Comic Creator Challenge

Not so sure about the song idea for all the reasons you listed, unless you don't actually quote the song - possibly the title, but that's it. The challenge then would be to recreate the message/mood/flavour of the song in graphical form without using any of the words or music. Limitations I can see with this, though, include that not everyone has the same musical tastes, so the song would probably have to be either a) well known and thus probably overworked by now or b) one of several choices which I think might just defeat the purpose of seeing how different people explore similar themes.

The photo, though, is potentially an infinitely expandable concept. As you say, people can submit their own photos for consideration, but you could also create montages from disparate graphical/pictorial sources, jumble them up and let the challengees figure out what order they go in to make a story, re-drawing/excluding/adding-to where necessary to emphasise their chosen elements and personal slants.

But another less tricky concept might be to rewrite a fairy-tale as though it really happened. Or choose a news item and fictionalise it (obviously you can't use the Sun or the Star. That would give you too much of a head start). But these are probably writing workshop ideas more than comics. I don't know. What do you think?

Fysh wrote:

I figure the worst they can say is no, and it'll get people wider exposure and might also get more people interested. What are your thoughts?

I've never had a problem dealing with wider exposure (my case comes up on Thursday week, but honestly I thought it said 'Naturist Beach' not 'Do Not Discard Litter On The Beach' - you can see how easy it would be to get it wrong) so if Mongrel or anybody else is interested, so am I, even though I don't get who they are. I followed the link and I still don't get it. Probably won't let my mum visit it, though.

rewriting fairy tales is a bit rohal dahl, that said i used to do it a lot when i was in primary school...

i'd rather the photo idea, though, the sort of photo to be used could be a toughone to decide on... a purdy landscape, a picture of some vilian, maybe my messy bedroom and the tales it may hide

My process is completely undisciplined. I'll sometimes start by writing a script, but usually by the time I've finished the pictures, I'll completely re-write it for the finished frames. More often, though, I'll mull the idea over for days - sometimes weeks if I have the luxury of no deadline - and then one day I'll decide it's time I drew something. By now, I'll probably have the entire opening sequence framed and layed out (layouted??) in my mind, probably as much as a page, rarely more than two pages. I might also have the last sequence sort of generally roughed out (mentally), though if they aren't wuite that solidly shaped in my mind, I'll thumbnail the page a couple of times until I'm happy. As a consequence the first pencils are usually done and dusted in a matter of a few minutes.

The next pages might take a half-hour each as I try to keep the pace up without losing story. These days I don't necessarily block the page out until I have all the drawings done, then I scan them in at 100 dpi.

These are pencils, remember. Not very black in the blacks. So I tweak the contrast and brightness until I get definite line definition, which usually introduces paper artefacts that I'll want to get rid of, and sometimes the rubbed-out areas show through. Every once in a blue moon, these shades might enhance the picture or point out something I hadn't noticed on the paper and I'll use this - the Golden Floaty Guy in my last Challenge entry was only gold because the paper had a yellow tinge, for example. Otherwise, I'd planned a full-colour costume. I'm happier with the gold.

Now comes the smudgy finger. A lot of re-working in the lines, re-texturing and shading goes on now before I bump it up to 300 dpi (600 for big pictures that I feel deserve the attention) for the fine-tuning and layering. About now I'll have the page layout in mind and can start to segment the page. This way, I know which parts of the figures are going to be off-frame and can choose not to work them too seriously.

I clean up the edges and start cutting out the figures and their clothing, recolouring them individually with a quick HUE-SATURATION, linking layers of the same colours so I don't have to keep remembering the settings. Now the figures go into their frames and I start trimming and angling them with relation to each other and their background (which is usually just a jumble of lines at this stage).

With a page layed out and boxed, I might start putting in the text now or, more usually, I'll add that in on each frame as I go (I choose not to outline my boxes and baloons as I don't believe it's necessary and, in my view, separates the text from the image far more than is strictly necessary), in which case now I'll be thinking about the first re-writies as I work on the backgrounds. If it's buildings, I'll use the sketched perspective lines and convert them into shapes, often abandoning the original pencils altogether when I've finished, and using the pen or air-brush to add textures. For anything more detailed, I'll treat the pencils in exactly the same way I do the figures.

In proud sledgehammer-to-walnut fashion, I'll sometimes turn to 3D Studio Max to provide background perspective in locations that are going to be re-used often enough to justify it. These won't usually be detailed Max images, just your basic blocks and cylinders, life's too short, but they'll provide reference points for relative positions of things and perspective lines from various 'camera angles'. Again, depending on the time involved, I'll sometimes include figures or objects from Simply 3D or DAZ Studio or Poser to provide guidelines for positioning things in this 3D world. I stress I don't use the actual figures (except once, but I was in a real hurry) or objects (unless I design them completely myself) as I have at least that much pride in my own work. I think I used MAX for a logo a couple of times, as well, but there wasn't any real need. I just felt like trying it.

Occasionally, if detail is important, I might start a picture with a detailed pencil background, sketching in roughly where each character goes and then, after I've worked on the figures separately, I'll include them as their own layers.

The speech bubbles come from the default shapes unless there's a specific design I have in mind. No need making work for yourself. I'm using Simpson as the basic lettering font for all the dialogue at the moment. Sometimes, if the mood takes me, I'll try to colour the bubble and the speech in a manner appropriate to what is being said.

Finally, I get around to doing the logo. This can take hours, cos it's usually a bit of fun trying out a load of different styles and colours. I usually end up with about twenty usable versions of more-or-less the same thing, depending on which program I use.

As with anything, rushing the job shows in the finished work. But I'm dreadful for leaving things till the last possible minute, so I don't usually devote as much time as I should to each picture (the 24Hour challenge might test me on that quite vigorously), but I'll lavish attention on my favourites, often reworking (particularly) faces until I'm happy that they look like they're saying either what they're saying or what they're thinking.

Then I save the big files, flatten the image, render down to 120 dpi and sent it to you.

Anything for a laugh;)