Matt McKinley
Author and Illustrator of Wairau, 1843 Wars in the White Cloud Published by Kin Publishing |
BIOGRAPHY
Whilst I’ve been living in Waikato for close to 9 years now, I was originally raised in Havelock North. Literature, art, design and history has always been a passion of mine which led me to undertake a Bachelor of Industrial Design and Master of Design degree at the College of Creative Arts, Massey University. My day job is in product management for Gallagher Security which is based in Hamilton, where I help lead the development of the company’s software products. When I’m not glued to the computer screen in the office or at home working on my projects, I enjoy keeping active; regularly cycling, running and playing touch rugby to stay fit and healthy. Another key component to completing my book has been my amazing wife Sarah, who drags me from my computer to keep me well fed and happy within our beautiful Cambridge home. About Wairau, 1843 Wars in the White Cloud In a small clearing of land nestled within the Wairau valley two peoples met; the recently established settlers of Nelson, and the governing tribe of that region - the renowned Ngati-Toa. When they marched, both sides were prepared for confrontation ... yet they weren't expecting that their actions would drastically alter the future of the nation. Shaking both native Maori and settler populations alike, what occurred at Wairau made it clear throughout the Empire that not all was well within Britain's infant colony. Thrust into the affray are two boys, Arana and Will, unwilling participants in a conflict that will forever change their lives and their nation’s future. Wairau, 1843 is the first volume in the Wars in the White Cloud series. How the idea for the book came about As a kid I was enthralled with books or films about kings, knights and soldiers, and the way they shaped their countries’ future. To my young mind their lives and accomplishments all seemed so exciting. In contrast, I found what little history I knew about New Zealand downright boring - and the curriculum’s emphasis on the dreary Treaty of Waitangi textbooks did little to prove otherwise. Who were our past leaders? What occurred once the treaty was signed? Was our history really so boring?! Since then, I’ve learnt NZ indeed had amazing stories which were far from dull - but they weren’t being told! In the build up to writing my tale, the historical fiction series by Bernard Cornwall really captivated my imagination. It was his adept style of establishing entertaining characters amongst a backdrop of real events which inspired me to attempt a similar treatment for New Zealand’s historical events. In an effort to differentiate my books from the aforementioned textbook, I wanted to represent the tales in a graphic novel format to appeal to those that don’t necessarily enjoy reading, and making it accessible for all. |
The writing and illustrating process
The research phase took a significant amount of time. Whilst I wasn’t uncovering anything new about our past, I really wanted to ensure that the facts I did include were as accurate as possible - right down to the chieftain’s
ta moko.
As part of the process, I’ve gained a nice collection of historical books, diaries, newspaper articles and first-hand accounts of the early events in the wars, which have been more fascinating than expected as I began to learn how life in New Zealand really was like the Wild West!
Whilst illustrating each page was by far the most laborious process, I found the most challenging aspect of the story’s creation was the writing process. Notably, determining how to blend the historical characters and events within a compelling narrative; I found myself wishing I didn’t have to restrict the conversations and story within the confines of a tiny speech bubble, and it was a constant battle trying to convey facts and exposition without it bogging down the story.
Illustrating the novel was the largest part of the process, but also the most fun as I could see the story finally start to take form. Rather than using traditional pencils and ink, I prefer to use digital methods such as Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop to create my work. I’d begin by roughly sketching out each scene’s panels on the page with the accompanying text, just to see how everything would fit, adding or removing panels as required. Next, I would flesh out the illustrations further by refining the sketches and adding more detail to the scene and characters. From there I could add colour in layers building up the scene, before adding the final highlights and visual effects to the page, in an effort to make the scene come alive.
Extensive research of NZ's wars has been undertaken, and many late nights writing and illustrating were endured to begin bringing NZ’s stories of the past to life. Wairau, 1843 is the first volume in what I hope will become an enjoyable series.
The research phase took a significant amount of time. Whilst I wasn’t uncovering anything new about our past, I really wanted to ensure that the facts I did include were as accurate as possible - right down to the chieftain’s
ta moko.
As part of the process, I’ve gained a nice collection of historical books, diaries, newspaper articles and first-hand accounts of the early events in the wars, which have been more fascinating than expected as I began to learn how life in New Zealand really was like the Wild West!
Whilst illustrating each page was by far the most laborious process, I found the most challenging aspect of the story’s creation was the writing process. Notably, determining how to blend the historical characters and events within a compelling narrative; I found myself wishing I didn’t have to restrict the conversations and story within the confines of a tiny speech bubble, and it was a constant battle trying to convey facts and exposition without it bogging down the story.
Illustrating the novel was the largest part of the process, but also the most fun as I could see the story finally start to take form. Rather than using traditional pencils and ink, I prefer to use digital methods such as Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop to create my work. I’d begin by roughly sketching out each scene’s panels on the page with the accompanying text, just to see how everything would fit, adding or removing panels as required. Next, I would flesh out the illustrations further by refining the sketches and adding more detail to the scene and characters. From there I could add colour in layers building up the scene, before adding the final highlights and visual effects to the page, in an effort to make the scene come alive.
Extensive research of NZ's wars has been undertaken, and many late nights writing and illustrating were endured to begin bringing NZ’s stories of the past to life. Wairau, 1843 is the first volume in what I hope will become an enjoyable series.