So You Want To Start A Webcomic...
You read them, you love them, and now you want your comic to join them. But where do you start?
Hey all! I'm Kit, co-creator of the webcomic Strawberry Syrup. Since starting our webcomic in July of 2007, I've learned a lot of things about the process, and I'm here to share them with you - from the way my partner and I create our comics to some great sites that will help you on your way.
So, have a look around, and good luck with your webcomic!
The Latest From Our Blog
Strawberry Syrup's Blog on All Things Webcomicky
(originally posted at http://strawberry-syrup.blogspot.com/)
There are probably a great many approaches to character creation. I am, of course, only familiar with what goes on in my head before and after a character waltzes in and sets up shop. Sometimes you invite them in, and sometimes you wake up one morning and suddenly there's a character chilling out in your story, abducting plot points all over the place.
We can blame this on the subconscious, to avoid sounding crazy. In any case, Strawberry Syrup's characters are all here more or less intentionally, and are a new experience for me. Before Kit and I collaborated on this project, I had never created characters in tandem with another author. And 'author' is how I approach this project.
Sammy was almost an accident, as I recall: the one outlined in my first blog post. His entire foundation was 'non-angsty vampire', and the building blocks stacked on top of each other from there. We tossed ideas for him back and forth over AIM, mixing and matching shared tastes and separate to come up with our acerbic little half-vampire. The other characters grew up and around in him in similar ways.
Intentional or not, though, sometimes characters can surprise you. And will! Some will be abandoned for lack of purpose, or put aside until later. Some undergo personality changes, for the better even if you didn't see them coming. I seem to recall that Randy's original concept didn't involve pancake messes, for example. It's a creator's choice to direct these changes very carefully or just go with the flow, but I'm personally fond of putting the characters on a leash and then taking them for a walk, in metaphorical terms. Testing them out in the storyline can be the best way for them to show you what they're up to.
Kit can do this by drawing them into the comic and other bits of the medium, of course, but we also throw dialog back and forth in AIM. Characters grow out of small scenarios and snippets, tiny but very important testings of the water. If something doesn't work, doesn't jive with the other characters, we can pick up on it then. This more or less allows us to stick them in the comic without worrying that they'll cause the wrong sort of chaos.
The right sort of chaos, however, that's just fine.
Kit's Favorite Webcomics
The Ones I Love To Read
- Strawberry Syrup
- Shameless plug time! Yep, this is my own webcomic. Strawberry Syrup is the story of Sammy, a half-vampire severely lacking in the traditional angst catagory, and Hunter, his own personal (and kind of inept) Van Helsing. If you're looking for a deep, dark, serious story questioning the meaning of existence... you might want to look elsewhere. XD
- No Rest for the Wicked
- Follow an insomniac princess, Little Red Riding Hood, and Puss in Boots on a quest through a land of fairy tales more like the original Brothers Grimm than anything you'd ever find in a Disney movie. Delightfully dark with a sense of humor, this well-written and stylishly drawn comic will pull you from page to page and leave you wanting more.
- Looking For Group
- Are you a fan of MMPORPGS? Love poking fun at them and time-treasured fantasy tropes? Then you'll love this comic. It will have you laughing out loud.
- Lackadaisy
- Fantastically drawn fuzzy comic from the gangster era. The art will leave your jaw on the floor... and the characters are great, too.
- Inverloch
- One of those webcomics to make it onto the shelves of your local bookstore. Beautiful artwork, compelling characters and storyline, and better yet, it's complete - no waiting for more pages or worrying about the author going on hiatus! Be sure to check out her new comic, The Phoenix Requiem, too!
Places to Promote Your Webcomic
Or Check Out Your Competition!
- OnlineComics.net
- This site gives you your own forum, advertising possibilities, and the ability to see how many fans you have and what they like to read. You'll need at least 10 pages done before you'll be listed here.
- buzzComix
- This site lists comics by popularity through voting. You can even offer incentives to get people to vote, like extra art or even pages. You'll need a banner to join this site.
- Top Web Comics
- Pretty much the exact same thing as buzzComix, but hey, the more exposure, the better!
- The Belfry Webcomics Index
- Another list of webcomics. It's geared towards furry comics, but it allows other kinds to join, too.
- Comixpedia
- The Wikipedia for Webcomics. List your comic here and make yourself a nice page - you might snag some new readers!
- The Webcomic List
- Yet another webcomic listing. If you don't add yourself, one of your readers just might!
Helpful Guides to Creating Manga
Never Hurts to Have a Sign Post...
Note: Most of these are in manga-style - mainly because that's the style I use and the style I like. But there are many different styles of manga, and the basics are still the same for crafting a great comic, no matter what kind of comic you're doing.
How to Draw Manga: Getting Started (How to Draw Manga)
The "How to Draw Manga" series is vast and varied, with enough volumes to make your head spin. The best way to use the series isn't as The Ultimate Guide, but as a series of reference books. Pick the topics you think you'll need most, and just pick up those books. My personal favorites are the books on perspective and the costume encyclopedias, but you may also find the volumes on mechs, weapons, or illustrating battles helpful.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Draw Manga: How to Draw Manga In Your Own Unique Style
An American's take on the conventions of manga, and covers more than just how to draw - it covers how to create characters and storylines and all the stuff that really matters. Definitely a good thing for anyone who wants to create their own comics!
Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 10/07/2008)
Shojo Beat Manga Artist Academy (Shojo Beat)
Ahaha, I love this book... If you're looking for a simple, amusing walk through creating your first comic, check this book out. It spares you all the nitty-gritty details in hopes of helping you get the basics down. A good first book to help you dip your toe in the webcomic wadepool.
Amazon Price: $11.99 (as of 10/07/2008)
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way
And in the interest of diversity... some American comics! Despite being a manga-style artist, I do have this book in my library, and it offers a different view at creating comics than the manga books.
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 10/07/2008)
How To Draw Manga Supersize Volume 1
The Antarctic Press books are actually my favorites. They offer a series of helpful articles from such non-Japanese manga-style artists such as Ben Dunn and Fred Perry. If you've already got a grasp on the basics and are looking for some great techniques on everything from scenery and accessorizing your characters to drawing battles and composing dynamic scenes, these are the books for you!
Amazon Price: $14.78 (as of 10/07/2008)
Things from the Net to Help You Out
- Manga Studio Debut
- Manga Studio is a great program for creating webcomics. I like to use EX in conjunction with photoshop for Strawberry Syrup, but Manga Studio is great for sketching, inking, and even toning your art. Debut has fewer options than EX, but it will give you an idea of whether you really like the program for a lot less, and you can always upgrade later.
- Blambot Comic Fonts
- The home of great fonts on the web. So long as you aren't planning on pitching your comic to TokyoPop or another big publisher, you can download and use most of these fonts for free.
- The Psychedelic Tree House
- This place has a lot of links to blogs full of helpful information to help you with your webcomic. Plus, the largest collection of webcomic logos that I've ever seen!
Tools of the Trade
What You'll Need To Make Your Webcomic
Photoshop Elements 6.0 Window
Even if you're not a big fan of drawing digitally, you'll need to resize your pages and get them ready for the web. Photoshop Elements can do that for you, and even add some color or shading, if you like.
Amazon Price: $101.95 (as of 10/07/2008)
Wacom Graphire4 4x5 USB Tablet (Blue)
A must-have for the digital artist! I like the Graphire because it's a convenient size, comes with a mouse, and has all the pen sensitivity I need. Your wrist will thank you!
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Reader Feedback
Like what you see here? Got some suggestions or know of a great site? Leave me a note!
