BEHIND THE CURTAIN: MINOR ARCANA PART 1

A look at the design and sketchbook work that led to Minor Arcana

Farmhands,

Welcome back! Last week the first collection of MINOR ARCANA came out, collecting issues 1-5, and I thought I’d pull back the curtains at the Psychic Shop and show you all some of my original character and set designs for the book!

Obviously, Minor Arcana is a real labour of love for me, and the longest creator-owned series I’ve planned since Sweet Tooth. Before I started drawing Issue 1, I needed to do a lot of preliminary work designing both the cast and the town of Limberlost itself. What follows is a glimpse at some of those initial designs…

I love that period of a project where you have the story and the ideas and I can just spend a couple months playing in my sketchbook. There is a real freedom in the process. Since this isn’t final artwork that needs to see print, you can be loose and free to make mistakes, and also discover unexpected things.

Theresa’s look came pretty quickly but I did spend some time trying to design her iconic jacket, which plays a big role in the book

I’ll be back later this week for a look at my designs for the Psychic Shop and Theresa and Vickie’s apartment.

And, if you haven’t, please check out MINOR ARCANA. Volume 1 is now available from BOOM! Studios and Issue 6 is coming in a few weeks!

Synopsis

Theresa, the daughter of a small-town “psychic” fraud, returns home to care for her ailing mother, however begrudgingly.

But when Theresa discovers that there may be more to the magic than she originally believed, she’ll find herself caught up in a town that desperately needs her help…

One of the most renowned creators in comics, New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer and artist Jeff Lemire (Descender, Black Hammer) arrives at BOOM! Studios with an extra-length opening chapter of a must-read ongoing series inspired by, and intricately linked to, the tarot and perfect for fans of his creator-owned work.

From CANADA with love,

Jeff.