A lot of literary work comes from personal experience. Your past may be rich with stories you can tell. You can also put yourself in new situations to get more inspiration. For example, Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes is about a boy and his stuffed tiger. Scott Adams’s Dilbert lampoons office culture. Ask yourself what age group your comic is meant for. Complicated jokes are more appropriate for teens and adults, for instance. Tone down the joke if you’re writing for children.
Even ideas that seem insignificant at first can turn out to be very funny. For example, imagine drawing a child pretending to be Superman. You can take this concept in many different directions.
You do not need to have multiple characters. For instance, picture a child blowing bubble gum until it pops all over her. Her actions and reaction, driven by her personality, create the humor. If your comic is short, having a lot of characters can be overwhelming and obscure the writing. Keep your comic simple so it stays funny.
This may help you come up with more amusing situations or dialogue. Take into account the character’s personality. Keep their actions true to their character. The reason doesn’t have to be complex, but it does keep the humor cohesive. For example, a child may dress up as a Superhero because superheroes are fun and they want to fly.
If your character visits a zoo, for example, plan on drawing cages, animals, and possibly walkways and other scenery. If your comic can take place anywhere, having a specific setting isn’t necessary. Many black and white comics use a white background. Color comics keep the background an unobtrusive color like blue.
For instance, a comic set in autumn looks different than one set in summer. Instead of a bright, radiant sun, you may end up drawing piles of leaves. For example, Hagar the Horrible is about a viking. The setting is the Middle Ages, so you won’t see cars, vending machines, skyscrapers, or computers laying around.
Many short comics have a 3-act structure, similar to lots of books and plays. Having a beginning, middle, and end is a simple, classic way to arrange comics. Not all comics are in this format. Many good comics are 1 panel, such as those printed in magazines like The New Yorker and Women’s World. Comics can also be much longer than 4 panels.
The rough draft doesn’t need to be perfect, so don’t spend all your time on it. Sketch out your comic until you’re happy with the design. Another option is to make the first draft in a computer file. Use a separate file for subsequent drafts so you don’t lose the original. Correct your rough draft until you are satisfied with how it looks.
Some good computer programs for comics include Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Final Draft, and SketchUp. You can go back and edit your original draft instead of making another comic. You won’t have the original as a point of reference, so be careful when editing in permanent details.
Black lines stand out, so use them strategically to draw attention to certain areas of the comic. They give your comic a border and give your figures depth. For example, if you draw a cat, darken the cat’s outline. You may also wish to add some extra marks to draw attention to the eyes, fur, or whiskers.
If you do your work on a computer, most programs have a text box option. You type the letters into the box and can adjust the settings to change the font, size, and color.
Black and white comics are acceptable even in many professional publications, so don’t feel pressured to add colors. Many artists use computer programs to improve their coloring. You can upload images drawn by hand by making use of a computer scanner. Programs like Photoshop or Flash are good ways to add coloring effects to your comics.
Creating a title is especially important for recurring comics. For one-off comics, you can either go without a title or come up with a short caption referencing the joke. For example, Garfield and Cyanide and Happiness are a couple of examples of comic strip names that stand out and give the comic context.
People that you know may compliment your work but not appreciate the humor. You may wish to test your comic on strangers to get an unbiased reactions. Not all critique will be useful to you. If your parents have a much different sense of humor than you, they may not find your comic funny. That doesn’t mean you need to change your style to please them, since you can still find an audience that shares your sense of humor.
Consider uploading copies onto your computer. Use a computer scanner for this. If you draw on the computer, make backup copies of all of your work. Upload them to a cloud-based storage system, hard drive, or flash drive.
For example, a magazine like The New Yorker is a great spot for adult-oriented single-panel comics. Comics meant for children’s magazines need to be simpler and more colorful. If you can’t get your comic published immediately, consider starting your own website. Post your work there so other people can read it and spread your work.
At first, your drawings may not look like what you see in a newspaper. Through perseverance and a lot of practice, you can begin to improve as an artist. Once you have your drawing technique down, try sketching some comics. Don’t worry about nailing the humor or perfecting the design.
Take inspiration from real life. For example, many people turn a pet or a person they know into a character. Satirical comics often involve politicians and real-life events. You can make use of existing characters. If you look at a site like DeviantArt, you will see many people drawing characters they know. If you like superheroes, for instance, draw Batman or Superman in your unique style. Characters with exaggerated features are often useful for creating humor. For instance, you can make an owl with a large head to represent a brainy person. Read political satire for more examples.
Working with your characters this way may give you some funny ideas you can use in your comic strip. Dig deep into your character to make them real. Putting them in various situations can help make them feel real to you. You will soon learn their unique quirks you can bring to life in funny ways.
