Meet the Little Party
Pre-order "The Little Fighter Board Book":
The party is starting to take shape
Howdy, Adventurers!
Mike here, coming to you from the drawing table.
Rory the Fighter has been adventuring solo for a while now. That's about to change. I've started designing the full cast of heroes, and wanted to show you where things stand.
It's the first time the party has stood in one place. Say hello to the lineup.
Who's in the lineup
- The Barbarian: big, blue and stripy, with the widest grin in the group. The largest hero on the page by a long way.
- The Fighter: you know this one. Rory is here with the horned helmet, sword and shield, and is the measuring stick for everyone else.
- The Wizard: the smallest of the bunch. Mostly hat, with a staff and a very serious expression.
- The Bard: tall, green and lanky, with purple hair, suspenders and a guitar slung over one shoulder.
- The Paladin: a red panda in samurai armour, sword in hand and looking very determined.
Why draw them side by side
A lineup like this is really important as the new cast comes together. We want to make sure they all belong together.The lines behind the characters are a height chart. It keeps everyone the same size from page to page and from book to book.
Seeing them all on one page like this helps us visualize how they work together. Each hero needs to be easy to tell apart at a glance, even for the littlest readers. So I am looking at the basics:
- Shape: big and round, small and pointy, tall and skinny. Each hero should have an outline of their own.
- Colour: each character gets a colour that belongs to them, so they stand out in a crowd.
- Personality: you should be able to guess who someone is before reading a single word.
Every book in the series is built around one big idea. For Rory it is strength and protection. The design of each new hero has to carry their own idea in the same way.
Still in the sketchbook
These designs are a work in progress. Faces, colours and gear may all change before any of these heroes reach a printed page. That is the fun part of this stage.
There are more heroes waiting at the tavern door. This lineup is who I've got on the drawing table right now. The rest of the party will follow.
You still pick who goes first
All of these are planned titles, and we're not sharing dates yet. The order is still up to you. If you have not voted, choose your party and tell us which heroes should join Rory first.
In the meantime, The Little Fighter is still taking on new party members. You can pre-order your copy today.
More sketches soon.
- Mike