Making Comics

This week, we talk about finishing two covers in a week (5:40), a different release of a new comic (11:30), coordinating work on variant covers (15:50), how a snippet from a video created a path forward for a story (21:00), how helpful it is talking to other professionals (31:30), and the main topic: comic book hacks (38:40).

This week, we talk about daily focused reading (7:20), finishing the first draft of a short comic (14:15), and getting feedback on a story (29:30) before we get to this week's episode: the trappings of genre (42:00).

This week, we talk about finding a path to finishing the first draft of a story (3:00) and moving on from an artist (12:45), then welcome Doug Wagner ( Plastic , Vinyl , Plush , Klik Klik Boom , Beware the Eye of Odin ) to discuss preference delivering scripts (27:50), breaking into comics (36:35), influences (45:00), finding your true voice (1:03:00), business considerations in storytelling (1:27...

This week, we discuss the best attitude to have for giving and receiving feedback (4:30), understanding who holds the ultimate veto on your work (16:30), how down time can make you more productive (22:15), thinking your way through new characters (27:20), getting pages back from a new artist and editing in the lettering stage (33:00) and how taking criticism is important (41:00) before we get to t...

This week, we talk about a comic book within a story (4:40), dialing into craft elements that make a style distinctive (13:30), reworking your dialogue to the balloons and the available panel space (24:10), and hitting a stalemate on work for hire (31:05) before we get to this week's topic: 2024 goals (49:20).

This week, we recap our Making Comics creative retreat and discuss working your way through a comic script (12:45), working on art using a new style (24:30), denouements (36:00), post-workshops edits (44:45), and much more.

It's the year-end episode! creator Gary Hodges joins us to discuss our favorite comic (6:15), favorite artist (24:00), and others including movie of the year (54:30), game of the year (1:17:00), and many more. NOTE: This is an early-release episode for the week! There will not be an episode dropping on January 1st.

It's the holiday episode! Dinosaurs vs Marsbots creator Gary Hodges joins us to get in spirit for the season. We review the "nice" - our best creative achievements (13:15), "naughty" - our biggest creative learning (36:05), revisit our personal holiday traditions (1:05:00), and of course discuss the holiday music and movies we're both feeling and not feeling this year (...

This week, we talk about the initial work on a script (3:20), LA Comic Con (9:30), streamlining reward delivery on Kickstarter (25:10), a business summit (33:15), pencils for a new comic (39:30), and having the courage to cut (48:00) before this week's topic: strengthening your dialogue (61:00).

This episode, we talk about the right amount of information to give in a mystery (3:00), creating back matter for a comic (11:00), the release schedule that follows the creative schedule (20:40), a comic book in-store (27:45), hitting a rhythm with the colorist (35:20), a holiday tale of resourcefulness (41:00), and using the zoom function to help with your lettering (49:20).

This week, we discuss an in-store appearance (3:15), finishing inks for a comic and moving on the flatting and notes for the colorist (11:20), revisiting a project once thought complete (19:00) and hitting on a surprise revelation, thinking through a crowdfunding schedule and prepping a Kickstarter, and prepping variant covers and commisions (32:30) before this week's episode: the speed versus...

This week, we discuss font size and the right amount of dialogue to put on pages and panels (7:25), understanding the genre and potential audience of your story (23:20), checking in on a comic script (30:45), making a first-draft outline of a new comic (32:10), and the middle of a kickstater (44:00) before this week's main topic: writer's block (49:15).

This week, we talk about incorporating new pages into a novel (6:00),working your way through a Kickstarter (10:45), writing a page outline for a single issue (17:30), lettering in a similar, but slightly different way (26:05), and a dose of inspiration that inspired a high-level project outline (38:15) before this week's topic: making your art cinematic (49:45).

This week, we talk about the pre-work for Kickstarters (4:00), editing your way through a late draft of a book (13:30), creating a new logo (19:10), working out the high-level structure of a new ending (26:35), receiving original cover art (34:00) and a note on clear communication with artists (39:10) before we read a letter (42:50) and get to the inevitable topic you've all been waiting for:...

This week, we review feedback on a comic script (2:30), working your way through a Kickstarter and making choices on promotion (9:00), staying on your page goals (16:45), and a Metal Swap Meet recap (27:00) before we get to this week's topic: knowing when you're finished with a project (33:45).

This week, we talk about preparing for and launching a Kickstarter (11:50), approaching the end of a comic and larger arc continuity (18:00), taking chances on format (31:00), sending your story off to readers (36:50), getting a cover back from an artist (42:00), pondering a potential future project (46:20), and being a creator and not your creations (61:45).

This week, we discuss maintaining your page goals (4:10), ensuring the individual story scripts of a larger arc mesh well (9:55), soliciting opinions from your trusted creator network (17:40), preparing to write the final issue of a comic series (27:30), and revisiting a previously "finished" work (39:00) before we get to this week's topic: pitching your book to publishers (50:20).

This week we discuss finishing a comic script in non-traditional work spaces (3:45), maintaining the three pages per week pace (12:20), setting up your Kickstarter for success (16:50), finishing a parody cover (21:00), and revisiting a story that's been on the shelf for a year and making delicate edits (29:20) before this week's topic: planning for your story's success (40:20).

This week, we talk about sustaining your higher level of productivity (4:40), working on a comic script in whatever way you can (12:30), bringing the best part of your story forward (19:10), choosing the right page layout (31:00), and shelving your daily writing goals to relax and allow ideas to come to you (35:10).

This week, Scott and Keith recap tabling at a horror convention (5:15) and discuss finding your pitch (10:00), sticking to your production goals for art (26:10), incorporating notes into your work and story pacing (33:00), and drawing pencil pages (41:00) before this week's main topic: creating complex characters (48:00).

This week, Scott and Keith discuss what might be a higher permanent level of productivity (3:50), how your past scrapped ideas can become your next good idea (14:00), how AI is now your competition and how knowing what it can do can create a baseline for your own work (22:00), fine-tuning your pages with your colorist (29:30), and figuring out your product mix for a show (34:10) before we get to t...

This week, Scott and Keith discuss pruning your activities when necessary (4:30), hitting a higher level of productivity with your art (11:15), getting a calibration on submissions (24:30), working withyour arists / colorists on changes and feedback to artists (35:45), and working on the story skeleton for a new comic (43:40) before the main topic: how to approach action in your comics (47:30).

This week, Scott and Keith talk about thumbnail pre-work for a month-long panel gauntlet and good goals versus bad goals (7:05), working on a side gig that relates to your creative work (15:15), finding the inspiration for potential work (24:15), sharpening the look of a future cover (27:50), getting the coloring right on your comic (34:30), fitting your productivity schedule to your life and not...

This week, we talk about capturing the essence of your story with your cover (4:10), asking your colorist for corrections where needed (11:20), getting the first wave of cover ideas back on your book and realizing what's good within those ideas (18:30), doing advance work on a comic and adjusting to somehing unexpected (33:40), and receiving a test page for your comic and discussing fit for th...

This week, Scott and Keith talk about receiving the original art for a commissioned comic cover (4:20), using a place with less distractions to your advantage (11:50), hacking out the details and your choices in naming a new character (22:40), finishing the script on a comic (32:20), getting notes back on your comic (40:45), evaluating a story to see if it should be a comic or prose (48:40), and g...