Tales at the Edge Graphic Novel
Aruba needed a piece of high-level marketing material that showcased the power of Aruba ESP, directed at IT managers and C-level management. I was asked to be the sole illustrator and designer for this piece, and work with writer, Gina Staros, and Transmission agency creative directors to bring this to life.
The script for this graphic novel revolved around Ace, an overwhelmed network architect who must go on-site to solve network failover errors. IT resources are overtaxed, and productivity is suffering. There must be a better work-life balance to help remote workers adapt to returning to the office. The network needs transformation. Aruba ESP comes in, and our hero has superpowers that can monitor the network, automatically detect security issues, and improve the network experience for users with consistent connectivity. With the network issues resolved, Ace can focus on efforts to enable a hybrid workplace. All is better in Netropolis.
Initial Concepts
A moodboard was created to establish the tone of the visuals. Aruba’s brand had a generally saturated and bright palette. They wanted something that felt positive and vibrant, particularly when Aruba’s product is introduced. We wanted to set apart the tone in the visuals when Aruba ESP gives our hero the transformation he needed, versus the start of the novel where he is stressed, anxious, and surrounded by problems.
Below are some character style explorations, with Style A being anime-inspired and slightly more realistic while Style B was more stylized and cartoon-like. The other important visual to establish was the superhero Aruba suit Ace would be equipped with.
Initial Frame Explorations
Key frames from the script were chosen to experiment and share with the client to establish the style, mood, and tone of the visuals.
Final Comic
