A mercenary. A tavern. Too many ghosts for one lifetime.
Project overview
Project: The Light We Carry – Chapter One
Format: Comic chapter (print & digital)
Role: Comic artist, visual storyteller, page layout
Collaboration: Based on a story by Paolo Trepiccione.
Status: Chapter One completed
The story
It all begins in a tavern. Jonathan Southland. is a mercenary and a man out of place and time. Beneath the sardonic exterior is someone fractured, observant, and quietly exhausted by the world around him.
This chapter establishes the emotional and thematic foundation for a longer journey. It explores memory and guilt. It also delves into what it means to carry light when you’d rather put it down.
Visual & Storytelling Approach
- Adaptation of Jonathan Southland, a character originally created by Paolo Trepiccione in his novel ‘Forever Connected‘, translating prose-based psychological depth into sequential visual storytelling
- Development of Jonathan’s visual identity for the comic medium, shaping his physical presence, posture, expressions, and environmental framing
- Heavy use of body language and composition to carry internal conflict without excessive exposition
- Controlled pacing through panel rhythm rather than action overload
- Lighting and contrast intentionally used to mirror Jonathan’s fractured internal state
- Manga-influenced motion blended with Western dark fantasy sensibilities
Timelapse process, from Procreate
Process & Execution
The chapter was developed directly from key emotional beats within the script rather than through extensive thumbnail passes. Page composition draws from a hybrid visual lineage: the vertical dynamism of manga layouts, the balanced two-tier structure common in classic Indonesian comics, and the clarity of European sequential storytelling traditions.
Pages were primarily structured using a disciplined tier-based rhythm to maintain pacing and readability, particularly in dialogue-heavy sequences, before being refined for both print and digital formats.
Additionally, to illustration and visual development, I managed page layout, print preparation, and production logistics. This included preparing print-ready files. I managed margins and bleed. I also reviewed proofs. Finally, I oversaw the final output for both digital and physical formats.
While the narrative foundation originates from Paolo Trepiccione’s novel, this adaptation establishes Jonathan’s definitive visual presence within the comic medium.
