So You Want To Start A Webcomic...
You read them, you love them, and now you want to make 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 comic to some great sites that will help you on your way.
So, have a look around, and good luck with your webcomic!
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 comic 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
Kit and Koni's Blog on All Things Webcomicky
Strawberry Syrup vs. NaNoWriMo
(originally posted at http://strawberry-syrup.blogspot.com)
It's November, and to thousands of people, that means one thing: National Novel Writing Month, more commonly known as NaNo or NaNoWriMo. It's when would-be writers dust off their word processors, pick that story they've always wanted to tell, and try their darndest to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It may seem a little intimidating, but it's actually a hell of a lot of fun for people who enjoy writing... especially since the goal is just to get something down on paper and not focus on nitpicking and making sure every single word is perfect. It's something I look forward to every year.
Of course, a few little conflicts do arise. For one thing, doing NaNo means writing at least 1,667 words a day, which comes out to roughly 6 pages, double-spaced. I am not a fast writer, so this can take anywhere from 2-4 hours a day, assuming le Muse is feeling cooperative. Considering it can take the better part of two days for each page, time does become an issue. Never mind the tendency of many NaNoers to completely soak their brains in whatever story they're writing - a necessity for some of us creative types when we're working full-throttle.
So, how to reconcile this?
First off, I do not intend to put the comic on hiatus again. You guys have already stuck with me through enough of those this year, both planned and unplanned. Instead, I just need to do a little better time management and some kick my butt in gear. It also means accepting that I might not get the page up promptly at midnight when I prefer to - it might have to be later on Wednesday.
The key point is, it will get done - it will just take a little adjustment throughout November. Which means I should nail it... oh, about the last week. :D;;
(originally posted at http://strawberry-syrup.blogspot.com)
It's November, and to thousands of people, that means one thing: National Novel Writing Month, more commonly known as NaNo or NaNoWriMo. It's when would-be writers dust off their word processors, pick that story they've always wanted to tell, and try their darndest to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It may seem a little intimidating, but it's actually a hell of a lot of fun for people who enjoy writing... especially since the goal is just to get something down on paper and not focus on nitpicking and making sure every single word is perfect. It's something I look forward to every year.
Of course, a few little conflicts do arise. For one thing, doing NaNo means writing at least 1,667 words a day, which comes out to roughly 6 pages, double-spaced. I am not a fast writer, so this can take anywhere from 2-4 hours a day, assuming le Muse is feeling cooperative. Considering it can take the better part of two days for each page, time does become an issue. Never mind the tendency of many NaNoers to completely soak their brains in whatever story they're writing - a necessity for some of us creative types when we're working full-throttle.
So, how to reconcile this?
First off, I do not intend to put the comic on hiatus again. You guys have already stuck with me through enough of those this year, both planned and unplanned. Instead, I just need to do a little better time management and some kick my butt in gear. It also means accepting that I might not get the page up promptly at midnight when I prefer to - it might have to be later on Wednesday.
The key point is, it will get done - it will just take a little adjustment throughout November. Which means I should nail it... oh, about the last week. :D;;
So, How Do You Do It?
Traditional Versus Digital
Alright, you've made up your mind. You're going to start a webcomic. But you've got one little question: how?
It's a pretty basic question, but an important one. Fortunately, there isn't any one way to do a webcomic. You, my friend, have options! Depending on how you work best and what technology you have access to, the most common ways are:
Quality webcomics mean finding what works for you in your budget, and figuring out what you work best with. If the only scanner you have access to is Aunt Selma's ancient museum piece from the mid-nineties, you might want to consider going all-digital. Likewise, if you've got a fantastic scanner, but your only graphics program is Paint or GiMP, you might want to stick to doing it by hand.
It's a pretty basic question, but an important one. Fortunately, there isn't any one way to do a webcomic. You, my friend, have options! Depending on how you work best and what technology you have access to, the most common ways are:
- The Traditional Way. Take a sheet of paper, grab a pencil and maybe some markers, and go to town! If you don't have a graphics tablet, this is probably the way you want to go - nothing invites a headache like trying to draw with a mouse. You do, however, need access to a scanner. Draw your page, scan it in, make the necessary changes in whatever software you use to resize things, and you've got your page all set to go.
- The Digital Way. If you've got a tablet or are just that good with a mouse, you can make the whole process digital. It can really take some of the blood, sweat and tears out of webcomicking. Use whichever graphics program you're comfortable with, whether that's Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, or just good old MS Paint.
- Half-and-Half. This may be the most common way. Draw your line art by hand, scan it in, then add your tones or color digitally with your graphics program. Or, as in my case, do half your work in one graphics program, then transfer it over to another to finish up.
Quality webcomics mean finding what works for you in your budget, and figuring out what you work best with. If the only scanner you have access to is Aunt Selma's ancient museum piece from the mid-nineties, you might want to consider going all-digital. Likewise, if you've got a fantastic scanner, but your only graphics program is Paint or GiMP, you might want to stick to doing it by hand.
How Do YOU Do It?
Loading poll. Please Wait...
Manga Studio
Software to Help You Out
If you're looking for the best software out there dedicated to black and white comic creation, it's Manga Studio EX. You can work on individual page files, or group them together in stories (an option I personally use to keep my chapters of Strawberry Syrup together). Plan, sketch, ink, and tone your work, all in one place. With a variety of pens and a whole library of screen tones, you'll definitely find what you need to make your comic look professional here.
Artists familiar with Photoshop shouldn't have any problem navigating Manga Studio or its layer system, but if you're new to it all, it's easy enough to figure out just by playing around for an hour or two (or you could read the manual). You also need to figure out what size works best for you, and play around with the guidelines. Manga Studio is set up for creating comics for print, but if you don't want to deal with safe zones and bleeds and all that technical stuff that doesn't really apply to webcomics, you can just turn the guide layer off.
I love Manga Studio's pencil tool. It really simulates a physical pencil for me, and makes sketching easy and smooth. The pen tool provides a nice, smooth, solid black line. The tones take some getting used to, but they do really make your comic look professional. Manga Studio also makes it easy to add text and word bubble to your comic.
If you're looking for a program to color with, I would not suggest Manga Studio, but for digital sketching and inking, I don't think you can beat it. I use it to organize, sketch, and ink all my comic pages, then export them into Photoshop to shade and resize them. I've also taken to sketching all my stand-alone drawings in Manga Studio before transferring them over to Photoshop for coloring. Working together, they're ideal for me.
If you're looking for the one single best program for doing a black and white comic, then definitely check out Manga Studio EX. Or, try Manga Studio Debut for a cheaper option. Fewer features, but you can always upgrade later.
Artists familiar with Photoshop shouldn't have any problem navigating Manga Studio or its layer system, but if you're new to it all, it's easy enough to figure out just by playing around for an hour or two (or you could read the manual). You also need to figure out what size works best for you, and play around with the guidelines. Manga Studio is set up for creating comics for print, but if you don't want to deal with safe zones and bleeds and all that technical stuff that doesn't really apply to webcomics, you can just turn the guide layer off.
I love Manga Studio's pencil tool. It really simulates a physical pencil for me, and makes sketching easy and smooth. The pen tool provides a nice, smooth, solid black line. The tones take some getting used to, but they do really make your comic look professional. Manga Studio also makes it easy to add text and word bubble to your comic.
If you're looking for a program to color with, I would not suggest Manga Studio, but for digital sketching and inking, I don't think you can beat it. I use it to organize, sketch, and ink all my comic pages, then export them into Photoshop to shade and resize them. I've also taken to sketching all my stand-alone drawings in Manga Studio before transferring them over to Photoshop for coloring. Working together, they're ideal for me.
If you're looking for the one single best program for doing a black and white comic, then definitely check out Manga Studio EX. Or, try Manga Studio Debut for a cheaper option. Fewer features, but you can always upgrade later.
Manga Studio EX 4 (Win/Mac)
Amazon Price: $227.99 (as of 12/04/2009)
Tools of the Trade
What You'll Need To Make Your Webcomic
Whether you're a traditional pen and paper, scan-it-in webcomicker or a member of the digital art world, there are a few things you'll need.
Sakura Pigma Micron Pen Set 6 Per Package, Black Ink
Prefer to draw and ink your pages the traditional way? Give the Pigma Micron pens a try. Archival quality ink, nice smooth lines, little to no bleed.
Amazon Price: $15.98 (as of 12/03/2009)
Manga Studio Debut 4 (Win/Mac)
It's the lite version of Manga Studio for all those artists without $300 to spend on a program they haven't tried yet. And if you like it, you can get a discount on upgrading to EX.
Amazon Price: $34.99 (as of 12/03/2009)
![Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vqDZb1A1L._SL75_.jpg)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 [OLD VERSION]
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: $72.25 (as of 12/03/2009)
Clear 12" ruler - Set of 10
If you're doing it the traditional way, you're going to need a ruler... and I prefer a transparent ruler. I just like to see what's underneath where I'm putting the line. Of course, plastic rulers do have a tendency of breaking or just completely disappearing, so grab a ten-pack so you'll never have to put your comic on hold for want of a straight edge!
Amazon Price: $10.57 (as of 12/03/2009)
Things from the Net to Help You Out
Here's some sites offering either advice or products that will help you on your way.
- 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!
- Statcounter
- The free way to track traffic to your webcomic.
Three Elements of Character Design
Tips on Creating Distinct Characters for Your Webcomic
One of the most important parts of any comic is the characters. Think about it: what do people remember most from something like, say, Naruto? Is it every single fight and mission, or is it Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi? Characters are your reader's link to the story, giving them someone they can identify with, get behind, or in some way relate to. Whether it's an action story with guns a-blazing and battles a-plenty or a heart-wrenching tale of struggling star-crossed lovers, if your readers don't have a character they want to follow, chances are they won't be your readers for very long.
Memorable characters are important, and part of creating memorable characters is coming up with a good character design. So what makes for a good character design? It comes down to three basic elements:
Character: When I design characters, I start out thinking about what kind of character I want to create. Is it male or female? How old? What kind of things do they like to do? What's their sense of style? What's their personality? Little things like that have a big impact on the character design. The stern, worked-for-every-penny-of-his-massive-fortune grandfather who hasn't taken a day off in fifty years is more likely to wear a well-tailored suit than a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops.
Distinction: No matter how many characters you have, your readers have to be able to tell them apart. If all your characters are blond bishies and beautiful brunettes, your readers will spend more time trying to figure out who's saying what than reading your comic. Worse, if they get too confused, they'll stop reading altogether.
So, keep your other characters in mind, experiment with haircuts and facial shapes, and try your best to make sure your readers don't have to work to tell your characters apart.
And finally...
Detail: This is what it all comes down to. Consider all those questions you asked about your character - all those answers affect the details. This doesn't mean you should go add every single detail you can think of to every character. Instead, choose just a few key details to get your character across. Hairstyles and accessories can say a lot.
Details are what make your characters distinct, and what kind of character you're trying to create determines what details you'll use. Spend some time playing around with different designs for each character. Every time you add a detail, ask yourself why. Sometimes, they can even help you develop your character - why did he get a tattoo, and why that one?
Just remember: make sure your readers can easily tell your characters apart, make sure their design fits their character, and a few choice details go a long way. Do all that, and you'll have memorable characters that just feel right, no confused questioning needed.
For more examples, check out Three Elements of Character Design.
Memorable characters are important, and part of creating memorable characters is coming up with a good character design. So what makes for a good character design? It comes down to three basic elements:
- Character.
- Distinction.
- Detail.
Character: When I design characters, I start out thinking about what kind of character I want to create. Is it male or female? How old? What kind of things do they like to do? What's their sense of style? What's their personality? Little things like that have a big impact on the character design. The stern, worked-for-every-penny-of-his-massive-fortune grandfather who hasn't taken a day off in fifty years is more likely to wear a well-tailored suit than a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops.
Distinction: No matter how many characters you have, your readers have to be able to tell them apart. If all your characters are blond bishies and beautiful brunettes, your readers will spend more time trying to figure out who's saying what than reading your comic. Worse, if they get too confused, they'll stop reading altogether.
So, keep your other characters in mind, experiment with haircuts and facial shapes, and try your best to make sure your readers don't have to work to tell your characters apart.
And finally...
Detail: This is what it all comes down to. Consider all those questions you asked about your character - all those answers affect the details. This doesn't mean you should go add every single detail you can think of to every character. Instead, choose just a few key details to get your character across. Hairstyles and accessories can say a lot.
Details are what make your characters distinct, and what kind of character you're trying to create determines what details you'll use. Spend some time playing around with different designs for each character. Every time you add a detail, ask yourself why. Sometimes, they can even help you develop your character - why did he get a tattoo, and why that one?
Just remember: make sure your readers can easily tell your characters apart, make sure their design fits their character, and a few choice details go a long way. Do all that, and you'll have memorable characters that just feel right, no confused questioning needed.
For more examples, check out Three Elements of Character Design.
Learn from the Masters!
Books on Character Design
It never hurts to have a reference, or have someone walk you through the process. Here are a few very cool books on designing characters to help you on your way. Most show different ways to actually design the characters, but reading up on how to write good, well-rounded characters will help, too. Remember, how your characters look is only part of creating good characters!
Kit's Favorite Webcomics
The Ones I Love To Read
If you want to make your own webcomic, you probably have a list of ones you love. I know I do, and these are some of my favorites.
- 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!
Once you have your webcomic up and running, you'll need to get some readers... and the best way of getting readers is webcomic communities and lists! Here are a few of the ones you'll want to be on.
- 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!
- Start Your Own Squidoo Lens!
- That's right, Squidoo's a great place to promote your webcomic, too! Build a lens dedicated to your characters, give readers an introduction to your story, put up polls, and don't forget to add a guest book, all for free!
List Your Favorite Webcomic
(Or Even Your Own!)
Speaking of promotion, here's your chance! Vote for your favorite webcomic, list it if it's not here, or even add your own. New, old, manga-style, western-style, it doesn't matter, just as long as it's still on the web!
Please, no adults-only webcomics.
1
Strawberry Syrup
The adventures of a half-vampire trying to survive more...1 point
2
Looking For Group
A laugh out loud comic poking fun at MMPORPGs. And more...0 points
3
The Phoenix Requiem
A beautifully drawn Victorian Era webcomic about a more...0 points
4
Lackadaisy
Guns,booze, and anthropomorphic cats in the 1920s. more...0 points
6
No Rest For The Wicked -- an online comic
A mildly twisted online comic about fairy tales, s more...0 points
Helpful Guides to Creating Manga
Never Hurts to Have a Sign Post...
The best way to get the hang of doing webcomics is to read a lot of webcomics and regular comics or manga... and to draw a lot. But it never hurts to have a reference, and that's what these books are - great references. Check them out and see if they're something that might help you!
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.
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.
Shojo Beat Manga Artist Academy
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: $11.69 (as of 12/04/2009)
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: $11.87 (as of 12/04/2009)
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: $14.21 (as of 12/04/2009)
Reader Feedback
Like what you see here? Got some suggestions or know of a great site? Leave me a note!
submit
-
Reply
- Xandrad Xandrad Sep 27, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
- Really excellent thought out information. Thank you very much for your help. I'm writing a marketing Summary for School on "Webcomics" and I found everything I needed to know here :)
-
Reply
- graphictruth graphictruth Jul 18, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
- The beautiful thing about webcomics is that you are not shackled by process limitations. You don't have to think about how well your art style will reproduce, or what it will cost to print. All you need is a tool to turn it into a .png file and and finding a place to host it ranges from free to pretty cheap, depending on your needs.
I currently use Drunkduck.com. I may or may not try something more "sophisticated" later. It's hard to find something within my current budget range that offers me the same flexibility AND the raw traffic to my work.
I repeat: Webcomics allow you to work in the format YOU prefer. It allows you to bring your best techniques to bear on the problem of telling a good story in words and pictures. One of the best things about webcomics and it's fandom is that people appreciate seeing your work develop over time. If the page is good enough, slap it up. If you really must, you can revise it later, but understand, your process is part of the art itself.
-
Reply
- Kitsune64 Kitsune64 Apr 21, 2009 @ 1:41 pm | in reply to waynet
- Definitely don't let style stop you! There are all different styles of webcomics out there, from manga to American-style comic books to the kind you get in the Sunday paper. You'll find readers no matter what kind of style you choose, so pick whichever one you enjoy drawing. Good luck with your comic! ^_^
-
Reply
- waynet waynet Apr 21, 2009 @ 5:08 am
- I've always wanted to start a webcomic and this has given me the little push that I needed, I like the comci book style and manga although my art really isn't manga styled but I won't let that stop me!!
-
Reply
- Chris Chris Feb 12, 2009 @ 2:24 am
- I've been kinda tossing around the idea of starting a webcomic for months. Recently i've worked up the gaul to do a slight bit of investing (like a scanner and some basic art supplies) and I must say that this site has definitely given me some things to keep in mind. Thanks tons!
About Kit
Kitsune64, also known as Kit and A. M. Meyer, loves anime, manga, and over-the-top fantasy flicks from the '80s (come on, how could you NOT love Legend and Willow?). She is a casual WoW player with an affinity for the Horde, and is writer and artist of the webcomic Strawberry Syrup. And, like any good little Squidooer, she's built it its very own lens at Strawberry Syrup: The Comic.
Oh yes, and she has a very disgruntled cat who would have been better named Darth Maul or Emperor Palpatine, but ended up with the deceptively nice name of Yoda instead.
Oh yes, and she has a very disgruntled cat who would have been better named Darth Maul or Emperor Palpatine, but ended up with the deceptively nice name of Yoda instead.
Lensmaster Kitsune64 has been a member since May 11 2006, has rated 142 lenses, favorited 60, and has created 14 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Kit's Guide to Greek Mythology". See all my lenses
by Kitsune64
Hi! Kit here, also known as Kitsune64 and A. M. Meyer. I'm an artist and writer at heart, so creating a webcomic was only natural! Everyth...
(more)Explore related pages
Read Manga- My favorite thing when online is reading latest manga available online. Manga is...
Video Game Secrets - Issue 3- Welcome to issue 3 of video game secrets. This issue will focus on shortcuts, gl...
Final Fantasy 13 walkthrough- Coolest Comics on the Web
- The days of daily comics being the domain of newspapers are long a thing of the...
Video Game Secrets - Issue 5- Welcome to Issue 5 of Video Game Secrets! Once again I hope you enjoy the issue...
