Lettering - fonts & software suggestions

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chan

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I'm back! Y'all didn't scare me away. Can you believe it?

Anyway, I'm having fun writing a graphic novel and have looked at the books you guys suggested, so I'm getting more educated...I think.

I have a question about lettering, though. I know that when submitting as a newbie you have completed pages both penciled and inked, but do publishers/agents expect lettering?

It seems to me like no, but then what does your proposal look like when you submit. Do you submit the completed pages without the lettering and then separately send the script without the panel descriptions?

I've heard bad lettering can kill a project, so I'm not sure I want the artist I work with to attempt it. I could also hire someone, but if it's not necessary then I don't see the point since it seems like many publishers now use computers to do the lettering or have their own letterers. Thoughts?
 

Chris Huff

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Computer lettering is the industry standard.

If you're submitting a comic to a publisher you should fully produce the book (including lettering and printing).

Unless the artist you found is a professional comic artist, or right on the cusp, bad art can kill the project faster than anything. If you found a good artist, just produce the comic yourselves and sell it. Self-publishing in comics is a badge of honor rather than a stigmata.

It's really hard to break in just as a writer, but there are a few places you can go. 2000AD Online takes 5-page scripts submissions for their Future Shocks (SF genre). If they buy it, then they will supply the art and lettering. There is also Murky Depths. They have similar length (5-6 pages), and if they purchase the script, they will supply the art. Going this route can get you a few credits to use to get your foot in the door.
 

chan

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Any thoughts on submitting to agents?
 

Chris Huff

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I'm not aware of any graphic novel / comic book agents. I'm sure there are some out there. Despite any help they can provide, the money just isn't there to justify an agent. At least not until you're a famous comics writer, and by then, you can get your own jobs.

Comics publishers have to pay: the writer, the penciler, the inker, the colorist (who in turn pays the flatter), the letterer, the prepress people, and then the printer. They also have all the typical advertising and marketing they have to pay for (only a majority of their ads are in full color). Oh, and when the comics come in, the publisher sends out dozens (if not hundreds) of copies of their books for free as comps to the people they've worked with or are friends with.

The only difference between black & white versus color in the breakdown above is the colorist and flatter. Flatters make $10-15 per page. Colorists can make $60+ page.

What little money you do make from writing a comic you wouldn't want to split with an agent.

Your absolute best bet for breaking in is to make your own comics and sell them. If you get enough fans, you might be approached by a publisher, or you can approach a publisher. Either way, you've got real comics in your hand that you can sell. Physical comics are also a great calling card. Hand 'em out at cons, find the publisher's address and send them a copy (without a 'please publish me' note attached). Just send 'em the book. If they like it, they could contact you. No guarantees of course.

Comics are getting closer to the Hollywood mentality. Especially with the boom of graphic novels of late. Comics based movies. Everyone wants to be in comics.

Again, there's no anti-self-publishing stigmata in comics. Self-publishing is how some of the biggest names got into the biz.
 

dpaterso

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I hope alveraz shows up again and posts some examples of his new comic-book series, which he recently aired over on the Done Deal board (unfortunately in a members-only invisible forum).

I can't quote from that thread without his permission, but lettering was certainly included, it's a complete ready-to-sell package.

-Derek
 

JamieFord

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I sold a graphic novel script earlier in the year. It was for an anthology. A freelance writer/editor sold the entire book to a publisher before most of the stories were written. They're being illustrated and lettered now for a 2009 pub date. I think most of the lettering will be done by computer. Not sure if that helps at all, but that's been my one foray into graphic novels...
 

chan

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I just got Inkscape. For a beginner is that an ok start?
 

dpaterso

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Mark probably knows x100 more about this stuff than I do, but any graphics program that allows you to create layers should do the biz. I use Paint.net but Inkscape may have the same features.

When I'm fiddling about I usually have 4 layers:

Text
Balloons/boxes
Artwork
Background

The layers are built up over each other, e.g.

4layers.jpg

addlayers.jpg



...the orange gradient background lies beneath the robot artwork, which lies beneath the speech balloons, which lie beneath the dialogue. Elements from each layer can be selected and moved around to attain best positioning without affecting stuff on different layers.

Paint.net's .pdn drawing file saves the layers for future editing, but flat .jpg files or similar can also be saved. Sometimes I just take a .jpg snapshot directly from the Paint.net screen using the ScreenHunter screen capture program.

Scanning your completed artwork (if it's not already available in softcopy) and adding layers so you can play around with positioning dialogue ought to be simple enough. Obviously, don't overwrite your original artwork, always Save As under a new name. Just in case.

As Mark suggests, the most excellent Blambot.com has many fonts available, the one in the example above is Anime Ace 2.0 BB (click on the last thumbnail to view bigger image). The regular font looks OK, I just happen to like italics.

-Derek
 
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Chris Huff

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Blambot is a great resource for free fonts. Free for indy creators.

Dafont.com also has many great fonts. The comic and cartoon fonts would be most useful for lettering, but any font there could be useful at some point. Be careful though of the permissions. Some are free, some are for non-commercial use only. The permission type is listed at the right of the font sample.

As shown, there are many different graphics programs that can be used for lettering. Adobe Illustrator is the standard though, if you can afford it. The poster with the sample and the layers is spot on for the process.

When you make it though, you'll find that ComiCraft fonts are the standard. They're all pay fonts, but they're spectacular. ComiCraft also has many wonderful tutorials on lettering, on their Balloontales.com website.
 

InfinityGoddess

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As shown, there are many different graphics programs that can be used for lettering. Adobe Illustrator is the standard though, if you can afford it. The poster with the sample and the layers is spot on for the process.

I typically use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop both to make my comic strips, with Illustrator as the lettering tool and Photoshop as the coloring tool. The problem may be expense, but they are among the best out there.
 

chan

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Has anyone used Planet Media's Comic Book Creator 2? I read a couple good reviews of it and it is only $50. I think I might get the free trial and see how it goes.
 

dpaterso

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Ditto, I found Photoshop CS2 more than a little bewildering, loads of options yet nothing is obvious, it's like sitting in the cockpit of a 747. As mentioned above, the simpler yet function-laden Paint.net does the biz for me, but each to their own.

-Derek
 

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I typically use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop both to make my comic strips, with Illustrator as the lettering tool and Photoshop as the coloring tool. The problem may be expense, but they are among the best out there.

I always use Adobe Photoshop for the lettering too.
 
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