Step into the captivating world of comic book artistry as we delve into an exclusive interview with Marcio Abreu, a highly talented and visionary comic book artist hailing from São Paulo, Brazil. Currently lending his artistic prowess to Dynamite Entertainment, Abreu is expanding The Wheel of Time adaptation into the comic book realm.

Abreu's current project involves the illustrations for Dynamite's comic book adaptation of "The Great Hunt," written by Rik Hoskin. "The Dynamite series will continue its adaptations of The Wheel of Time series into comic books, following 2009's 'The Eye of the World' (now collected into a graphic novel by Tor Books), written by Chuck Dixon and illustrated by multiple artists."
 

Join us as we explore Abreu's creative process, the challenges of adapting Robert Jordan's world into a visual medium, and the artist's perspective on character design and world-building.

*This interview was conducted in Portuguese and later translated into English.

Q: Did you have any familiarity with The Wheel of Time before? Or this was your first contact with it?
A: No, none! I discovered it when I watched the series on Prime Video, and liked it right away.

Q: How did you start the process? Did you base your illustrations on the other graphic novels, scripts, or some other material the publisher gave you?
A: I relied on references from a website that Dynamite sent me (referring to the iconic Seamas Gallagher artwork).



But I used an already published "The Eye of the World" comic to get to know some of the characters, and I watched the show again with a more discerning eye to capture the atmosphere.
 

Q: What is your working process like? Tell me about how you develop the pages.

A: I usually sketch loosely on A4 paper. I create small thumbnails for the pages, which helps me develop the narrative better. Then I redraw everything on A3 paper, without using a light table.

Q: Regarding the character design, did you have any freedom, or are you following what was in the books? Or a middle ground?
A: I had complete freedom, but I tried to follow what had already been drawn, so as not to deviate too much from what had already been published. But I always try to improve if possible!

Q: What do you enjoy drawing the most so far? Creatures, a certain character, magic, or something else?
A: Aaaaah, man, I love the creatures! I hope they appear a lot! But, everything is very cool. The detailed settings, period costumes, horses, magic, and the characters, in general, are very fun and challenging.

 

Q: I saw on your profile that you make a lot of Conan art. Did you know that the author of The Wheel of Time began his fantasy writing career with Conan books?

A: I didn't know! Woooooooow!!! I hope this is a good omen.

Q: How is it different to adapt a nearly thousand-page book into the art of a graphic novel?

A: Actually, everything comes already outlined in the script. My job is to draw it in a way that pleases a legion of fans from around the world. I hope to not disappoint!

We look forward to seeing Abreu's artistic vision come to life on the pages, and we're sure that fans all around the world will appreciate the dedication and passion he is bringing to this project. We can't wait to follow the journey of The Wheel of Time through Marcio Abreu's hands!

The first volume of "The Great Hunt" graphic novel adaptation is now available from Dynamite Comics.