How to Make a Comic from Script to Print

Sarah Spoto │Contributing writer.

So, one person writes and draws a comic…right? And everything is drawn by hand…isn’t it?

You wouldn’t be alone if you were unsure about how a comic is actually made. Recently, I attended a lecture at the Chicago Comic Con that cleared up a lot of misconceptions about creating comics or graphic novels. Here’s what I learned.

Comics are written in a sort of assembly line process.

1. To start, the writer must first write the story. The script resembles a movie screen play. There are two generally accepted scripts: the Marvel method and the Traditional full script method. For the Marvel method, the writer will break the action down page-by-page. She provides a general description of what is happening on a page. This method gives the artist greater autonomy over how to execute the story. For the Tradition full-script , the artist describes the action panel-by-panel. For this method, the writer provides a high level of detail to guide the artist.

Both Marvel and DC have samples of scripts to download. Writers also offer samples of their work on their websites. Another resource for scripts is the book Panel One, which provides examples of real comic scripts. Another suggestion is to write to comic companies to send scripts.

2. After the story is written, the script is given to the penciler, who then draws what the writer has described. Before computers, the penciler would pass the comic on to the letterer. Traditionally, the letterer adds the text to the comic by hand. However, today the lettering is done on the computer usually by the inker. The comic is traditionally drawn 66% larger that actual size of the final comic.

3. The inker scans the pages and inks over the pencil. This is process is usually done now on the computer with programs like Photoshop.

4. In the fourth step, the colorist either colors in the Xerox copy of the comic or colors the comic in digitally. Photoshop is a common software for coloring.

5. Finally, the comic can be printed.

How can writers or artists get their work published?

As a writer, it can be very tough to break into the comic industry. Breaking in is actually easier for artists. For submission, writers should submit a paragraph of an idea as a sample. Writers really must sell their idea to find success.

When submitting, avoid the big guys, Marvel and DC. Instead visit your local comic shop and look at the independent comics for smaller, independent comic companies.

Webcomics are also on the rise. Publishing independently on the web is a good way for writers and artists to get their comics read.

Sarah is an art and business student who enjoys the occasional graphic novel and the more than occasional Marvel hero movie.

Add This To Your Bookshelf

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

by Scott McCloud

In Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Scott McCloud’s passion and reverence of the age-old art form of comic writing is apparent. In an easy to read comic book style, he breaks down what exactly a comic is, what’s been done with comics, and how comics may change in the future. This book is a great reference for those new to writing and drawing comics.

Why should you add Understanding Comics to your bookshelf?     

• It’s like reading a comic book. Really, McCloud wrote the book in comic book style!
• It challenges your current perception of comics, leading you to think of comics’ potential.
• Beginners and the experienced will benefit.

Read a Comic Book, Seriously, It Might Change How You Write

Have you ever heard anyone say, “I hate novels! I’d never read one.” Probably not because the term “novel” is an umbrella term, clumping together Agatha Christie mysteries with Ender’s Game science fiction with Jodi Picoult “chick lit.” But I’ve bet you’ve heard this phrase before, “I hate comic books! I’d never read one.”

 Marvel superhero comic books, Vertigo Fable tales based on myth and fairy tale, and Japanese manga romance are all comic books. Doesn’t this leave the smart reader wondering, isn’t the term “comic book” like “novel” just as all encompassing? We don’t condemn the medium of novels because we don’t like “chick lit,” one of the many genres a novel can take. But, we see it all the time, comic books are often condemned in just this way, and by condemning them, we’re denying ourselves the pleasures of both reading and writing in this unique form.

Perhaps because of the stigma against comic books, I’d lived eighteen years without ever reading one. I grew up surrounded by books. My dad would read Nancy Drew novels to my sisters and I before we went to bed, I devoured The Lord of the Rings trilogy in a single week when I was in middle school, and I reluctantly read Thomas Hardy and Milton in my college literature classes. But not once did I read a comic book. By seventh grade, I was dead set on following my dream of becoming a novelist. I had been writing since first grade when my mom bought me a journal with kittens on the front, yet by college I felt something was missing. I loved to write, to create ideas and bring them to life, creating something out of nothing. But I wasn’t reading very much anymore. And reading for school doesn’t count, because, honestly, I never finished Tess of the d’Urbervilles, or The Jungle, or All Quite on the Western Front, or The Canterbury Tales…

And then one summer I fell in love with the Iron Man movie, and the can of worms was opened. The new movies based on comic books metaphorically snatched the James Joyce novel from my reluctant fingers, and Shazam! replaced it with Origins, my first ever comic book. Comic books were a form of reading (and writing) I’d never experienced before. The visuals combined with words, an emphasis on characterization and plot, not on elevated language or fancy metaphor. Comic books contained the best elements of a novel, and, I’d argue, could represent the human condition as well as The Great Gatsby, all while visually involving the reader, pulling her along on a more compelling adventure. I decided to write a graphic novel for my senior thesis this coming year. I’ll take the traditional novel I’d been struggling to write for nearly three years, and write it as a graphic novel script. Just a month ago, I pulled up a blank Word document and began writing my novel as a graphic novel for the first time. I couldn’t believe how rapidly my thoughts propelled themselves onto the screen. I was writing more than I’d written in months, and I was enjoying it!  I’d found my new form, shook loose my musty old views of what writing should be, and took a step closer to finding myself as a writer.  I wish someone had told me earlier that it was ok to read comics, and perfectly acceptably awesome to write them

I’d like to challenge anyone who hasn’t read a comic book yet to do so. Try to push aside the prejudices you perhaps have against comic books. Remember, you’d never say “I hate novels!” Right? So don’t clump all comic books together. Explore the different genres within the graphic writing medium and you might (probably) find a new favorite way to read.

Add This to Your Bookshelf

 Writing for Comics & Graphic Novels 

by Peter David

Writing for Comics is the first "how to write comics" book that I read as I began my adventure into the world of comic book writing. I recommend it for both those who are just starting out or for seasoned writers who are looking for an enjoyable book to read (Although, honestly, a very experienced writer will certainly get less out of it than a newbie).

Why should you add Writing for Comics & Graphic Novels to your bookshelf?

• advice direct from an expert (Peter David's been in the biz for quite a while, and he's written some big-name comics. Hulk, for example)
• easy to read format
• writing exercises included
• shows scripts and the resulting comic
• explanation of basic writing techniques (characterization, plot, etc.)
• introduction to comic book-specific writing techniques (scripting, villains, continuity)
• information about getting published