Koren Shadmi's TWILIGHT MAN

There are some amazing things happening in the world of graphic novels - for examples, this biography of Rod Sterling by Koren Shadmi. Sterling led a life indicative of his times, which would never fly today, but it was a hard life too, and an amazing, creative path. Koren stopped by to share more about it... e: What was your creative process/medium for The Twilight Man, can you walk us through it?
Koren: First I had to do research. I read what books I could find out there about Serling and watched most of the pivotal Teleplays and movies he had written. I drafted a rough outline and then started writing the script. A lot of it involved cutting down the life story to the minimum necessary so it wouldn't end up being a 500 page graphic novel. Next I draw thumbnails for the whole book. I then scan those and digitally draw and ink all pages, then shading and text is added. A lot of work! e: What was your path to publication?
Koren: I packaged the script together with a few sample pages, and my literary agent pitched it around. Weirdly, we got a no from pretty much everyone, but Humanoids loved it, and the book did really well. e: I'm shocked anyone passed on The Twilight Man! Is there a unique or funny story behind the creation of The Twilight Man?
Koren: When I was writing the afterword for the book, I was sitting at a coffee shop and working on my laptop. I looked up and saw Serling's face staring at me. The coffee shop had a Jacques Cousteau corner, and Serling's face was printed on the back of a Laser Disc cover, since he narrated Cousteau's movie. e: HA! I especially loved the scene when Rod has the breakthrough on how to write his stories.
e: What do you think makes an illustration magical, what I call "Heart Art” - the sort that makes a reader want to come back to look again and again?
Koren: I've never heard the term Heart Art! Illustration is a different format than comics. You might confuse them since they are both drawn, but in most cases illustration has to stand by its own and be self contained; you have to convey a lot more information in one drawing. Meanwhile comics are sequential and deal with time a lot more. If you isolate one frame of a comic, it doesn't always stand on its own. e: Good insight! How do you advertise yourself?
Koren: I send out emailers and sometimes postcards. I post on all the social media platforms, although I sometimes find it exhausting and wish I didn't have to do it! I would rather use my time to just draw. e: What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a creator?
Koren: Having no boss is nice. I also like the feeling of a 'blank canvas' where you are free to do whatever you want as your next project. Of course that's also a challenge, because you have to come out with something out of nothing. e: Is there something in particular about The Twilight Man you hope readers will take away with them, perhaps something that isn’t immediately obvious?
Koren: I hope readers can get a good glimpse into the life of a very fascinating creator. I also think that it's interesting to see that someone who was as vastly successful as Serling could still struggle with self doubt and insecurities. e: What are you working on next or what would be your dream project?
Koren: I'm finishing up a project for Bold Type Books. It's a collab with author David Kushner and it will be a GN about Anonymous, the hacker collective. Very different book than Twilight Man! e: Sounds like it! I can't wait to see it!