Comics have a way of making us feel. Whether that be laughter, sadness, intrigue, excitement, or any other emotion, the power of a visual story cannot be denied. Creating your own comic can be a rewarding experience, and easier than you might think. If you’ve got an idea, follow this guide to turn it into a reality.
Sample Comics
Part 1 of 4: Developing the Comic
1
Write down the basics. A comic is, at its most basic level, a narrative told through sequential images, called frames or panels. Even a single-frame comic has to have a sense of forward movement. In that sense, a comic is not really different from any other form of storytelling, and thus follows certain conventions.
Setting. Every story is set somewhere. Even if the background is just plain white, that’s still a setting. The setting is the backdrop for the actions of your characters, and depending on your story can be an integral part of the narrative.
Characters. You need actors for your story. Your characters move the action, they speak the dialogue, and they are who the reader connects with. Develop your characters over time; this is especially important for strips that form longer narratives.
Conflict. Every story needs a conflict to drive it. This is the basis of the story, the “why” of what your characters are doing. This can be as simple as checking the mail or as complex as saving the universe.
Themes. The theme of your comic is what drives the day to day creation. Your theme will also dictate your audience. If you’re writing a comedy strip, what are the nature of the jokes? If you’re writing a love story, what are the lessons of love learned?
Tone. This is the vibe of your comic. Are you writing a comedy? Is your story more of a drama? Maybe you’re looking at doing political cartoons. Your possibilities are endless. Combine comedy with drama, make it dark, or light-hearted. Write a romance, or a gripping political thriller.
Your tone will be expressed through dialogue, narrative text, and visuals.
2
Write what you know. One of the best ways to make your comics feel “true” is to write about what you know. This will also help you keep your own voice in your writing, and prevent you from copying too much from other comics
3
Decide on a style. Because you are creating a comic, your visual style will be the first aspect of your comic that the reader encounters. Choose a style that matches both the tone of your story and the image you have in your head.
Experiment with various styles until you find one that feels natural to draw and to write for. There are a variety of popular styles that you can practice and then adapt to your own needs. Here are just a few examples:
Anime/Manga
American Superhero
Sprites/Clip art
Noir
Stick figures
Sunday funnies
Dramas usually necessitate a more elaborate visual style than a comedy. There are exceptions to this, however, as with every rule when it comes to creating something.
4
Pick a format. There are no set conventions when it comes to format, though comics typically fall into three categories: Single frame, Strip, and Page length (comic book). Experiment with different formats until you find one that suits your story, characters, and setting.
A single frame comic is typically reserved for comedy. These comics do not require much setup, and rely on visual gags and one or two lines of dialogue. It can be difficult to form a narrative using single frames, so most can be read in any order. Political comics are also typically one or two frames.
A comic strip is a sequence of frames. There is no set length for a strip, though most are usually one or two lines of 2-4 frames each. This is one of the most popular formats for many webcomics and daily funnies, as they allow for narrative development but are still short enough to produce regularly.
A comic page is a larger undertaking than a strip. Having the whole page to work with provides more freedom to manipulate frames, but also means you need more content per page. Creating full pages is typically the result of making a comic book or graphic novel, where you are telling a longer, more cohesive story.
Sample Comics
Part 1 of 4: Developing the Comic
1
Write down the basics. A comic is, at its most basic level, a narrative told through sequential images, called frames or panels. Even a single-frame comic has to have a sense of forward movement. In that sense, a comic is not really different from any other form of storytelling, and thus follows certain conventions.
Setting. Every story is set somewhere. Even if the background is just plain white, that’s still a setting. The setting is the backdrop for the actions of your characters, and depending on your story can be an integral part of the narrative.
Characters. You need actors for your story. Your characters move the action, they speak the dialogue, and they are who the reader connects with. Develop your characters over time; this is especially important for strips that form longer narratives.
Conflict. Every story needs a conflict to drive it. This is the basis of the story, the “why” of what your characters are doing. This can be as simple as checking the mail or as complex as saving the universe.
Themes. The theme of your comic is what drives the day to day creation. Your theme will also dictate your audience. If you’re writing a comedy strip, what are the nature of the jokes? If you’re writing a love story, what are the lessons of love learned?
Tone. This is the vibe of your comic. Are you writing a comedy? Is your story more of a drama? Maybe you’re looking at doing political cartoons. Your possibilities are endless. Combine comedy with drama, make it dark, or light-hearted. Write a romance, or a gripping political thriller.
Your tone will be expressed through dialogue, narrative text, and visuals.
2
Write what you know. One of the best ways to make your comics feel “true” is to write about what you know. This will also help you keep your own voice in your writing, and prevent you from copying too much from other comics
3
Decide on a style. Because you are creating a comic, your visual style will be the first aspect of your comic that the reader encounters. Choose a style that matches both the tone of your story and the image you have in your head.
Experiment with various styles until you find one that feels natural to draw and to write for. There are a variety of popular styles that you can practice and then adapt to your own needs. Here are just a few examples:
Anime/Manga
American Superhero
Sprites/Clip art
Noir
Stick figures
Sunday funnies
Dramas usually necessitate a more elaborate visual style than a comedy. There are exceptions to this, however, as with every rule when it comes to creating something.
4
Pick a format. There are no set conventions when it comes to format, though comics typically fall into three categories: Single frame, Strip, and Page length (comic book). Experiment with different formats until you find one that suits your story, characters, and setting.
A single frame comic is typically reserved for comedy. These comics do not require much setup, and rely on visual gags and one or two lines of dialogue. It can be difficult to form a narrative using single frames, so most can be read in any order. Political comics are also typically one or two frames.
A comic strip is a sequence of frames. There is no set length for a strip, though most are usually one or two lines of 2-4 frames each. This is one of the most popular formats for many webcomics and daily funnies, as they allow for narrative development but are still short enough to produce regularly.
A comic page is a larger undertaking than a strip. Having the whole page to work with provides more freedom to manipulate frames, but also means you need more content per page. Creating full pages is typically the result of making a comic book or graphic novel, where you are telling a longer, more cohesive story.
