Documentation & Research for Arizona

 To write and draw a series like Arizona, you need two types of research: factual research and visual research. The factual research deals with the history of the people and their cultures, the types of animals and plants found in Arizona, the geography and history of the state, and much more. Visual research consists in finding images of what you are about to draw. In the pilot episode, "Deep in Montezuma," since most of the action takes place at the Montezuma Well National Monument, the comic artist, Mac McCool, went on location to shoot photos of the Montezuma Well itself (see below). Additionally, he researched the web for information on the history of the well, the 1937 Chevy pick-up Pops drives, the roadrunner appearing on the first page, photos of the moon and of petroglyphs (drawings on rocks), and other details, such as the color scheme of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which served as an inspiration for the color palette of Arizona. Here are some links and photos!

View of the Montezuma Well from the main entrance

Side view of abandoned Native cliff dwellings just above the well

Photo of the cliff dwellings over the natural pool of the Montezuma Well used for the following panel.

Digital photos of a die-cast replica of a Chevy 1937 truck (with a telephoto lens on the left and a wide angle lens on the right) The resulting drawing of Pops' truck on page 1 (see full page).