Making Comics

This week, we talk about the home stretch of a commission (3:30), finalizing the first draft of a story (12:30), making inks and flats one process when doing pages (20:15), changing the method of telling for a series of short stories (31:10), and the giant story structures that drive us (41:10).

This week, we discuss turning a change in the colorist for a project (4:00), close editing of those lines of dialogue that really matter (9:40), coloring techniques (19:00), learning with purpose (27:15), and getting back a bunch of art for upcoming projects (35:20) before we share our 2025 goals (45:20).

This week, we welcome Arthur Ebuen (@alifornia, Inc.) to the podcast and talk about creating something new in a late-stage edit (4:10), knocking the drawing rust off (13:00), and lettering and scripting an issue (18:00) before we talk craft with Art, including the preparation involved in approaching an artist (23:00), world building for a comic series (33:50), and staying true to your vision (43:0...

This week, we discuss how giving yourself a break from creative work can yield results anyway (5:45), holding people to deadlines on a project (11:15), crossing the finish line for a Kickstarter (27:30) and working on a unifying design for a new Kickstarter (33:40), before this week's main topic: flashbacks (49:10).

It's the Year In Review episode, and that means we welcome Gary Hodges (Dinosaurs vs Marsbots) to discuss our year-end favorites, including favorite purchase (4:45), favorite movie (25:30), band and album of the year (1:00:00), and the comic of the year (1:09:00), and many others.

It's the holiday episode, and that means we welcome Gary Hodges (Dinosaurs vs Marsbots) to talk about the ways we were "nice", a.k.a. our greatest creative achievement (4:15), the ways we were "naughty" a.k.a. our greatest creative learning (23:00) before our Holiday Hot Take Extravaganza (39:00).

This week, we talk about finishing pages amidst a busy week (7:05), developing a creative and release plan for an upcoming book (15:30), a wild 24 hours on a secret project (21:00), a workshop that pointed the direction forward (29:40), what you learn giving notes (35:30), and seizing an opportunity to revise a story one last time (48:00) before this week's topic: the story type of "overcoming the...

This week we talk about Kickstarter prep and launch (6:00), choosing a stopping point for the "new story" worked on in November (10:30), the arrival of a long-awaited commission and getting a vibe of an art style (23:30), and streamlining future projects (29:45) before this week's topic: the main plot types of rags to riches (42:10) and comedy and tragedy (50:15).

This week we talk about the right color palette for a variant cover (5:30), interviewing a person who will serve as a character in your story (21:50), what managing a comics project can involve (32:10), and changing the point in time a story is told (49:00).

This week, we talk about working with an artist on art changes for a story (4:30), fine-tuning an experimental art style for a project and the essence of a style (13:45), those days that begin with staring at a blank page (20:50), coloring a cover on a tight deadline (25:20), the best study guides (32:30), and what "being in the zone" is and if there's a way to get there (41:00).

This week, we recap the creative retreat and talk about finishing a first draft of a script (2:50), "doing the messy thing" when it comes to story (5:30), thinking things out in the panel stage (13:45), working on music and how it relates to writing (17:50), writing your way into a mystery, then figuring out the basics (24:40), creating thumbnails and panels for a new story (34:00), references (37...

This week, we talk about those stories that feel easy to write (4:15), winding down Drawtober deliverables (18:20), figuring out structure for a short story (32:00), before we discuss the "Quest" story type (47:00).

Fresh off a trip to Japan (Keith) and San Diego Comic Fest (Scott), we talk about a productive start to a story (4:00), working ahead against a deadline (12:00), documenting via journal and capturing creative work as you go (21:15), the highlights of San Diego Comic Fest (27:30), and a creative take on a alternate cover (48:30).

This week, we talk about the influences that build your style (3:15), the winding path to the end of a story (22:20), and what makes finishing a first draft / thumbnails unique (30:45) before we get to this week's topic: the basic "Voyage and Return" plot (39:50).

This week, we discuss how the art comes alive when going from pencils to inks (5:15), prep work and advance work for creative projects/performances (16:20), considering story structures for a new idea (22:15), and putting work in on an overdue cover (30:30) before this week's main topic: the story type of Rebirth (36:40).

This week, we talk about self-imposed time constraints and how month-long projects are a performance (3:25), how a strong idea for the "next" story can make you want to finish your current story (16:15), dialing in the look for comic art (22:15), planning out next year's schedule and deciding when it's time to move on from a show (31:30), reordering product (41:00), and this week's main topic: aut...

This week, we welcome Ray-Anthony Height (writer/inker of Midnight Tiger, artist for Marvel, Viz, Lion Forge, and Image) to the show and discuss a wide array of topics, including further developing a strong idea (3:00), finishing the thumbnails for a comic (10:15), prepping a visa for the FIBDA Festival (14:00), the state of the comic industry today (21:40), the value of a second creative voice on...

After recapping a wild day of obstacles to recording, we talk about resizing text (11:20), thumbnailing pages for the next comic (21:00), expanding your mind by sketching plot outlines (25:15), taking on an editor role (38:20), and how surprises turn into a lightning bolt of an idea (44:45).

This week, we discuss story endings (4:00), the right point in time to start your scenes (16:05), a recap of Fil-Am Creator Con (28:50), and a harrowing live draw experience (34:30) before this week's main topic: fandom now versus fandom in the past (46:00).

This week, we talk about dreams in fiction (4:30), thumbnailing for a comic (14:15), comic formatting nightmares (22:15), and why reading bad books are is as important as reading good books (35:45) before we discuss a real life "What would you keep" story (43:50), simplifying things, and easing the pressure you put on yourself (53:40).

This week, we review a packing party and an alternative to media mail (4:30), writing backwards and seeding ideas in a story (16:00), returning to a project after letting it sit for a few months (25:00), how re-lettering becomes re-wording (36:10), finding the perfect image in your old files (44:40), and formative ideas (48:30).

This week, we talk about purposefully cheesy scenes (5:30), using free time to do your less mentally strenuous work (23:00), doing critical restructuring work on a scene (29:30), how just vocalizing something can be a help (34:35), and handing off a script and receiving feedback (44:00).

This week, we talk about commissions (2:30) and how they can inspire your print portfolio, when a short idea sparks something ever larger (8:00), making dialogue better through multiple edits (16:30), and signing yourself up for a massive re-lettering project (34:00).

It's Part Two of the Art Retreat Recap! This week, we sit down with Gary Hodges ( Dinosaurs vs Marsbots ) and Jim Lujan (film animator, The Full Fungus ) for part two of our Crestline art retreat recap, and talk about the design and execution of sound recording for video (4:00), the value of having people live and in person for feedback (12:20), reference photos and the acting they require (18...

It's Part One of the Art Retreat Recap! This week, we sit down with Joshua Kemble ( Jacob's Apartment, Not Death But Love: the Strange, Supernatural Story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning ), Scott Serkland ( The Young and the Dead , Serkworks Art Labs), and Cory Kerr (Illo Talk Substack) in part one of the recap of our creative retreat! We talk about working on a long-term project and a rolle...