Susan L Markloff
My books feature epic battles and lots of dynamic characters. I always knew that if I could get the chance to adapt them into a visual medium, I would want to do that. The stories I'm writing will present well in a visual media, and like many authors, would just about die if a live-action mini series were ever made of my books. That's definitely something that isn't likely to happen (at least not anytime soon). However, that doesn't mean that other visual mediums are off the table.
In 2024, we'll be launching a Kickstarter campaign to bring The Rise of the Raidin into a visual medium in the form of a graphic novel adaptation. Presently, the goal is to fund the project in three acts, splitting Rise's story into three volumes with the ultimate goal of releasing a full graphic novel once all three acts are complete. Preliminary artwork is set to begin in mid January 2024. If you wish to be among the first to hear about the graphic novel Kickstarter launch, sign up for my newsletter. The hope is that by Spring 2024, Volume 1 will go live on Kickstarter, with an estimated completion of Winter 2024. Volume 2's funding would follow shortly thereafter.
The above teaser artwork is the anticipated style of the graphic novel. My illustrator, Tina Ritchie, took inspiration from mangas and the likes of Avatar the Last Airbender, feeling that Rise evoked a similar vibe to that art style. Tina is an established artist that has completed small graphic adaptation projects and one 200 page graphic novel. This is her first fantasy graphic novel, and one that she is very excited to embark on. She's stated that adapting Rise is a "dream project", as she's a huge fan of stories with fantastical elements, dragons, and epic battles. Tina can be found on Instagram @tinaisolde if you want to learn more about her.