How to write a comic

myrmidon

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This is where I'm thrown. As a writer with an original script, no one is paying me to come up with the idea and write it. I'm taking the same risk as the artist. We both give our time and talent and hope it pays off with a sale. Why must the writer pay the artist? I do understand there are materials that cost the artist some money, whereas the writer has virtually no expense except time. But other than that . . .

I think a lot of artists (most of whom are writers themselves) would liken doing the art on someone else's project to being hired to write an article freelance, or some such. In other words, they have their own projects that they're going to work on for free...not unlike you with your novel. But to take time out of their own work, for a project (that they are hopefully interested in and passionate about to a degree) but that is likely not their ideal and perfect project, they expect to be paid, the same way you would expect to be paid if you were hired to write an article about something that was not your ideal and perfect project (like your novel or graphic novel/comic). Does that make sense?

It is also true that materials can be very expensive - you'd be shocked how expensive - especially paper - if they are not drawing digitally. Additionally, having been on both sides as writer and artist, I can say pretty much unequivocally that though writing can be very difficult, take a long time, and present its own challenges, art definitely takes longer. Every time. It's incredibly time consuming...especially if it's not just pencils but fully inked and/or colored worked. That's like "drawing" the same book four times. Once to lay it out and thumbnail it, once to pencil it, once to ink it, and a third to color it. And that's if you're NOT having the artist do the actual text...if they're also doing that then add ANOTHER time consuming pass.

Since it is all your original material that you are talking about, I'm assuming you feel like you will own the rights to that material? And just pay the artist some fee once you get paid for it? Or are you planning to share rights? If you're planning to share rights then you may be able to get an artist on board for free if they believe enough in the project (a huge success story on this tip would be Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead...which was his original script, but he shares rights fully with the original artist Tony Moore, who only penciled the first handful of issues). So Tony Moore continues to get paid for TWD, even though he left long ago...which to some people doesn't make sense, but the harsh reality is that without Tony Moore's phenomenal art work...the project never would have been picked up and Robert Kirkman would be splitting exactly nothing. Which would be a shame since it's now going to be a tv show on AMC. :)

If you're not planning to share rights, then I tend to think it's only fair of an artist to ask to be paid for their work. Comics is a tough tough business. Maybe not tougher than prose...but as a writer without an artist or without the art ability themselves...I think it can feel that way. It can leave you stranded with a great idea/story and the feeling of no way to get it out there.

I would encourage, as I always do in these threads, that writers with a project and in need of an artist go to comic-cons and build relationships with artists. Especially the smaller press cons like APE - Alternative Press Expo (San Francisco), MoCCA Fest (NYC), Wonder Con (San Francisco), Stumptown Comics Fest (Portland), SPX (Maryland - Bethesda), SPACE (Columbus, Ohio), STAPLE (Austin, Texas), TCAF - Toronto Comics Arts Festival (Toronto) just to name a few. Take business cards (or whatever) and sample pages of your script and meet some people. Tons of young up and comers go here to meet artists and sell their mini-comics or print versions of their web comics, and a lot of them are very talented and trying to "break in", not unlike you, so they might be interested in a team up.

Mark Young:
I must be confused as to the definition of "comic" here. What I'm reading in this thread seems contrary to what I thought of one. I assumed we're all talking about comic books likened to graphic novels, but everything I've read (albeit somewhat limited I will admit) seem to be done by one person (story, panels, and art).

I'm guessing we're not talking about "Sunday funnies" or "web comics". Sorry if that sounds dumb, but I have people pushing me to try and publish a comic strip my cousin and I developed but I just can't draw it [well]. So the thread intrigued me.

Mark - I think the original op is talking about the fact that he/she has written a comic (or a graphic novel) like a Batman comic (or any variation thereof) and that they need an artist. A lot of comics - especially of the more indie variety are written/drawn by the same person...Charles Burns' Black Hole as a good example, Gabrielle Bell's Lucky, Ross Campbell's Wet Moon...the list is huge. But most of the mainstream monthly comic and graphic novel market is written by one person and drawn by another and in fact a sole creator/writer/artist is rather rare in the overall scope of comics as a whole. For writer/artist pairings look at anything from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's Watchmen to Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber's Whiteout to I'd say 95% (maybe more?) of the monthly comic book floppy output.

I think JH Williams III (a phenomenal artist) is planning to do both writing and art chores on his first arc of the new forthcoming Batwoman comic, but even there he's brought a co-writer on board to assist him, and he's set up a fill-in artist already to come in for the second arc...because he knows it's going to be a stretch for him to do what he wants to do and also be on time and not fall behind. Admirable that he's thinking so far ahead.

So yes, in short, it can be done both ways. As a single creator creating a single vision, or as a collaboration between artist and writer.

As for a comic strip. I hope you do it. I can be hugely rewarding, though also quite time consuming. The good news for a comic strip, unlike a comic book or graphic novel is that there is a great built in web audience for web comics and if you can get their attention you can really get a following at a minimum of cost to you. Good Luck!
 

Axler

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You'll have better chance of finding an artist if you offer to share the rights. Currently I'm working with an artist on Gulliver of Mars: Beyond the War of the Worlds and the arrangement is 50/50. He's extremely enthusiastic about the project.
 

Bicyclefish

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I feel like in these threads I'm popping in to mostly say, "Yeah, what myrmidon said!" too much. :3

I look at it this way: If you get an artist who works for free, but your idea doesn't sell, you can still take that script and shop around, sending it to publishers or find another artist. The artist meanwhile has a bunch of pages he or she can't do anything with. Unless a popular artist, chances are they can't sell the pages to anyone else, because it was drawn just for your story. You might not even want them to sell it if they could as it's your idea. At best the artist can stick it in their portfolio as a sample of their work. And, as myrmidon said, the art is time consuming; while I can jot down story ideas anytime, the artist usually can't pull out their tools and work anywhere.
 

princecarspian

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Comic book is written in a unique form of freelancer, because it incorporates elements of several genres.

* It must have a compelling story as a novel.
* It is heavy on dialogue, as a scenario.
* A story must be told in few words, as in a poem.
* The images and texts must work together, as in advertising.

If you're interested in learning how to write a comic book, the best way to start is to take the time to carefully read some of your favorite comic strips. Take notes of what the writer uses elements to propel the story, what aspects of the dialogue make the characters seem genuine, and how the illustrations work with text to create a fantasy world
 

layzerphish

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I read through most of this thread here and found most of the information useful and interesting too.
As I said in my introduction thread, I enjoy drawing and artwork in general, and I actually have sketched out some characters and scenes for a comic that will 99.9% chance never even come close to seeing the light of day. Maybe an online comic or something would be easier to do, but I also dont really have any computer art skill so that would be an immediete problem. I purposefully kept the artwork simple in my sketches, but I think i came up with something unique, and also a pretty cool plotline to drive it.

Maybe someday...
 

Hamilton

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You can always do the majority of your art traditionally, and then scan it, with minimal edits. :) You could also pay for a website. If you're considering webcomickry, that is.
 

Lee HH Cope

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Comics rule!

Yup, plenty of comics are written by one person, and drawn by someone else entirely (or possibly drawn by a team--a penciler, an inker, a colorist, etc.). Think of Neil Gaiman--he wrote the Sandman, but a slew of other people drew it. Same holds true of most major comic series today. Though, there are also excellent comics out there that are a one-man-show.

As you script it out though, I would recommend doing a couple of 'dummy pages' just for personal purposes, at least at the start--just so you get an idea of how much text realistically fits on a page (a lot less than you think!). Some comic writers also like to do little rough thumbnail doodles to map out possible layouts in their head (though of course, if the artist has a different vision, that's something you'll work out with them). But other than that, you just worry about the scripting, and let the artist worry about the art.

The real hard part is, of course, finding an artist.

Todd McFarlane and Andy Kubert...oh and Jim Lee were always my favourites of all time. I have such a cool stash of Comics at home, which I've collected over a thirty year period. I'll be sure to continue looking around all of these posts. I can draw too and always dreamed of illustrating my very own comic, in fact I have illustrated my book which counts, I guess.
 

Nephytis

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unless i completely missed it, i'm looking for a 'how to write a graphic novel story' link or template somewhere. examples are better for me. I read manga already and have a general idea of how to go about it. the reason i'm asking for a template is because an artist friend of mine approached me and asked for my help in creating a grahpic novel to expand his artistry repitoire. i'm curious to see if i could actually complete something worthy of this type of book. any ideas on where i could find a how to guide?
 

Wake Dream

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Comic books are typically written in script format and the art is produced by someone else.

Jeremy: A lot of times, I have my characters talk like this.

Ian: It's how he's been writing his stories since he started writing!

Jeremy: And of course, when I write, I picture it in the manga / graphic novel / comic book styles. As far as writing with the intention of having it published as such, is this an acceptable way of writing my stories? If not, what exactly are the acceptable ways of writing for manga / graphic novel / comic books?
 

Sharii

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...As far as writing with the intention of having it published as such, is this an acceptable way of writing my stories? If not, what exactly are the acceptable ways of writing for manga / graphic novel / comic books?

Yep. Unless you're working with a pub that has a specific house style, there's no real 100% template.

Also, this might interest you: http://www.comicbookscriptarchive.com/archive/
 

ManInBlack

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I apologize if this has already been answered (this seems to be quite an all-purpose thread and is rather long), but is there a single, generally agreed upon way to write a script?

The reason I ask is because I started teaching myself to script a comic, based on the information I want portrayed to the artist and the information I would want portrayed to me if I were involved in the artwork (leaving some things out in assuming that concept art would be a separate discussion).

Then I want to Dark Horse and found their sample script. It includes about half the amount of information as my WIP, and I would be rather uncomfortable submitting it in most circumstances unless I were in constant communication with the artist.

So the question is, do I just need to get over myself, or did I find a bare-bones sample intended for a less visual writer/one company's specific intentions?
 

Handmaiden

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I'm not going to bother with finding an artist. Ima do it all myself.

What good is an artist compared to the hand of the writer? No artist has the passion for your script that you do, or can understand the characters to the same depth as the writer, or be able to reach the subtlety and emotion that moved you to write it. The ability to go completely off script when you want is invaluable, building on these characters and finding more depth as you draw. Lets say the character is angry in your script. Angry can mean many different expressions. I'll choose exactly which one works best.

I'm not insulting hired artists here. The fact is that it's completely understandable that an outsider wouldn't have the same passion for your characters. Or the depth of knowledge of your setting. These things show on the page.

-
 
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gp101

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I found out the hard way that there is no industry standard for a comic script, though there are house standards if you're writing exclusively for DC or Marvel. If you're a soloist, there are several good examples of effective scripts available online, and most of them center around building scenes by blocks of panels in which the writer describes his vision for the look of certain panels (and their arrangement which influences the story itself), including POVs, ie Tight-shot of, Looking up at, or Birdseye view of type of descriptions along with the dialogue that is set apart, almost like in a play.

But this medium is as much, if not more told visually so multiple blocks of dense dialogue are difficult to work with. The blueprint you deliver your artist is akin to directions for a movie storyboard artist. You really need a good relationship with the artist, however, so knowing one personally who becomes as geeked about the project as you are is more advantageous than seeking out a stranger as an artist---a personal relationship can become key, as it has for me in establishing a working relationship in which little filter needs to be executed when debating the art or the prose.

Short of having a friend who can draw, I don't know what kind of deal will benefit your project with an artist--I'm sure it's trial by error and is different for everyone. But it doesn't hurt to ask, especially if your project is spot-on in terms of the artist's wheelhouse of what he/she enjoys drawing.
 

MurderOfCrows

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I'm not going to bother with finding an artist. Ima do it all myself.

What good is an artist compared to the hand of the writer? No artist has the passion for your script that you do, or can understand the characters to the same depth as the writer, or be able to reach the subtlety and emotion that moved you to write it. The ability to go completely off script when you want is invaluable, building on these characters and finding more depth as you draw. Lets say the character is angry in your script. Angry can mean many different expressions. I'll choose exactly which one works best.

I'm not insulting hired artists here. The fact is that it's completely understandable that an outsider wouldn't have the same passion for your characters. Or the depth of knowledge of your setting. These things show on the page.

-

This is really an incredibly rude and ignorant thing to say, and displays a serious lack of understanding of the industry, and I'm saying this as someone who has come off the start of two collaborations that have been pitched to publish. (Fingers crossed that April 30th delivers me some good news there.)

Now, if you are one of the rarefied few who can craft an amazing script AND pair it with amazing visuals -- yes, by all means, be a one person act. But most people aren't. Most people need to learn that comics are, at their heart, a collaborative process. If your writing dosen't make the artist you hire love your characters, either you've chosen the wrong artist for the project, or you need to look at what you're writing and why those characters didn't sing for that artist.

Saying that nobody can possible do your script justice because no one will love or understand your work... well, I'm just thinking you might want to re-examine that attitude, especially in this business.


Edit: Oh my god I answered a months old troll post, my bad.
 
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Lady Lost

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I know it's been a few months since this thread has been active, but I was wondering, what are the ways you all find to write a compelling story? Not the form or structure, but how to make it so interesting that people drool over it for more? What are the kinds of elements for what kinds of genres do you throw in or consider to make it compelling?

Thus far in my own stories (comics or prose) I've found that taking bits and pieces of everyday dilemmas, questions and 'what if I could...'s and throwing them in in timely places seem to have great effect. In a prose romance/fantasy/action I would place my own past dilemmas in and people would kick me for more. I've also started up a little randome comic before of my everyday school life when I was in high school. People found it rather hilarious and demanded I do more. I've also thrown twists and turns in all of my work (including artwork) and friends seem to go wild for it... even had to chase someone down to get some art back. ^,..,^''' That was interesting.

What about you guys? What kind of compelling elements do you add to your work to make it irresistible? -^,..,^-
 

Kevin_C_Vang

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Is is possible to write a storyline for one, without graphics, and find somone to insert them?
I use Final Draft for the screenplay before using Clip Studio EX to draw my Manga. If I am you, start using Final Draft as your screenplay first before drawing it. I prefer writing the skeleton before doing the art. It's better that way.
 

JJNotAbrams

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Well I think the best way to write a comic is with a script first unless you're also an artist. In which case, I've seen artists just do both scripting and drawing at the same time. In the Big Two, I notice that a lot of of their writers usually start with a script though the contents of it differ from writer to writer.

Brian Michael Bendis writes a script like he's on crack. Just word after word after word while also leaving a lot up to the artists themselves to draw.

Geoff Johns writes a script that's more to the point. Writing in short sentences panel by panel along with the dialogue in those panels.

Once the script is done, that's step 1. It needs to be drawn, edited, colored, edited, worded, edited again and then it goes out to print. Process usually takes a month.

In Japan, you usually write a comic by just drawing it. You straight up draw your manuscript from day one and then submit to your editor. It then gets edited and then redrawn and rewritten. Process takes anywhere from 1 week to 1 month.
 

veinglory

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The time investment by the artists is typically very high. So as the writer it is worth taking that into consideration. But is it wonderful of you can find an artists to work with. It haven't been on comics forums for a while but there used to be a few where you could make connections. A lot of people start off putting together a team and making independent comics. It gives you practice making a script that works well for an artist. You can also look for comic anthologies and practice with short-form comics if you want.