Ultimate+Guide+to+Creating+Comic+Strips

Ultimate Guide to Creating Comic Strips by Odds & Sods

A "Little" History

There is a heavy misconception that comics are a modern invention, but this could not be further from the truth. When we think of comics, we usually picture Sunday funnies or glossy floppies or even thick tankōbons. However, is that all there is? Think about the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt, the friezes of ancient Greece or the tapestries of medieval Europe. Do these not resemble the comics you’ve read before? In 1993, comic theorist Scott McCloud defined comics as: “Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response in the reader.” Despite his verbose definition, it is still heavily debated in the field of comics as to what is comics and what can comics do. We do know one thing for sure though: comics are a powerful medium. As seen in Maus, Art Spielburg’s autobiographical comic about World War II, comics can be both a source of entertainment and education. It would be both closed minded and naive to say that comics are unrefined or only suitable for children. Are comics not the combination of art and literature, both of which are regarded as high culture? However, my point is not to glorify comics although they do deserve much more recognition, but rather to give you a deeper understanding of comics.

The Process

Most popular comics are not made by just one person. This is especially evident in Western comics where a writer and artist(s) are usually different people. Even in Eastern comics, the artists often have assistants who draw the backgrounds for them. For this guide, we’ll be taking a more in depth look at how Western comics are created. There are two ways for this: the solo method or the studio method. The solo method means one person writes and draws the entire comic. The studio method works more like an assembly line, with two or more people splitting up the workload. The typical jobs are: a plotter, a breakdown artist, a penciller, an inker, a scripter, a letterer and a colorist. A plotter is someone who writes the general outline of the story. Be sure to note that some roles may be performed by the same person. A breakdown artist then draws thumbnail pages from the plotter’s story. These thumbnails are usually simplistic because their main job is to determine how the page will look like in terms of camera angle and such. After words, a penciller takes the thumbnails and draws out each page in detail. An inker transforms the messy pencil drawings into crisp inked ones. If needed a scripter will write out the dialogue for the story and a letterer will write it on the comic page. Finally a colourist colours and voila, a comic is born!

The Five Golden Steps

Now are you enthralled, bursting with excitement to put pen to paper or whatever your medium may be and create that comic you’ve always wanted to? Unfortunately, the process of creating a comic is confusing and often frustrating. Thus I offer you a set of instructional steps that I like to “The Five Golden Steps”. Whether you’re new to comic creation or you’re a seasoned veteran, I hope that this can help you perfect your method of making comics.

1. The first step is called Script. Begin by writing down your general ideas. Once you have worked out a good, solid storyline, turn it into dialogue and narration.

2. The second step is called Design. Determine how many panels you will have, how big each of these panels will be, what will be in each of these panels and other necessary details.

3. The third step is called Illustrate. Draw out your comic in detail. If you are a traditionalist, draw first with pencil. You may have to retrace or redraw it several times. When you are satisfied with the final product, go over it in ink or whatever medium you want the finished product to be in. Finally scan it into the computer and clean it up with an image editing program. On the other hand if you prefer the digital method, first rough out the comic. Then on a new layer, redraw it so it looks like the finished product.

4. The fourth step is called Letter. Transfer the dialogue onto the comic. For traditional methods, you can do this by hand before scanning or do it digitally after scanning. (In order to avoid illegible handwriting, all O&S writers should letter everything digitally.) Make sure it flows properly and make any necessary changes due to space. Remember that sometimes too much writing can bore a reader while too little can lead to confusion. Keep in mind that you can also convey an idea entirely through pictures and thus you won't have to use any words at all.

5. The fifth step is Proofread. Analyze your comic critically. Get a friend or fellow artist to give their opinion. This step is crucial in catching any errors you missed before. Look at the artwork. Is everything coloured in properly? Did I forget to draw something? Look at the writing. Is everything spelled correctly? Does it read smoothly? The crucial question at this stage is: did you succeed in conveying what you wanted to the reader?

Art and Literature Combined

With the “Five Golden Steps”, anyone can make comic. However what differentiates a normal comic from a great one? Is it the storyline or is it the art? Of course you need a good plot so the reader is entertained and good artwork so it can help convey the details the text cannot convey. A good comic uses the following formula: a sentence conveys something the picture cannot and the picture conveys something the sentence cannot. Look at the following diagram.


 * **The Dialogue ** || **The Picture ** || **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Combination ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“I had a great day”, Tommy said. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[[image:Tommy.png]] || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[[image:Tommy2.png]] ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">From the dialogue, we infer Tommy had a great day. From the picture, we can infer that a character had been roughed up. However combine the two and a whole new idea is formed! We can clearly tell that Tommy is actually lying in the third panel. This is one of the secret powers of comics. It can be more easily interpreted than a novel because the pictures provide additional information. Conversely, the text helps restrict the images so that the meaning of the story will not be lost to the reader.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Comic Rapport

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Another key element to a great comic is comic rapport. Rapport means to be in sync and what comic rapport means is that the formal components of the comic must be in sync with the storyline and artwork. Medium, style, typeface and even speech bubble placement all counts as formal components. For a comic to be successful, all of them have to be carefully chosen in regards to the story you want to tell. For example, you decide to draw a funny romance comic but you choose to use the font Post Mortem and you draw it in messy ink. Without a doubt, your reader will be confused and lose interest. Of course, this is not to say you cannot use opposing elements in your story. Instead, you should only use them if it contributes somehow to the story. If your hypothetical romance comic used black humour or was actually about the forbidden relationship between two rivalling zombie families, then by all means use Post Mortem and messy ink. Style is especially important. A dark story drawn in a realistic style is more likely to capture the reader’s belief then a dark story drawn in an exaggerated cartoon like style. Compare and contrast the two following images. Which one shows comic rapport and why?


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[[image:Blood.png]] || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[[image:Blood2.png]] ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Style VS. Inadequate Skill

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">When faced with the criticism of proper proportion, amateur artists often defend their own work by saying it is just their style. Unfortunately, more often than not it’s the artists’ lack of skill that has resulted in these criticisms. There is a huge difference between style and inadequate skill. Often seasoned artists and critics can tell from just a glance which situation it is. For budding artists though, that is an entirely different story. Note that there is a difference between proportionally correct and anatomically correct. Thus, it can still be considered a style even if it is not anatomically correct. Look at the comparison below.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[[image:Girl.png]] || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[[image:Girl2.png]] ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Did you notice how both pictures have similar elements (e.g., enlarged eyes, a thinner and more elongated neck, simplified lips and a very faint nose) yet look dramatically different? Which picture could use more improvement?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Someone Call the Comic Police!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Regrettably, even great comic artists and writers sometimes have comic faux pas. A small mistake like typeface choice or speech bubble placement can make what could have been a potentially great comic into both an eyesore and a brainsore. There isn’t a universal list of things that all great comic creators should avoid if they do not want to fall into comic purgatory. After all, comics are an art medium and therefore have endless creative possibilities. Still there are a few things to keep in mind.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Fonts

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Some typefaces should be deleted from existence. Never use these under any circumstances especially not for comics.* These are the top offenders:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. Comic Sans MS <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2. Bradley Hand ITC <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3. Curlz MT <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4. Jokerman <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">5. Bleeding Cowboys <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6. Algerian <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">7. Papyrus <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8. Invite Engraved <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">9. Courier New <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10. Stylistic SF <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">11. Mistral Sprint <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">12. Freestyle SC <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">13. Kristen ITC <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">14. Vivaldi <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">15. Monotype Corsiva <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">16. Lucinda Handwriting

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Then there are typefaces which are fine for an essay assignment but are simply not suited for comics like Times New Roman and Helvetica. Typefaces should be chosen based on the genre of your comic. All typefaces can be split into two categories: serifs and sans serifs. Serifs are essentially the semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. Typefaces with serifs often appear more serious while sans serif typefaces appear more casual. If you are unsure whether or not to use a certain typeface, just research about it before you use it. For general ideas, let the following chart guide you but remember that it is only a rough outline and in the end it’s up to you to choose the typeface. Just keep in mind that a more readable font is often better than a fancy one especially when it comes to dialogue. Fancy fonts can be used for titles however.


 * **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Genre ** || **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Typefaces ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Slice of Life, Romance, Comedy || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Calibri, Georgia, Tahoma, Verdana, Univers, Augie ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi, Action || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Spectre Verde, Cut Throat, Digital Strip 2, Wild Words, Acme Secret Agent ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Some of the typefaces listed are not part of the fonts listed in the default Windows OS or Mac OS, but can be found on the Internet. There is an endless plethora of fonts to use once you start downloading new fonts. However, when faced with so many new fonts, many amateur comic artists cannot just settle on one typeface and make the mistake of abusing typeface swapping. Generally, the same font should be used throughout a comic to create uniformity. This isn’t to say you can use more than one typeface in your comic. A little variety can make a comic more exciting for even typefaces can tell a story. What a good comic artist must keep in mind though that typefaces swapping should be used sparingly and only with good reason. For example, a loud sound effect might demand a larger, bolder and blockier typeface. Do not under any circumstance use a font just because it looks “cool”. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">* There are exceptions to be made of course. For example, if your comic is about the trials of an Egyptian prince trying to reclaim his throne, then Papyrus would be a suitable typeface for the title.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Learn Your ABCs.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Now you know how to walk the walk, but can you talk the talk? Gaining a better understanding of comics involves learning the proper terminologies used in this medium.


 * **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Term ** || **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Definition ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Bleed || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">When the art is runs to the edge of each page, rather than having a border around it. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Canon || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The stories which are, at any one point, part of the official or accepted history and story of particular characters or universes in a comic. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caption || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A narrative device often used to convey information that cannot be communicated by the art or speech; used in place of thought bubbles. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Continuity || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(1) The existence and use of a shared universe, although any comic can have internal continuity independent of this; (2) a consistency of internal plots, and usually of characterisation and external references. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Crossover || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A character making a guest appearance in a different comic; typically implies more than a simple appearance, and denotes a cohesive storyline spanning more than one title, often as part of an event. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Event || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A large storyline which almost-always involves a crossover between one or more characters, titles, universes or companies, but usually denotes an internal company crossover. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fanboy || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A male who is highly devoted and biased in opinion towards a single subject or hobby within a given field; often used pejoratively. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fangirl || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A female who is highly devoted and biased in opinion towards a single subject or hobby within a given field; often used pejoratively. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Gutter || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The space between borders. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Motion lines || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Lines that are used to represent motion; a.k.a. speed lines. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">One-shot || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A pilot comic or a stand-alone story created to last as one issue. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Panel || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Images that are usually laid out within borders. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Panel frames || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The drawn out border or edges of a panel. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Retcon || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Continuity- and canon-effecting stories; a portmanteau shorthand phrase for "retroactive continuity”. A retcon affects the past history of characters and/or the whole shared universe, and says that the "new" changed events have always been that way. This can lead to intense confusion about what is the accepted canon. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Screentone || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A technique for applying texture and shades to drawings without hatching. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sound effect || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Bold or "3D" text in all upper case used to represent sounds. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Speech balloon || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A graphic used to assign ownership of dialogue on a particular character; a.k.a. word balloon or speech bubble. Bubbles which represent an internal dialogue are referred to as "thought balloons". The shape of the balloon will indicate the type of dialogue contained. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Splash page || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A full page drawing in a comic book; a.k.a. splash. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Symbolia || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The iconic representations used within comics and cartooning. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Marvel Method || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A manner of writing comics popularised in the 1960s by Stan Lee (with his artistic collaborators, in particular Jack Kirby) in large part simply to speed up the process. Rather than producing a full script, (typically) the writer and artist would talk over a rough plot outline, and then the artist would produce the full comics-worth of pages. The writer would then add dialogue to the artwork after it was done, rather than the other way around. ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Odds & Sods Guidelines


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. Typeface **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a. The typeface for dialogue must be easy to read.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">b. Avoid using typfaces on the list of shame (see "Fonts")


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2. Comic format **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a. All monthly comic creators must submit in the standard set size.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">b. The dimensions of the comics can only be raised in either width or length in increments of 100 pixels.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">c. The resolution of all images must be 300 DPI, no more and no less.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">d. All images are preferred to be saved as a .png file, but high quality .jpg/.jpeg files are also accepted.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">e. The filename must be as follows: “O&S-Title of Comic-Full Name”. For example, “O&S-Tommy’s First Day of School-John Smith”.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3. Comic design **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a. All comics must have a title and the title must be visible somewhere in the comic.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">b. All contributors’ names must be written somewhere in the comic.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">c. All comics must be horizontal; vertical comics will not be accepted.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4. Comic content **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a. All content must be PG-13.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">b. Any comic that violates the rules of conduct of the school will not be accepted.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">i. This includes personal attacks on an individual or organization. //

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">ii. However, satire and parody is fine if used correctly. //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">c. Plagiarism of either the script or the artwork is not permitted.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">i. Any content found to be plagiarized will not be accepted. //

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">ii. The writer/artist will be removed from the Odds & Sods section. //