ComicsCareer.Com Forum

Well, times have changed, but there's still a lot of good things in the classic "How to draw comics the Marvel Way". The tools may be more complicated, now, but the basics of drawing, page layout, etc never change. I also recommend the two-book series "The Art of Comic Book Inking", even if you're a penciler, they will help you make your pencils more inker-friendly. And then there's "Understanding Comics", which gives a good grounding in the theory of comic strip/book storytelling.

So, look for those three to start with...
"How to draw comics the Marvel way"
"The Art of Comic Book Inking" (two books)
"Understanding Comics"

The digital revolution offers a lot of new tools to work with, but the essentials are the same, whether it's paper and pencil or pixels and graphics tablet.

Joe

I need to buy another copy of "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way", as my copy fell apart about a decade ago. It is a great source for the basics. I even own a VHS copy of the video Stan Lee made of the book. All you young guys out there should grab a copy.
I'd like to recommend DRAW! Magazine's best of books volumes one & two. Lots of great stuff by top names abound.
I need to check out the other two books you've mentioned. Thanks for the post!

Oh, yeah. those Draw! magazine things are excellent. It's good to see how different artists approach the work. I always look at storytelling as problem-solving.

For instance:
From my web comic Ad Astra, a recent page.
I need this page to establish a new location, I need to show something of the personality of the characters in the art, as well as the dialogue, and I need something to set up for the next page.


In this instance, I did an establishing shot to indicate we're interested in the space station. One of the ships in the scene appeared in an earlier scene and careful readers will recognize it. If they don't, the second panel reintro's a couple of characters who appeared in the previous "issue". They're a prince and his wastrel companion. The poses and props tell you almost everything you need to know about these guys, the dialogue fills in the rest. the next panel sets up the "joke" (though Ad Astra is not a humor strip, if I can squeeze in something funny, I will) and in the last panel we get a nice reveal (pun intended).

I always try to follow the "less is more" concept, with dialogue, but sometimes you need a long-winded speech.

Storytelling is probably the hardest thing to learn and the one thing for which there are no good books. I can't think of a single book that spends more than a token number of pages on the concept and yet it is crucial to good comics. It's more than drawing well, or writing well, it's combining all the elements into a cohesive whole that draws the eye along at the same time it informs and builds the story. Symbolism can be very important with storytelling and backgrounds can be used to set the mood, as well as the place.

The funny thing is, this scene might never have happened if I hadn't left a piece of artwork at my day job. I have 3 days a week off in the middle of the week and when I left work last Monday, I left the next page of Ad Astra on my clipboard. I run on a tight budget and I couldn't justify the gas to drive to and from work without working, so I did a cutaway to a couple of other characters and saved myself a 50 mile round trip. And, almost as importantly, I had fun.

Joe

I'd recommend Will Eisner's Comics and Sequential Art and Graphic Storytelling as essential books.These books give valuable insight into putting together a story and putting onto paper.These books would be a great addition to an artists' or writers' library.

You know, I totally forgot about those. You're right. Good call.
Joe

Writer Sean Taylor has a wonderful script book available through his website and at conventions. This has script/art comparisons and great notes. You can find out more about Sean's book on his website: http://www.taylorverse.com.

Of course, he totally stole the idea from me. Really, just read his dedication in the book. I too have a script book (no art comparison on this one though, but I do have something in the planning stages with an upcoming graphic novel. More on that later).

Here's the info on mine:
The Comic Book Scripts of Bobby Nash Vol. 1 - NOW AVAILABLE

Collected together for the first time are the complete scripts to the outrageous comedy/horror series, Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell and Bubba The Redneck Werewolf from writer Bobby Nash.

Each script in this volume is the draft that was turned in to the publisher. Also included are never before published scripts for these two series as well as some behind the scene facts. Whether you are a fan of these characters and stories or simply interested in writing for comic books and graphic novels, The Comic Book Scripts of Bobby Nash Vol. 1 is for you.

204 pages.
8.5" x 11" paperback: $14.00
E-Book: $5.00

Check it out at BEN Books.

Bobby

I will begin reviewing resources for for comics creators (How-to books, DVD instructional series, etc.) on the main site later this year, so anyone interested in the publicity can send review copies to: Kirk Chritton, Comics Career LLC, 1412 SW 22nd St, Blue Springs, MO 64015.

We'll see what happens once I get the reviews started, but my intention at this time is to grade the resources on the scale of:

Essential - Everyone in that field (artist, writer, etc.) should have it or at least be familiar with it. This will be a rare rating. It's going to have to be on par with Understanding Comics and Comics and Sequential Art to make the grade.

Recommended - A solid work that will be useful and informative to most readers or viewers.

Check it out - It may be helpful to some, but there are better resources available on the topic.

Not Recommended - Something that's really going to steer people in the wrong direction or is sub-standard in some other way. (I hope I won't have to use many of these ratings!)

I reviewed a wonderful book a few weeks ago, "Drawing Words & Writing Pictures", by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden.
It is honestly the world's first collegiate-level textbook covering the entirety of the comics-making process. Everything short of colours, anyway.
Just published last year, I absolutely recommend it.


amazon!

My script books probably falls more into the "Check it out " category. There's notmuch there outside of the script. Myplan is to do another one with more detail based on the Bloody Olde Englund graphic novel I'm doing with artist Jason Flowers. That one would have more behind the scenes information as well as art. Of course, that will only hapen after the graphic novel comes out and the art is still being done on it.

Bobby