Making Comics

This week, Scott and Keith discuss re-branding and the materials that go with it (5:30), a change in plans for Drawtober (11:55) and planning for a future artist change (19:00) before this week's topic: lettering (27:40). Stay around the 'Grail main event' (45:40)!

Scott and Keith discuss getting the final bits of product in for their Kickstarters (1:45), Rose City Comic Con (13:50), brainstorming future comic projects including drawtober (23:50) and reworking prose to get it ready to turn into a comic (27:30) before this week's topic: inking and coloring (31:20). 

Scott and Keith discuss starting new issues and new story arcs (5:15), preparing for conventions (16:30) and reviewing pages from the colorist (22:45) before they discuss the penciling (30:15) and thumbnailing (43:05) stage of comics.

This week, Scott and Keith discuss issues in flatted pages (4:15), brainstorming a new giant monster (9:20), commission work (18:40), upcoming convention schedules (24:45) making structural changes to your story (27:45) and new inspirations for a comic (35:00) before the two discuss the idea stage and scripting for comics (39:35).

Scott and Keith recap their new comic book day event at SoCal Comics, covering setup (3:00), reading the crowd and adjusting your table inventory (14:10), developing a product portfolio (21:30) and the mentality behind working your table (27:30) before sharing tips to stay productive every day (36:50).

This week, Scott and Keith discuss a dramatic change in a single scene's construction (2:30), getting through creative blocks by working (15:50), rewriting scenes on the fly in a pass of your story (22:15), bonus content for single issues of a comic (29:45) and redesigning a web site (34:00) before the week's main topic: books and tutorials on craft (38:20).

This week, Scott and Keith discuss master edition strategy (2:30), incorporating feedback from different sources (12:30), a redux of last week's conversation on inspiration (17:10), taking feedback and applying changes to create a final draft (20:50), that project that just hangs over your head (30:15) and a strategizing session that turns into an inventory conversation (32:30) before discussing f...

This week, Scott and Keith discuss last-minute Kickstarter chaos and the need for standardization (3:05), payment structures for commissions (11:45) and the pending culmination of a long project (16:40) before a lengthy discussion on sources inspiration, both conventional and unconventional (23:20).

With Keith live on the road this episode, the two discuss last-minute PDF fixes (5:30), cover work and warmup sketches (8:15), ridiculous mutant powers (15:30), giving feedback (21:20), non-comic convention opportunities (25:30) and finding the fun in boring pages (32:40).

Scott and Keith discuss a detailed cover (1:10), checking your splash pages within a PDF and allowing time for final revisions (3:30), making toys (16:15), ways to get your indie book out in the world (23:10) and finally Keith's trip to Philadelphia (44:00), covering comics and the idea of collecting themes in your comics.

Scott and Keith discuss commissions (1:30), reviewing PDFs for final changes (17:50), direction in comic book pages (23:35) and finding a comic printer (29:30) before they talk about collectible comics (46:20)

Scott and Keith - in the same room - discuss making a fun exercise out of tracking changes from ashcan to comic (3:00), the value of off-screen writing / riff writing (14:30) and comic recommendations (22:30) before they review dollar book (and not dollar book) purchases from recent shops (36:30).

Keith and Scott compare notes on project hiccups (4:25), covering Adobe Illustrator, finishing up PDFs, cycling through cover artists, feedback on non-convention commissions, toy-making, and a printing conundrum (33:40) before answering a listener question about juggling multiple projects (41:40).

This week, Scott and Keith revisit last week's discussion around changes for a master edition (8:45) before discussing corner boxes (14:50), slabbing comics and collecting in general (18:30), when writing refrains go wrong (41:00), holding back on information (43:30), and pet peeves on comic book covers (49:40).

Back recording at a normal time of day, Scott and Keith discuss lettering nuances and shortcuts (6:50), finding a good printer (18:55), taking feedback and how the adage 'write what you know' can steer you wrong (25:05) before discussing changes to comic panels for a collected edition (48:15) and the question - change it, or leave it as is? Reminder: the preorders on Kodoja Volume 3 are about to c...

Scott and Keith cover a lot of topics this episode - mocking up panels with sketch software to confirm the angles on drawn art are correct (2:30), editing for clarity after receiving finished pages (8:00), reading every day and how inspiration can be in unlikely places (24:10), working with printers (27:00), sifting through critiques and what to do when expert reviews contradict each other (35:00)...

Keith and Scott discuss how a busy schedule makes people more productive (0:55), re-thinking overdubbed dialogue and cutting it down for clarity (3:00), editing language (10:30), project management for the upcoming Second Shift hardcover (16:00) and big-picture thinking for the next arc of Kodoja (20:10) before a large discussion on 'rules' and why understanding them is good, but following them cl...

This episode, Scott and Keith welcome friend Terry Mayo to the podcast!  Topics this week include Terry's current Kickstarter Buddy (5:45), re-lettering older comics (11:30), an update on the Kodoja Volume 3 soundtrack (15:00), an upcoming project of Terry's and how copyrights play in (16:30), the joy of receiving art pages (24:40), more discussion on indies and creator rights (33:00), and so...

This episode Scott and Keith recount Keith's trip to Richmond, Virginia (1:00), an episode of late night productivity (19:30), accountability threads (21:50), writing bonus material for comics (28:15) and listener questions (37:00) on media mail, rights and ownership before discussing character development (53:00).

Scott and Keith discuss the completion of the 2nd Shift PDF (3:00), work for an ad that never happened (5:50), creating a project plan for delivering Kickstarters (18:05), and calibrating positive feedback into future artistic direction (22:40).  The two then discuss comic purchases over beers in the field (34:00).

This episode Scott and Keith discuss the twenty-five episode milestone (1:10), a batch of revisions on one of Keith's comics (7:00), graphic design for Scott's future hardcover (12:50), Keith's indie creator 'originality' conundrum (16:40), a comparative experiment Keith did with his novel (26:50) and revisiting the power of one panel a day (38:00).  A discussion on the maximum price to sell...

This week, Scott and Keith discuss re-finding your creative time as the world returns to how it was in 2019 (4:40), Big-picture thinking about future projects (12:45), figuring out the right stew of story ingredients (22:00), artistic techniques to make your images better (23:50) and revisiting great modern comics (38:20)

Scott and Keith discuss characters with dialogue quirks (3:00), text-heavy and text-only pages (7:55), one-in-ten variants and value in comics (12:25), Keith's big-picture thinking for Volume Four of Kodoja (28:00), Scott getting back to the panel-a-day goal (38:50) and the pricing of commission work (44:50).

Scott and Keith welcome Ed Brown, writer of the 2nd Shift, to the podcast!  Ed discusses his current writing work (2:30), which leads to a conversation on his backstory and unpacking writing quality (16:30), author intent, and three-act structure (26:00).  Scott and Keith review their week's art, administrative and even music activities (33:20) to end the main part of the episode.  ...

Scott and Keith discuss a current commission, which leads to a conversation about mermaids (4:50) before the two talk comic scripts against pencils (10:45) and likenesses of people in comics (15:00).  Keith recaps his recent travels (18:05) and Scott goes over a heavy week of activity (33:25) before the two answer the question 'what comic advice would you give your past self ten years ago? (4...