These are pages from Sonder Island: Escaping Beach Day, a short comic I wrote and illustrated, which serves as the “pilot episode” of Sonder Island, an original series concept I created. The series is a dramatic comedy for older kids and teens about teenager Lindsey Ferguson as she and her family move to the titular island. There, Lindsey fights her long standing anxiety and antisocial tendencies by actively trying to make friends for the first time in her life. Over time, she becomes close friends with August and Katelyn, who help further her journey of self improvement, and, ultimately, teach her what it means to be a true friend.
The series was conceived in my last week of high school, as I had wanted to write a story in the “slice of life” genre inspired by my authentic experiences and those of my peers. I also wanted to rectify the media landscape of “teen stories”, which is overwhelmed with culturally out of touch and simply unrealistic depictions of how modern teenagers think, act, and interact.
In making the Escaping Beach Day comic, I knew I wanted to deviate from the standard grid format associated with the story telling medium. Much of the comic displays panels that have no borders, are non traditional shapes, run off the page, or are placed in a directional way that allows for a more dynamic reading experience while still being clear. The project was made entirely using Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, and was designed to fit both print and digital formats. Also pictured is a spread from the final printed book.
Nathaniel Gilpin 