Same Scene, One Year Apart
Unsure if this is interesting, but this is the same scene, more than a year a part. The one on the left was a single scene page test, I did MANY of these to test out the script to page while developing the character designs. The one on the right is the final scene as you see it in the comic.
Simply figuring out what the characters look like just standing there in concept art was not helpful to me, since none of the characters live in a vacuum. So I would do one shot/page scenes to test the characters. It helped me fine tune the character design process by seeing them interact with other characters. Almost like actor chemistry tests to see how they gel together. The character design process wasn’t just figuring out how I wanted the characters to look, but how I wanted them to look in the ensemble.
When I set out to make a comic I severely under estimated how much of it would be redrawing the same thing over and over and over again until my skills improved and things looked good. I did stuff like this for a year before I ever worked on the first chapter. Not sure how many times I re-drew this page, but it was quite a few!
Chapter 2 Outfit Adjustment
If you noticed in Chapter 3 that the future Cass outfit is different than the one Cass is wearing in the Chapter 2 Twin Fight – you’re not crazy, I had to go back and change it (narrative reasons!)
Valentine’s Day Art Peek
A progress peek at the Valentine’s Day art ❤️ I plan to put the full finished version on Patreon a month early.
Panel Process
Here is a peek at my paneling process from start to finish! Every panel in Neon Pantheon more or less follows these steps.
From Script to Comic
After having a discussion about scripting process, I thought I would share a peek at some of my scripting VS what it ended up looking like on the page. Not sure if you all find this kind of thing interesting. Enjoy!
How Hedy Jo Star and Evel Knievel Ended Up Inspiring Chapter 3’s Fits
Chapter 3’s battle outfits are all about Americana showmanship and Las Vegas energy. Since Araceli basically crash-lands into their world from the U.S., everyone decides the most logical thing to do is…dress in extremely American outfits to make her feel welcome. Is it sincere? Is it a little weird? Yes. That’s why I love it.
Cass’s outfit leans into classic burlesque and Vegas showgirls. Their main inspiration was the costume work of Hedy Jo Star, and oh boy, did writing this send me into a spiral. There is so little centralized info about her online. No Wikipedia page. Barely any collected archives. I’m still plotting what to do about this (future Ryn problem).
Hedy Jo Star was a mid-century performer born in 1920 in Oklahoma. She grew up intersex and later lived openly as a trans woman, something she talked about in her autobiography long before it was safe or common to do so. She started performing young on carnival and nightclub circuits. And then there’s the wild chapter where she was drafted into the Army during WWII. She refused to cut her long hair, ended up performing in Army entertainment shows, and basically turned the whole situation into yet another stage for herself. Icon.
After the war, she shifted into costume making, teaming up with performer Tony Midnite. She created custom outfits for burlesque performers, showgirls, dancers and drag queens. If you were in Vegas in the mid-20th century and wanted something sparkly and unforgettable, Hedy Jo was the person. If you are into costumes, you knew of Hedy. (Or you could find out about her like this person who found some of her costumes at a thrift store.) What’s it like being one of gods favorites???
Her looks were glittery, dramatic, expensive, and recognizable, which, let’s be honest, makes her perfect inspiration for a certain glittery, dramatic, expensive demigod in a certain webcomic.
For Eli, I knew from the start what I wanted: A JUMPSUIT. I love Elvis’s Vegas era and Evel Knievel’s stunt suits. Eli is part performer, part daredevil, and a true showman, and absolutely the kind of person who deserves a cape. So obviously I had to give him one. (Thank you to the Patrons who voted on his outfit!)
Elvis’s iconic costumes were designed by Bill Belew, who originally made him two-piece outfits until Elvis needed more room to leap around on stage, and the jumpsuit era officially started.
Meanwhile, Evel Knievel was out there perfecting his own brand of patriotic jumpsuits. His white, star-spangled leather suits (hot) were made by motorcycle industry-gear makers, including the company Buco, known for their super durable leathers. His outfits kept the red-white-and-blue theme and were usually custom-made for whatever stunt he was about to do.
Elvis and Evel Knievel both took the jumpsuit, some would argue…a goofy garment, and turned it into pure American spectacle and made it super hot. One glittered under Vegas lights, the other flew over buses. And honestly, that energy fits the cast of Neon Pantheon perfectly. Between Elvis’s showmanship, Evel’s bravado, and Hedy Jo Star’s legacy of sparkly theatrics, these Chapter 3 looks are a love letter to the most dramatic parts of Americana.
Sources:
Zagria, “Hedy Jo Star,” A Gender Variance Who’s Who.
Bill Belew interviews and archived materials, Graceland archives.
Gene Doucette interviews on designing Elvis’s suits (various press interviews, including The Guardian and Rolling Stone).
Buco (Joseph Buegeleisen Co.) company history and motorcycle gear catalogs.
Evel Knievel Museum archival materials on costume design.