How to Make a Great Comic

If you're investing your time and talent into the creation of a comic book, you want it to be a hit. To make a great comic, you must hit on the right combination of art, storyline and reader base. To do this, study successful comic books and incorporate their techniques into your project.

Instructions

1. Decide what kind of comic book you intend to make, and purchase several comics in the same genre.

2. Study the drawing styles for hints you can use. For example, if you're going to create a new superhero, Superman and Spiderman comics can assist you with body styles from numerous angles, as well as artful framing and movement.

3. Read the comics several times to develop a sense of story pace. Comics are different than books or magazine articles. There's a distinct flow to their storylines that you must replicate to make your comic successful with die-hard comic book fans.

4. Create the characters for your comic book. Have at least 3 distinct main characters with several supporting cast members. Give your audience a hero to cheer for, a villain to dislike and a likable middleman who balances out the two.

5. Draw your characters with distinct personalities and physical traits. To do this, make a master page for each character. Draw the character from the front, back and both sides. Draw a variety of facial expressions. On one side of the master page, list character stats such as age, hometown, love interest, nickname, personality strengths and flaws and other identifying information. Make a separate master page for each character of your comic book that you can refer to for consistency.

6. Develop a storyline for your comic book. Create a strong plot that will catch reader attention, such as a dangerous conflict or impending disaster. You must hook your audience immediately to draw them into the story-then you can fill in backstory details.

Tips & Warnings

• Show your rough draft to friends who appreciate mainstream comics in the same genre. Ask for an honest critique about what they do and do not like and use their suggestions to make your final draft.