Let’s think for a moment about word bubbles. How important is the word bubble font to the overall experience of a comic? Pretty important. I mean, the word bubble font should match the style of the comic itself, right? For most of us, there aren’t really too many choices, though. There’s a conventional style of…Read more
Comics Translation: Not Just about Words I’d be lying if I said I was surprised, taken aback, befuddled. I knew well that creating a Polish eBook of the first 50 comics would pose many challenges. That is, I knew it theoretically. But there were some surprises when it came to what exactly the perils of comics translation were. Turns…Read more
I’ve said before that when it comes to comics art, my main influences are animators. I’ll take Kahl over Kirby any day. Master character animators and layout artists have taught me a few things. And I feel that other comics artists might benefit from considering the following two ideas. Compose Backgrounds like a Theatrical…Read more
So, I don’t often pick up a comic at my local comic book store. But this weekend, I grabbed a copy of Busiek and Dewey’s Tooth & Claw, published by Image on November 1. Why? Maybe I was just surprised to see anthropomorphic characters in a mainstream comic shop, not in the kiddie area. Sure, Rocket…Read more
Figuring Out How I Feel about Women in Comics So, if you want to make it in comics, apparently, you have to know how to draw impossible women in impossibly contorted positions. This was never really one of my goals, and I’ve been reflecting on why. I’m not claiming any kind of moral high ground,…Read more
The Principles of Animation Apply to Comics I’ve mentioned elsewhere that although I’m drawing comics, my key influences are animators. My belief is that comics should be drawn in a specific way. The artist should have the reader’s brain in mind. If the reader’s brain can connect all the visual cues provided by the artist,…Read more
The Problem So, a while ago I posted about anthropomorphism — specifically, how I planned to handle it in my graphic novel, Żużel and the Fox. But one thing that has persistently nagged at me is the mechanics of digitigrade legs. Many characters in the world of Żużel and the Fox will have to get around on their…Read more
If you’re like me, you’ve Googled something like “comic book script format.” Or “graphic novel writing structure.” More than a few times. I never find what I’m looking for, precisely. What about you? Maybe you want to make sure your story is in the format editors want. Or maybe you’re tired of the screenplay way…Read more