Welcome

Greetings Travelers,

Welcome to the blog, dedicated to my latest graphic novel project, A Land Remembered: The Graphic Novel. It is truly a great honor to be given the reigns to adapt Patrick Smith's novel for the graphic genre and tell the MacIvey family story in a whole new and exciting way.

For those of you not familiar with me and my credentials, my name is Andre R. Frattino, the author and artist behind the Florida-focused paranormal graphic novels, The Reaper of St. George Street, Lost Souls of Savannah and The Vampirate of Matanzas Inlet, all available through Pineapple Press. I have spent the last 5 years dedicated to developing these comics which feature the history and folklore of the state of Florida. I am a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design (Sequential Art, 2009) and the University of Florida (Art Education, 2013) where I worked as a contributing cartoonist for the famed Independent Alligator newspaper. I also had the distinct honor of illustrating the promotional art for the 75th Anniversary of The Yearling, on behalf of the 
Marjorie Rawling Foundation.

As a fan of Patrick Smith's novel (as well as a proud Floridian myself), I admire the way he captivated the flavor and beauty of the Sunshine State through his attention to detail. Historical fiction can be a tricky genre to master as an author (and an artist). If even the slightest detail is off it can take a reader out of the story. Fortunately, Smith was able to carve out a world that is vivid and exciting, giving us a glimpse into a land that many Floridians today can't even imagine.

That's the challenge I seek to take on. Presenting this story to a generation that has forgotten what the state of Florida once was, and could still be today. Many young readers rely on and enjoy graphic novels and comics, it's the latest generation's major outlet for literature. There are graphic novels on nearly every subject you can imagine, from adaptations of the Bible, to classic literature like Moby Dick, to graphic novels focusing on the events of the Civil Rights Movement. In this day and age, graphic novels and comics are far more than just stories of men and women in masks and capes. And for a book founded on generational evolution, the next inevitable step is for it to cross over into the sequential medium.





Over the course of the next year and a half, I will be working tirelessly to complete this novel, and will document the development every step of the way, granting you a glimpse into the graphic novelist's process. From reference photography, to thumbnails, to finished illustrated pages. I hope you enjoy the process and as always, your thoughts are welcomed in the comment sections below.

So without further adieu, let us travel backwards in time and pioneer across swamps and prairies alongside Tobias, Emma and Zech as they journey across parts unknown in search of a land to remember.

Cheers,
Andre R. Frattino