Need help and tips for creating a horror genre comic

[Chantal Dior]

Hi ya! Long story short, with old hallow's eve just right around the corner I feel like creating short ghost stories in the form of comic strips. The ghost stories are basically centered around Asian ghost stories and urban legends and in which I grew up reading and listening to from relatives and books.

So my questions are:

1- What are the key elements to a good horror comic/manga? Especially in terms of atmosphere

2- How do I explain certain things (culture wise) to the readers outside my culture so that they would understand things in the story such as the way how we exorcise or summon spirits without making the readers confused?

3- Can you recommend me some comics and manga,both online and such that I can use as a reference point, and yes I have read most of that Korean comic with a heart-attack-giving animation..

All helps are loved and appreciated <3

[The Zorya]

I feel not as chatty today about writing, so I will leave you with some links about writing horror I have bookmarked, they contain a lot of links and info you might find useful.
Writing horror masterpost
writting horror by daylight
Writing tips for horror stories

Second question is something you really have to think about yourself. I usually see two ways of solving your problem.
First is info dump and just outright presenting the readers with ways things work, or more subtle with hints trough story. It is really your call how you plan on presenting the mechanic of your culture to reader.

Third question is hard to answer since I don't know what you red so far. But I can recommend you another thing for reference point for horror. Don't read only manga and comics for reference. Watch movies and read books too. It will open up for you doors to new ideas and approaches to your story.

[Chantal Dior]

The Zorya

I feel not as chatty today about writing, so I will leave you with some links about writing horror I have bookmarked, they contain a lot of links and info you might find useful.
Writing horror masterpost
writting horror by daylight
Writing tips for horror stories

Second question is something you really have to think about yourself. I usually see two ways of solving your problem.
First is info dump and just outright presenting the readers with ways things work, or more subtle with hints trough story. It is really your call how you plan on presenting the mechanic of your culture to reader.

Third question is hard to answer since I don't know what you red so far. But I can recommend you another thing for reference point for horror. Don't read only manga and comics for reference. Watch movies and read books too. It will open up for you doors to new ideas and approaches to your story.

Wow, thank you very much for the links biggrin and ah, I do read quite alot of horror actually, currently addicted to a classic: Edgar Alan Poe and I also just finished rewatching The Conjuring but I shall try my best to open up more new doors in the future so no worries :3

[The Zorya]

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

I feel not as chatty today about writing, so I will leave you with some links about writing horror I have bookmarked, they contain a lot of links and info you might find useful.
Writing horror masterpost
writting horror by daylight
Writing tips for horror stories

Second question is something you really have to think about yourself. I usually see two ways of solving your problem.
First is info dump and just outright presenting the readers with ways things work, or more subtle with hints trough story. It is really your call how you plan on presenting the mechanic of your culture to reader.

Third question is hard to answer since I don't know what you red so far. But I can recommend you another thing for reference point for horror. Don't read only manga and comics for reference. Watch movies and read books too. It will open up for you doors to new ideas and approaches to your story.

Wow, thank you very much for the links biggrin and ah, I do read quite alot of horror actually, currently addicted to a classic: Edgar Alan Poe and I also just finished rewatching The Conjuring but I shall try my best to open up more new doors in the future so no worries :3

I am glad I could help you.
Ever tried reading H.P. Lovecraft? He is also one of icons of horror genre and lots of today's works derive his work.

[Chantal Dior]

The Zorya

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

I feel not as chatty today about writing, so I will leave you with some links about writing horror I have bookmarked, they contain a lot of links and info you might find useful.
Writing horror masterpost
writting horror by daylight
Writing tips for horror stories

Second question is something you really have to think about yourself. I usually see two ways of solving your problem.
First is info dump and just outright presenting the readers with ways things work, or more subtle with hints trough story. It is really your call how you plan on presenting the mechanic of your culture to reader.

Third question is hard to answer since I don't know what you red so far. But I can recommend you another thing for reference point for horror. Don't read only manga and comics for reference. Watch movies and read books too. It will open up for you doors to new ideas and approaches to your story.

Wow, thank you very much for the links biggrin and ah, I do read quite alot of horror actually, currently addicted to a classic: Edgar Alan Poe and I also just finished rewatching The Conjuring but I shall try my best to open up more new doors in the future so no worries :3

I am glad I could help you.
Ever tried reading H.P. Lovecraft? He is also one of icons of horror genre and lots of today's works derive his work.

I have stumbled his name once or twice butsadly I have yet to read any of his works, any recommendations?

[Talasa]

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

I feel not as chatty today about writing, so I will leave you with some links about writing horror I have bookmarked, they contain a lot of links and info you might find useful.
Writing horror masterpost
writting horror by daylight
Writing tips for horror stories

Second question is something you really have to think about yourself. I usually see two ways of solving your problem.
First is info dump and just outright presenting the readers with ways things work, or more subtle with hints trough story. It is really your call how you plan on presenting the mechanic of your culture to reader.

Third question is hard to answer since I don't know what you red so far. But I can recommend you another thing for reference point for horror. Don't read only manga and comics for reference. Watch movies and read books too. It will open up for you doors to new ideas and approaches to your story.

Wow, thank you very much for the links biggrin and ah, I do read quite alot of horror actually, currently addicted to a classic: Edgar Alan Poe and I also just finished rewatching The Conjuring but I shall try my best to open up more new doors in the future so no worries :3

I am glad I could help you.
Ever tried reading H.P. Lovecraft? He is also one of icons of horror genre and lots of today's works derive his work.

I have stumbled his name once or twice butsadly I have yet to read any of his works, any recommendations?

He mostly wrote short stories, here is the list
http://www.hplovecraft.com/internet/ahcfaq/written.aspx

[Chantal Dior]

Talasa

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

I feel not as chatty today about writing, so I will leave you with some links about writing horror I have bookmarked, they contain a lot of links and info you might find useful.
Writing horror masterpost
writting horror by daylight
Writing tips for horror stories

Second question is something you really have to think about yourself. I usually see two ways of solving your problem.
First is info dump and just outright presenting the readers with ways things work, or more subtle with hints trough story. It is really your call how you plan on presenting the mechanic of your culture to reader.

Third question is hard to answer since I don't know what you red so far. But I can recommend you another thing for reference point for horror. Don't read only manga and comics for reference. Watch movies and read books too. It will open up for you doors to new ideas and approaches to your story.

Wow, thank you very much for the links biggrin and ah, I do read quite alot of horror actually, currently addicted to a classic: Edgar Alan Poe and I also just finished rewatching The Conjuring but I shall try my best to open up more new doors in the future so no worries :3

I am glad I could help you.
Ever tried reading H.P. Lovecraft? He is also one of icons of horror genre and lots of today's works derive his work.

I have stumbled his name once or twice butsadly I have yet to read any of his works, any recommendations?

He mostly wrote short stories, here is the list
http://www.hplovecraft.com/internet/ahcfaq/written.aspx

Thank you! I'm in love with his works already biggrin

[Chantal Dior]

heart

[Xiam]

Chantal Dior

Talasa

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

Chantal Dior

The Zorya

I feel not as chatty today about writing, so I will leave you with some links about writing horror I have bookmarked, they contain a lot of links and info you might find useful.
Writing horror masterpost
writting horror by daylight
Writing tips for horror stories

Second question is something you really have to think about yourself. I usually see two ways of solving your problem.
First is info dump and just outright presenting the readers with ways things work, or more subtle with hints trough story. It is really your call how you plan on presenting the mechanic of your culture to reader.

Third question is hard to answer since I don't know what you red so far. But I can recommend you another thing for reference point for horror. Don't read only manga and comics for reference. Watch movies and read books too. It will open up for you doors to new ideas and approaches to your story.

Wow, thank you very much for the links biggrin and ah, I do read quite alot of horror actually, currently addicted to a classic: Edgar Alan Poe and I also just finished rewatching The Conjuring but I shall try my best to open up more new doors in the future so no worries :3

I am glad I could help you.
Ever tried reading H.P. Lovecraft? He is also one of icons of horror genre and lots of today's works derive his work.

I have stumbled his name once or twice butsadly I have yet to read any of his works, any recommendations?

He mostly wrote short stories, here is the list
http://www.hplovecraft.com/internet/ahcfaq/written.aspx

Thank you! I'm in love with his works already biggrin

I always liked his short stories better. He tends to get a little verbose, and his longer works tend to uh... meander.

He has good ideas, but he usually ******** them up either in the writing itself, or in his tendency to go overboard with things. I like things like The Call of Cthulhu, where not everything is fully explained, but then At the Mountains of Madness sort of takes forever to get to the point, then we're "treated" to the "horror" of space aliens and every ******** detail of their history.

And the Dream Cycle. Oh good grief. It felt almost like it was about dreams, in the same way that you think your dreams are awesome, but when someone tells you about their dreams you just want them to shut the ******** up because they are weird but not particularly fascinating. Because they're not for you, they're for the dreamer.

Sorry, I'll stop Lovecraft-bashing now. I'll recommend The Dunwich Horror though.

[paramecium99]

I really do enjoy horror and I saw a movie recently (wrong medium I know) about something similar called the conjuring.




There is an anime series called Another that started out as a manga (I haven't read the manga but it must have been good to be made into an anime)

I hope that helps as far as reference material.

Personal ideas:
- Build up the atmosphere. A shot of broken dolls or something like that is small but can build atmosphere
- Don't rely on gore - Less is more for a horror. Excess gore doesn't make a good horror
- Don't use excessive blood. It is a cliche many writers over use.

[Bitterwing]

I thinnk one of the key Elements in horror, (well its a key element in every genre but I think its particularily important in horror) is the visual build up of tension using composition and panel size.
Many manga make use of panel, thickness of the lines around a panel ect. I would say look at a selection of comics ant when you come to a point that makes you feel a certain thing analyze it. Look at how the scenes differ from others and how their handled.
I hope that helped alittle >.<