Underdogs

Underdogs

The Flow Of A Page, Part 2

— Made by Max Miller Dowdle

Gutters and Borders: Where The Action Really Happens

So, here it is, the second installment in my series on ‘The Flow Of A Page.’  Last time we broke it down with panel layouts, both grid and free-form, and talked about ‘The Big Z,’ that is, bouncing the reader’s eye exactly where you want it to go across the page.  This is a medium that should strive for, above all other things, clarity.  You as the artist/writer/creator are trying to convey a message (story) that should be able to be digested by the reader without confusion or chaos.  That’s not to say confusion and chaos can’t be used as effective elements as well, but that’s for another post.  You’ve already learned some rudiments on panel layout, so now we will move on to the construction of panels, and that all-important space in between them, the gutter.

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Underdogs

I’ve Been Framed! – Framing Comic Panels

— Made by Michael Yakutis

Panels are a vital part of a comic page. Without panels, virtually every page of a comic would be a splash page, and comics would essentially be storybooks. Many creators tend to frame each panel inside a border, but this doesn’t always have to be the case. Let’s take a look at a page that has 5 panels, each with a border.

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Underdogs

Hand Lettering a Digital Comic, Part 2

— Made by Mathieu Moyen

With all your settings together, the process of lettering mainly becomes a matter of good form.  This applies as much to lettering with pen and paper as it does to the digital medium, but digital formatting amplifies the issues of good form because the feedback from a tablet and stylus is much different from what you get from pen and paper.  In short, the tablet produces the tendency for lines to wobble, because the pen can tend to slip.  This is particularly likely to happen if you aren’t using a properly controlled hand posture while you letter.  (See why I was so specific in the first part?)

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Underdogs

Self Publishing Tips: Offset Printing (Part 1)

— Made by Joumana Medlej

Comic authors today benefit from increased choice in terms of how to publish. Digital publishing, i.e. webcomics, are the obvious and nearly-universal choice both for those who wish to print at some point an those who don’t intend to. Print-on-demand (PoD), similarly, makes it possible for everyone to make their work available as a book; and despite its many limitations it’s still much better than no possibility at all. Digital printing and various means offered by copy centers also present opportunities for enterprising artists to print small runs of books at a relatively modest cost, with more control over the final product than PoD allows. But the most exciting development, as far as I’m concerned, is that today sites like Kickstarter give everyone a chance to access good old offset printing, which this post is dedicated to. Here I’d like to discuss a number of things to know, to do, and to avoid in order to make the most out of offset printing, based on my personal training and experience printing comics and other books with various printers (with a lot of trial and error.)

Underdogs

Hand Lettering A Digital Comic, Part 1

The advent of cheap or free font packs, some designed specifically for comic books, has made it a lot easier for comic artists and cartoonists to letter their work in a clean, professional-looking manner. It may therefore seem strange to suggest applying old hand lettering principles to a digital art format. It’s not as odd an idea as it might seem, however, and has some significant advantages over font lettering. It’s also a lot easier than you might think.

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Underdogs

The Flow of a Page, Part 1

— Made by Max Miller Dowdle

Breaking up the Page: Pencils And Rulers At The Ready

Is something not jiving right with the flow of your panels?  Welcome!  Here is the first in a series of articles enumerating tips and pitfalls to avoid when constructing an effective page layout.  You’re standing at the ground level; your layout is the first and most essential consideration when it comes to creating your compositions, so it shouldn’t be overlooked.  Crafting well-made pages is the initial step toward effectively transmitting your story to the reader: many battles are won and lost right here.

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Underdogs

How To Write Dialogue For Comics

— Made by Todd Tevlin

Possibly one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in comic creation is writing dialogue. It’s one thing to set a scene and drop characters into it, but it’s another thing to give each character their own unique voice and do it in such a way that sounds natural and not forced. OMG RLY? (Rule #1: NEVER use TXT speak in dialogue. Show some intelligence and s p e l l o u t the words people.) In this article, I will be going over the basics on how to write dialogue for your comic as well as a recipe for great lentil soup. (connect every other letter and you’ll find it….maybe.) (more…)

Underdogs

Is Your Comic A Purple Cow?

— Made by Elvin Dantes

I used to read an all-ages webcomic that featured two talking dogs who made humorous observations. With pleasant characters, entertaining writing, and colorful artwork, it was a decent comic (more or less). It would have fit with other comics in the newspaper. Except it had been running for five years and had only attracted about 300 “likes” on Facebook. Also, it wasn’t lucrative enough for the creator to reach her goal of being a full-time cartoonist. After missing several new posts, I felt no compulsion to return and ultimately stopped reading it.

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Underdogs

How to Write a Script for Your Comic

— Made by Todd Tevlin

Intimidated by the writing process? Having a hard time getting what’s in your head down on paper? (Do you even use paper? If so, does it have “From the desk of…” printed at the top or is it 23 napkins that you snatched from the coffee shop?) In any event, I want to teach you the “quick and dirty” way of making a script for your comic. It’s not as complicated as you might think, and you don’t need any fancy software to do it either! (more…)

Underdogs

How To Write An Outline For Your Comic

— Made by Todd Tevlin

You have a stack of character reference sheets, lots of motivation, and five finished cans of generic diet cola sitting on your desk. The problem is you’re stuck and don’t know how to start your story, much less end it. Sound familiar? Then let’s talk outlines!

*insert semi-enthusiastic trumpets here* (more…)