"My Goals Were Very Visual and Atmospheric from the Start" Scott A. Ford on His Gorgeous New Graphic Novel, Ark Land

Acclaimed illustrator, author, and comic artist Scott A. Ford's Ark Land (ChiZine) follows Kairn, a scavenger who pawns debris from the arks of the alien animals who came to her planet a century ago. The animals are now everywhere on the planet, and are even worshipped by some people, while the mysterious arks that carried them through space continue to fascinate. 

When a radio station creates a contest offering a huge reward for a new piece of ark debris, Kairn finds her solitary work upended by an influx of strange and exciting characters. An adventure story packed with whimsy, influenced by video games, and delivered in gorgeous, rich, wildly imaginative art work, Ark Land is a graphic novel (and Kairn a protagonist) that readers will love from page one to the very end.

We're excited to welcome Scott to Open Book to talk to us about Ark Land and his writing and drawing process as part of our Lucky Seven series. He tells us about the visual goals that sparked the idea for Arkland (including "a girl with a cool mask and a big sword"), how a logical fix can often solve a creative problem for him, and what defines a great graphic novel for him.

You can also check out the trailer for Ark Land to get a taste of Scott's incredible art and Kairn's story.

Open Book:

Tell us about your new book and how it came to be.

Scott A. Ford:

Ark Land was the culmination of a number of little ideas that surprisingly fused together fairly easily into one story. I wanted to make a comic about robots, aliens, video games, vast landscapes, and about a girl with a cool mask and a big sword. My goals were very visual and atmospheric from the start. Basically I had a list of imagery, scenery and moods that I wanted to evoke in a single narrative and the story wove it's way around those simple goals. My previous comics had been shorter, more experimental, and a little darker than Ark Land, so in a way I wanted this book to be the opposite of those projects; longer, with a more straightforward narrative, and more lighthearted and whimsical. 

OB:

Is there a question that is central to your book, thematically? And if so, did you know the question when you started writing or did it emerge from the writing process?

SAF:

Ark Land deals with a number of themes: religion, belief, contrasting cultures, communication, all of which grew naturally out of the creation process. Mind you, all of these themes take a fairly lighthearted approach. I wanted this book to take an agnostic stance on these issues, so in a way maybe the real theme of the book is about acceptance, respect, and not taking life too seriously. At the end of the day, my main objective was to make a fun, colourful adventure story, so it was important that any of these themes not hinder that objective.

OB:

Did this project change significantly from when you first starting working on it to the final version? How long did the project take from start to finish?

SAF:

I actually think this book stayed pretty true to its vision from start to finish, which was surprising for something so extensive and in production for so long. I started developing Ark Land in 2014, starting with concept art, character design, general plot development, and world building. The majority of the book's actual contents was produced between late 2016 and early 2018, basically working non-stop outside of a few other commissions and obligations.

OB:

What do you need in order to write – in terms of space, food, rituals, writing instruments?

SAF:

Saltines and coffee always help. But for the most part I like to watch video game streams on Twitch or YouTube while drawing or writing. My comics are very much inspired by games, so having a stream on in the background while working provides this soothing mixture of research, entertainment, idle chit-chat, and white noise.

OB:

What do you do if you're feeling discouraged during the writing process? Do you have a method of coping with the difficult points in your projects?

SAF:

Every aspect of my art and writing has a lot of planning behind the scenes. So if I'm feeling a creative block, I make lists, write pros and cons, or even flow charts to help find a logical solution to my creative problem. But sometimes it helps to take a break. I usually start by trying to work on something else to give myself a change of pace while still being productive, but if that doesn't work I take a real break, get out of the apartment, or go for a walk. Don't underestimate the power of fresh air and a change of scenery.

OB:

What defines a great book, in your opinion? Tell us about one or two books you consider to be truly great books.

SAF:

I mostly read comics and graphic novels. But whether it's a novel or a comic, for me a great book is one where I feel entirely transported into the book's story and setting. It's not often that I find myself so engrossed in a story that the text just starts to feel like sound and I no longer pay attention to the gutter between the panels, but when I do it's truly captivating. It's not something I can easily quantify. Pacing is a big factor in that, and poor pacing will easily interrupt my reading experience.

Speaking specifically to the comics medium, camera angles, architecture, and layout are the key ingredients to detailing a comic's setting, and making the reader feel truly immersed in that world. For me, the most engrossing comics are the ones where I feel like I can almost read my way through a story's environment as freely as the characters. Two comics (out of many) that I consider truly great are The Marquis and Scott Pilgrim. The Marquis is a fantasy horror comic with a very unique black and white art style, that also makes very punctuated use of colour towards the end of the book. It's also a rare instance of a comic using no sound affects whatsoever, allowing the actions and dialogue to speak for themselves. The Scott Pilgrim series is a wonderful example of showing how a very cartoonish premise can still have real heart and carry a lot of emotional weight, with great use of magical realism for both dramatic and comedic purposes. It's also interesting to see how the tone of the series evolves across all 6 volumes.

OB:

What are you working on now?

SAF:

Since the release of Ark Land on June 19th, I've mostly been concentrating on promoting the book and traveling for events to sell Ark Land and my other comics and art. I currently have about a dozen comic ideas floating around in my head waiting to be materialized, but I'm happy to take a break from extensive solo projects for the short-term. Right now I'm working on a variety of smaller comic, illustration and graphic design commissions, some standalone illustration pieces, and taking some time to experiment with my art and writing in preparation for whatever my next big book will be.

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Scott A. Ford is an award-winning comic creator, illustrator, and designer from Winnipeg, Canada. His work puts an emphasis on atmosphere and rich visuals, drawing inspiration from video games, graphic design, film, and animation. His comic projects include Romulus + Remus, Giants’ Well, and Ark Land. Scott’s experimental fantasy horror comic, Giants’ Well, received a 2017 Manitoba Book Award, for book design and illustration. His work has been featured in galleries, publications, on beer cans, and book covers, and has spoken about his artistic practice at numerous public presentations about art and design.