The spark of an idea
I was first inspired to write the story for Blunderbore after Marc, the artist (and husband!) shared a series of pictures he had been developing. The images told the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk – but what made the sequence so compelling was the final double-page spread – a child at work illustrating the popular fairy tale. The reader understands, all at once, that this child is the creator, that the interpretation is her own. That her images are so vivid, so fully realised that they might be real. This illustration was profoundly arresting, and gave me the confidence to believe I might be able to continue the narrative. I suggested to Marc that I do just that, and he happily agreed. Both of us believed that the story would be best told as a graphic novel. Although this was not something I had attempted before, I had studied film-writing, had written for film, and trained as an actor. All of this teaches visual language, and dialogue. Without these skills perhaps it would have been more difficult.
Theimages were so vivid, so fully realised that they might be real
- Sofi Laguna
Creating Blunderbore together
Not that it was easy. Like every story, Blunderbore presented knots to undo, obstacles to remove, problems to solve. Words and pictures operate in very different ways, and it was not until we saw my words translated into images that we could decide whether they worked or not. This impacted much more on Marc than on me, because he was the one at the coal face. He was the one doing the hard labour. I know he needed a story – but his pictures leave readers speechless. Anyway, it seems we are capable of being an effective duet. Marc could help me with some of the tricky parts, and brainstorm creative solutions. He is funny, with a flare for character, which meant he could use accents, come up with hilarious voices and good dialogue. I wasn’t alone in the way I am with other stories.
Facing the giant
Marc had been obsessed with a giant who finds his way into our world for years. I can only guess what the giant represents in his unconscious – power, greed, appetite, instinct, amorality – maybe all or maybe none of these things. For me personally, I love Jack and the Beanstalk’s timeless images: a beanstalk that reaches the clouds, geese that lay golden eggs, castles that float in the sky. There are reasons these old stories are still with us today, and why modern readers continue to respond. I think it’s fascinating (and scary) that the giant wanted to eat the children – the ultimate expression of greed and sociopathy. Maybe Marc and I both wanted to defeat this monster with creative thinking, and resourcefulness.
Bringing the book to life
And of course, the work load was very uneven; a sentence might take a lifetime of experience, but happen in a minute. Whereas Marc’s work, whilst also borne of a lifetime’s experience, is labour intensive. Many long months, late nights, and dogged days produced the wondrous images. He lost a lot of sleep, because there were deadlines that simply had to be met. I kept the home fires burning – kids, school, dishwasher etc – while Marc made pictures. He also had to deal with a lot of feedback (from me) pretty much consistently. I acted as ‘art director’ from early on, which was mostly harmonious (mostly!) The next stage helped us iron out certain differences, because it meant different sets of eyes on the work.
Our team at Penguin Random House were extraordinary, and we would not have made this book without them. It was our Publihser, Lisa Riley, whose passionate response gave us the encouragement we needed. Our brilliant editor, Michelle Madden, kept things on track, brainstormed creative solutions, detected inconsistencies, and helped us streamline the events. Michelle made all the difference. Tony Palmer, designer extraordinaire, helped Marc in countless ways, teaching him about the form, from the arrangement of panels, to the best speech bubbles. I know Marc has learned a whole new set of skills to take into the future.
Behind Blunderbore
Hear Sofie Laguna and Marc McBride talk about the ideas, illustrations, and collaboration behind Blunderbore
The real people behind the characters
I think I probably also need to mention our connection to the characters in the story, since one of the leads is our youngest son! That was Jack. I think it was very convenient for Marc to have his very own model always on hand to help. And I really enjoy seeing Milo’s younger self in the pictures. Marc didn’t want Milo to cut his hair, so Milo went everywhere with this medieval mop. Seeing the pictures now brings back that younger boy with the thick floppy hair and always makes me melt.
We know the other characters too; Aunt Lucy is one of my best friends, and we always tell Sophia that her contribution stole the show. Sophia was fantastically helpful, and put so much energy into her poses – she made the job easy and fun. If I’m honest, Aunt Lucy might just be my favourite. When we speak on the phone now, I feel as if I’m on the line to Lucy!
I am very aware of just how many wonderful people helped to make this dream come true – (what a scary dream) – and what a thrill it is to see it as a book. Now it is time to share the story with readers; I hope they feel the same powerful thrill that first called me to climb that beanstalk with Marc, and face the giant.
