, ▁with ▁sequ ential ▁art ▁being ▁the ▁main ▁focus . ▁The ▁com ic ▁was ▁originally ▁pitch ed ▁by ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁Microsoft ' s ▁Fran ch ise ▁Development ▁Eric ▁Tra ut mann , ▁who ▁led ▁the ▁assembly ▁of ▁a ▁draft ▁com ic ▁written ▁by ▁John ▁N ey ▁R ie ber ▁and ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Ad i ▁Gran ov . ▁However , ▁Lor raine ▁Mc Le es , ▁the ▁art ▁director ▁of ▁B ung ie , ▁dis lik ed ▁the ▁com ic , ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁l ump ▁of ▁coal ". ▁B ung ie ▁also ▁dis lik ed ▁Tra ut mann ' s ▁com ic ▁team ▁and ▁requested ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁choose ▁their ▁own ▁artists ▁and ▁writers ▁instead . ▁P ete ▁Par s ons , ▁the ▁studio ▁director ▁of ▁B ung ie , ▁wanted ▁to ▁h ire ▁Alan ▁Moore ▁and ▁Joe ▁Kub ert ▁for ▁the ▁graph ic ▁novel , ▁though ▁Tra ut mann ▁was ▁highly ▁ske pt ical ▁that ▁such ▁high - profile ▁artists ▁would ▁de ign ▁to ▁the ▁project . ▁ ▁After ▁many ▁un success ful ▁neg ot iation ▁attempts , ▁Lor raine ▁suggested ▁that ▁B ung ie ▁fin ance ▁and ▁edit ▁the ▁novel ▁itself ▁before ▁purs uing ▁a ▁publish er , ▁allowing ▁the ▁studio ▁to ▁maintain ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁content ▁and ▁purs ue ▁the ▁vent ure ▁un enc umber ed ▁by ▁outside ▁inter vention . ▁Le ad ▁designer ▁Maria ▁Cab ardo ▁created ▁a ▁" d ream ▁team " ▁ro ster ▁of ▁writers ▁and ▁artists ▁B ung ie ▁adm ired , ▁and