Making Comics

This episode, we sit down with Gary Hodges (creator of D vs M) and discuss, among other things, balancing your writing projects when you're eager to work on all of them (5:20), getting product ready for a show (12:20), pitching your book (28:30), making comics from a place of cinema fandom (39:15), the ambitious work you sign up for in making comics (47:00), how all the time you spend creating...

This week, we discuss troubleshooting at the printer (3:40), a kaiju in-store event (10:10), working under a tight deadline to make new prints for a show (14:40), the top outline and page outline process for a comic (23:25), keeping a 'cut not add' mindset in editing your story (32:50), cranking out even more prints for a show (37:00), and turning a strange idea into a story (40:45) before...

This week, we review a productive panel week and the power of small increments (5:45), then we have a lengthy discussion on stopping your progress to do necessary character work (16:15), touching on character sheets (22:40), knowing when to go heavy on research (29:30), and how doing that research makes writing your story easier in the future (32:15), then discuss character studies and working wit...

This week, we recap Free Comic Book Day (4:15), the discuss getting back into drawing after running a Kickstarter (18:30), final edits of comics in the PDF stage (30:00), and designing a trading card (41:00), before we get to this week's topic: choosing simplicity (49:00).

This week, we discuss art for a trading card (4:50), interviews and the daily work behind running a Kickstarter (9:00), hiring an artist for a future variant cover (13:00), trusting the vision for your story - but not too much (17:20), and some answers to listener questions on comic book agents (26:10) and when writer/artists should stick to writing (41:30).

This week, we recap the first two days of Amazing Las Vegas (4:00), then talk about writing a short story over a weekend (14:05), working on backgrounds (17:00), forcing yourself to shutoff creative work so you can focus on Kickstarter work (19:30), and a fun two-page spread (26:00) before we get to this week's main topic: finding the right story to tell (29:30).

This week, we discuss the home stretch of Kickstarters (8:10), those unexpected moments when characters change the story (14:00), update frequency for Kickstarters (25:30), getting pages back and seeing your script changes (30:20) before this week's topic: making the wrong ideas right (38:40).

This episode, we welcome veteran comic creator Andy Belanger to the podcast to talk all things process! We discuss the benefits of working on your own stories (8:15), getting deeper into the craft of writing (15:30), how varying your influences helps (27:00), the state of sales in the industry (36:45), Kickstarter (40:00), and the current state of the industry (51:00).

This week, we discuss the time that goes into launching a Kickstarter (3:15), reviewing a story with fresh eyes (14:30), your name in the back of Kickstarters and how to fill extra pages in your comic (18:45), some editor notes that might apply to your stories (29:30) before we get to this week's main topic (36:30) - no small characters.

This week, we share a few thoughts on WonderCon, including the art of staying patient (13:10), 'I'll be back' (22:05), and the value of a well-rounded product portfolio (28:20), then talk about a nice writing milestone (37:20) before this week's episode: avoiding lazy storytelling (47:00).

This week, we give our thoughts on Day One of WonderCon (4:20) before we discuss getting back to your work after stepping away (9:55), recording guitars for a comic soundtrack (12:50), putting the finishing touches on a comic for a Kickstarter (14:45), and creating what you want without thinking of how it fits in your portfolio (18:00) before we get to this week's topic: self-publishing versus...

This week, we talk about the dramatic changes that happen from beginning to end when you make small changes along the way (5:45), getting colors back for a piece (15:00), reviewing interior pages for a backup story (22:30), Kickstarter thumbnails (26:10), comfort in creating whatever you want (41:15), and returning to your art after some time away (55:40).

This week, we discuss adjusting the colors on full-color pages to fit the story and the problem-solving that comes with cell phone exchanges (6:20), those times when you need to sit down to write (14:15) those times when you need to get away from your project for a day or two (26:00), writing where the heat is (32:20), working with public domain (and not so public domain) characters (37:10), cutti...

This week, we talk about selling yourself on submissions(3:00), visiting your story location for extra authenticity (20:30), changing up the way your work as a way to keep things fresh (29:15), and working with your editor's notes as our main topic (34:40), as well as special logos for alternate covers (53:40) and toy designs (58:30).

This week, we discuss our creator retreat and the work we did there - thumbnail work (8:00), line-editing your writing (9:15), using the SLAC method to turn thumbnails into panels (26:15), writing the first draft of a comic script (28:30), patchwork comic covers (36:20), and making sure your dialogue matches the size of the panel it sits in (40:00) before we share the goals of fellow creators (44:...

This, we talk about revising unused / mothballed stories and making them new (3:55), setting up a story around dialogue (10:15), negotiating with artists (15:00), designing a logo for your comic (23:50), and writing a comic's scene skeleton and page outline (29:00) before this week's topic: overshowing and overtelling (35:50).

This week, we talk about comic lettering and changing dialogue (5:10), ensuring the characters are doing the work of the story (12:15), reviewing the almost-final version of your comic for consistency (21:40), having a plan for the middle of a Kickstarter (28:20) before this week's topic: finding the right way to end a story (41:00).

This week, we talk about the differences in writing long and short stories (6:10), designing characters for a story arc and getting the essence of your source material (18:25), turning an unused remnant of a large story into a story of its own (24:55), and absorbing material to improve your stories (31:25) before this week's main topic: letting your work air out (44:15).

This week, we discuss celebrating the work you complete (5:00), starting and completing work different than the type of work you've done before (13:40), the line between doing work yourself and outsourcing (22:05), working with the next generation of creators (30:40), lettering your own sound effects (38:00), and a Scott and Keith collaboration cover (45:40).

This week, we talk about moving on from a project (10:00), finding the right angle for a background panel (21:50), starting and finishing a cover (29:40), starting the flats for your comic (32:30), and changing the seas of pop culture intake (34:40) before this week's topic: setting your 2023 goals (54:00).

This week, we talk about choosing the proper angles for your panels (8:30), reconciling creative mode and business mode (19:00), investing in the fun details of your comic (22:15), and asking yourself questions on whether or not you're writing the right thing (34:00) before this week's main topic: remembering the money angle of making comics (41:15).

This week, we discuss printing out your script to enable a revision (4:00), using, but not overusing, artistic tools so your own creativity shines (11:30), cutting the unnecessary parts from a scene (28:00), and staying patient wiht your clients (33:00) before this week's topic: choosing the right parts of the story (34:40).

This week, we discuss finishing the first draft of a comic script (6:30), the value you should put on names in your story (10:45), that magic point on a project when you can plan for the end date (25:20), another method of tackling the work on a comic (29:10), the value of ramping down (41:15), and confirming story solutions wiht your editor (53:45).

This week we discuss finishing a page that contains a ton of detail (6:25), loose scheduling for upcoming projects (16:00), working with clients (20:00), getting your first blast of feedback and rethinking the broad strokes on a new project (28:00), and getting product back after a long design process (40:45) before this week's main topic: rules around magic systems (45:00).

Continuing the year-end Making Comics tradition, it's part two of our year-end suite with guest Gary Hodges, this time with favorites of the year! Roll out the year with us as we share our favorite comic book (8:30), artist (15:45), writer (43:00), TV show (53:45), movie (1:05:00), and band (1:13:00), among other favorites.