Hugh's on first?

I have returned from a long hiatus to talk about what I love: graphic novels and other comic-related topics. On my break I put a lot of thought into the many projects I am making for myself. I made a decision to change my focus from my graphic novel to an animation: Hugh Manatee.

Hugh Manatee (by Thomas Sigwalt)

Hugh is a character I mentioned in a previous post. Hugh is a manatee with the job of a private detective who solves aquatic crimes for a price. The story is set in the current day, but the old trash in the ocean from the 1950s sets a noir tone. I originally wanted to make enough work for a video or two this past summer. It was much more work than I realized. 




Over the summer I worked on an animation series for Hugh Manatee. I had to teach myself all the basics of animation. I researched animations that were on YouTube, I learned about frames and how many were in a video per second, and I learned different ways to animate.


I could not finish a video in one summer alone, but I could work on the story and its characters. I made a story bible that describes what each character's personality is and other distinguishing traits.



Hugh Manatee is a serious kind of guy, especially for a manatee. If the price is right he can get the job done. Hugh used to have morals; he used to give a crap, but that all changed when he moved to the Blue Basement.


Stay tuned, for next week I plan to unveil another character from Hugh Manatee. I will also talk a bit more about the setting that Hugh Manatee is taking place in.