Building the World of The Hollow Lantern

The Hollow Lantern started as a single drawing of a lamp burning in an empty street. I kept asking who lit it, and the answer slowly turned into a city.

To keep the geography honest, I drew a full map before the first page — every alley the keeper walks actually connects to somewhere.

This first chapter is really about setting a mood: warm light, long shadows, and the sense that someone is always just out of frame.