Comic Creators Free Talk

[Kupocake]

Mangabot

HELLO EVERYONE smile im a wannabe cartoonist looking for some criticism on my only two fan comics....
http://mangameister.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4lyma1
http://mangameister.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4r03ic
eventually i want to do my own comics but for now im keeping to these ... so any way that i can refine my comics the dialogue the humor paneling maybe?
also.....im terrible with writing...... so is there any pointers in that deparment?
ps i know my drawings suck im 21 but hey im still improving or trying to atleast.

Rule one of presenting your work to strangers: Don't make age an excuse or a reason why your work isn't good enough.

For the Pinkie Pie one, you drag out the strip way too long for the strip to be funny. Additionally, Courage is stuck in the same surprised look the whole way through, making him look frozen/stilted/lifeless. If you cut it down to maybe 4 panels, it would work a lot better, and maybe work on messing with Courage's expression more so it's not just another copy+paste over and over. Do what's best for your comic, not what's easiest.

I... don't really know what to say about the Adventure Time one.

[Jovian Temple]

Kupocake

Not really? Then again, I never really went around websites looking for comic book resources. The best ones I've found were through books and just general trial-and-error through hundreds of pages.

Besides, some of the best online tutorials I've found aren't on traditionally comic websites, they're on sites like deviantArt and Tumblr, through other indie comic creators.

The issue there is that I'm not an artist, and definitely not some Ameri-mangaka. Whereas for an artist, non-comic tutorials on perspective and proportions and PhotoShop and such are easily adaptable towards his or her sequential art, it does much less good for an aspiring writer, like myself, although it's still probably good to know. I do seek out information on writing outside of the comic scene, mind you.

The other part of my issue is that I'm in a relatively small town, and making comics isn't really on anyone else's mind. So, for trial and error, I can write script all day and will only be able to find those few errors I realize myself. Without the constant feedback of an artist-partner or, you know, random forum-goers willing to consistently point out my mistakes, I feel as though a good deal of my progression as a writer is dead in the water.

Seijaku_Ishida

On the contrary, I've been finding more and more amazing discussions on longform webcomics. The hashtag #lfwc on twitter has some amazing conversations, and I find Fantasy Comic Portal to be a useful resource and community.

The link provided seems interesting but I don't even have a foot in that door. Might add that to the long-time-lurker list.

Webcomics aren't a direct interest of mine. I'm trying to gear myself for self-publishing, especially via KindleFire and possibly ComixPress. Wave of the future and all, you know.

[Seijaku_Ishida]

Shouting Fox

Seijaku_Ishida

On the contrary, I've been finding more and more amazing discussions on longform webcomics. The hashtag #lfwc on twitter has some amazing conversations, and I find Fantasy Comic Portal to be a useful resource and community.

The link provided seems interesting but I don't even have a foot in that door. Might add that to the long-time-lurker list.

Webcomics aren't a direct interest of mine. I'm trying to gear myself for self-publishing, especially via KindleFire and possibly ComixPress. Wave of the future and all, you know.

Webcomics ARE self-publishing, so you may still find something useful from them.

[Jovian Temple]

Seijaku_Ishida

Shouting Fox

Seijaku_Ishida

On the contrary, I've been finding more and more amazing discussions on longform webcomics. The hashtag #lfwc on twitter has some amazing conversations, and I find Fantasy Comic Portal to be a useful resource and community.

The link provided seems interesting but I don't even have a foot in that door. Might add that to the long-time-lurker list.

Webcomics aren't a direct interest of mine. I'm trying to gear myself for self-publishing, especially via KindleFire and possibly ComixPress. Wave of the future and all, you know.

Webcomics ARE self-publishing, so you may still find something useful from them.

Ooh, pardon me, I misspoke. I didn't mean that webcomics were lesser or anything, don't get me wrong. It's just that webcomics themselves don't generally appeal to me. I haven't paid much attention to webcomics since Mandy drove the planes into the WTC with Grim's powers in that Snafu series. (That's something I don't really mention on the Whitechapel forums, where Warren Ellis hosted FreakAngels, which I may yet read.) That's not to say I don't see its value, and that's why I said I'd probably lurk. It's just easier to get into a resource I can more fully interact with.

I've been in love with the Kindle Fire and have been since I got it last Christmas. Being able to switch between, say, Scott Cunningham's Earth Magic book and Warren Ellis's Planetary at a moment's notice is incredible, and there's enough space on it to hold hundreds of comics at a time. The idea that I could draw a comic on paper, scan it to PDF, and it can then be loaded onto a million Kindles fascinates me. Combined with Scott McCloud's presentation within his books on comics (which I figure could be adapted to numerous textbooks), and the fact that my girlfriend's kids both have iPads at school, I feel a bit of excitement about not just the entertainment factor, but the practical applications, of comics on the Kindle and other digital devices. THAT's where I want to go, and that's what I meant to say.

[Kupocake]

It's kind of amazing when you hear your character's voice for the first time. One of my friends asked if she could use Dude in her traditionally animated story, and she ended up finding a fantastic voice actor for him. It's times like this where I wished I was animating Cans of Beans instead of comicking it.

And then I get angry at animating and flip the table.

[Jovian Temple]

Don't get Kupocake angry. You wouldn't like Kupocake when she's angry.



Kupocake smash!

[Psycho Bunny Studio]

Guess who just got back from the steel phallus festival surprised
Give you all three guesses as to what I had in my mouth all day, and you don't need the first two guesses.

In other news, over one year later and guess what hasn't been published?

Guess who's skepticism has been repaid?

Guess why when some of the oldbies on Gaia make a call on someone they're usually right?

Man I hate being cynical AND hopeful, makes me put my money and effort into things that I know are going to fail.

((If you haven't been able to guess, Japan Needs Heroes 1 and 2 still are not out and the creator has taken his $20 grand and fallen off the internet.))

[Psycho Bunny Studio]

Also, I hate these ******** key things where you get a key for being on Gaia but you have to pay money for the box to test the key on for a chance at a rare item...
:T

[Seijaku_Ishida]

Psycho Bunny Studio

Guess who just got back from the steel phallus festival surprised
Give you all three guesses as to what I had in my mouth all day, and you don't need the first two guesses.

In other news, over one year later and guess what hasn't been published?

Guess who's skepticism has been repaid?

Guess why when some of the oldbies on Gaia make a call on someone they're usually right?

Man I hate being cynical AND hopeful, makes me put my money and effort into things that I know are going to fail.

((If you haven't been able to guess, Japan Needs Heroes 1 and 2 still are not out and the creator has taken his $20 grand and fallen off the internet.))

I'm pretty pissed as well. :/ I can kinda understand not wanting to publish a book without some big names, but there comes a point where you need to JUST DO IT or refund.

Here are some methods of contacting him. Maybe if we can get enough creators to do it, we can see some results: http://waywardsons.keenspot.com/contact.html

[IronSpike]

Psycho Bunny Studio

((If you haven't been able to guess, Japan Needs Heroes 1 and 2 still are not out and the creator has taken his $20 grand and fallen off the internet.))

Speaking as someone whose Kickstarter project took two years and is only just now (********. FINALLY.) sitting at the printer and soliciting back-cover quotes, I want to give "Japan Needs Heroes" the benefit of the doubt.

But the creator hasn't posted even a Backers Only update since December.

Personally, I feel Kickstarters have no obligation to keep people who didn't back the project up to date. But even contributors don't know what's going down right now.

If something specific is holding up the show, I'm going to bet it's artists slacking. When you're not paying someone to do something, their urge to produce isn't quite as fierce as it might be. but even if that's the case, the creator should say something.

The creator of "Japan Needs Heroes" actually has a Gaia account, but he signed up just to promo his webcomic, "Wayward Sons." He received a frosty reception, and never returned.

[enchantedsleeper]

Psycho Bunny Studio

Also, I hate these ******** key things where you get a key for being on Gaia but you have to pay money for the box to test the key on for a chance at a rare item...
:T

Oh, is that what they do? Typical. x3

I'm pretty taken aback to hear that about the Japan Needs Heroes project :/ I think every Kickstarter project that winds up taking some time has its detractors claiming that the creator has just taken the money and gone on holiday somewhere; but in this instance it sounds like they may be right. Though I severely hope not.

[Seijaku_Ishida]

enchantedsleeper

Psycho Bunny Studio

Also, I hate these ******** key things where you get a key for being on Gaia but you have to pay money for the box to test the key on for a chance at a rare item...
:T

Oh, is that what they do? Typical. x3

I'm pretty taken aback to hear that about the Japan Needs Heroes project :/ I think every Kickstarter project that winds up taking some time has its detractors claiming that the creator has just taken the money and gone on holiday somewhere; but in this instance it sounds like they may be right. Though I severely hope not.

I doubt he's doing it intentionally. After all, that'd be pretty bad for both Active Media and Wayward Sons. But that only makes it marginally less frustrating.

He's waiting on a some of his buddies from Marvel to get their pages in.

[IronSpike]

Seijaku_Ishida

He's waiting on a some of his buddies from Marvel to get their pages in.

If I were a betting woman, this is what I'd put my money on. But:

1) If this is the case, he should tell his backers this is the case, and
2) There comes a point where you have to give upon including a person in a project if they just won't give you their pages. I can only think of two or three people in comics I would allow to waylay a project for a year, and none of them are part of the announced JNH line-up.

I'm in the process of finishing up putting together an anthology right now, and I literally had to exclude one of my favorite artists because he just didn't have time.

[Seijaku_Ishida]

IronSpike

Seijaku_Ishida

He's waiting on a some of his buddies from Marvel to get their pages in.

If I were a betting woman, this is what I'd put my money on. But:

1) If this is the case, he should tell his backers this is the case, and
2) There comes a point where you have to give upon including a person in a project if they just won't give you their pages. I can only think of two or three people in comics I would allow to waylay a project for a year, and none of them are part of the announced JNH line-up.

I'm in the process of finishing up putting together an anthology right now, and I literally had to exclude one of my favorite artists because he just didn't have time.

Yeah, I sent him a message telling him as much.

I would really like this to go through, with or without the marvel artists.

[alicelol2]

Loucien

Why do you ask age and nationality - are there restrictions?

tht is true!