Daniel Lieske, Wormworld, and the Sense of Place
By far, the most impressive comics event while I was on break was the debut of Daniel Lieske’s online graphic novel The Wormworld Saga.
Lieske works at a German computer and console games company, and he’s obviously had years to hone his craft, but he’s a brand new name to me, and I’m glad to make his virtual acquaintance.
Despite coming out on Christmas day, when most potential readers were presumably distracted, the comic has garnered upwards of 200,000 viewers in less than three weeks, and deservedly so. It features solid storytelling and some gorgeous painted artwork. It’s also the best use of extended canvas storytelling I’ve seen in years.
Most impressive is Lieske’s all-encompassing sense of place; that rare sensation of becoming engulfed in a fully-realized new world. This is partially due to Lieske’s skills as a painter, but also to his smart use of extended establishing shots that blend into the black background behind other panels.
Set aside some time to read the first chapter. You’ll be glad you did. And if you like what you see, you can support the comic here, or contact him for work or a possible appearance here.
Oh! And congratulations to Daniel and his wife on the birth of their son yesterday! A busy month for a great new comics talent.
March 3, 2021
I did a lengthy interview with Daniel Lieske for the German Tagesspiegel. It’s (as you might have guessed) in German, but it might be worth a read, as he also talks about the influence of Reinventing Comics and such.
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/comics/die-unendliche-leinwand/3695414.html
I can not get over how beautiful The Wormworld Saga is, I’m so glad you posted about it. I will certainly be spreading the word about this one mysefl
[…] stieß Lieskes Wormworldsaga denn auch auf einhelliges Lob beim großen Meister. In seinem Blog schrieb McCloud nach dem Start des deutschen Webcomics: „Besonders beindruckt mich Lieskes Raumgefühl, das sehr […]
The opening shot was possibly the most revolutionary use of the infinite canvas I’ve ever seen. Mimicking a camera pan with a mouse scroll: Genius.
My goodness that’s beautiful
That was definitely great stuff! Makes me kind of want re-think my own products… This is what webcomics should be about: new ways to enjoy the medium.