The Comic Book Design Process
Even though the golden age of paper-bound books has been eclipsed by the rise of digitalized literature, the market for comic books remains just as strong and eclectic as ever, offering fans everything from the adventures of old-style superheros to the weird, dark realms of anime and manga.
What isn’t well-known is the fact that creating one of those cool and clever comic books involves more than just printing the pages and binding them together. Initially, a comic book producer must start with a concept or idea that could potentially grab a large portion of the comic book demographic. Fantasy, horror and science fiction themes influence the most popular comics today, with titles like “The Walking Dead”, “Star Wars” and “Batman” currently in demand. Comic book influences can be seen in a wide variety of industries. Some sports players have superman clothing logos, video games have been using comic book characters at an alarming rate, even online games like bingo and other games have started utilizing the popular characters and themes.
Expanding on the premise of a comic book is the next step in the design process. Comic book writers must be creative, prolific and capable of penning a compelling story that keeps readers hooked by offering continuously dramatic and suspenseful scenes. Developing three-dimensional characters with whom readers can identify is also vital to initiating a successful comic book.
Following completion of a comic book’s premise and story by the writer or writers, the book is then given to someone known as a penciller. This descriptive name actually defines what this person does–the creation of the story in art form using a pencil. By using a pencil, the artist can change something quickly, fix errors or implement ideas that emerge from brainstorming sessions between the writers and penicillers.
Once the comic book is fully drawn in pencil, it then receives attention by the inker, or someone who emphasizes the pencil lines with black ink. By giving the bare-bones artwork more depth and dimension, the inker facilitates coloring and copying of the comic book as well as provides a more definitive version of what will be the final product.
Next in the comic book design process to receive the book is the colorist, who will further enhance drawings by adding color and detailed shading. Like writers, colorists must also be creative and attentive to the continuity of the comic. Consistent use of the correct colors is vital to creating a good, superior-looking comic book. A character who has green eyes and black hair in one frame but suddenly appears with green hair and blue eyes in another will discredit the seriousness of the people involved in the design process.
Finally, the comic book is carefully examined by an editor, who searches for glaring grammatical mistakes, compromises in quality and problems with continuity. Once the comic book passes the editorial stage, it is then submitted to the publisher for printing, marketing and distribution. While the majority of comic books are printed on paper, more of them are being seen in digital form, which is proving to be a cheaper way to print, market and distribute comic books.