Author: johnmanders

I'm an illustrator, author and cartoonist. I'm writing history for kids: The Western Civ User's Guide to Time & Space AND The Western Civ User's Guide to Reading & Writing.

Never say die!

It’s been quite a while since I posted! Here’s what’s been going on:

My original idea was to tell this story one page at a time, right here on this blog. It didn’t work out. GLORIANA is a saga, with lots of subplots, each involving a set of characters. It was too much for me to keep track of everybody. For instance, I needed some of King Henry’s soldiers to escort Elizabeth to a carriage after he’d banished her from court (that really happened). Where were these soldiers? I forgot to include them in the previous scene. Oops.

The other problem is I wasn’t easily able to design 2-page spreads this way. GLORIANA was a long-form online comic. After I started, I decided I want to make this a printed graphic novel instead. In print, the 2-page spreads need to look good. I wasn’t planning ahead. I’m an old graphic designer. If you’ve seen my picture books, you might guess that I design the whole project—thumbnail sketches of all the pages—before I start drawing illustrations. I blogged about that process at johnmanders.wordpress.com. Even before that, my picture book projects began with the author’s story, the manuscript. I was writing the story and drawing the pictures as I went along—an unwise move. Picture books are usually 32 pages. GLORIANA needs to be much longer than that. I was getting overwhelmed and I’d hardly begun.

So, I stopped working on it.

I really do believe in this project. I haven’t given up. I’m starting over. In the past months I wrote the manuscript. I had support and advice from my friends (thank you, Diana, Vince, Licia and Jenny!). GLORIANA is a tale of what-ifs: what if Elizabeth Tudor, after the big argument with Henry and her banishment, were chased by bad guys intent on assassinating her? What if these bad guys were part of a super-villain consortium bent on subjugating the kingdoms of Europe? What if the super-villain-wizard chasing her were a character from a popular play—a man who sold his soul to the Lord of Hell? How would she escape; make herself unrecognizable; where would she go? What if, during her flight, Elizabeth met real-life historical personalities who helped her? What if Elizabeth’s escape turned into an almighty battle between Good and Evil?

Elizabeth starts out as an unlikeable brat. I need her to become someone who values others. I need her to become a leader who would one day assume the throne of England.

The manuscript is finished. I’m storyboarding the graphic novel now. It looks like I’ll produce it in 16-page installments and self-publish. I’ll likely sell them on a crowd-funding site. If this is going to work, I need to find lots of customers! I will post updates here.

Thanks, friends, for your patience.

—Your old pal Manders

Elizabeth versus the Armada!

Today in the year of our Lord 1588, the English navy—under the command of Howard & Drake— defeated the mighty Spanish Armada.

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The famous portrait of Queen Bess, painted to commemorate her great victory, recently has been bought for Britain after a nationwide fundraising campaign.

Here is Elizabeth’s speech to the troops in Tilbury on the eve of battle:

My loving people

We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust.

I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.

I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.