The Witch is back!
Book review of Derek Laufman's latest release
Scroll down for the video review of the same book
Book title: The Witch of Wickerson
Author/Illustrator: Derek Laufman ( https://www.dereklaufman.com/ )
Publishing date: Feb 2022 - Kickstarter Publisher: Derek Laufman
Kickstarter stats: 754 Backers pledged CAD $44,213.00 (US $35,085.23)
Intro
Today I am reviewing The Witch of Wickerson, an independently produced comic by Artist and Author Derek Laufman, funded, produced and distributed in association with a Kickstarter campaign that Derek ran in February of 2022. It is now Mid March of 2022 and I have the book in my hand which is a testament to the professionalism and quality of work that Derek and his team are producing.
Physical book quality, design and manufacturing
The book cover has a soft, almost suede feel to it, it is entirely satisfying to handle with glossy highlights on the lettering and the main character's image. It's a modern hardcover, which to me, looks like a perfect bound wrapped in a beautiful hard cover without the stitching found in old school traditional hard cover books. I think this is pretty standard in the current manufacturing environment. The inside pages feel substantial, likely an 80 lb bond paper without any gloss, which I prefer to glossy papers in both children's books and comics. The story itself is 31 pages, I wish it was longer, but we'll discuss that later, and there are about 15 pages of behind the scenes art work and development material.
The book design, is very profession, which is what I would expect from someone like Derek at this stage of his career. The Lettering both on the cover and the interior, supports the mood of the story and fits nicely with the beautiful artwork by Derek.
I am very pleased that my copy, from the kickstarter campaign, is signed by Derek himself.
Story and characters
The story follows the main Character "Toben" a mouse, and father of two who ventures out into the wild to seek his missing son "Owen", knowing that rumours of the Witch of Wickerson had returned to his small community.
The story reminds me of classic fairy tales, which some may consider frightening for young children, but I think are intentional and of value. When you read the original versions of fairytales by the "Brothers Grimm" you will find that they can be quite dark. Modern, sometimes referred to as "Disnyfied" versions are much less frightening and always expected to have a happy ending.
Derek's take on this original fairy tale that he has created, falls somewhere in between what I would think of as a "classic" dark, frightening fairytale, and a modern "Disneyfied" version. There are some moments, that could be upsetting for really young children, although in my household, I would not mind reading it to a 7 or 8 year old, even 6 years old for some children.
My only complaint, is that the book is too short. When reading through it, there are moments that I wish had been expanded upon and drawn out, both to give me more opportunity to enjoy Derek's beautiful artwork and to convey the emotional impact of the scene in question. Although we are introduced to the main character, and his "quest" to find his son at the beginning, I think the story would have had a greater emotional impact if the reader had an opportunity to see the two interacting prior to the beginning of Toben's search so that we could become very attached to Owen and be heavily attuned to Toben's deperation. Comic, or graphic novel, timing is a fine art that every reader may have a different opinion on. I prefer to have panels of artwork that have the sole intention of slowing down the reader to make sure they fully grasp the depth of what is happening. It's a personal thing.
Art style, consistency and quality
Derek's art is always beautiful. His style is instantly inviting, his character designs are familiar but unique. Every book, or game that I have seen with his name attached is always professional and of remarkably consistent quality. In this book, Derek uses a minimalist pallette of colours, browns and greys, which really fit the story and give the feel of a classic fairytale book. Derek's linework and layouts are lively and draw you in with each turn of the page. His character designs are both attractive and frightening as needed to suit the story. The expressions emphasize the story beats and the character's emotional states throughout.
Final thoughts
Derek Laufman's "The Witch of Wickerson" is a wonderful new fairytale. If you have kids that are 7 to 9 years old, I would say that it's very appropriate and would become a family favourite after one reading. I hope that Derek eventually re-releases this with a little slower pacing, more of his remarkable artwork, and even more "behind the scenes" production art.
If you would like to see the artwork in the book first hand, check my video review: