Just the very words invoke imagery of frenetic battles across the deserts of North Africa, the forests of France, or the islands of the Pacific.
We almost instinctively know what a M-4 Sherman Tank looks like, or the unique helmet of the German Army, or the Rising Sun of the Japanese Battle Ensign. And in that comes the hardest part for the production of any series dealing with the War.... accuracy.
From my standpoint, I had to research the units and equipment of the combatants in the area: The Dutch East Indies. What did the RAF and the Japanese fly? What tactics? What was the flow of the strategy?
For Sandy, it's even more exacting. The Oscars must look like Oscars. The Hurricanes can't look like Spitfires. Uniforms have to be true. Even the cockpit layout has to be right.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Sandra Khoo is a perfectionist. The research that has gone into the first eight pages has been exhaustive and exhausting. We've poured over hundreds of websites to get the colors of the airplanes, the interiors, the placement of the instruments, even the parachutes, as accurate as we can.
The best part of the results is simple. It feels right.
In this panel, you can see the results of later research. Sandy's tightening up the cockpit and readjusting the control panel. Has it delayed our launch time? A little. But we do have the benefit of time and getting it right so our reader gets the maximum enjoyment out of our story.
