Announcing the launch of my hardback picture book for adults and all ages due out on 21st August 2018, What the Hell Just Happened?!: Comfort and Wisdom for When Your World Falls Apart. More so than most of my work, this was written and drawn, straight from my heart and guts!
Consider it a friendly pick-me-up to clear the mind and set you up to make plans for a positive future, like a chat and drink with a good friend. It’s visual comfort and wisdom for anyone who’s going through a tough time, be it a bad break up, the loss of a job, failing an exam, losing a loved one, not getting a promotion, or any other difficult life challenge. Also good as a nice day-to-day lift!
Writing and drawing comics and books can be an incredible cathartic experience and this was a perfect example of creating something in order to work through stuff! As ever though, I’ve aimed to make the book universal for as many people as possible, facing whatever their own troubles and burdens might be.
Drawn in dip pen and ink, it may have been my most enjoyable book to illustrate, and has some of the artwork I’m most proud of.
Edited by James Cherry and brought to you by Jessica Kingsley Publishers who also published my children’s picture book, You Make Your Parents Super Happy!, my all ages comic strip collection, Lucy the Octopus, and through it’s imprint Singing Dragon, my graphic novel, When Are You Going to Get a Proper Job?!
Here’s what Jessica Kingsley Publishers say about What the Hell Just Happened?!…
You feel like you’re…how can I put it…falling?’
This inspirational gift book helps readers overcome troubling times in their lives. Through vivid illustrations and positive affirmations, the book shows how you can face your past and embrace your future. The author provides thoughtful tips to remind you of what you can be at your emotionally strongest and smartest.
Written by successful graphic novelist Richy K. Chandler, this will help you face life head-on and appreciate all that is good in your life. Ideal to gift to anyone going through a rough patch, or for use by therapists and counsellors.
Plus other nice things said about the book by awesome people…
‘This charming little book by Richy K. Chandler works like a lifebuoy. When you feel down, reach out and grab it. As you travel through this colourfully and weirdly caricaturized world, eventually you will find yourself kicking away from the depths of sadness and reaching toward the light above you.’
– Chie Kutsuwada, Manga-creator and illustrator
‘When life throws you a curve ball, grab comics pioneer and illustrator extraordinaire Richy K. Chandler’s What the Hell Just Happened. In this beautifully drawn comic, not only will you be guided through encounters with the dragons of your past and any heavy anchors of regret, but, with the help of a large mallet, you will also be advised how to thrash a few flying meteors of powerlessness. This is a truly ground-breaking self-help comic!’
– Dr Sarah Lightman, Eisner-Award winning author and comics artist, and co-founder of Laydeez do Comics
Preorder the book online or buy it from August 21st 2018:
JKP Books
Waterstones
Amazon
Next up, I free the paper from the shackles of the masking tape! This gives me the option to rotate the paper as I ink to reach the most comfortable position for drawing each line and curve. This is even more important when I use a brush to ink as oppose to pens (which I’ve done a few Lucy strips requiring a different style, as well as lots of other work).
Before I get on to the real art, I draw out the speech bubbles in a 0.5 line.
That little arrow I draw is to remind me to fix the mistake with the speech bubble after I scan the work into my Mac (ready to colour on Photoshop). It’s quicker to do this than to use tippex or opaque white paint on the actual paper.
On to inking the actual drawing. Sometimes I do this panel by panel. More usually I approach the strip as a whole and work from the thickest pens down the to the finest. This saves a bit of time by not stopping to change pens so often.
A good rule of thumb is draw things in the foreground in a thicker line than things behind in a picture. That’s why I tackle Mrs Faridani in 0.8 line and will do the passengers behind her with a thinner pen.
I also use the thicker line of the 0.8 pen to give the feeling of weight under elements such as the underside of the monster in Panel 2 and the handle in Panel 4. 
I finish with the 0.8 pen and start with the 0.5.
I continue to work on the first 3 panels…
…until the 0.5 line work is done.
I switch to the 0.3 pen to work on finer lines, including characters further towards the background.
Finally I use 0.2 and 0.1 pens for the finest details, like the tiny passengers in Panels 2 & 5 and the characters in the deepest depths of the background of Panel 1.
The drawing part of the process is complete!
