How to Design Comic Books
Use the front cover to introduce the comic to the reader., Use the splash page to introduce the story., Display the rest of the story in panels on the other pages., Use word balloons to show dialogue., Use captions to explain things the images can't...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use the front cover to introduce the comic to the reader.
Nearly all comic books have an illustrated front cover that features an illustration of the story's hero, such as Batman, or its setting, such as the skyline of Gotham City, or a scene representative of the story inside.
The front cover also displays the title of the comic, usually in a distinctive font, such as the telescoping letter arc of "Superman" or the image of the Caped Crusader's cowled head atop a large bat body displaying "Batman" across its wings.
More recent comics also list the names of the story author and principal artists on the cover, as well.
Generic illustrations of the hero or story scene are more often used for single-issue stories or graphic novels, while story-scene cover illustrations are more commonly used for issues of a limited or continuing comic series.
Cover illustrations that use a story scene do not have to use a scene that actually takes place in the story but can instead use a variant of it.
The cover of Lois Lane #78 (October 1967) shows a surprised Superman, witnessing bullets apparently bouncing off Lois Lane, who in turns asks the Man of Steel when they're getting married.
In the actual story, where Lois and Lana Lang decide to move to the bottle city of Kandor at the request of a Kryptonian rival for their affections, a squad of Kandorian doubles of Superman's friends stand in for them to assist Superman, and it is actually Lois' super-powered look-alike, who has no designs on the Man of Might, that he actually meets.
The cover scene plays off Lois' long pursuit of Superman's affections to entice the reader to read the story within the covers.
Titles and title logos are usually separate from the cover illustrations, but they may also be incorporated, such as the cover of one issue of "Shazam" that used the magic lightning bolt that transforms Billy Batson as a cutout to display the title from a vertical list of the 6 Elders who give Captain Marvel his powers while depicting the World's Mightiest Mortal striding across the cover. -
Step 2: Use the splash page to introduce the story.
The splash page typically is the first page of the comic story, although it can also be a later page when the first 1 to 4 pages are used as a prologue to set up the rest of the story.
It features a large panel at the top or bottom of the page (or a single panel that takes up the entire page) that displays the name of the story feature (such as "Superman" in an issue of Action Comics), the story title, and a representative story scene.
From the late 1960s onward, this page has also consistently given the names of the story author, artists (penciller, inker, and colorist), and editor.
As with the front cover illustration, the splash page may not display an actual story scene but a variation of it.
It may be a different variation of the same scene alluded to on the front cover, or a different scene.
In comics that feature more than 1 story, usually only the lead story warrants a splash page with a single panel.
Backup feature stories are typically shorter, requiring the story to start more quickly than the lead story.
At the bottom of the lead story splash page are the indicia, which typically include the name of the comic publisher, and the date and place of publication. , Apart from the splash page, comic book panels are normally subdivided into smaller panels, each of which displays an image in the story.
The typical arrangement is to have 2 columns of 3 or 4 panels on each page; however, if an image or object is particularly important to the story, it may take up a larger panel than normal, sometimes the entire width of the page.
American comics are normally read from left to right, top to bottom, with the reader finishing one page before moving on to the next.
Japanese comics, or manga, in contrast, are normally read from right to left, top to bottom; the comic binding is typically on the right side.
In some cases, panels have to be read out of this order, given the flow of the story; in these cases, arrows or other guides can be used to show the order in which the panels should be read.
The panel border can also be varied to show variations in the scene.
Placing panels side-by-side, without a gutter space between them, can be used to show a rapid sequence of events, while rounded rectangle or wavy line borders can be used to indicate flashback scenes. , When comic book characters speak or think, their external or internal dialogue needs to be displayed for the reader; this is done with word balloons.
These balloons come in several styles, are usually confined to the top third of the panel, and typically display text on a white background.
Round dialogue balloons are used to indicate speech; they are connected to the character speaking by a "V" shaped line (pointer) pointing toward the character's mouth.
If 2 or more characters are speaking, the balloon highest in the panel indicates which character is speaking first, with the next highest balloon containing the other character's reply, and if the first character has a rebuttal, it appears in a separate balloon below the second balloon.
Cloud-like word balloons are used to display a character's inner thoughts to the reader.
A series of smaller ovals (bubbles) connect the balloon to the character thinking. (These balloons are sometimes used for telepathic communication, as well.) Jagged-line or "line-burst" balloons are used for broadcast dialogue, such as from a radio, television, or a character communicating telepathically with others.
A "V" shaped line is used to indicate the source of the broadcast.
Words in word balloons are normally written in all uppercase, except for comics intended for young readers.
Usually, a particular narrow sans serif font is used for the dialogue (such as Comic Sans MS), although alternate fonts are sometimes used for alien or artificial intelligence beings to signify an unnatural-sounding speech.
Emphasized words are shown in boldface, and some comic companies follow the practice of showing proper names in boldface, as well.
A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 3 balloons in any given panel of a comic book story. , Although comic books are the best examples of the fiction-writing directive, "Show, don't tell," there will be places when expository text is necessary to tell the story.
Captions can be used in the splash panel to introduce the story or in the other panels to set the scene, note the passage of time or change of scene ("Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice"), provide character descriptions, or even footnotes by the editor of the series.
Captions display text in the same font as that used for most dialogue, but display text on a colored background, usually yellow.
A common use of footnote captions is to refer to previous comic book issues whose story elements form the basis for the present story. , Onomatopoeic words in comics include the "BIFF!" and "POW!" of fight scenes, the "THWIP!" sound Spider-Man's web shooters make, the "BAMF!" sound Nightcrawler of the X-Men makes when he teleports, or the "SHNIKT!" sound Wolverine's claws make when he extends them.
These sound effect words are written in a colored, bold typeface on or near the object making the noise; the larger the letters, the louder the sound.
Along with sound effect words, you can also use impact lines or starbursts to show the force of blows and site of impact when drawing fight scenes. -
Step 3: Display the rest of the story in panels on the other pages.
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Step 4: Use word balloons to show dialogue.
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Step 5: Use captions to explain things the images can't show.
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Step 6: Display onomatopoeic words to indicate sounds.
Detailed Guide
Nearly all comic books have an illustrated front cover that features an illustration of the story's hero, such as Batman, or its setting, such as the skyline of Gotham City, or a scene representative of the story inside.
The front cover also displays the title of the comic, usually in a distinctive font, such as the telescoping letter arc of "Superman" or the image of the Caped Crusader's cowled head atop a large bat body displaying "Batman" across its wings.
More recent comics also list the names of the story author and principal artists on the cover, as well.
Generic illustrations of the hero or story scene are more often used for single-issue stories or graphic novels, while story-scene cover illustrations are more commonly used for issues of a limited or continuing comic series.
Cover illustrations that use a story scene do not have to use a scene that actually takes place in the story but can instead use a variant of it.
The cover of Lois Lane #78 (October 1967) shows a surprised Superman, witnessing bullets apparently bouncing off Lois Lane, who in turns asks the Man of Steel when they're getting married.
In the actual story, where Lois and Lana Lang decide to move to the bottle city of Kandor at the request of a Kryptonian rival for their affections, a squad of Kandorian doubles of Superman's friends stand in for them to assist Superman, and it is actually Lois' super-powered look-alike, who has no designs on the Man of Might, that he actually meets.
The cover scene plays off Lois' long pursuit of Superman's affections to entice the reader to read the story within the covers.
Titles and title logos are usually separate from the cover illustrations, but they may also be incorporated, such as the cover of one issue of "Shazam" that used the magic lightning bolt that transforms Billy Batson as a cutout to display the title from a vertical list of the 6 Elders who give Captain Marvel his powers while depicting the World's Mightiest Mortal striding across the cover.
The splash page typically is the first page of the comic story, although it can also be a later page when the first 1 to 4 pages are used as a prologue to set up the rest of the story.
It features a large panel at the top or bottom of the page (or a single panel that takes up the entire page) that displays the name of the story feature (such as "Superman" in an issue of Action Comics), the story title, and a representative story scene.
From the late 1960s onward, this page has also consistently given the names of the story author, artists (penciller, inker, and colorist), and editor.
As with the front cover illustration, the splash page may not display an actual story scene but a variation of it.
It may be a different variation of the same scene alluded to on the front cover, or a different scene.
In comics that feature more than 1 story, usually only the lead story warrants a splash page with a single panel.
Backup feature stories are typically shorter, requiring the story to start more quickly than the lead story.
At the bottom of the lead story splash page are the indicia, which typically include the name of the comic publisher, and the date and place of publication. , Apart from the splash page, comic book panels are normally subdivided into smaller panels, each of which displays an image in the story.
The typical arrangement is to have 2 columns of 3 or 4 panels on each page; however, if an image or object is particularly important to the story, it may take up a larger panel than normal, sometimes the entire width of the page.
American comics are normally read from left to right, top to bottom, with the reader finishing one page before moving on to the next.
Japanese comics, or manga, in contrast, are normally read from right to left, top to bottom; the comic binding is typically on the right side.
In some cases, panels have to be read out of this order, given the flow of the story; in these cases, arrows or other guides can be used to show the order in which the panels should be read.
The panel border can also be varied to show variations in the scene.
Placing panels side-by-side, without a gutter space between them, can be used to show a rapid sequence of events, while rounded rectangle or wavy line borders can be used to indicate flashback scenes. , When comic book characters speak or think, their external or internal dialogue needs to be displayed for the reader; this is done with word balloons.
These balloons come in several styles, are usually confined to the top third of the panel, and typically display text on a white background.
Round dialogue balloons are used to indicate speech; they are connected to the character speaking by a "V" shaped line (pointer) pointing toward the character's mouth.
If 2 or more characters are speaking, the balloon highest in the panel indicates which character is speaking first, with the next highest balloon containing the other character's reply, and if the first character has a rebuttal, it appears in a separate balloon below the second balloon.
Cloud-like word balloons are used to display a character's inner thoughts to the reader.
A series of smaller ovals (bubbles) connect the balloon to the character thinking. (These balloons are sometimes used for telepathic communication, as well.) Jagged-line or "line-burst" balloons are used for broadcast dialogue, such as from a radio, television, or a character communicating telepathically with others.
A "V" shaped line is used to indicate the source of the broadcast.
Words in word balloons are normally written in all uppercase, except for comics intended for young readers.
Usually, a particular narrow sans serif font is used for the dialogue (such as Comic Sans MS), although alternate fonts are sometimes used for alien or artificial intelligence beings to signify an unnatural-sounding speech.
Emphasized words are shown in boldface, and some comic companies follow the practice of showing proper names in boldface, as well.
A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 3 balloons in any given panel of a comic book story. , Although comic books are the best examples of the fiction-writing directive, "Show, don't tell," there will be places when expository text is necessary to tell the story.
Captions can be used in the splash panel to introduce the story or in the other panels to set the scene, note the passage of time or change of scene ("Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice"), provide character descriptions, or even footnotes by the editor of the series.
Captions display text in the same font as that used for most dialogue, but display text on a colored background, usually yellow.
A common use of footnote captions is to refer to previous comic book issues whose story elements form the basis for the present story. , Onomatopoeic words in comics include the "BIFF!" and "POW!" of fight scenes, the "THWIP!" sound Spider-Man's web shooters make, the "BAMF!" sound Nightcrawler of the X-Men makes when he teleports, or the "SHNIKT!" sound Wolverine's claws make when he extends them.
These sound effect words are written in a colored, bold typeface on or near the object making the noise; the larger the letters, the louder the sound.
Along with sound effect words, you can also use impact lines or starbursts to show the force of blows and site of impact when drawing fight scenes.
About the Author
Denise Williams
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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