Adapting the Kalevala into augmented reality enabled sequential art

Abstract

This dissertation explores the possibility of adapting The Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, into a printed augmented reality enabled graphic novel. This project-based study aims to visualize the epic in a style of contemporary illustration to contextualize it to a present-day audience. The focus of this study lies on visual storytelling and illustration. The illustration is enhanced using animation shown through an augmented reality application. The augmented reality aspect creates a magical element to the story, which compliments the magical elements in the graphic novel. The research for this dissertation was conducted using qualitative methodologies, such as in-depth interviews and focus groups. The manuscript of the final graphic novel is an adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1912 novel The Sampo: Hero Tales from the Finnish Kalevala.