Austin, Hailey J.

Laird, Catriona

Dundee, Scotland. I'd been teaching the film noir course for a few weeks, searching for the unfindable: a comic that referenced the critical films on the course. My feet dragged me from the closet I called an office and I headed south towards the Tay. I found myself sitting in the Dundee Comics Creative Space, surrounded by comic artists, academics and enthusiasts. Inspiration struck. I didn't know if it was the Dr. Pepper talking or if it was Raymond Chandler himself who spoke to me. I realised, the best way to prove film noir is a style rather than a genre is to make a comic that combines all of these elements and throws them in your face.In this, the last week of the film noir module, I give you The Big Sheep. It's chock-full of noir and comics references, interspersed with some bad puns and an anthropomorphic twist. Hopefully, this isn't goodbye, because according to Chandler, "To say goodbye is to die a little." But what most people don't remember is that after that he said, "unless you study comics in which case you'll live forever, probably.

University of Dundee Online Publications

                                                                    University of DundeeThe Big SheepAustin, Hailey J.; Laird, CatrionaPublication date:2019Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordLink to publication in Discovery Research PortalCitation for published version (APA):Austin, H. J., & Laird, C. (2019). The Big Sheep: A Philip Merlot Thriller. Dundee.General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in Discovery Research Portal are retained by the authors and/or othercopyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated withthese rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from Discovery Research Portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain. • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal.Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediatelyand investigate your claim.Download date: 14. Sep. 2019Cover - CatrionaDundee, Scotland. I’d been teaching the film noir course for a few weeks, searching for the unfindable: a comic that referenced the critical films on the course. My feet dragged me from the closet I called an office and I headed south towards the Tay. I found myself sitting in the Dundee Comics Creative Space, surrounded by comics artists, academics and enthusiasts. Inspiration struck. I didn’t know if it was the Dr. Pepper talking or if it was Raymond Chandler himself who spoke to me. I realised, the best way to prove film noir is a style rather than a genre is to make a comic that combines all of these elements and throws them in your face.In this, the last week of the film noir module, I give you The Big Sheep. It’s chock-full of noir and comics references, interspersed with some bad puns and an anthropomorphic twist. Hopefully, this isn’t goodbye, because according to Chandler, “To say goodbye is to die a little.” But what most people don’t remember is that after that he said, “unless you study comics in which case you’ll live forever, probably.”Hailey AustinComics PhD Student, Film Noir Tutor, and Part-Time DetectiveI’d like to give my sincere thanks to everyone involved in this project. It would not have been possible without Chris Murray’s guidance, enthusiasm and interest. And I cannot thank the talented artists, Catriona Laird, Helen Robinson, and Rebecca Horner, enough for making this comic better than I could have ever imagined it.The Big SheepContentsThe Big Sheep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Script: Hailey Austin      Art: Catriona LairdScene Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Filmography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Creator Bios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11The Big Sheep, March 2019, published by UniVerse, University of Dundee, Nethergate, Dundee, Scotland, UK. Production by Rebecca Horner of Ink Pot Studio. All Rights Reserved. All work created for The Big Sheep is © University of Dundee.No reprinting without the permission of the creators.Front Cover & Det. Hailey Icon: Catriona Laird      Back Cover: Helen RobinsonEdited by Hailey Austin & Chris Murray2Comic P13Comic P2Comic P35Comic P47Scene ComparisonsThe Big Sheep adapts several scenes from the films in the noir module, like the ones below. But it also adapts and parodies several names and quotes from the films and novels. Can you sniff out the rest of the references? The Maltese Falcon (1941)Dir. John HustonKiss Me Deadly (1955)Dir. Robert AldrichDouble Indemnity (1944)Dir. Billy Wilder8FilmographyMuch like comics, film posters use a static image to tell a moving tale. Below are six of the most famous film posters referenced in The Big Sheep. But rest assured, there are more.9ProcessMuch like a film, creating a comic is a process that involves collaboration and multiple drafts. The following pages give some insight into the comics creation process from film, to script, pencils, colours and the final version before you!I included this image from Fritz Lang’s M (1931).Page 2PANEL ONELong shot with Merlot’s inner monologue. Merlot is hiding behind a wall in his trench coat (possibly fedora) and on the right we can see the C. Gull and Rhino looking in a store window. MERLOT SOME BIRD HAD PAID ME RIDICULOUS CREDITS TO TRAIL A MR C. GULLIVER. THOUGHT HE’D NABBED HER FANCY STATUE. PANEL TWO Close-up of C. gull framed by the knives in the window like in M. He can see the reflection of Merlot in the window and smiles to himself. He knows Merlot is following him.One of the first steps in making a comic is writing the script. Using a typewriter is optional.Catriona then sent her incredible thumbnail. Once that was approved, she sent over pencils with more details. There were two stages of colouring the pages with a few rounds of edits before the final page complete.10The back cover was inspired by a Big Sleep poster. I sent it to Helen, who then sent back her impressive thumbnails and final illustration.CastHailey Austin is a comics PhD student who also loves film noir. When she’s not fighting crime, she teaches film noir. Icon by Rebecca HornerCatriona Laird is an illustrator and comic artist who loves big monsters. Catriona is also a freelance designer for V&A Dundee helping facilitate design workshops and tours.Helen Robinson is a freelance comics artist and illustrator from Northern Ireland. She is most certainly not planning a heist with a top notch crew of rogues and ruffians. gofishblues.comRebecca Horner is a cartoonist, colourist and film noir enthusiast. She has done production on many books, including this one. rebeccahorner.com11

The Big Sheep:A Philip Merlot Thriller

                                                                    University of DundeeThe Big SheepAustin, Hailey J.; Laird, CatrionaPublication date:2019Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordLink to publication in Discovery Research PortalCitation for published version (APA):Austin, H. J., & Laird, C. (2019). The Big Sheep: A Philip Merlot Thriller. UniVerse.General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in Discovery Research Portal are retained by the authors and/or othercopyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated withthese rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from Discovery Research Portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain. • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal.Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediatelyand investigate your claim.Download date: 31. Jul. 2023Cover - CatrionaDundee, Scotland. I’d been teaching the film noir course for a few weeks, searching for the unfindable: a comic that referenced the critical films on the course. My feet dragged me from the closet I called an office and I headed south towards the Tay. I found myself sitting in the Dundee Comics Creative Space, surrounded by comics artists, academics and enthusiasts. Inspiration struck. I didn’t know if it was the Dr. Pepper talking or if it was Raymond Chandler himself who spoke to me. I realised, the best way to prove film noir is a style rather than a genre is to make a comic that combines all of these elements and throws them in your face.In this, the last week of the film noir module, I give you The Big Sheep. It’s chock-full of noir and comics references, interspersed with some bad puns and an anthropomorphic twist. Hopefully, this isn’t goodbye, because according to Chandler, “To say goodbye is to die a little.” But what most people don’t remember is that after that he said, “unless you study comics in which case you’ll live forever, probably.”Hailey AustinComics PhD Student, Film Noir Tutor, and Part-Time DetectiveI’d like to give my sincere thanks to everyone involved in this project. It would not have been possible without Chris Murray’s guidance, enthusiasm and interest. And I cannot thank the talented artists, Catriona Laird, Helen Robinson, and Rebecca Horner, enough for making this comic better than I could have ever imagined it.The Big SheepContentsThe Big Sheep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Script: Hailey Austin      Art: Catriona LairdScene Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Filmography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Creator Bios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11The Big Sheep, March 2019, published by UniVerse, University of Dundee, Nethergate, Dundee, Scotland, UK. Production by Rebecca Horner of Ink Pot Studio. All Rights Reserved. All work created for The Big Sheep is © University of Dundee.No reprinting without the permission of the creators.Front Cover & Det. Hailey Icon: Catriona Laird      Back Cover: Helen RobinsonEdited by Hailey Austin & Chris Murray2Comic P13Comic P2Comic P35Comic P47Scene ComparisonsThe Big Sheep adapts several scenes from the films in the noir module, like the ones below. But it also adapts and parodies several names and quotes from the films and novels. Can you sniff out the rest of the references? The Maltese Falcon (1941)Dir. John HustonKiss Me Deadly (1955)Dir. Robert AldrichDouble Indemnity (1944)Dir. Billy Wilder8FilmographyMuch like comics, film posters use a static image to tell a moving tale. Below are six of the most famous film posters referenced in The Big Sheep. But rest assured, there are more.9ProcessMuch like a film, creating a comic is a process that involves collaboration and multiple drafts. The following pages give some insight into the comics creation process from film, to script, pencils, colours and the final version before you!I included this image from Fritz Lang’s M (1931).Page 2PANEL ONELong shot with Merlot’s inner monologue. Merlot is hiding behind a wall in his trench coat (possibly fedora) and on the right we can see the C. Gull and Rhino looking in a store window. MERLOT SOME BIRD HAD PAID ME RIDICULOUS CREDITS TO TRAIL A MR C. GULLIVER. THOUGHT HE’D NABBED HER FANCY STATUE. PANEL TWO Close-up of C. gull framed by the knives in the window like in M. He can see the reflection of Merlot in the window and smiles to himself. He knows Merlot is following him.One of the first steps in making a comic is writing the script. Using a typewriter is optional.Catriona then sent her incredible thumbnail. Once that was approved, she sent over pencils with more details. There were two stages of colouring the pages with a few rounds of edits before the final page complete.10The back cover was inspired by a Big Sleep poster. I sent it to Helen, who then sent back her impressive thumbnails and final illustration.CastHailey Austin is a comics PhD student who also loves film noir. When she’s not fighting crime, she teaches film noir. Icon by Rebecca HornerCatriona Laird is an illustrator and comic artist who loves big monsters. Catriona is also a freelance designer for V&A Dundee helping facilitate design workshops and tours.Helen Robinson is a freelance comics artist and illustrator from Northern Ireland. She is most certainly not planning a heist with a top notch crew of rogues and ruffians. gofishblues.comRebecca Horner is a cartoonist, colourist and film noir enthusiast. She has done production on many books, including this one. rebeccahorner.com11

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https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/38064955/The_Big_Sheep_19_03_19_compressed.pdf

The Big Sheep:A Philip Merlot Thriller

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University of Dundee Online Publications

University of Dundee Online Publications