Meet: Coach

This part of the process truly illuminates my soul!

Coach is the newest addition to the “Pop Out Loud” character ensemble, making his debut in “Pop Out Loud, First Day of Soccer“! Between the lines, Coach is a young adult with his own experiences of once being a highly sensitive child. On the field, he is a confident, cool yet genuine (organic, if you will💁‍♀️) cheese-string fully of empathy, openness and understanding. I hope every child growing up today gets to experience leadership through someone like Coach.

A, B or C?

After a large brainstorm, my illustrator Aline presented three character sketches of Coach for me to review and make note of necessary alterations or do-overs.

A: Bang on, exactly how I have been dreaming of Coach – LOVE the shoes! His expression depicts a real life source of inspiration from my son’s world that was behind the creation of this storyline which is very cool. Stance, accessories and features are all very relevant. He looks masculine but offers a balance by encapsulating emotion and empathy. His “hair” is also my favourite of the three.

B: He has great confidence, he also reminds me more of the stereotypical coach/authority figure type, who have existed in my real life (this might be because there is a little less warmth to him than A).

C: SO inviting and adorable, almost like a distant cousin of Jimmy’s…I want to be his best friend. Jacket is a fantastic feature.

In Conclusion…

Choosing Coach A was a quick and easy choice, and there was only one subtle adjustment required as Aline captured my vision on the first try – the beauty of having an established vision and long term author-illustrator partnership!

Next, we embark on the design layout!