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The legendary Hong Kil Dong defied his low place in 15th-century Korean society by mastering the martial arts, magic and other wisdoms. With this knowledge and his passion for righting injustice, he led an army of peasants against the corruption of the powerful. In Bookstores Now! published by Charlesbridge |
MIDDLE SCHOOL COMICS WORKSHOPS
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A column by Anne Sibley O'Brien, published in the newsletter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, describing how Hong Kil Dong was conceived and created.
"It was a great inspiration, but I knew nothing about graphic novels. I went home and got to work. The first experts I consulted were my 18-year-old daughter and my 22-year-old son."
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In all the physical art forms - dance, acting, singing - few artists would think of performing, even in practice, without warming up the related muscles... What if we were to imagine that warmups are also essential for producing the highest quality visual work? ... Visual work uses the body, too, and perhaps what needs warming up in order to reach the fullest possible expression is the eye-mind-hand connection. To that end, here are some visual warmups to get your flow going.
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What if both integrity and profitability were possible? What if I honored the work I was passionate about by thinking strategically enough to make sure I got paid well for it?
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The development of my illustration work has been enhanced, from time to time, by the cold water splash of straightforward, on-target criticisms. In that spirit, I’d like to offer some observations of what I frequently see as problems in the work of beginning, and sometimes experienced and even published, illustrators. (These are all sins that I have committed myself at one point or another. I have been lucky enough to have people point them out to me. These days, I’ve gotten smart enough to actually continually seek out people who I know will deliver this kind of truthful critique.)
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What the reviewers are saying about The Legend of Hong Kil Dong:
"A nice blend of folklore, history and adventure," says Stevenson. Anne Sibley O'Brien transports readers to 15th-century Korea, where young Hong Kil Dong is denied his upper-class birthright because his mother is a commoner. Not one to accept injustice, he soon becomes a Robin Hood-like leader of an army of commoners who steal from the rich and give to the poor. [O'Brien]'s luminous graphic novel deploys brightly-colored watercolors to dramatize Korean court pageantry, rural poverty and luscious natural landscapes.
Diane Cole, NPR.org
November, 2006
NPR.org
“At its heart, The Legend of Hong Kil Dong delivers a message to all children that parentage and circumstances of birth aren't destiny, but merely a starting point on a personal journey during which all of us sit as captain. Where we go and how we get there resides squarely in our talents, resourcefulness, strength of desire and maybe a little self-made magic - an important message that even grown-ups should revisit often.”
Roberta Rosenberg, Blogcritics.org
July 16, 2006
Blogcritics.org
“Action, attractive illustrations and goodness... A story of hard knocks, an unfair-fate-turned-around, will keep fans of such mesmerized.”
- JC Peacock, Baker & Taylor, The Cat’s Meow
“Young readers intrigued by graphic novels and the martial arts code of honor will be amazed at The Legend of Hong Kil Dong... Kil Dong’s adventures with bandits, assassins, and the wise king SeJong will open young minds to an ancient culture in this modern form of storytelling. Anne Sibley O’Brien’s action-packed illustrations capture the imagination and make this unique story one to be read and re-told over and over — as it has been through the ages.”
ComicBookBin.com
July 17, 2006
ComicBookBin.com
“This uniquely formatted tale owes its strength to O'Brien's (the illustrator of the Jamaica books) meticulous research... Elements of magic and martial arts mastery combine to produce a story with an unflagging pace.”
Publishers Weekly
July 10, 2006
“O’Brien’s use of panels adds visual interest to the pages without sacrificing clarity, and her artwork is authentic to the historical period... The Robin Hood connection will invite children into this unusual taste of Korean folklore.”
Kat Kan, Booklist
July 2006