MattBrady
06-22-2005, 06:24 AM
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00FrontCover.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00FrontCover_t.jpg" width="185" height="281" border="0" align="right"></a><i>by Jim Zubkavich</i>
This is the sixth in a series of articles detailing the ups and downs involved in launching a new comic series. Behind the press releases and public faces are a host of pitfalls and strange moments that crop up before a comic shows up in stores.
This fall, Udon is launching an epic fantasy comic called <b>Exalted</b>, based on a hugely successful role-playing game of the same name published by White Wolf, the second biggest RPG publisher in the industry.
Last time out we talked about writing a first issue. This time we’ll look at the artwork.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07rough.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07rough_t.jpg" width="165" height="233" border="0" align="left"></a>On an artistic level, a first issue has to deliver the story and grab readers in a crowded comic book store. With so many books coming out each week being able to stand out is a big part of a comic’s visual marketing, especially for a title that doesn’t have a big name creator attached to it. The cover needs to be eye-catching to warrant an initial look and the inside needs to be appealing with strong storytelling. It sounds like a pretty straight forward goal – make a comic that looks and read well - but the actual process involves tons of back and forth between the creative team as everyone throws in their two cents for what will work the best. Every stage from rough layouts to final line art and colors involves minor tweaks and edits to improve the storytelling or emphasize certain aspects of each page. It can be mind numbing seeing every page dozens of times, making minute changes that you wonder if anyone will even notice.
This is where having almost the entire art team in the same city is a real benefit. It’s okay to talk on the phone or craft up descriptions over e-mail, but getting together face to face and solving the visual problems as a group is so much better.
For each script that’s been completed so far we’ve had an “all hands” meeting to read through the script. Noi (the character penciler), Greg (the background penciler), Gala (the co-writer) and I sit down in my living room to go over the script page by page and talk about the story. We’ll describe how we see each scene and where the emphasis should be on each page. Sometimes we’ll act out elements to show the group what each of us is seeing. I’m sure anyone who walked in off the street would find it odd or amusing, but it’s a really helpful visual exercise to make sure everyone knows how the story could look. Noi or I will thumbnail out little chicken scratch-style page layouts noting the position and size of panels, trying to keep the storytelling clear without becoming too repetitive.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07line.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07line_t.jpg" width="165" height="233" border="0" align="right"></a>This is Noi and Greg’s first time doing professional comic pages so there’s an extra level of collaboration that we’ve incorporated to make sure things hit the target. I would never impose this kind of system on a seasoned professional, but in this case it’s a benefit to all of us and saves hassles later in the pipeline. Over the past three years I’ve been managing at Udon I’ve seen several hundred portfolios from artists and many make the same mistakes over and over again. These are things that are no surprise to an experienced penciler but don’t necessarily seem obvious to someone just starting out in the industry:
Leading Space – Is there enough room for the text? This should be bolded, underlined and flashing crazy colors to help people remember. Comic books generally aren’t just about the visuals. Characters talk and narration boxes fill in other information. For the love of all that’s holy, make sure there’s enough room for that text! Make sure the dialogue and sound effects can fit within the space provided with a bit of room to spare and without ruining the storytelling. Also make sure that characters are positioned so that the dialogue balloons can be placed in the proper order reading from top to bottom and left to right. No matter how beautiful the artwork is a lack of leading space or jumbled order of panels makes pages look miserably unprofessional.
Clarity – Does the action on the page make sense? Comic book artists are working with the writer to tell a story. If people can’t tell what that story is, no matter how cool the visuals are, then you’ve damaged their ability to understand your comic.
Emphasis – Does this page have the proper impact? Comic artists have a host of tools at their disposal to emphasize certain elements of the story. Using a full-page (or double-page) spread, broken panel border or especially large panels can create pages with fantastic impact. But these tricks can easily be overused and drain power away from the pages you want to make a strong impression with.
Consistency – Do things stay consistent? Character proportions, construction and costuming usually need to stay consistent from panel to panel or scene to scene unless the style of the comic is built upon the surreal (and there are only a handful of artists who can pull that off – trust me). Unlike most superhero stories the characters in Exalted will be changing clothes from time to time, but we still need to make sure their appearance stays the same until it’s changed on purpose.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07color.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07color_t.jpg" width="165" height="251" border="0" align="left"></a>Artists like Noi and Greg have a good handle on the above elements but being able to catch any little pitfalls before they go too far make sure that the comic will be as strong as we can make it.
The beauty of working digitally is that until those pages go off to print we can improve and clarify the artwork. It’s something I take for granted even though I try not to. Even still, there comes a point where a page has to be declared finished and we move on to other things that need to get done. Perfectionism is great, but meeting our shipping deadlines is just as crucial.
The <b>Street Fighter</b> comic has shipped late a few times and I’m determined to keep the <b>Exalted</b> book on time when it starts up this October. It’s become a bit of a friendly competition between Erik (my boss) and me. Each of us is now managing comics for Udon and trying to “one up” the other with better art or getting farther ahead on the schedule. Every time new material comes in I send Erik a low-resolution jpeg or he sends me one to egg each other on at each stage. It helps drive everything forward and gives me someone to bounce things off of. It’s the best kind of working relationship I could ask for.
Erik’s been in the industry a lot longer than I have and his contact list reads like a Who’s Who of modern comics. Finding well-known artists for the guest back up stories we have in Udon books is particularly hard and Erik’s a wiz at finding someone well known and suitable for the material that can meet the deadline. Even still, I’ve been able to surprise him a few times...
…like when I secured Cary ‘<b>Conan</b>’ Nord for the <b>Exalted</b> back-up story in issue one.
I met Cary back when I was living in Calgary. He was just finishing up <b>Mutant X</b> and didn’t have a ton of projects on the horizon. Flash forward 5 years and now he’s one of the hottest pencilers in comics. Lady luck can be kind. Gala reminded me to add him when we were compiling a list of names for potential back-up story artists and his name instantly shot to the top of my list. Finally working with him and having him contribute to the <b>Exalted</b> series I’m in charge of is a real dream for me. It helps solidify our first issue with a name retailers and fans recognize as well as diversify the book in a positive way. Part of my goal this summer is to nail down the rest of the back-up artists for the first six issues with some face to face meetings and a copy of issue zero to show them what we’re capable of and entice them into the fold.
There’s a lot of different aspects to juggle as we approach the convention season full bore. Next week I’ll talk more about marketing, online sales, teasers and internet communities.
<center><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/ExaltedLogo.gif" width="300" height="109" border="0"></center>
<i>Related Articles:
The Publishing Gauntlet 1 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=33959)
The Publishing Gauntlet 2 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=34405)
The Publishing Gauntlet 3 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=35050)</i>
The Publishing Gauntlet 4 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=35453)
THe Publishing Gauntlet 6 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=35939)</i>
This is the sixth in a series of articles detailing the ups and downs involved in launching a new comic series. Behind the press releases and public faces are a host of pitfalls and strange moments that crop up before a comic shows up in stores.
This fall, Udon is launching an epic fantasy comic called <b>Exalted</b>, based on a hugely successful role-playing game of the same name published by White Wolf, the second biggest RPG publisher in the industry.
Last time out we talked about writing a first issue. This time we’ll look at the artwork.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07rough.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07rough_t.jpg" width="165" height="233" border="0" align="left"></a>On an artistic level, a first issue has to deliver the story and grab readers in a crowded comic book store. With so many books coming out each week being able to stand out is a big part of a comic’s visual marketing, especially for a title that doesn’t have a big name creator attached to it. The cover needs to be eye-catching to warrant an initial look and the inside needs to be appealing with strong storytelling. It sounds like a pretty straight forward goal – make a comic that looks and read well - but the actual process involves tons of back and forth between the creative team as everyone throws in their two cents for what will work the best. Every stage from rough layouts to final line art and colors involves minor tweaks and edits to improve the storytelling or emphasize certain aspects of each page. It can be mind numbing seeing every page dozens of times, making minute changes that you wonder if anyone will even notice.
This is where having almost the entire art team in the same city is a real benefit. It’s okay to talk on the phone or craft up descriptions over e-mail, but getting together face to face and solving the visual problems as a group is so much better.
For each script that’s been completed so far we’ve had an “all hands” meeting to read through the script. Noi (the character penciler), Greg (the background penciler), Gala (the co-writer) and I sit down in my living room to go over the script page by page and talk about the story. We’ll describe how we see each scene and where the emphasis should be on each page. Sometimes we’ll act out elements to show the group what each of us is seeing. I’m sure anyone who walked in off the street would find it odd or amusing, but it’s a really helpful visual exercise to make sure everyone knows how the story could look. Noi or I will thumbnail out little chicken scratch-style page layouts noting the position and size of panels, trying to keep the storytelling clear without becoming too repetitive.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07line.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07line_t.jpg" width="165" height="233" border="0" align="right"></a>This is Noi and Greg’s first time doing professional comic pages so there’s an extra level of collaboration that we’ve incorporated to make sure things hit the target. I would never impose this kind of system on a seasoned professional, but in this case it’s a benefit to all of us and saves hassles later in the pipeline. Over the past three years I’ve been managing at Udon I’ve seen several hundred portfolios from artists and many make the same mistakes over and over again. These are things that are no surprise to an experienced penciler but don’t necessarily seem obvious to someone just starting out in the industry:
Leading Space – Is there enough room for the text? This should be bolded, underlined and flashing crazy colors to help people remember. Comic books generally aren’t just about the visuals. Characters talk and narration boxes fill in other information. For the love of all that’s holy, make sure there’s enough room for that text! Make sure the dialogue and sound effects can fit within the space provided with a bit of room to spare and without ruining the storytelling. Also make sure that characters are positioned so that the dialogue balloons can be placed in the proper order reading from top to bottom and left to right. No matter how beautiful the artwork is a lack of leading space or jumbled order of panels makes pages look miserably unprofessional.
Clarity – Does the action on the page make sense? Comic book artists are working with the writer to tell a story. If people can’t tell what that story is, no matter how cool the visuals are, then you’ve damaged their ability to understand your comic.
Emphasis – Does this page have the proper impact? Comic artists have a host of tools at their disposal to emphasize certain elements of the story. Using a full-page (or double-page) spread, broken panel border or especially large panels can create pages with fantastic impact. But these tricks can easily be overused and drain power away from the pages you want to make a strong impression with.
Consistency – Do things stay consistent? Character proportions, construction and costuming usually need to stay consistent from panel to panel or scene to scene unless the style of the comic is built upon the surreal (and there are only a handful of artists who can pull that off – trust me). Unlike most superhero stories the characters in Exalted will be changing clothes from time to time, but we still need to make sure their appearance stays the same until it’s changed on purpose.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07color.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/Exalt00pg07color_t.jpg" width="165" height="251" border="0" align="left"></a>Artists like Noi and Greg have a good handle on the above elements but being able to catch any little pitfalls before they go too far make sure that the comic will be as strong as we can make it.
The beauty of working digitally is that until those pages go off to print we can improve and clarify the artwork. It’s something I take for granted even though I try not to. Even still, there comes a point where a page has to be declared finished and we move on to other things that need to get done. Perfectionism is great, but meeting our shipping deadlines is just as crucial.
The <b>Street Fighter</b> comic has shipped late a few times and I’m determined to keep the <b>Exalted</b> book on time when it starts up this October. It’s become a bit of a friendly competition between Erik (my boss) and me. Each of us is now managing comics for Udon and trying to “one up” the other with better art or getting farther ahead on the schedule. Every time new material comes in I send Erik a low-resolution jpeg or he sends me one to egg each other on at each stage. It helps drive everything forward and gives me someone to bounce things off of. It’s the best kind of working relationship I could ask for.
Erik’s been in the industry a lot longer than I have and his contact list reads like a Who’s Who of modern comics. Finding well-known artists for the guest back up stories we have in Udon books is particularly hard and Erik’s a wiz at finding someone well known and suitable for the material that can meet the deadline. Even still, I’ve been able to surprise him a few times...
…like when I secured Cary ‘<b>Conan</b>’ Nord for the <b>Exalted</b> back-up story in issue one.
I met Cary back when I was living in Calgary. He was just finishing up <b>Mutant X</b> and didn’t have a ton of projects on the horizon. Flash forward 5 years and now he’s one of the hottest pencilers in comics. Lady luck can be kind. Gala reminded me to add him when we were compiling a list of names for potential back-up story artists and his name instantly shot to the top of my list. Finally working with him and having him contribute to the <b>Exalted</b> series I’m in charge of is a real dream for me. It helps solidify our first issue with a name retailers and fans recognize as well as diversify the book in a positive way. Part of my goal this summer is to nail down the rest of the back-up artists for the first six issues with some face to face meetings and a copy of issue zero to show them what we’re capable of and entice them into the fold.
There’s a lot of different aspects to juggle as we approach the convention season full bore. Next week I’ll talk more about marketing, online sales, teasers and internet communities.
<center><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/UDON/Exalted/ExaltedLogo.gif" width="300" height="109" border="0"></center>
<i>Related Articles:
The Publishing Gauntlet 1 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=33959)
The Publishing Gauntlet 2 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=34405)
The Publishing Gauntlet 3 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=35050)</i>
The Publishing Gauntlet 4 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=35453)
THe Publishing Gauntlet 6 (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=35939)</i>