How I Make Comics

Many people ask me (okay, nobody asks me) how I make my comics. And because I am an all-around great guy, I do what people tell me to. So, to the seven of you who actually wanted to know, here's my creative process.

STEP ONE: THINK

Or as I like to call it, Thinky-Time. This is when I get my idea for the strip I want to do. A lot of people ask how cartoonists come up with their ideas. I personally just find a random object in my house, add some blood and a speech balloon and I'm done. But for those of you who are NOT total sociopaths like me, here's my tips for writer's block (idea's block?):

1. Just look around. There's a lot of inspiration in the world around you. I like to just pick an object and then make a gag for it. They're not all keepers, but it's a good way to get some ideas going.

2. Random word generators are your friends. I like to just press the random word button and make a joke from there. Apparently I'm very into random things.

3. Copy. Now, I don't mean plagiarizing, because that's quite obviously bad. Start with a joke from a strip you like (Ahem... A strip that starts with P-U-N-D-E-R, perhaps?), then change it and play around with it a bit until you have a unique gag.

STEP TWO: DRAW

Finally! The fun part. For me, this mean getting out my pen and paper and creating that gag I just created. As for some materials to use, I don't have it fully figured out yet and you may need different materials for your style, but here's my must-haves for the drawing board:

Pen - This one is pretty obvious. Depending on your drawing style, you may want India Ink, or even a pencil, but I personally use a Paper Mate Flair pen.

Paper - Now, depending on your skill level and preference, you may want a normal sheet of paper, or a big ol' piece of Bristol Board. I use normal paper for my actual comics, but if I'm making a book cover or poster, I typically use Bristol Board, mostly because its size allows me to add in more detail.

Desk - Another statement of the obvious. Wow, I'm on a roll. Anyway, I have a drafting table, which is just a fancy desk that moves so you have better posture, but in most cases, any desk will do.

As for your style, I really can't help you with that. You've gotta figure that one out for yourself, but one tip is to make your style more or less realistic based on the seriousness of your strip.

STEP THREE:

Actually, there's not really any more steps to my process, aside from uploading my strips to the website, which would be a pretty boring paragraph.

Anyway, I hoped this helped you guys with your drawing skills and gave you a crash course in flashes of the obvious (you're welcome).

Adios!