Why I Write For Comics

Alhambra

I discovered comics much later in life and they were Webtoon stories, not Marvell and suchlike characters.
Nonetheless, the mix of visual art and story appealed to me. I guess, it’s because of my perception - it’s harder for me to develop images just from words.
In a way, I have the opposite experience - my WIP started as a story for a graphic novel, but I ended up with a 300-page book.

Glitterpen

I grew up with comics too. I liked the X-Men a lot—Rogue, Storm, and Jean Grey were my favourite characters. The 1990s animated show was super fun. Spider-Man was another one of my favourites. Lately, I’ve been watching The Flash, seasons one to six (I still have to get hold of seven and eight).

I might write and illustrate a graphic novel one of these days. But I’d like to become a better writer before I try to make one.

Wendyg

I didn’t choose comics; comics chose me

A great concept! Maybe none of us are truly happy until we find our writing niche.

Basically I didn’t have the patience to write 300 pages worth of words to save my life. Once I wrote a graphic novel just out of nowhere

Now that e-books are getting more established, I can see full length graphic novels growing in popularity (because the publishing costs are cheaper than print). I too read comics when younger, and liked them, but I got annoyed at having to wait a whole week for the next episode in a story so I preferred books.

Imjustdru

Those were my jams back then. I used get excited about Batman: The Animated Series when coming home from school.

Check out my blog Tools for Writing Comics.

Imjustdru

When you’re a fan of a certain series, it’s worth the wait.

Imjustdru

It’s all good, friend.

Wendyg

Sometimes. But if the option is there to binge-read or binge-watch, many of us can’t resist the temptation!

1910orange

I still read manga.

I can understand the allure of comics and graphic novels. They are great mediums to tell great stories.

Miked

I grew up on the old Batman and Superman and Captain America stuff. Even better were classic comics like The Last of the Mohicans and Moby Dick. A little later came Spidey and The Fantastic Four and stuff like that. I ate comics for breakfast, like most boy-kids. Literally- they were on some of the cereal boxes and sometimes you’d get a little leaflet inside.

Later on, I gleefully consumed underground animation like Fritz the Cat, the first x-rated cartoon and Fantastic Planet, a moody little French SF flick. They were great. Weird and graphic R. Crumb was the King of underground comics.

But a funny thing happened along the way. Sometime between 15 and 30 y.o. comics and animation lost their appeal. I don’t usually relate well to animation, and the comics make me feel claustrophobic what with thought-bubbles everywhere and no White Space left to rest in.

Graphic novels are still a little more relatable. Watchmen and anything Alan Moore are exceptional. Sandman is pretty good, and so on. There’s a whole omnibus of Dirty Alice graphic novels and I was a big Heavy Metal fan back in the day. Everybody was. But I’d still rather read text than try to follow all those bubbly things on the page.

So I don’t write for comics, but my blood is still red like yours.

Imjustdru

Dig it, patna.

Miked

If you haven’t already, check out the Dirty Alice and Heavy Metal stuff. And R. Crumb. IMO there’s nothing else like it around today.

Original, hardcore O.G.

Cartoonist I Love: Robert Crumb – Lattaland790×1004 230 KB

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Dabellwrit

Comics greatest strength is continuity (hilarious considering the current state of DC/Marvel). Where a novel, movie, video game, and TV show will take years to tell a character arc/storyline/story, comics can take only months to do that. Even with a serialized TV show and novel, you tell a story in less words and time compared to latter two. That’s just my observation.

Paulpowell

R. Crumb and Will Eisner are all the evidence one needs to advocate for the value of earnest, forthright, unafraid comics. Really, the merit of cartoon travels all the way back to Francisco Goya and Honoré Daumier.

Miked

Jacksavage

Nice blog.

Paulpowell

‘Crumb’ is a wonderful film. What I recall most is the fate of his brother.

Goldilox

In my opinion, writers would be doing themselves a favor if they read comics.

Paulpowell

I’d agree that in today’s imagery-tilted media, it doesn’t hurt one’s career.

Miked

The whole family was screwed up, tragically so. But that’s the juice that made R. Crumb what he was.

I remember seeing Fritz the Cattogether with Allegro non Troppo and Fantastic Planet. The triple feature at the Uniondale Mini-Cinema c.1973 or so blew my mind. I was hooked forever after.