Comic tutorials

[corruption]

I have been trying to read up on how to create plot and characters, as well as other things involved in creating stories to help me design a webcomic I have an idea for, but all of them are focused on novels. This is pretty fustrating since webcomics often have no fixed end in sight, and they all make stupid assumptions like you will have the remaining characters resume normal lives, or that you don't use Evil Protagonists!

Can anyone recommend somewhere I can find good tutorials on how to make webcomics? I am not refering to art or the page layout either. I'm sick of those ones!

[Rai-san]

I have been trying to read up on how to create plot and characters, as well as other things involved in creating stories to help me design a webcomic I have an idea for, but all of them are focused on novels. This is pretty fustrating since webcomics often have no fixed end in sight, and they all make stupid assumptions like you will have the remaining characters resume normal lives, or that you don't use Evil Protagonists!

Can anyone recommend somewhere I can find good tutorials on how to make webcomics? I am not refering to art or the page layout either. I'm sick of those ones!

i dont know where the tutorials is but im willing to help you out

[sulfurbunny]

Scott McCloud has written some stuff on webcomics, but there's just not much available in the way of academic discussion because the medium is still so new. However, good writing is good writing whatever the medium. I assume you are interested in doing a story-based strip rather than gag-a-day. Even though the strip is ongoing, unless your work is very experimental there are going to be plot "arcs" within the overall story, and you can still apply the novel-writing techniques to each individual arc.

[corruption]

Scott McCloud has written some stuff on webcomics, but there's just not much available in the way of academic discussion because the medium is still so new. However, good writing is good writing whatever the medium. I assume you are interested in doing a story-based strip rather than gag-a-day. Even though the strip is ongoing, unless your work is very experimental there are going to be plot "arcs" within the overall story, and you can still apply the novel-writing techniques to each individual arc.

I think you mean "Making Webcomics" and "Sequential Art". I haven't found a copy of "Makeing Webcomics", but I have read Sequential Art. It is mostly about defining comics and their history, including how they have been portrayed over time, then anything to do with making them.

Comics are different then novel writting in many ways. Here are a few; writting tone is drasticaly cut back to almost nothing; you don't describe places in words but draw them; rules regarding narration are very much mostly third person POV; you can't drops little bits of information in like you would in a novel, but introduce the information in other ways; and much more.

The two largest differences are this: 1) you write them more like a screenplay, instead of a novel and then draw them, but not even that's a good discription, and 2) some comics exist solely as story-arcs, without any ongoing plot, but a theame at most.

Having said that, comics, expressly webcomics, enjoy much more freedom then novels and written stories.

There are ways you can use tutorials for novels in com ics. Character design is the same, except you have to ay more attention to appearance. Plot, when there is one, is overall the same, as is many other things.

Yes, I have thought about the differences in detail.

I guess what really gets to me is that all these tutorials on how to make stories just make assumption about what you want do, and that you want it published like a novel, and thus tailor it to what publishers want from authors, as they know they can sell it.

Still, thanks for trying to help sulfurbunny and for the offer Rai-san

[eishiya]

I guess what really gets to me is that all these tutorials on how to make stories just make assumption about what you want do, and that you want it published like a novel, and thus tailor it to what publishers want from authors, as they know they can sell it.

A lot of that advice is still sound. Any tutorial will be focused on writing a story that appeals to people, because most people who read tutorials are interested in making an appealing story. Publishers seek stories that appeal to people too! The trick to using these tutorials is to understand what they're saying, and then deviate from them in those areas that you feel would make your comic weaker. That's the trick to any tutorial, really - use only the parts that will help you, not the parts that will hinder you. How do you know which parts those are? Through experience and experimentation. There's no shortcut to greatness.

[Wulfmune]

IMO, Good, compelling stories and characters have similar foundations regardless if they are novels, comics, games, ect...
Good writers are inquisitive, insightful and analytical. They write because they have a lot to say about their observations and interpretations of the world and people around them. Even good funny strips reflect this.

[s-morishita]

You should really check out this website called Paperwingspodcast. Here is a link to one of my favorite post that they did covering storytelling and so many other things. I got so much help from their podcast. http://www.paperwingspodcast.com/2012/0 ... -audience/
CHRIS OATLEY *a Character designer for disney* and LORA INNES *The creator of Dreamers* are the two host of the show and their site is just so full of helpful information. I really hope this helps.

[LibertyCabbage]

Here's something.

[corruption]

Thanks for them. I'll be sure to use them.

If any of you find more, please list them here. It would not only help me, but other people who may be interested can use this thread as a starting point in where to find comic tutorials to help them as well.

[Esponage1]

Heh Im also interested in comics and the ideas on the tread have given me a place to start. Hopefully i can start tailoring my comic soon. until then I wish you luck Corruption. and thank people for contribing to this thread

[Kirbygal]

Although I haven't read it yet, I remember my comics professor recommending How to Make Webcomics by Kris Straub, Scott Kurtz, Dave Kellett, and Brad Guigar. It's gotten some good reviews on Amazon and looks like it goes into helpful information outside of "how-to-draw." Here's an amazon link if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Webcomic ... =pd_cp_b_0

There's also Webcomics: Tools and Techniques for Digital Cartooning by Steven Withrow and John Barber. (Link: http://www.amazon.com/Webcomics-Tools-T ... 0764129821) I've been meaning to take out these books in my school library, but I've been busy lately to do so.

I highly recommend Scott McCloud's triology, especially "Making Comics," but that's already been said. Although it won't help in starting a webcomic specifically, it helps you think what looks good in comic format and appreciate comics as a whole.