How to Build an Online Comics Reference Library

The tools of the online comics trade are not merely sketch pad, scanner, CPU and stylus. Having a proper reference library specific to your webcomic will save you grief and delays when you need a certain bit of information or inspiration, diminishing your down time. While it would be wonderful to start out with a full library from page one; it's perfectly fine to build this over time as you need a particular book. The following are some basic reference books that a webcomic artist should find useful.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Anatomy Book
   
   You don't necessarily need to go so far as a full medical text (such as “Gray's”) because there are great anatomy books out there specifically for artists. This will give you the basic surface placement of muscles related to movement and facial expressions. If your comic is anthropomorphic, you'll also need books of animal anatomy, and a robotic manual probably wouldn't hurt for the science fiction artists out there.
2. Dictionary and Thesaurus
   
   The use of vernacular and dialects can add to the tone of a strip's dialogue, but overall you want to be able to spell correctly to avoid confusing your readers. A thesaurus comes in handy when you just can't use the word “nice” one more time or need another way to say “embarrassed” (mortified, chagrined--see, it works!). Urban slang dictionaries or rhyming dictionaries can be useful references as well, depending on your genre.
3. Photo Reference
   
   The human body moves in some wonderful ways, but drawing them straight from memory is not always the easiest thing! Purchasing an artist's photo reference or constructing one of your own will save you the time and frustration of having to draw a figure over and over before you get it just right. If you do find yourself seeking a specific pose, make sure to save it in case you need it again. Photo references also come in editions comprised of facial expressions, landscapes, cityscapes and many other manners and combinations.
4. HTML and CSS Manuals
   
   Unlike traditional print comics, our chosen distribution method means we frequently wear the hat of publisher in addition to writer and artist. Even if you have someone that handles the brunt of the Web work for you, it's always best to know some basics in case of emergency. The CSS book might be icing on the cake for most people, but if you like to design quick-loading pages and change design elements of your site often, introduce yourself to Cascading Style Sheets; they will be your new best friend.
5. Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels
   
   It never hurts to have inspiration handy, even if it's just to remind yourself why you started down this path to begin with. These will also offer insight into pacing and structure of work that appeals to you, that you would naturally want to emulate. Just remember that imitation is a form of flattery; copying is illegal!
6. Screen Writing Reference
   
   This is especially helpful if you write, but do not draw and need to convey your story to an artist. Many comic and graphic novel scripts are structured much like a screen or stage play. Included with the dialogue are action and setting descriptions that will help the artist know where you're going with the story (or yourself, if you write ideas out well ahead of drawing them).

Tips & Warnings

• While many of the references can be found in bits and pieces on the Internet; it helps to have a physical copy for those times when it's not possible to be online while you create.