When it comes to making comics, I have gone through many phases with regards to my tools. These days I stick mainly to creating comics using digital tools and programs but that’s not to say that it is the only method of producing art.
I first started drawing webcomics ...
Favourite tools of the trade
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, April 30, 2021Creating good dialogue
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, April 23, 2021
Creating believable and engaging dialogue is key when creating a story. It’s not only used to convey important plot information, but also emotions, motivations and rapport amongst the cast.
Dialog can be an effective way to convey information or raise conflict that maintains the momentum of the comic. The ...
Twitter, outrage and the nature of parasocial interactions - A case study
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, April 16, 2021
Buckle up. This is going to be a dense one.
Social media dominates our lives. In the webcomic community, content is generally in the form of comics, however, we have podcasts, YouTube videos, Instagram accounts and of course Twitter. We immerse ourselves in the online world, broadcasting our efforts and ...
The Bestest Evar
Banes at 12:00AM, April 8, 2021
The Bestest Evar: Revisiting Mary Sues -
And a Contest!
Way back in the day our friend and my grizzled old mentor HippieVan did a post discussing Mary Sues - and we followed it up with a Mary Sue “contest”.
Many of us comic creator and reader types have probably known the ...
Resurrection
damehelsing at 12:00AM, April 4, 2021
Today is Easter and originally I was going to write a wholesome message about taking care of yourself (which you should) but then I was like “NAHHHH, let’s talk about characters dying and coming back.”
I know the wonderful Tantz_Aerine wrote an article on it here but I wanted ...
Building the stakes
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, April 2, 2021
Not long ago, I wrote about utilising cliffhangers. This week it’s all about them stakes. When it comes to creating a comic, it is important to give a reason for the reader to care about it. Stakes are a pivotal part of that. Cutscene University explains what stakes are ...
The steady march of progress
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, March 26, 2021
It goes without saying that this past year has been a clusterfunk and a half. However despite all the upheaval, societal change, devastation and the final encroachment of light at the end of this exhaustingly long tunnel there has been much time to do the art things. As the months ...
Hang on! It's a cliffhanger!
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, March 19, 2021
As webcomics are uploaded periodically, be that in pages, chapters or episodes, it’s imperative that we use all the tricks in the book to keep them coming back. One sure fire way to keep your readers coming back for more is by exploiting the cliffhanger device.
A cliffhanger is ...
Naming a webcomic
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, March 12, 2021
Finding the perfect title for your comic is important. It is what people will use when referring to your work and is often the first thing that readers see. The name of your comic acts as an immediate snapshot of what’s to come. Getting it right is key. Although ...
Middle sag syndrome
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Feb. 26, 2021
Beginnings and ends are usually the easiest to write when it comes to creating a comic. However, what do you do till you get from point A to B? Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing the middle bits that will help you keep your readers motivated ...