Questions for Comic Book Artists

[Carmenica Diaz]

What format do you like to receive the story from the writer?

How do you prefer the descriptions of each panel?

 

[Carmenica Diaz]

Obviously not the place for this question. I'll choof off to some other forums.

 

[Purple Sage]

Obviously not the place for this question. I'll choof off to some other forums.

Not very patient, are you?

The answer to your original question depends on the writer, the project, etc. Some writers have a pretty good visual and comic book sense, others not so much. Panel breakdowns make life easier if the writer really knows what he's doing, but sometimes they get the pacing wrong. Good collaborations can take a while to establish.

 

[Carmenica Diaz]

Not very patient, are you?

No, not really.

Thanks - I thought panel description would be enough.

 

[3113]

Depends!

What format do you like to receive the story from the writer? How do you prefer the descriptions of each panel?

There are two formats comic book writers use for their artists:

1) Describe the action on the entire page. This is the quick-and-dirty method. It works if the artist is good and can visualize the lay-out as well if not better than the writer. So you would say: "Page One: This is the beginning of our sex scene. Let's start with a blow job. Put them on the bed, slowly strip off the clothes and get her mouth on him by the end." Short and sweet and it's all up to the artist to work out the panel progression.

2) The "Alan Moore/Grant Morrison" method. This is where the writer is, themselves, someting of an artist and has a real plan behind how each panel should look and why. Here's a sample from a real comic book script using this mode:

Page Seven

PANEL ONE:
Action: A smear of blood, close up.
CAP: A knight must be brave and fearless.

PANEL TWO:
Action: Pull back. That streak of blood is on Weylyn's cheek. The boy is terrified, breathless; he has stumbled back, there are bloody rents in his clothing. Off panel, screams of agony intrude.
Koros (off panel): AHHHHHHHHH
Koros (off panel): HELP ME! AHHHHHHHH

Here's another example:

Page One:

PANEL ONE:
Action: Establishing shot. A forest. The image should feel painterly, pastoral. The kind of forest we see, not in reality, but in dreams. We’re looking down on these woods from high above; they seem to stretch on forever.

PANEL TWO:
CUT TO: Interior of those woods, occaisonal shafts of sunlight streaking through the canopy of endless green above. A native bird rests on a low slung branch.

PANEL THREE:
Action: HOLD THAT ANGLE from the previous panel as a HAND, gloved and armored, disturbs that branch, sending the bird flying.

This can be as lightly described or as detailed as you like depending on how well you know the artist or how important elements are in each panel. Alan Moore's script for Watchman was outrageously detailed (there are Watchman special editions that have pages from the script. Amazing stuff)--and the artist gave him everything he asked for. Other writers, being good friends with the artists, can use all kinds of short hand, like, "Fight scene here, Joe. Think Raging Bull" or "Action: We're in a bar like that one we went to in Arizona..."

No matter how you do it, however, keep in mind that unless you tell the artist "This panel has to be exact"--that the artist's job is to use their artist's eye. If they come up with something they think would work better, they'll draw it that way instead of the way you described. So you need to establish with the artist not only how they like it, but also how you want it.

 

[Carmenica Diaz]

There are two formats comic book writers use for their artists:

1) Describe the action on the entire page. This is the quick-and-dirty method. It works if the artist is good and can visualize the lay-out as well if not better than the writer. So you would say: "Page One: This is the beginning of our sex scene. Let's start with a blow job. Put them on the bed, slowly strip off the clothes and get her mouth on him by the end." Short and sweet and it's all up to the artist to work out the panel progression.

2) The "Alan Moore/Grant Morrison" method. This is where the writer is, themselves, someting of an artist and has a real plan behind how each panel should look and why. Here's a sample from a real comic book script using this mode.............No matter how you do it, however, keep in mind that unless you tell the artist "This panel has to be exact"--that the artist's job is to use their artist's eye. If they come up with something they think would work better, they'll draw it that way instead of the way you described. So you need to establish with the artist not only how they like it, but also how you want it.

Thanks - very helpful.

 

[Carmenica Diaz]

More Help, please!

I am looking for an artist to collaborate on an adult graphic novel.

Are there forums where comic book/graphic artists congregate? I've tried to find forums by searching but it's impossible.

Ideas and suggestions welcome.

 

[BlackSnake]

I am looking for an artist to collaborate on an adult graphic novel.

Are there forums where comic book/graphic artists congregate? I've tried to find forums by searching but it's impossible.

Ideas and suggestions welcome.

Nothing is impossible. There are artist here on Lit.

Graphic Novels tend to be long. Now you are looking at something a bit short like a regular comic book, which are basicly short stories, you'll probably get a bigger bite.