14, 2011. Cooke, Jon B. “The Art of Arthur Adams”. http://www.twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/17adams.html. Retrieved November 14, 2011. Coville, Jamie. August 15, 1996. “The History of Comic Books”. http://www.thecomicbooks.com/old/Platinum.html. Retrieved November 10, 2011. Evans, Dustin. November 16, 2007. http://blogs.payscale.com/salarystories/2007/11/comic-book-arti.html. November 14, 2011. Evanier, Mark and Sherman, Steve. 2004. “Jack Kirby Biography”. http://kirbymuseum.org/biography. Retrieved November 10, 2011. Hafizi, Amir. July 14, 2009. “Leaving on a Jet Plane”. http://www.mmail.com.my/content/7978-leaving-jet-plane. Retrieved November 10, 2011. Martin, Gary. “The Art of Comic Book Inking”. http://www.bigredhair.com/work/writing_samples/InkingBook.pdf. “Jim Lee”. http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=7. Retrieved November 10, 2011.