Gabriel Valentin’s graphic novel Digital Lizards of Doom (the first in a planned series) is an "interstellar fantasy" story featuring a lively cast of otherworldly characters trapped by a villainous "Pineapple Demon" inside a video game simulation. Valentin, who has also created a musical act and gameshow based on the Lizards of Doom characters, spoke to PW about writing a graphic novel for today’s readers, the unique storytelling possibilities the format offers, and why imagination–and perseverance–matter.
How does the comic format help uplift the storytelling for young readers?
As a fan of art in all of its many forms, I love exploring and pushing the boundaries of what a graphic novel can do! The graphic novel format allows me to combine Digital Lizards of Doom’s visual art with its interstellar fantasy story and provide a fun, visually engaging medium that speaks directly to younger readers. I think a lot of kids gravitate towards Digital Lizards of Doom because of the colorful illustrations and the ridiculous jokes, but what keeps them there is a story and a format that is tailored specifically for them. And since the story being told is a meta fourth wall-breaking saga, visual engagement is so necessary. It not only enhances the fun of the narrative but also helps younger readers get a better grasp of their comprehension and imagination skills.
How did you feel the first time you saw Ernie Najera’s illustrations for the book?
I remember getting a little emotional actually! I believe the first DLOD drawing I ever saw was a sketch of Dizzy Doom and he was against a black window-looking background with these lines coming off of him as if the character was radiating. I remember looking at the image and thinking “It's just a character in front of a black background with some lines, how does this look so cool?!” Ernie is a master of taking an idea and adding just the right amount of flair to it. Margo Prodan (the colorist) compliments Ernie’s artwork in every way. With her color choices, the two of them come together and make something that looks like it literally came from another universe.
One very fun aspect of Digital Lizards of Doom is your use of emoticons. Can you talk more about that?
The Digital Lizards of Doom books use 25 different emoticons for every character with a speaking part in the series. These 25 different emoticons represent the many facial expressions and emotions that each character is presenting while speaking their dialogue. This causes the book to have more of a cinematic feel to it which not only holds a child’s attention longer than other books, but also helps break up the text into bite-sized pieces. Because the DLOD books are the only books that are doing this, I am currently working closely with the San Diego Unified School District and have partnered with their extended learning opportunity department. We have developed a curriculum based on the DLOD graphic novel and it focuses on social-emotional health, language arts, and creative problem-solving.
How does your interest in pop culture (and your DLOD game show series!) play into the book?
As I said earlier I am a fan of art and all of its many forms! So naturally the book is filled to the brim with Easter eggs from all of my favorite things growing up. As for the game show we have coming out (Lava or Licorice), it is a pretty funny concept where Pineapple Pete has trapped the three main characters from the DLOD book inside his version of a trivia game show. It's like Jeopardy for kids, but with Digital Lizards of Doom characters! And that will premiere on YouTube Kids on September 26!
Pineapple Pete, Commander E.K.O., and Dizzy Doom are such memorable characters. What can you share about their inception and what each character represents for you?
Each character in the Digital Lizards of Doom books represents a different emotion or special attribute. Pineapple Pete represents the part of us that wants to control everything, instead of allowing ourselves to go with the flow and learn from our mistakes. Commander E.K.O. represents that feeling of longing for something you lost and how it affects your actions. Dizzy Doom represents boundless optimism. This character is filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement about life, which radiates from them and lifts up everyone he meets. However, because of Dizzy’s unyielding optimism, he often underestimates the negative intentions of others and despite this vulnerability, his unwavering joy and ability to bring happiness to others remains a defining trait through every adventure! Every character in the DLOD universe represents a different emotional attribute, so in the end, each character will have to learn how to co-exist and work together, if they want to escape the video game.
Your many creative endeavors–including inventing a musical act drawn from the Digital Lizards of Doom story and characters–is such an inspiration! What do you hope to convey to readers about the importance of imagination and creativity?
I want people to walk away from these stories with the sense that they can go out into the world and do anything they set their minds to! It's something that is said and repeated so much, but I unfortunately feel like the kids of today don’t believe it like they should and that breaks my heart. I set out to create a universe that was open and accessible to anyone who wanted to play in it, but I had no money and was constantly being reminded by others about how I’m not strong enough, smart enough, or gifted enough to make the dreams that I want to happen come true. I never listened; I blocked all those voices out and pressed on ahead and created the Digital Lizards of Doom brand. I wanted to build a musical soundtrack around the world and no one wanted to invest or help, so I figured out how to make it happen myself. I wanted to create a graphic novel with a format that had never been seen before, but I couldn't get any experienced publisher or editor to take me seriously so I built it out with my friend Jesse through lots of trial and error. I did all that with no help from the industry, no budget, and everyone else around telling me how DLOD is weird or how it’s not going to work, so if I can do it, anybody else can make their dreams come true as well and I want to help ignite that creative spark in as many humans as possible.
