Archive for July 9th, 2012 |
Right Place at the Write Time #8 – DialogueWritten by Wes Locher on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Right Place at the Write Time | 1 Comment » Greetings friends! Before my tangent in the last Right Place at the Write Time column, I was examining different elements of a comic page and focused on Storytelling Styles and Pacing. I hope the information was helpful and that it gave your mind something to gnaw at while creating your future masterpieces. Think of this a part two, if you will, as Dialogue planning is equally as important when putting together a comic book page in preparation for an artist.
You have to be careful of this since it will cause one very very dangerous thing to occur: You will overwrite the book. Remember that comics are a visual medium. Think of “show, don’t tell” as your new motto. In fact, write it down on a post-it note and stick it on your computer monitor. If that doesn’t work, consider getting the words tattooed across your forehead. Tattoo it backwards so that you can read it in the mirror. It’s typical of a writer to want to put words on every page and every panel to help carry the story along. You need to know where exposition and dialogue is necessary and where it can be left out altogether. Your name will be on the cover of the book as the writer. The person reading the issue of the comic or your graphic novel will understand that it’s your story and will be conscious of the fact that the artist produced the visuals. Know that your stamp of “ownership” has been placed and don’t overdo it. After getting finished pages back from an artist, you may need to further edit your dialogue to ensure that it will fit in the space provided. You should have some flexibility and understand that once you see a finished product you can move words around on the page to guide the eye and build the drama. At some point we’ll even talk about prepping a different version of the script for the letterer that they will use to put the dialogue and sound effects into the book. Be flexible. Nothing should be set it stone until you’re shipping the pages off to the publisher or printer.
Poor Magneto. Be conscious of the amount of words you choose and don’t let this happen to you! Of course, the alternative here would have been to re-write. The age-old adage is is that writing is re-writing. These are true words. Revise your work. A lot. Once you finish the first draft of your script, set it aside for a few days and come back to it with fresh eyes. You’ll notice lots of things you missed on the first pass. Re-read your dialogue. Read it out loud. Read it to a friend. Have a friend read it. Ask yourself if it’s long-winded. Ask yourself if it sounds genuine. Ask yourself if people really talk like that. Some comic pros will suggest that you limit yourself to a certain number of words in a panel and a certain number of words on a page. There’s some great guidelines available online to keep in mind, but in the end, my belief is that you should use whatever number of words are necessary to keep the story moving, bearing in mind, the fewer the better. Let me give you a prime example of something I ran into on one of my recent projects: One character asked of another, “Is the system online?” Once I got the artwork back, I didn’t think I could fit all of that dialogue into the panel, so I shortened it a bit down to, “Yes, Sir. All systems are go.” But did I really need to say all of that? Economy on a comic book page is a precious commodity, so ensuring that the art shines through is always priority number one for me. In the end, I was able to cut it down further in order for the character to simply reply with, “Yes, Sir.”
In addition to leaving words on the cutting room floor or re-writing them completely, I’ll leave you with one major token… In my experience, one of the biggest compliments that a writer can pay to an artist is to completely remove all dialogue in a panel when a moment is captured so completely and utterly that the visuals alone tell the reader everything they need to know. Give good panel descriptions and find good artists and ideally you’ll find yourself in this situation a lot. That’s the best writing you can do. Wes Locher If you didn’t already guess, Wes Locher writes comic books. Learn more about his projects at weslocher.com, follow him on Twitter @weslocher, or email him suggestions for future columns at weslocher@gmail.com. For a full listing of all Right Place at the Write Time columns, click here.  |
JAMAL IGLE KICKSTARTS CREATOR OWNED SERIES MOLLY DANGERWritten by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
Former Supergirl artist launches his brand new creator-owned superhero series on Kickstarter.com When Jamal Igle announced the end of his D.C. Comics contract in January of 2012, the number one question fans asked was “What’s next?” Igle, who spent the better part of the decade as one D.C. Comics artistic mainstays on titles like Supergirl, Superman and Firestorm the Nuclear Man, was coy. Other than the recently released KISS comic book series from IDW, Igle had been unusually quiet about his plans until recently. Written and drawn by Igle, Molly Danger is the story of the world’s most powerful 10-year-old girl. A seemingly immortal, super strong hero, Molly has protected the city of Coopersville for the last 20 years. Kept in constant isolation and watched closely by D.A.R.T. (The Danger Action Response Team) an organization created to assist in her heroic deeds and monitor her movements, Molly battles the Supermechs; A team of cybernetically enhanced beings with unusual powers. Molly longs for a real life, with a real family, something she’s been told she can never have. Her life changes when D.A.R.T. recruits a new pilot, Austin Briggs. Briggs has his own motivations for joining the team, newly remarried; Austin is having trouble forming a relationship with his new stepson, Brian. Austin wants to use his connections to impress Brian, an avid Molly Danger fan. However things get turned on its ear when Molly and Brian form a friendship of their own. “As the father of a young girl, I’ve found myself disheartened that there isn’t a female superhero character for my daughter to read that hasn’t been turned into a killer, or overtly sexualized. A character that isn’t joined at the hip to a male hero or subservient to one.” Igle said. Igle will write and pencil the series with inker Juan Castro (G.I.Joe: Snake Eyes for IDW, Incorruptible for Boom Studios, Elders of the Rune Stone) and Colorist Michael Watkins (Sonic the Hedgehog, Transformers). Igle has also teamed up with Action Lab Entertainment, publishers of the Eisner award nominated series, Princeless, to handle the publishing and distribution of the series. About Jamal Igle One of the most popular and prolific pencillers in the comic book industry, Jamal igle is an award winning artist and writer. Best known for his two year run as artist on the DC Comics series Supergirl with writer Sterling Gates, Jamal has been a professional jack of all trades for nearly 20 years drawing every title from Action Comics to Zatanna . About Action Lab Entertainment Action Lab Entertainment was founded in 2010 by a group of indie comic creators with the sole intent of publishing the most diverse, thought provoking, entertaining comics on the market. |
Ape Entertainment develops series based on SQUIDS Mobile GamesWritten by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » SAN DIEGO, CA – July 9, 2012 – Ape Entertainment, developers of the massively popular Pocket God Comics and Cut the Rope: Comic, and independent video game developer The Game Bakers are announcing a new licensing agreement to create a series of original digital comic books and graphic novels based on The Game Bakers’ chart-topping game series, SQUIDS. Available for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac, the SQUIDS games have been downloaded by more than one million players worldwide. SQUIDS and its recent sequel, SQUIDS Wild West, are unique role-playing games with quirky characters, colorful cartoon graphics, and humorous storylines. A mysterious black ooze is encroaching on the Squids’ lush underwater kingdom, prompting a scrappy group of Squid heroes to fight back the only way they know how: by stretching their tentacles to spring into battle. Both SQUIDS games have been praised by fans for their vibrant artwork and lighthearted yet surprisingly epic plotlines—elements that will transition perfectly into Ape’s new comic series, which will explore the backstories of scout Steev, healer Vahine, and the rest of the SQUIDS crew. “In terms of graphics and storytelling, the SQUIDS games already have a lot in common with comics, so continuing and expanding the adventure in comic books is a natural step,” says Audrey Leprince, The Game Bakers’ COO and cofounder. “Ape Entertainment has a proven track record within the comics industry and we’re excited to partner with them to bring our hungry fans more of the SQUIDS stories they love.” “What attracted us to the SQUIDS property was its gorgeous cartoon art, comical storyline and intriguing characters,” said David Hedgecock, CEO of Ape Entertainment. “This combination is the perfect setup to expand upon its rich storyline and dive deeper into the backstory for an underwater adventure fans will love to read and explore.” Ape Entertainment plans to release the full-color comic book series in print as well as through a standalone SQUIDS Comics app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch in the coming months. For more information, please visit www.ape-entertainment.com or http://thegamebakers.com/. |
WHORE YOURSELF AT SDCCWritten by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
GET YOURSELF TO THE WHORE UNVEILING AT SDCC For San Diego Comic-Con 2012, Big City Comics Studio is offering an exclusive that they are not afraid to “whore” out. Big City Comics Studio proudly presents the debut of their latest graphic novel, WHORE, from creator/writer Jeffrey Kaufman (Image Comics’ Ant, Zenescope Entertainment’s Terminal Alice) and artist Marco Turini (Squadron Supreme, Astonishing Tales), with a SDCC edition only available at booth #2101. WHORE, the SDCC exclusive edition, features cover art by Michael Golden (Batman, Micronauts) and is limited to 500 copies. In addition, both Jeffrey Kaufman and Michael Golden will be at BigCity Comics Studio’s booth (#2101) to sign copies of WHORE, the SDCC exclusive edition. WHORE is a story about Jacob Mars, who would probably put a bullet in your head if you were to call him a “whore.” However, in simple terms, that’s what he is. After getting downsized from the CIA, he takes any job he can to pay his debts and alimony. He isn’t a bad guy by nature, but out of necessity, he has to live a life where things don’t matter, as long as he gets paid. His motto, simply stated: “Every man has his price.” WHORE, the regular edition graphic novel, is currently available in July Previews from Zenescope Entertainment (Diamond Order Code: JUL121329) and will go on sale September 2012. |
BOOM! STUDIOS AT SDCC 2012Written by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
BOOM! STUDIOS at BOOM! STUDIOS GUESTS INCLUDE: along with KABOOM! GUESTS: CCI EXCLUSIVES! EXTERMINATION #1 HIGHER EARTH #1 HYPERNATURALS #1 FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES #1 ADVENTURE TIME #1 ADVENTURE TIME #1 & ADVENTURE TIME: MARCELINE AND THE SCREAM QUEENS #1 ADVENTURE TIME: MARCELINE AND THE SCREAM QUEENS #1 ADVENTURE TIME MINI-COMIC PEANUTS #1 SCHEDULED SIGNINGS & PANELS Wednesday, July 21, 2012 – 5pm – 9pm All Day Sketching – Travis Hill, Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, Mike Holmes All Day Signing – Michael Alan Nelson, Shannon Wheeler, Roger Langridge 5:00 – 6:00pm – Sam Humphries signing FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES & HIGHER EARTH 6:00 – 7:00pm – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning signing HYPERNATURALS 8:00 – 9:00pm – Grace Randolph signing SUPURBIA Thursday, July 12, 2012 – 9am – 7pm All Day Sketching – Travis Hill, Shelli Paroline, Branden Lamb, Mike Homes, Jerry Gaylord All Day Signing – Michael Alan Nelson, Shannon Wheeler, Rodger Langridge 10:00am – 11:00am – Grace Randolph & Russell Dauterman signing SUPURBIA 11:00am – 1:00pm – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning signing HYPERNATURALS 12:00pm – 1:00pm – Editing Comics the BOOM! Studios Way, Room 9 1:30pm – 2:30pm – Jon Chad & Meredith Gran signing ADVENTURE TIME MINICOMIC & MARCELINE AND THE SCREAM QUEENS 3:00pm – 5:00pm – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning signing HYPERNATURALS 5:00pm – 6:00pm – Sam Humphries signing FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES & HIGHER EARTH |
Who Will Shape The Future Of Marvel NOW!?Written by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Marvel Comics News | No Comments » 
Find out more about Marvel NOW! Point One, Friday July 13th, at the Marvel Cup O’ Joe panel, 3:15 PM PST, during Comic Con International 2012! Can’t make it to the convention? Follow along on the Marvel Events App & events.marvel.com, the best way to get exclusive videos, real-time announcements from the convention floor and up-to-the-minute panel, in-booth, and signing schedules of all your favorite Marvel creators! And don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter with #MarvelNOW! |
ARCHIE MEETS GLEE COMING SOONWritten by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Archie Comics News | No Comments » 
New York, NY – Archie Comics, the leading children’s comic book publisher in the world and home to some of the most recognizable pop culture characters, including Archie, Betty and Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Josie and the Pussycats, announced plans with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products for ARCHIE MEETS GLEE, a four-part comic book storyline that brings the cast of the hit FOX television series face to face with Archie and the gang. The story is expected to kick off in 2013. The storyline, which will run as part of the ARCHIE title, will be written by GLEE writer, comic book scribe and playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) and illustrated by artist Dan Parent, known for his work on KEVIN KELLER and ARCHIE MEETS KISS. “I’ve been wanting to write something for Archie Comics forever and my favorite Archie stories have always been those weird crossovers like ‘Archie meets the Punisher,’ and ‘Archie meets KISS,’” said Aguirre-Sacasa. “I thought, Archie meets GLEE would be a great crossover since they’re both set in high schools, they’re both optimistic, they both involve singing… My boss Ryan [Murphy, co-creator of GLEE] loved the idea and that started the process.” When Dilton discovers a parallel universe that’s strikingly similar to Riverdale, the members of the Archie gang find themselves face to face with another, new group of teens who often break out into song. Heartfelt, energetic and full of the charm that makes GLEE a hit, ARCHIE MEETS GLEE promises to be bring the best of both properties to comic book readers around the world in print and digitally. “Everyone at Archie is a huge GLEE fan, and I’m a huge fan of Roberto’s work. This just spun out of a conversation we were having and it seemed like such a natural, that we had to pursue it,” said Archie Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “The Archie characters fit in perfectly with the GLEE cast, and this promises to be a fun story that’ll have people talking for quite some time. Roberto and Dan are the perfect superstar team to do this crossover justice.” “The GLEE collaboration with Archie opens up new avenues to explore with these characters,” said Jeffrey Godsick, President of Fox Consumer Products. “Roberto’s involvement coming directly from the show ensures for the loyal GLEE fans that the storylines will be authentic but with a new twist.” |
ComixTribe Launches OXYMORON Pre-Order DriveWritten by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
July 9, 2012 — Newburyport, MA — Independent publisher ComixTribe launched via Kickstarter a pre-order campaign for OXYMORON Volume 1, a hardcover graphic novel collection of stories about a contradiction-obsessed supervillain. “I couldn’t be more excited about this book,” said James. “Eight months ago, I reached out to some of the hardest working writers and artists I know in comics to create some killer stories. They delivered, and I’m taking this project to Kickstarter to see to it that the final package is as hideously beautiful as the content.” The OXYMORON Volume 1 Hardcover will debut at the 2012 New York Comic Con in October, with backers starting to receive the books shortly after. The standard cost for a signed hardcover is $25.00 and includes shipping, but there are a variety of pledge levels available. ComixTribe will also be offering a number of direct-to-retailer incentives, including 55% off the cover price to retailers and brick & mortar exclusivity through 2012. OXYMORON VOLUME 1 includes: “Passive Aggressive” written by Jason Ciaramella (The Cape, Godzilla), art by Joe Mulvey (SCAM) |
Marc Silvestri to appear at SDCC Image documentary panelWritten by StephenJondrew on Jul 9, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
Sequart Research & Literacy Organization and Respect! Films are proud to announce that the SDCC panel for their Comics in Focus: The Image Revolution documentary will feature special guest panelist Marc Silvestri! If you’re a fan of Image Comics and are going to be at the San Diego Comic Con on Thursday evening (July 12th), you won’t want to miss this panel! Moderated by F.J. DeSanto (co-producer of The Spirit), the panel will feature Image Revolution director Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods, Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts), Sequart founder Julian Darius, and of course Marc Silvestri. The hour-long panel will feature over 10 minutes of exclusive footage from the documentary, behind-the-scenes info from Silvestri, and Q&A! The panel will take place in room 32AB from 8pm to 9pm PDT on Thursday, July 12th. And yes, there are some other interesting panels happening at the same time, BUT while the comic book news sites will report on those other panels, you won’t be able to get another look at this footage until the DVD comes out in October. If you’re a big Image Comics fan, consider swinging by! About Comics in Focus: The Image Revolution: Twenty years ago, a group of artists left Marvel Comics to create their own company, a company that continues to influence mainstream comics and culture to this day. Image Comics began as more than just a publisher — it was a response to years of creator mistreatment, and it changed comics forever. Comics in Focus: The Image Revolution will tell the story of Image Comics, from its founders’ work at Marvel, through Image’s early days, the ups and downs of the ’90s, and the publisher’s new generation of properties like The Walking Dead. This amazing story will be told through new interviews with the people who made it happen. And what better time than during Image’s 20th anniversary to make this documentary? About Sequart Research & Literacy Organization: Sequart is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting comic books as a legitimate art form. Sequart’s mission is twofold. First, it promotes research into comics-related topics, publishing books, producing documentary films, and maintaining online resources that encourage comics scholarship. Second, it promotes comics literacy by promoting the medium and encouraging others to experience the unique art form known as comic books. Sequart has produced and released the critically acclaimed documentary Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods and will be selling copies of the recently premiered Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts DVD at Halo 8’s SDCC table (table O7). About Respect! Films: Respect! is an independent video production company committed to producing groundbreaking content across all media. Besides the aforementioned comics documentaries, they have written, directed, and produced the sci-fi web series The Third Age. |
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As a new writer to comics you’ll likely think of dialogue as your main contribution to the work.
Here is an example of an old X-Men comic in which lots of dialogue needed to be squeezed in over the art in order for the narrative to continue and make sense.
All dialogue should reveal character or move the plot along. Understand when a soliloquy is necessary and when one or two words will suffice.
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- More photos from C2E2—- courtesy of Fanboy Buzz in accordance with Bestow Productions
- Fanboy Buzz in accordance with Bestow Productions brings you—- C2E2
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