Thank you Tim for agreeing to an interview. Tim is the author and illustrator of the Lightfall graphic novel series as well as illustrating other books such as D&D: Dungeon Academy, the Rip & Red series, and Pickle. I have read both books in the Lightfall graphic novel series and can’t wait for the next book.

Interview

What was your inspiration for the Lightfall series?

I’ve always loved adventure and fantasy stories. I wanted to tell a story in that genre, but I also wanted to have heroes that were relatable. So you have this big sweeping fantastical world, but the character of Bea is dealing with anxiety while Cad is insecure and quietly dealing with loss. The heroes are really trying their best, but in over their heads and dealing with their own internal issues.

What drew you to illustrating and writing your own graphic novel?

Graphic novels are a limitless medium. You can tell any type of story, of any size and are only limited by your imagination, which is all exciting. And since I love drawing, telling a story using images is kind of how my brain is wired. 

How did you choose which character to focus the story?

Bea and Cad were always the heart of the story. It all started with those two characters and their friendship, and the story grew out of there. 

What was your process for writing and illustrating Lightfall?

I start writing with a loose outline, that always ends up changing quite a bit. Then I write a script for the whole book. Next I roughly draw the whole book as thumbnails. There are usually a few rounds of revisions on those. Once those are in a good place, I start drawing final pages. Using the thumbnail as a guide, I draw the page in red pencil and then ‘ink’ it with mechanical pencil. Next those pages are all scanned, then I add the balloons and paint the pages in Photoshop. 

What is your approach to world and character building?

I’m always thinking about the world from Lightfall and gathering inspiration. Characters will pop into my head and I’ll try to find a place for them to fit into the story. Or I might need a character and go through some ideas I’ve had and see who might work. With the world, I usually develop more than makes it into the book. It helps to know a lot about the world when writing and it helps the world feel real and like it has a history, but it can quickly overwhelm the story. So it’s often about finding a balance.

How would you describe Lightfall in five words?

Adventure, anxiety, cozy, wondrous, fanciful

Did you have a favourite moment to write/illustrate?

I’d have to say the crab scene in Book 1 of Lightfall. There are these massive crabs among a sea of regular sized crabs. Bea and Cad have to race through them to the other side of the valley. It was a tricky sequence to figure out, but fun to draw in the end. 

What was your favourite book growing up?

It’s tough to pick just one! I had two book series I read often growing up. They were Dinotopia by James Gurney and Redwall by Brian Jacques. I loved getting lost in the worlds of both those series.

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

I bounce between genres usually, both fiction and non-fiction. I’ll read fantasy, biography, history, I try to read lots of different types of books.