Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544119
to draw" book I bought after deciding I wanted to be a storyboard artist was How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by John Buscema and Stan Lee. Needless to say, I was more than ready to jump in with both feet, and soon I was in the Marvel offices on the Radford Studios lot storyboarding my first sequence for the MCU. I worked with directors James Ponsoldt and Stella Meghie (who each directed two episodes), and very closely with director of photography Armando Salas ASC, storyboarding a half-dozen elaborate sequences. In our many storyboard meetings, Armando would show (or draw) overhead diagrams of where the camera would be, share reference photos and explain the shots he wanted. After our briefings, I would do a quick loose pass of thumbnails and present those to the director and DP (I've been drawing my storyboards in Procreate since 2019). Drawing fast and loose thumbnails first is possibly my favorite part of the shooting board process (and in my opinion, the most creative). It's a time when you can get ideas down quickly, flesh out the story beats visually for the first time, and make changes without spending too much time on a frame. I'll occasionally pause to look at the sequence as a whole, making sure everything is flowing visually and the ever-important connective tissue between shots is there. Basically, I am thinking like an artist, director, DP and an editor. After a couple passes at the sequence, once the director and DP were feeling good about it, I would polish the boards for final delivery to all the departments. I like to draw camera arrows in red and on this show, I drew character/object movements in blue. It's a style choice that I think gives B&W boards a little added pop. I'm always thinking as cinematically as possible when drawing my storyboards, which probably comes from my love of movies and understanding of filmmaking at an early age. I also have a strong familiarity with camera and lens equipment from my first years in the industry working as an assistant cameraman. Even though storyboard artists are expected to understand cinematic language, DPs are always pleasantly surprised when you can speak their camera language on a technical level. I have never been more excited to share my work and for people to watch this show. Whether you're the ultimate MCU fan, never seen a single show or somewhere in between, you can expect something fresh and exciting in these episodes. The best part is you can dive right in without needing to do your homework by watching other Marvel shows first. At the heart of Wonder Man is a story of friendship between two actors at opposite ends of their respective careers, and a love letter to the acting profession. For me, it's a great and rewarding feeling to have fulfilled a career-long dream of storyboarding not just a Marvel show, but this Marvel show, and having played a role in bringing Simon Williams/Wonder Man to life on screen. The following is a select sample of the sequences I storyboarded for the show. Mom's New Kitchen This was an important scene that we spent some time on. A reoccurring theme this season is Simon's struggle to hide his powers, especially when he's triggered. During his mom's birthday, Simon is shamed by his family over his career choice as Trevor looks on. We wanted to convey Simon as a ticking bomb. Trevor clocks all of this and is fearful of what's coming. So it was important we had those shots between the two friends. The scene culminates with Simon losing control and his mom's newly remodeled kitchen is on the receiving end.