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Published in the United States by WatsonGuptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Potts, Carl.
The DC Comics guide to creating comics : inside the art of visual storytelling / Carl Potts ; foreword by Jim Lee. — First
[edition].
Includes index.
1. Comic books, strips, etc.—Authorship. 2. Comic books, strips, etc.—Technique. I. Title.
PN6710.P68 2013
741.5′1—dc23
2012050026
ISBN 978-0-385-34472-2
eISBN: 978-0-38534473-9
Text design by Ken Crossland
Cover design by Ken Crossland
Cover art by Jim Lee (top images, front and back) and Bill Reinhold (bottom)
Half-title page: Art by Adam Hughes
Title page: Art by Ivan Reis
This page and this page: Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides
v3.1
To those who love comic books/graphic novels and wish to create
them or to better appreciate why comics are such a powerful
storytelling medium.
Thanks
A number of people extended themselves to help make this book a reality. I
would like to thank Jim Lee, Patrick Barb, Candace Raney, Josh Anderson,
Whilce Portacio, Bill Reinhold, Will Rosado, Phil Jimenez, Denny O’Neil, and
Marie Javins! Thanks also to Marco DiLeonardo, Michael Wooten, Fred Ruiz,
Shelley Eiber, Jeanette Winley, Wanda Phillips, and Steve Korte for their
efforts.
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Thanks
Foreword by Jim Lee
Introduction
Part One: The Art at the Heart of Comics
Chapter One: Comics and Sequential Visual Storytelling
Chapter Two: Your Brain on Comics!
Chapter Three: Goals and Principles of Sequential Visual Storytelling
Part Two: Affecting the Reader’s Experience
Chapter Four: Reduction, Encapsulation, and Juxtaposition
Chapter Five: All About Panels
Chapter Six: Pages: The Big Picture
Chapter Seven: Where Are We?
Chapter Eight: More Ways to Enthrall Readers
Part Three: Narrative + Art
Chapter Nine: Narrative: Writing for Visual Storytelling
Chapter Ten: Art: Drawing for Visual Storytelling
Part Four: Putting It All into Practice
Chapter Eleven: A Step-by-Step Process for Artists
Chapter Twelve: Watching the Pros Work
Afterword
Glossary of Comics Terminology
Contributors
Also Available from the DC Comics Guide Series
Index
FOREWORD
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than introducing the art of visual
storytelling as presented by my mentor and art guru, Carl Potts. For the
most part, everything I learned about creating comics can be divided
into two periods: the time BC—also known as “Before Carl”— and the
time after, which I call “conquering the deep, dark void.” In years 1 to
22 BC, I struggled to learn the art of visual storytelling. Just because you
have a love for reading comics and some innate drawing talent, that
does not mean you automatically qualify as a comic book artist. In fact, I
think it works against you, because you think you know more than you
actually do. You think that you draw better than your least favorite
professional artist even if you can’t complete an entire page of panel-topanel continuity by yourself. Ever. That was me.
But somewhere deep inside, I realized I needed to improve. (Because
no one was giving me any work, right?) So I learned all I could about
comics and visual storytelling through the few books that were available
at the local library. However, it wasn’t until I met Carl through another
Marvel Comics editor—the late, great Archie Goodwin—that I started on
my true path toward enlightenment in the deep, dark void. Because
that’s what art can be when you realize you need to start all over again.
You have to drop any artifice or defensive shields (the ones you create to
preemptively protect yourself from cruel criticism) and accept the fact
that there’s a lot more to this artform than meets the eye. You have to
learn the basics all over again. For real this time. With feeling. Wax on,
wax off.
And that’s where Carl served as my guide. My sensei. My Jedi master.
And teach me he did: everything from “the 22 panels that always work”
by Wally Wood to “how not to cross the line.” He gave me telephone
book–thick tomes of photocopies from books explaining all the ins and
outs of cinematic terminology and visual storytelling. Carl passed along
handwritten memos explaining what I did well (not much) and what I
did wrong (though constructively polite) as I turned in tryout page after
tryout page. Carl laid out several of my biggest projects so that I could
tryout page. Carl laid out several of my biggest projects so that I could
work over his thumbnails.
I absorbed all those lessons until I thought I was ready to snatch the
stone from his hand—the initiation all new artists had to endure and
complete to take a place at the vaunted table of professionals. Or maybe
it was picking up the burning white-hot urn with your forearms and
carrying it to the gates of the dojo. Or maybe he offered me one of two
pills in his hands—one blue, one red. I don’t recall that with great
accuracy; the endless training has that effect on your mind. But
whatever the process, it worked. I emerged a comics professional,
trained for the very first time—once again.
I joke about the Zen mysticism of the whole process, but in truth,
there is much seriousness to it all. I learned a great deal at the hands of
my mentor, Carl. The years working with him set the baseline and
foundation for much of my work even as I experimented, grew, and
broke the very rules I was initially taught. Because the final lesson for all
things creative is written thusly: Just because it works for you, that
doesn’t mean it’s the only way of doing something. And I think that was
Carl’s ultimate lesson imparted to me and one that is triply clear in this
fantastic book you hold in your hands. There are rules and lessons to be
learned, but comics are called art for a reason. The subjectivity of it is as
clear and true as its objectivity, and that relationship is explored and
demonstrated clearly in the chapters ahead.
What took me years to learn can now be yours to enjoy in mere days.
May your own journey in the deep, dark void be short and sweet.
Jim Lee
Burbank, California
Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.
INTRODUCTION
From a very young age, I devoured all forms of storytelling, especially
visual storytelling. I couldn’t get enough of films, TV, and comic books.
As an adolescent, I’d watch Saturday morning cartoons on TV before
heading outside to mow lawns. Most of the money I earned by cutting,
raking, and bagging grass clippings quickly found its way into the cash
registers of the local stores that carried comics.
The works of comics masters Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Joe Kubert,
along with many others, entertained and fascinated me. I read and
reread my comics until they began to fray.
My early drawings were often inspired by the comics I consumed, but
those sketches consisted mostly of single images.
My initial attempts to string together sequences of panels often
resulted in frustration. Connecting panels to tell a story proved much
more difficult than generating individual and unconnected drawings.
There was something I hadn’t yet grasped about creating comics,
something vital that was related to but distinct from the individual panel
drawings and the writers’ words. Although it was in plain sight, this
elusive vital element of comic book creation was difficult to pin down.
Though my genre and subject tastes expanded as I got older, my
passion for all forms of storytelling, especially comics, remained strong.
The thought of becoming a comics creator evolved from a fun fantasy to
a career goal. Instead of producing only individual drawings, I again
began to try to tell stories in sequential panels.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
I encountered the term visual storytelling in comic book fanzines. It
referred to something comic book artists did to present a story in
sequential pictures. I’d discovered a term for the elusive element that
helped make comics such an exciting medium. There was, however, no
clear definition of the term and little information on the process comics
creators used to tell clear, dynamic, and compelling tales.
This elusiveness resulted because many comics creators use instinct or
their gut feelings when picking which scenes to show and, just as
important, which visuals not to show. They also use their creative
instincts when framing, cropping, and sizing the selected visuals. Instinct
again plays a heavy role when creators pick which angles to use, arrange
the sequencing of panels, and decide on the relative emphasis to give
each of the visual elements on a comics page.
By the time I began my professional career as a comics artist, I was
occasionally able to use some of those sequential visual storytelling
instincts. More often than not, I was tapping into the subconscious
lessons I’d picked up while consuming the works of comics masters and
great filmmakers.
Early in my career, while drawing comics for Neal Adams and Dick
Giordano’s Continuity Studios, I also began drawing television
commercial storyboards for New York ad agencies. This work forced me
to learn to use very clear and straightforward visual storytelling.
I started utilizing the techniques I picked up from my storyboard work
when I drew my comics assignments. I could “feel” when the storytelling
when I drew my comics assignments. I could “feel” when the storytelling
was or wasn’t right, but I couldn’t always translate the reason into
words.
When I was hired as a comic book editor at Marvel Comics, it became
vital that I communicate clearly with my collaborators to articulate
effectively why a visual storytelling sequence was not working and to be
able to suggest viable ways to improve the work.
I closely examined the techniques that comics storytellers utilized
instinctively. I also studied film and TV cinematography techniques and
spoke at length with other comics professionals, gaining and sharing
insights. In particular, the exchanges I had with Archie Goodwin, Jim
Shooter, Jim Starlin, Walter Simonson, and Allen Milgrom contributed to
my base of visual storytelling knowledge.
Later, several books, including those by Joseph V. Mascelli, Will
Eisner, and Scott McCloud, further expanded my knowledge.
My thanks and a tip of the hat to all the people named above for
helping me grasp and articulate various aspects of sequential visual
storytelling more clearly.
With the numerous aspects, points of view, and personal aesthetics
involved in visual storytelling, the subject continually generates new
concepts to explore and opinions to consider. This is true more than ever
as tools evolve rapidly, as do print and digital formats for comics.
Comics creators who are well versed in the subject of sequential visual
storytelling are able to:
• Tell clear, compelling, and entertaining comic book and graphic novel
stories
• Communicate effectively with their collaborators
• Think their way out of creative problems when instinct fails
• See new ways of approaching visual storytelling scenarios instead of
relying on the approach to which they normally default
Most books on creating comics concentrate on drawing and/or
writing. With some notable exceptions, the subject of sequential visual
storytelling usually is touched on only briefly.
In The DC Comics Guide to Creating Comics: Inside the Art of Visual
Storytelling, I will cover all the major creative elements that make
comics, with a primary focus on sequential visual storytelling.
The goal of this book is to help comics creators, especially developing
artists and writers, quickly gain a solid foundation in the basic principles
and techniques of sequential visual storytelling, the art at the heart of
comics. If the book helps readers avoid the frustration and lost time that
I experienced as a developing comics creator, its mission will have been
achieved.
YOUR COMICS PRIMER
This selection of books will give you a great overview of most of the
creative, historical, and cultural aspects of the comics medium.
The Power of Comics by Randy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith
(Bloomsbury Academic)
The Five C’s of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming
Techniques by Joseph V. Mascelli (Silman-James Press)
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud (William Morrow)
Framed Ink—Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers
by Marcos Mateu-Mestre (Design Studio Press)
Art by José Luis Garcia-López and Kevin Nowlan.
PART ONE
THE ART
at the HEART
of COMICS
Sequential visual storytelling (SVS) is the art at the heart of comics.
Without SVS, prose combined with pictures is just an illustrated story.
Illustrated stories are great, but if creators want to make comics, they
need to learn to incorporate the principles and techniques of SVS into
their work.
CHAPTER ONE
COMICS and SEQUENTIAL VISUAL STORYTELLING
Many attempts have been made to define what the comic book
form is and is not. All sequential visual media, including film,
TV, storyboards, and electronic games, have many elements in
common. Each medium, however, has its own unique
characteristics.
For now, let’s concentrate on the creative elements that have to be
present for a work to be considered a comic, whether or not those
elements are unique to the comics form. Three key elements combine to
make comics:
Narrative + Art + Sequential
Visual Storytelling = Comics
Narrative is usually a story, but comics also include mood pieces,
character sketches, abstract works, and instructional content.
Art in a comic generally consists of drawings, paintings, or photos.
Narrative and art without sequential visual storytelling (SVS) is not
comics. SVS is the art at the heart of comics and other sequential visual
media. So what is SVS? Basically, it consists of:
• The visuals a comics creator chooses to show (and not show)
• The framing, angle, layout, and rendering of the visual elements
• The juxtaposition, order, and sequence of the visual elements
• The emphasis that the visual elements are given relative to one another
No matter how well they draw, artists who want to create comics need
to employ the principles and techniques of SVS in order to tell clear and
compelling stories. Pictures, even beautifully drawn pictures, that do not
compelling stories. Pictures, even beautifully drawn pictures, that do not
properly relate to one another in a narrative sequence do not make good
comics.
Comics writers also need to understand SVS in order to generate
scripts from which their artist collaborators can easily work. New writers
sometimes do not think visually and include inappropriate instructions
in their scripts. For example, a naive writer may instruct the artist to
show a character rising from a chair, running across a room, opening a
door, and then exiting the room—all in one small panel. Unless this is a
story that features the Flash and is told with multiple images of the
character moving throughout the panel, it will be impractical for the
artist to show this set of actions effectively in one panel.
Writers steeped in SVS are able to communicate effectively with their
collaborators and can tailor their tales to take full advantage of the
comics medium.
Comics* are an extremely versatile medium. They can target and
appeal to any audience demographic.
* In this book, the terms comics and comic books will cover graphic novels and manga as well.
All comics creators need to understand how to visually tell clear and compelling stories.
Photo by E. Potts.
What Are Comics?
In his groundbreaking work Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art,
Scott McCloud defines comics as “juxtaposed pictorial and other
images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information
and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer.”
Note that even though we normally assume that comics are a
combination of words and pictures, McCloud’s definition does not
mention words. In visual storytelling media it’s important not to
confuse writing with words. A writer can produce a story that is totally
“silent,” with no words on the page. Wordless comics are still comics,
if they contain a narrative sequence. That said, the comics form
generally involves the marriage of words and pictures.
The terms comic books and comics are holdovers from the 1930s,
when comics first appeared. Early comics were collections of humorbased newspaper strips. These two terms stuck even when new
material that encompassed a wider range of genres and subjects took
over the comic book format.
Like other visual storytelling media (film, TV, video games, the Web), comics can tell stories in any
genre and effectively portray almost any subject.
There are, however, some subjects for which the comics format is not
particularly well suited. Sometimes the suspense and wonder of seeing
an event happen live in front of you is essential to the enjoyment of the
performance. In such cases, the comics form may have difficulty
capturing and conveying that essential suspenseful live element. When
you watch a stage magician live, a major part of the thrill is being fooled
and surprised in real time, with no media barriers between your eyes
and the magician. Magic shows therefore lose some of their appeal on
movie, TV, or computer screens, since there is always the possibility of
after-the-fact special effects and editing being used. Therefore, the odds
are that you will not see a comic book version of a live stage magic show
or a juggling act or similar performances that rely heavily on the live
element.
Comics versus Moving Media
Some of the differences between comics and moving media such as
film and TV include:
• Still media can only suggest motion.
• Moving pictures can show both time and space.
• Moving media formats usually have a consistently sized and
proportioned frame/screen, whereas comics panels often vary in
size and shape.
That last point—the ability to change panel sizes and shapes—
gives comics a major storytelling advantage when it comes to visual
design, story pacing, and the ability to emphasize or deemphasize a
panel’s content.
CHAPTER TWO
YOUR BRAIN on COMICS!
When we read comics, the brain processes the pictorial and
textual information, with both sides of the brain operating
simultaneously. We internally verbalize the words while
picking up much of the visual content subconsciously,
essentially creating a movie in our brains.
Visual Literacy
Contemporary society is extremely visually oriented. Soon after coming
into the modern world, children are exposed to a wide variety of visual
media, including TV, movies, video games, computers, tablets, print and
electronic story books, magazines, and billboards. Visual literacy—the
deciphering, utilizing, and crafting of visual communications—is often
vital to the success of personal or professional endeavors in today’s
world. Reading comics requires and helps develop visual literacy.
Readers of comic books expect to experience an entertaining story told
in a clear and engaging way. That means comic book creators have to
know how to structure a compelling story and create interesting
characters and plots. Most important, they have to tell the tale in
sequential panels, using visual literacy skills to combine graphics with
words.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
The Reader’s Experience
Consumers enjoy the reading experience on a gut level, usually without
consciously registering:
• Whether they first read the captions/balloons or look at the visuals in a
panel
• What information they pick up from surrounding panels or adjoining
pages within their peripheral vision
• What assumptions they make about the story from the limited visuals
and words the comics creator has chosen to present
This is how it should be, at least upon the initial reading. If the
readers have to stop to sort out some confusing aspect of the visual
storytelling, they are taken out of the flow of the story—something
comics creators strive to avoid. It is usually during subsequent readings
of a comic that the audience begins to look behind the curtain a bit,
taking more notice of comics creators’ techniques.
Generally, comic book consumers absorb vast amounts of visual
information without being fully aware of it.
Readers pick up a lot of information while reading comics, much of it on a subconscious level. Using
only the visuals, a total novice to comics and the DC Universe can pick up a lot of information, even
from this relatively uneventful splash page from Justice League #3 (November 2011).
Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.
Reader Control
When they were viewing theatrical films and, until relatively recently,
television shows, consumers had no control over the pace of their
viewing experience. Each person in the audience received a linear
experience delivered at the same pace.
Even though comics generally are produced to be enjoyed as a linear
experience (this page is read, followed by this page, and so on), comics
readers have the option to start, stop, pause (“freeze frame”), go back
(review), and jump forward (preview) with ease. Even if all the readers
of a particular comic decided to read the story linearly, each reader
would still control the pace at which he or she digested the story, drank
in the details, and (the creators hope) enjoyed the experience.
Comics creators have tools they can use to try to control the readers’
pace through the story, and I’ll share them in Part Two.
The Reductive/Additive Relationship between Artist and
Audience
A large part of the work of comic book artists is reductive. Out of all the
possible scenes, characters, and actions to show the audience to advance
the narrative, the artists pick only those they feel do the best job of
telling the story. Artists must use their creative sensibilities within the
practical limitations of the format to convey the tale.
For example, if the script calls for “Wonder Woman leaping over a
car,” the artist can break down the action in several ways.
In some cases, these reduction choices are purely creative decisions on
the artist’s part. In other cases, the number of pages the story is
restricted to plays a role in the creative decision making.
Though most readers experience comics on a gut level, comics creators
should try to understand how the audience processes the reading
experience. Doing this will allow the creators to affect the audience
more effectively.
If, after learning the principles and techniques of SVS, comics creators
prefer to continue to produce their work using only their gut instincts,
they can still do that. Then, if the creators run into storytelling problems
that their instincts can’t solve, they will have the tools to analyze the
work intellectually, ideally leading to a viable solution. The principles
and techniques of SVS also can help creators spot areas where they are
not taking advantage of the comics form and to communicate better with
their collaborators.
Learning the principles of SVS also will help beginning comics creators
save a lot of trial-and-error time!
The comics artist can show numerous images of Wonder Woman at every stage of preparing to jump,
jumping, soaring over the car, landing, and continuing on her path, similar to the sequential frames
in a film.
Art by Will Rosado.
Alternatively, the artist can choose to show far fewer selected images of Wonder Woman making the
leap.
Art by Will Rosado.
If desired, the artist can show only one frame to visually express the jump over the car. The fewer
figures that are shown, the more important each figure becomes. When using a single figure from a
large sequence, it is vital to select the figure that best captures the full action, the figure that allows
the reader to imagine easily the actions taking place before and after the selected figure.
Art by Will Rosado.
Filling in the Gaps
Although the comic artist’s work is reductive, the comics reader’s
experience is additive. Relying on the visuals in the comic, the readers
have to fill in the gaps—they have to imagine what is taking place in the
gutters between panels.
The reader fills in what takes place in the gutters by using the
information supplied in the story and, at least in part, by referring to his
or her personal experiences. For example, if the artist creates a martial
arts fight sequence, a reader with martial arts training may fill in the
gaps with mental images that are different from those supplied by
someone who has never set foot in a dojo. Similarly, a reader trained in
traditional karate may fill in the gaps with visuals different from those of
a reader trained in kung fu.
To use an imperfect parallel from traditional cel animation, the comics
creator is drawing key frames and the reader is the in-betweener, filling in
the action between the key frames the artist created.
This additive activity of filling in the gaps sometimes creates
memorable images in the mind of the reader. It is fairly common for
comics readers to retain clear images from a favorite comic book story
for many years. When the readers finally review the actual comic, they
are surprised to find that not all of the visuals they remembered actually
existed on the page. The readers mentally generated some of the
memorable visuals when filling in the gaps between panels. This
demonstrates the power of the comics medium and the power that
comics creators have.
If they are presented with the right visuals, properly juxtaposed, readers can fill in the gaps of what
occurs between panels with no conscious effort. On the basis of the two images in this example,
readers can easily imagine the in-between actions as Superman ascends while throwing a punch. In
his groundbreaking book Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud refers to the reader’s imagining of
what’s occurring between panels as “closure.”
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
CHAPTER THREE
GOALS and PRINCIPLES of SEQUENTIAL VISUAL STORYTELLING
Sequential visual storytelling is not an exact art, but there are
consistent concepts, goals, principles, and techniques that have
evolved.
Be truly objective in judging a new [visual storytelling] method or
idea. Try it. If it plays—if it is acceptable—and the audience
comprehends and enjoys it—use it. If it simply confuses, teases or
even distracts the audience from the narrative—discard it!
—Joseph V. Mascelli
The principles of sequential visual storytelling are not hard and fast
rules. Since there are usually multiple ways to meet each principle’s
objectives, different artists can draw the same story, each utilizing the
principles of SVS, but produce very different interpretations of the story.
The principles liberate comics creators to tell their stories as effectively
as possible while maintaining each creator’s unique approach, voice, and
style.
A solid foundation in SVS principles allows creators to experiment
from a base of knowledge instead of from naiveté (a nice word for
ignorance!). It is fine to “violate” the principles occasionally as long as
doing so is a conscious decision made to impart a specific effect in the
service of the story being told.
Picasso’s abstract work probably would not have been as powerful or
compelling if he had not had such a solid grounding in representational
art. His knowledge of representational drawing gave him a firm base
from which to abstract—he knew what he was abstracting from. The
same concept applies to experimental SVS. If you know the basic
principles, you can experiment in ways that still keep the reader
immersed in your narrative.
For all three elements that combine to make comics (narrative + art
+ SVS) it is best to keep a balance between the conventional and the
inventional. (An inventional approach utilizes unconventional or
unexpected panel design, layout, drawing techniques, or other visual
approaches.) That means comics creators can utilize the standards and
conventions of the comics medium that enable the audience to easily
follow and understand the story while occasionally doing something
outside the norm as long as it adds to the audience’s experience without
being too distracting. I’ll explore the concept of balancing the
conventional with the inventional more in Part Three.
The overall guiding goal for the sequential visual storyteller is:
Keep the reader immersed in
the story or narrative.
The goal is that simple.
Executing the work to support that goal is not so simple! There are
some key principles that comics creators can observe to help them reach
the goal of telling clear and compelling stories.
DC Comics titles like Legion of Super-Heroes strive to keep the reader immersed in the story.
Photo by E. Potts.
The Primary Principle
Make All Creative Decisions
in the Service of the Story.
All the decisions that comics creators make (what to encapsulate and
juxtapose from the range of visual storytelling possibilities), along with
the executions of the artwork (drawing, design, script, color, lettering,
etc.), should support the goal of keeping the reader immersed.
When readers enter the world of the story, they suspend their disbelief
and are immersed in the narrative. Creative decisions and executions
that are at the expense of storytelling risk taking readers out of the flow
of the story and breaking that suspension of disbelief. As Joseph V.
Mascelli indicates in the quote at the beginning of this chapter, this
should be avoided.
The example of confusing panel and content layout shown on this
page is not from a DC comic, but the page layout, panel designs, and
figure placement have been re-created faithfully from DC Comics Style
Guide art. Only the top third of the page’s content and the middle tier
panel outlines have been re-created to illustrate the problems. However,
the rest of the page continued with a string of similar issues.
Comics artists are sometimes tempted to show off their drawing
abilities at the expense of storytelling. The commercial viability of
original art, unfortunately, sometimes plays a role when artists decide
what to include on a page. Original comics art pages with large pinup
shots of major characters are generally more marketable than “quieter”
pages of original art.
However, building a page around a large, beautifully rendered pinup
shot of a character when the story needs an establishing shot for a new
scene deprives the viewer of information he or she will need later to get
a quick and clear understanding of what’s happening in the story.
An artist’s top priority should always be to keep the reader immersed
in the story.
Inconsistent drawing levels and styles also can interrupt the readers’
immersion. Drawing ability and consistency will be covered in more
detail in Part Three.
The panel and content design for this example present a number of confusing eye-path issues for the
reader.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Supporting Principle One: Be Clear
Comics creators should make sure that readers:
• Are visually supplied with all the information necessary to stay
immersed in the story
• Do not have to break their suspension of disbelief to try to figure out
where their eyes are supposed to go to next or what the art is
portraying
• Don’t encounter unnecessary or distracting elements
On occasion, the creator may want to be purposefully unclear or
confusing. For example, if a character is delusional or disoriented and
the creator wants the reader to experience what the character is going
through, the visual content and/or the reader’s eye path can reflect the
character’s confusion.
Artists should strive to establish the cast, environment, and scenario
clearly and keep the established environments consistent. Unless there is
a story reason for making any changes to the environment a surprise to
the reader, alterations to a scene setting should be clearly established
visually.
This is an establishing shot of Gotham City at night.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
In this reestablishing shot, the same section of Gotham that was shown earlier in the story is now
ablaze. Showing such a large and previously established area of the city on fire makes it immediately
clear that the inferno is not confined to one or two buildings.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
MAKING CHARACTER ACTIONS CLEAR
Making the actions of the characters clear to the reader is vital.
Whatever action (or inaction) a character is involved in needs to be
shown from the correct angle so that the action is immediately clear to
the viewer.
shown from the correct angle so that the action is immediately clear to
the viewer.
If the script calls for a shot of Batman leaping up while holding a
Batarang in one hand and his tether line in the other, an artist needs to
figure out the best pose and the best angle on that pose to show the
action clearly.
In the image below, using a DC Direct statue inspired by Tony Daniel’s
art from the Batman Black and White series and sculpted by James
Shoop, you can view a possible pose from a variety of angles to see
which ones best show the action clearly.
Many artists do this by imagining a pose and mentally circling around
it to see which angle best expresses the action.
The first and second angles are both fairly clear, but the first angle
looks more dynamic and the shapes of Batman’s head, the arm with the
tether, and most of the Batarang are clear. In the third angle you see
little of Batman’s body and the cape covers the leaping action, making
Batman’s action unclear. The fourth angle is interesting, but Batman’s
left arm is aligned with and covering his torso. Also, as a result of the
overall similarity in the dark tones of Batman’s costume and equipment,
the Batarang’s shape is not clear in this angle since most of the Batarang
overlaps Batman’s cape. In the fifth angle, not only is the Batarang’s
shape lost but the shape of Batman’s whole head is lost. The first angle
looks like the best choice.
Part of keeping a character’s actions clear involves keeping the
character’s direction on the “stage” consistent. If a character is
established moving from right to left within a panel frame, ideally,
subsequent panels showing that character’s continuing action will
maintain a right-to-left axis. Maintaining this action flow continuity is an
important concept that does not get as much attention in comics as it
used to. This is due in part to the influence of chaotic, quick-cut,
documentary-like music videos and 3D game environments that have
affected film, TV, and comics. Part Two will go into this subject in more
depth.
You can show action from a variety of angles and distances. Generally, comics artists should pick the
shot that most clearly displays the action to the reader.
Photo by E. Potts.
On this page, Batman’s movement in each panel consistently has a left-to-right bias, making it clear
that he is not changing direction as he travels through this sequence.
Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams from DC Comics Style Guides.
Supporting Principle Two: Be Invisible
Good visual storytelling is usually invisible to the reader. That is, if
comics creators are doing their jobs well, the reader will be immersed in
the stories and will not be consciously aware of the visual storytelling
techniques the comics creators use.
Distracting page design or confusing panel layouts that draw too much
attention to themselves may be pleasing for the creator and the viewer
on some levels. However, if these techniques draw the reader’s attention
away from the story, they can break the reader’s suspension of disbelief
and negatively affect enjoyment of the tale.
When it comes to making their efforts invisible, comics creators can
look to ballet for a parallel. Accomplished ballet dancers put tremendous
effort into their performances. Many of the moves they execute are very
stressful and painful. However, the best dancers make their
performances look effortless. They do not want the audience to notice
how hard they are working or how much pain they feel. Dancers who do
show their effort or suffering during a performance may get some
sympathy from the audience. However, by drawing attention to their
effort, these dancers pull the viewers out of the performance’s beauty
and its narrative.
Artists sometimes spend a lot of time figuring out the best way to
present a story and make their drawings just right. They can have many
frustrating false starts and trash a lot of work before arriving at
storytelling decisions and executions with which they are happy. Like
great ballet dancers, comics artists should strive to keep the audience
from seeing the blood, sweat, tears, strain, and pain they sometimes
undergo when performing or creating.
If creators do their jobs well, the readers will have no idea of the
difficulties the creators endured while producing the stories. The
creators’ choices and execution will appear seamless—seemingly selfevident as the best way to execute the stories!
That’s the way it should be.
Supporting Principle Three: Show, Don’t Tell
Clearly show all the visual information so that the script does not have to
include descriptive information. That way, the script, if any is needed,
can concentrate on nonvisual information, additional detail, and subtext.
In the example on the following pages, the script calls for the
following:
“Batman rides the Batcycle down a Gotham side street,
straight toward the reader. The sunset sky burns red as a
Gotham police airship hovers just above the building
tops, its searchlight on Batman.”
For most stories, the visual storytelling choices and execution should
enable the viewer to tell what is happening from the visuals alone. For
most comics, this level of clear visual storytelling is highly desirable.
Part of showing and not telling is “setting up and paying off”:
establishing visual elements in the story ahead of time if they will affect
the narrative directly. If a character enters a room, the establishing shot
should show where everything in that room is in relation to the
character and to all the other objects in the room. Included in the
establishing shot should be any visual element that will appear later in
the sequence. For example, if later in the story a character retrieves a
laptop computer that was sitting on his coffee table, the laptop on the
table should be included in the scene’s original establishing shot. The
mood of a scene or a character can be set up in advance so that it pays
off later when that mood more directly affects the narrative.
It is awkward when copy has to cover for information that should have been supplied visually.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
When all the needed information is supplied visually, the copy can concentrate on subtext and/or
information that visuals can’t easily impart.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Art by Bill Reinhold.
PART TWO
AFFECTING
the READER’S
EXPERIENCE
For most comics projects, the artist has more power to affect the
audience than do his or her counterparts who work in other
collaborative visual media. That is the case because the comics artist
often serves a number of roles that usually are split up between different
people in other visual media, including the:
Director
Cinematographer
Casting director
Lighting director
Set designer
If the artist is also the writer of the comic, he or she serves as the
screenwriter as well. When the artist designs the sound effects, he or she
serves as a Foley (sound effects) engineer too.
Thus, comics creators, who are not strangers to the concept of power
being coupled with responsibility, have to wield all that visual
storytelling prowess for good! Let’s take a look at some of the ways
comics creators can affect the ways readers experience their stories.
CHAPTER FOUR
REDUCTION, ENCAPSULATION, and JUXTAPOSITION
To a large degree, sequential visual storytelling is
accomplished through the creative choices comics creators
make regarding reduction, encapsulation, and juxtaposition.
Reduction
As stated earlier, a major part of a comics creator’s work consists of
selecting “snapshots” from the overall narrative to show the reader. The
artist must reduce the possibilities to a visual, or a sequence of visuals,
that are encapsulated into panels.
Many comics creators rely on instinct to choose which moments to
encapsulate. Relying on instinct alone, however, may cause creators to
fall into a storytelling rut, executing similar scenes the same way time
after time. Analyzing how and why to encapsulate some parts of a
narrative and leave other parts “between the gutters” can help creators
stay fresh and innovative.
Even if the creator wanted to, showing all the story’s events in relative
real time would be impractical and might result in boring storytelling.
For example, in a war story, much of a soldier’s time is spent digging
and waiting in foxholes, cleaning weapons, standing guard duty, eating
rations, and so on. Relatively little of the scenario’s time span will
include the exciting external action of combat or dramatic interpersonal
conflict that is usually the focus of the story.
That said, important moments in a story often include scenes with
little external action. If they support the story, panels that show
landscapes, characters in silent contemplation, or other “quiet” scenes
are at least as important as those featuring dramatic external action. For
example, it may be important in a war story to show and contrast the
extensive periods of inactivity with the bursts of terrifying action. In
such cases, the comics creator needs to decide how best to show those
mundane moments in a visually interesting way and how much space to
devote to them relative to the rest of the story.
The storyteller’s goal should be to isolate and show the movements
that best support the narrative and build the story arc. Anything that
does not contribute to that goal is possibly superfluous and probably
expendable.
Different artists may make different decisions about how to reduce on the basis of their personal
creative preferences: which visuals they feel best convey and propel the story at the pace at which
they want to tell it.
Art by Will Rosado.
When deciding what to show and not show, comics creators have to determine which parts of the
overall narrative are expendable. Sometimes, even in action genres, periods of relative inactivity can
give insights into characters, add mood, and provide a contrast to the scenes of overt action. Such is
the case in this Sgt. Rock scene drawn by the late legendary artist, editor, and teacher Joe Kubert.
Encapsulation
Comics creators need to consider a number of factors when deciding
what to encapsulate from a narrative. These factors include (but are not
limited to):
• Advancing the story:
– Showing the information necessary to move the plot forward.
• Establishing or reestablishing a scene, characters, or other information:
– In most cases, the first time a setting is seen in a story or issue, the
artist needs to establish the scene’s characters and physical
environment clearly. Also, when an established environment or
character has not been seen by the reader for a while during the
course of an issue, it is good to reestablish that scene or character
when the focus returns to that locale or character. This reminds
readers of information they may have forgotten and also shows them
if there have been changes since the scene or characters were last
seen.
In addition to the need to establish physical environments, creators
need to establish the mood of the scene.
• Suspense/tension:
– Does the creator wish to conceal or only partially reveal some
information to build suspense?
• Emphasis:
– What information should be stressed or made blatant to the reader
and what information should be revealed subtly or subconsciously or
even withheld?
• Pacing:
– At what pace does the creator wish the reader to experience the
various aspects of the story?
• Marketing:
– Covers and some splash pages are designed, at least in part, to entice
the viewer to pick up and purchase a comic.
If the writer creates a full script, it is his or her job to make all the
reduction decisions, sorting out which moments to show in each panel.
Full scripts include descriptions of the visual contents for every panel on
each page, along with all dialogue, captions, and sound effects. This is
part of the reason writers need to understand the principles and
techniques of sequential visual storytelling.
In some cases, writers also make encapsulation decisions, describing
how far the “camera” will be from the subject or subjects in the panel,
how the shot will be cropped, how the panel will be shaped, framed, lit,
and so on. However, in many cases, when working from a full script that
does not go deeply into panel descriptions, it is the artist who will make
the bulk of the encapsulation decisions.
If the artist is also the writer or is working from another writer’s plot
(as opposed to a full script), it will be his or her job to decide what to
encapsulate and emphasize panel by panel.
Doing so involves another group of decisions:
• How close or far will the camera be from the subject(s)?
• At what angle will the subject(s) be seen?
• Which subjects will be of primary focus and which ones will be
secondary?
• In what shape and size will the panel be in which the subject is
encapsulated?
• How will the subject or scene be cropped and framed?
• How will the subject be lit and rendered?
• What sort of design balance works best?
If artists need to show Superman flying over Metropolis in a single
panel, they have to decide how to frame that scene: the angle of the
shot, how to crop it, and how much of the page’s “real estate” it will
occupy.
For this page, the plot calls for five panels:
1. Superman flying over Metropolis in the daytime.
2. Close-up of Superman. Something has caught his attention.
3. A military helicopter is falling from the sky near a bridge. It trails
smoke.
4. Superman streaks toward the helicopter
5. He supports the helicopter from underneath, letting it descend safely.
If artists decide to open up the scene to give the reader more of a
feeling of scope (and have the page space available to do so), they may
use more space and alter the number of panels to achieve this effect.
In the version of the page here, the first panel is opened up to give the
reader a better feel of the scope of the city scene as Superman flies over
Metropolis. The actions in the second and third panels are combined, as
are the fourth and fifth panels. The last panel bleeds off the bottom and
sides of the page, giving it greater scope and impact.
There are numerous ways to get across the same information and to
prompt responses in the reader. As long as the story is told in a clear and
compelling manner, the decisions on how to encapsulate the content for
compelling manner, the decisions on how to encapsulate the content for
each panel are a matter of the artist’s personal aesthetics.
The level of importance artists place on a scene and the number of pages they have to play with both
affect the way artists frame the scene.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
If page count and space allow, the artist (with his or her editor’s blessing) may use larger and/or
more visuals to give the scene a sense of scope, elapsed time, and/or emphasis.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Juxtaposition
The artist must combine the encapsulated visuals (panels) into a
sequence on the page by juxtaposing them next to one another in a
desired order.
The order in which the panels are meant to be read should be clear. If
a reader’s eye path does not follow the one that the artist intended, the
reader will experience a very different, and probably confusing, story.
In addition to juxtaposing the panels, comics creators juxtapose the
copy elements (captions, word balloons, sound effects) with the visuals
and with other elements within each panel.
The addition of words to a panel creates a juxtaposition that can result
in a range of effects.
The juxtaposition of the chosen panels and other visual elements tells
the story for the readers, along with the visual information the readers
conjure in their heads when filling in the gaps between the juxtaposed
panels.
Sometimes the words are redundant and simply reinforce what the visual shows. Generally, this is
not considered good form and usually is reserved for titles aimed at a young audience or for scenes in
which a point has to be made absolutely clear.
Complementary juxtaposition between art and words creates a fuller “picture” of the scenario for the
reader, going beyond what either the visual or the words could produce alone.
When the juxtaposition is contrasting, the visual and the text generate opposing feelings or present
contradictory information and/or sentiments.
When the juxtaposition appears to be unrelated, having no obvious connection, the reader may
experience confusion, transcendence, profound insight—or make a poetic association.
All images composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
CHAPTER FIVE
ALL ABOUT PANELS
A comics panel is visual content that encapsulates a moment
from a larger narrative. Panels usually juxtapose visual content
with words.
The edges of a panel are often defined by a border and are usually, but not always, rectangular in
shape.
Sometimes a panel will have no border or be contained only partially by a border.
Vignettes are panels containing art that fades at the edges of the visual area.
Inset panels are placed inside or superimposed on the frame of a larger panel.
All images composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Panel-to-Panel Transition Types
There are a number of types of transitions that occur between comics
panels. These can be used to elicit varying reactions from readers.
Comics scholar Scott McCloud established the following categories:
Moment-to-moment: These types of transitions require very little closure on the part of the viewer.
Closure refers to the action taking place between panels that is imagined by readers.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Action-to-action: Following the action of the same subject or subjects from panel to panel.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Subject-to-subject: Switching the focus from one subject to another within the same general scene.
Requires more work from the viewer to achieve closure.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Scene-to-scene: Transitions across large distances of time and space can require a lot of work on the
part of the viewer to generate closure. Such transitions are often aided by captions or dialogue.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Aspect-to-aspect: Panels focusing on different elements of an idea, scene, mood, and so forth.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Non sequitur: These transitions do not have an immediate logical connection between the content of
their panels.
Panel 1: Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Panel 2: Art by Carl Potts.
Neil Cohn, a visual language researcher, identified several more
transition categories:
Inclusionary transitions use panels within panels and/or concepts within concepts to draw attention
to elements that are part of a larger panel.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
In overlay transitions, a superimposed visual element affects several panels. The superimposed
element can be a panel, an isolated object, or copy (balloon, caption, sound effect). In this case, the
falling Green Lantern ring overlaps all three panels and is the focus of the different characters
appearing in each panel.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Embedded transitions follow multiple images of the same subject through a single panel scene. This
example has no panel borders separating each incarnation of Clark Kent’s transition to Superman
within the overall scene.
Art by Phil Jimenez.
In this great example of an embedded transition, top Hollywood storyboard artist and graphic
novelist Marcos Mateu-Mestre uses panel borders, breaking up the character’s descent of the fire
escape.
Art by Marcos Mateu-Mestre from his book Framed Ink. © Design Studio Press.
Panel Sizes
The size and shape of a panel can affect the reader’s impression of
elapsing time, the importance of the panel’s contents, and the panel-topanel transition category that is taking place.
If a panel is preceded by and/or followed by smaller panels, it implies that the larger panel contains
the most important or dramatic information in that sequence of panels.
Long horizontal panels can give the impression of a slow pace due to the relatively long distance our
eyes travel between left and right panel edges.
Thin vertical panels give the impression of a fast pace as a result of the relatively short distance the
eyes move between the left and right panel edges.
Of course, the panel content can have a dramatic effect on the sense of time. The use of a series of
long vertical format panels, showing the same tree as it changes through the four seasons, indicates
time passing very slowly despite the short horizontal space in each panel.
In the classic epic Watchmen, the artist Dave Gibbons often used pages
composed of nine panels in three tiers, with each tier having three
identically sized panels. This set a very even “pace” for most of the story.
It also made the instances where Gibbons varied from the nine-panel
grid greatly affect the reader’s sense of the story’s pacing, as well as the
importance of each panel’s content.
A grid of nine identically sized/shaped panels is used for keeping a steady pace.
In this example, differing panel sizes are used to show things slowing down, speeding up, and finally
slowing down to end on a long beat.
Panel Borders
Different panel borders and gutters can give various impressions. The
border’s meaning often is affected by the panel contents and vice versa.
Some possible impressions that borders can imply: normality, emphasis
or importance, casualness, fantasy/dream, explosiveness (emotionally or
physically).
The same visual juxtaposed with different border styles can alter readers’ impressions of the content.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Panel Arrangements on the Page
Making sure that page and panel designs are in tune with the readers’
natural eye path is vital. The reader should be able to follow the panelto-panel sequence intuitively.
There may be rare cases in which a comics creator will purposely
arrange panels in a way that confuses the reader’s eye path for a specific
storytelling effect, such as imparting the same sense of disorientation
that a character in the story is experiencing. However, in most cases in
which the eye path on a page is confusing, the artist was careless,
assuming that his or her thought process when laying out the page
would be clear to the reader.
In the West, the eye path is from left to right and then top to bottom.
Stacking panels on the left side of the page creates uncertainty in the readers about where their eyes
are supposed to go next.
OVERLAPPING PANELS
When needed or desired, overlapping can help lead the eye or establish
connections. Panels, objects, copy, and sound effects can overlap on the
page.
In a pinch, overlapping helps direct the eye onto the correct path when the panel arrangement on the
page does not make the eye path clear on its own. Such overlapping is, however, an inelegant
solution and is best avoided by not stacking panels on the left side of the page.
INSET PANELS
Inset panels are placed inside or overlap a main panel to add emphasis,
focus on detail, cut to a parallel action, and/or alternate the point of
view.
Make sure the placement of inset panels works with the reader’s instinctual eye path.
Types of Shots
There are many considerations in deciding how best to present the visual
content for each panel in a sequential narrative.
As Joseph V. Mascelli states in The Five C’s of Cinematography, “Proper
camera angles can make the difference between audience appreciation
and indifference. Every change in camera angle should count. Visual
variety should be the keynote, so that the audience is kept interested in
what’s happening and what will happen next.”
DISTANCE
Here, categorized by the distance of the subject to the camera, are some
generalizations about the different types of shots that are used to
encapsulate. Keep in mind that these are broad generalizations and that
there are countless situations in which these various distance categories
are used in different ways in the service of clear and compelling
storytelling. However, in trying to figure out a way to approach
encapsulating the visual elements specified in a script, these broad
guidelines may prove helpful.
Long Shots
Generally used to establish or reestablish a scene, long shots show as
much of an environment as is needed to establish where all the objects
and characters are in relation to one another. These shots set up where
the following sequence takes place and serve as a map of the scene so
that no matter where the camera moves in succeeding panels or where
the characters move within the environment, the environmental
elements will be consistent.
Artists often use long shots to establish a scene, showing where everything and everyone is in
relation to each other. In this case readers are introduced to Batman (in full figure) seemingly alone
in the Batcave. He looks determined and serious as he marches down the stairs. Readers don’t see
the whole Batcave yet, but they see enough to tell it’s a large unfinished natural cavern with
installations of modern industrial style work areas and equipment, including a gargantuan computer
console.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Often, there will be more than one establishing shot at the beginning
of a scene: one from a very long distance (the exterior of a building
situated in its surroundings) and a closer shot in which the characters
are established within the environment (often a room within the
building). Occasionally, the order is reversed.
When the story returns to a previously established scene after being
away from that scene for a while, it is helpful to reestablish the scene
with another long shot. A reestablishing long shot lets the viewers know
where they are without the need for a caption and reveals any changes
the environment may have sustained since it was last seen.
Sometimes two long/establishing shots are used to introduce the scene. Here readers are introduced
to the fact that Wayne Manor sits atop the Batcave.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Medium Shots
Often used to show action, medium shots are closer to the subject or
subjects in a panel. When people are the subject of a medium shot, they
usually are shown from at least midthigh to the top of the head, if not in
full figure. Medium shots can therefore show characters in action very
clearly, assuming the artist is depicting the action from a suitable angle.
Action does not just mean large, dynamic physical actions; it can refer
to much more subtle acts, such as picking up a pen, walking across a
room, or pulling on a shirt.
Medium shots often are used to show action clearly. That’s why many of the shots used in sports
coverage, especially instant replays of major game actions, are from a medium depth. Here
Catwoman leaps down onto the computer console in near full figure.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Close-Up Shots
Close-ups are great for showing reaction or detail. When the focus is on
the characters, close-ups can be shots focusing on the midtorso to the top
of the head or can be panels that focus totally on the head or face. When
the shot is so tight that the face fills the frame, or close to it, it is called
an extreme close-up.
Close-ups also are used to show detail, including such things as the
writing on a notepad, small items kept in a desk drawer, and the buttons
on a cell phone.
Artists often use close-ups to show characters’ reactions to a preceding event. Here we get an
unexpected reaction out of Batman to Catwoman’s invasion of his secret sanctuary.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
In extreme close-ups, a face or the panel’s subject fills most or all of the panel.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Sequences
By properly combining these basic types of shots—long/establishing,
medium/action, and close-up/reaction—comics creators generate panel
sequences that range from simple to very complex.
Artists can juxtapose the three basic distance shot categories to create narrative sequences. Here we
begin with exterior and interior establishing shots, move on to a medium action shot, and finish with
a close-up reaction shot.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
POINT OF VIEW
Comics creators can show the readers the story world through two
different sets of “eyes.”
Objective Shots
Most panels are from an objective view, meaning the camera is placed
wherever in the environment the comics creator deems appropriate and
is unseen by any character. It is the eye of an invisible observer.
Most shots are objective, from the point of view of an invisible and omnipresent observer.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Subjective Shots
When the contents of a panel are seen through the eyes of (or over the
shoulder of) a character, they are called subjective shots. They are taken
from the point of view (POV) of a particular character.
Subjective shots let the reader experience what the character is seeing. As long as a POV sequence of
panels is maintained, the reader can see only what the character sees and is unaware of whatever the
character cannot see.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
HEIGHT ANGLES
Several categories are used to describe the height level of the camera
when composing a shot.
The term angle also refers to the position from which the camera is
seeing a subject, irrespective of height.
High Angle Shots
When it is looking down on a subject, a panel is categorized as being a
high-angle or bird’s-eye view shot.
High angles give the impression of a godlike perspective on the characters and environment. They
also can create steep perspective and foreshortening (drawing an object to appear shorter than it
actually is, when angled toward the viewer).
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Medium Angle Shots
If the camera and the horizon line of a panel are near the center of the
frame, it is a medium-angle shot.
Medium angles present a fairly objective view of the scale of various characters and objects. Subjects
advancing or receding in distance still create foreshortening.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Low Angle Shots
In a low-angle or worm’s-eye view shot, the scene is seen from a very low
level.
Low angles can cause steep foreshortening and make characters and objects look tall and imposing.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Tilt Angle Shots
In a tilt shot, the horizon line is shifted so that it’s no longer at a 90degree angle to the page. This can instill a sense of suspense or unease.
Creators should use tilt angles sparingly since their overuse will kill their uniqueness and become
annoying to the reader.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
MOVES
Comics do not create the illusion of movement that film and TV do.
However, sequential comics panels can emulate some of the camera
moves used in moving media.
Zoom Shots
When a series of panels progressively move in on a subject, it is called
zooming in. If the sequence goes in reverse order, with the subject
progressively getting farther away from the camera, it is called zooming
out.
Zoom shots can be either objective or subjective.
Zooming in or out on a subject in a multipanel sequence can add extra mood, action, or emotional
emphasis to a scene. Zooms can focus on still or moving subjects.
Art by Will Rosado.
Tracking Shots
If, in a series of panels, the camera moves within an environment, it is
called a tracking shot.
Tracking shots often are used to follow a moving subject through an environment, as seen in this
example from Sgt. Rock.
Art by Joe Kubert.
Pan Shots
If the camera pivots in place, revealing a series of shots in an arc, it is
called a pan shot.
When the camera pivots in place during a sequence, it is creating a pan shot. The above example is
also from Sgt. Rock.
Art by Joe Kubert.
Montage
A montage consists of visuals from different scenes, usually borderless
vignettes, arranged together in a panel or on a whole page.
Ideally, the visual elements should be arranged in a way that leads the
viewer’s eye through the various vignettes.
A montage is often used to review a lot of history or information or
summarize previous events quickly. Sometimes a montage is used to give
the impression of a character experiencing information overload,
hallucinations, or dreams.
The top and bottom sections of this two-page spread from Batwoman #1 (September 2011) are
montages.
Art by J. H. Williams III.
Combinations
Each page in a story contains a combination of panel categories.
On this page from Batman #3 (November 2011), penciller Greg Capullo employs a nice variety of
shots.
Art by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion.
CHAPTER SIX
PAGES: The BIG PICTURE
Creating pages containing a series of juxtaposed panels
requires a strong sense of design to keep the audience
immersed in the narrative.
Story Pages
Each page of a story usually contains multiple panels arranged in a way
that:
• Propels the story forward in a clear and compelling way
• Keeps the reader’s eyes moving in the correct path
• Is a semi-self-contained unit of design
• Is also part of a larger sequence
The key is to make the
reader’s eye path clear while
telling the tale in a way that
compels the
reader forward.
In Swamp Thing #1 (September 2011), artist Yanick Paquette uses stable rectangular panels as the
story begins in the city. He then uses a variety of more complex panel sizes, shapes, and
arrangements as he introduces the supernatural elements.
Script by Scott Snyder, art by Yanick Paquette.
Inventional Panel Arrangements
Sometimes an unusual panel arrangement can help convey information
effectively.
The trick to inventional panel/page design is to use an unusual arrangement that does the
storytelling job without being overtly disrupting to the reader’s experience.
Script by W. Haden Blackman and J. H. Williams III, art by J. H. Williams III.
J. H. Williams’s two-page spread from Batwoman #12 (August 2012) is another example of his
inventional visual storytelling. Searching within a fun-house mirror maze where warped reflections
mirror their confusion, the characters literally circle around the same issue that Wonder Woman is
tackling elsewhere. The panel layout, along with the arrows built into the fun-house floor, ensures
that the reader’s eye path is clear.
Script by W. Haden Blackman and J. H. Williams III, art by J. H. Williams III.
Covers
The biggest marketing tool a comics creator or publisher has is the
cover. A cover should entice potential buyers to grab that comic and
take it to the checkout, whether in physical shops or online.
Usually, the cover has to grab the potential buyer’s attention while
competing with numerous other covers surrounding it on physical or
virtual racks.
Cover content usually falls into several categories.
A dynamic or dramatic scene from the story contained in the comic.
Art by Tony Daniel and Julio Ferreira.
A symbolic cover that presents the characters and/or a situation that may or may not relate directly
to the story inside that issue. Pinup-type shots of characters in dramatic poses or engaged in a
dynamic physical action fall into this category.
Art by Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund.
A montage of elements from the interior story.
Art by Walter Simonson.
The cover for each issue of a title needs to have some consistency so
that regular readers can easily find each month’s new issue on the racks.
The consistency should include the logo design. However, the covers for
a series should be different enough so that covers for successive issues
are not confused with one another.
If two covers in a row feature a pinup-style shot of the lead character
or characters in a similar action pose, colored in a similar fashion,
buyers scanning the racks may assume they have bought the latest issue
of that title even when that is not the case.
Unless there is a compelling creative or marketing reason not to,
logos, while retaining the same design in every issue, should vary in
coloring from issue to issue. This helps prevent the “I already have that
issue” mistake from happening, especially on some styles of physical
racks where only the upper parts of the cover are viewable.
If there is a trend in the market to do covers with lots of detailed
backgrounds and highly rendered dark coloring, a cover that has lots of
light, open negative space will stand out.
If the store racks are filled with lots of covers displaying medium shots
of characters in combat, a cover featuring a really great close-up of a
lead character (especially if that character has a captivating expression)
can help a comic stand out.
In most cases, a comics creator or editor can’t tell in advance what the
competitive comics cover landscape will be like when a particular issue
hits the racks. Therefore, while maintaining a consistent logo design, it’s
a good idea for the art on the covers of an ongoing series to vary the
types of shots, design balance, level of positive/negative space, and color
palette from issue to issue. That way the consumer can easily
differentiate the various issues of a title.
Sometimes a big event taking place across a number of titles will prompt a publisher to use a similar
layout, or trade dress, across the associated titles. This makes it easier for buyers who are trying to
obtain all the issues involved in the event.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WHERE Are WE?
Characters, vehicles, and other subjects often are shown
moving through environments in sequences composed of
numerous panels. Making sure the direction in which a subject
is moving remains clear can be tricky when a wide variety of
shots and angles are employed over a sequence of panels.
There are techniques comics creators can use to keep those
subjects and the reader properly oriented.
Map Orientation
Sequential visual storytelling media use rectangular formats, usually in
the form of horizontal rectangles.
The audience has grown up looking at rectangular maps where north
is at the top, south on the bottom, east to the right, and west to the left.
Viewers of visual storytelling media have this map orientation stored in
their subconscious, and creators of visual narratives can use it to their
advantage.
If it’s important to the story that the character, the vehicle, or any
subject is traveling in a specific compass direction, comics creators can
position that object in the frame to reflect that direction. This will
resonate with the map orientation in the audience’s heads.
For example, cinematographers and directors of old Western films
usually showed wagon trains moving west with a right-to-left bias within
the frame, echoing the western direction of a map.
Subconsciously, most of the audience associates a north-on-top directional orientation with
rectangular formats.
Wagon trains departed from Missouri and headed west toward California and Oregon. That is why, in
many Western films, the wagons are shot heading to the left, or west.
Art by Will Rosado.
If the wagons gave up and headed back east, the directional bias of the wagons’ movement would
change to left-to-right.
Art by Will Rosado.
It’s usually best to keep the action direction in a scene consistent. If a
right-to-left flow is established in a scene, all subsequent shots in that
scene should follow the right-to-left direction unless a new direction is
clearly established.
When the action moves directly toward or away from the viewer, it is
called a neutral shot. Neutral shots can be used in any sequence, no
matter which direction has been established for the scene’s action bias.
However, when using a neutral shot, it is best to establish the action
flow bias before the neutral shot or shots and then reestablish the
action’s bias after a neutral shot or shots.
All shots in a sequence of a wagon moving west—long, medium, and close-up—should maintain the
right-to-left action bias.
Art by Will Rosado.
Directionally neutral shots show action moving directly toward or directly away from the camera.
Note that in this panel, even though the horses are moving directly away from the viewer, the dirt
trail they follow bends from right to left, maintaining the sequence’s action flow bias.
Art by Will Rosado.
Action Flow Continuity
Action flow continuity involves establishing and maintaining the
movement direction of characters, vehicles, and other objects in the
story environment.
Even when the viewer doesn’t consciously register contradictory
action flow, it can be unsettling on an unconscious level.
If, in a story, a character madly dashes around, looking all over for
something in a chaotic fashion, showing the character changing
direction from panel to panel in the frantic search sequence is actually
good storytelling. Otherwise, it is best to establish and maintain each
character’s action flow continuity.
In film and TV, this concept is referred to as the 180-degree rule.
When filming on a stage or a set, filmmakers usually establish a line,
an action axis that runs through the scene. To keep the action flow
continuity consistent, they keep the camera on one side of the action
axis. They do not cross the line.
It can help to think of the scene as being on a theater stage. The action
axis runs along the rear wall of the stage, and so moving the camera
beyond that line is impossible.
It’s important to maintain the proper action flow continuity when characters head toward each other
for a clash. In the first sequence, Batman and Killer Croc head toward each other, resulting in their
meeting and clashing. In the second example, inconsistent action flow in the panels leading up to
the clash makes it unclear if they are headed toward each other.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
If a character is established moving from right to left in a panel, succeeding panels should maintain
that right-to-left bias. If, during a series of panels, the character’s movement keeps changing, it can
cause confusion for the readers. They may wonder if the character has changed direction even if that
was not the comics creator’s intent.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
If Batman is pursuing Killer Croc, then, as is shown in the first example above, both characters should
maintain the same action direction bias in the sequence. If the inconsistent action flow of the second
example is used, it is unclear if one character is in pursuit of the other or if they are headed toward or
away from each other.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
The gray area on the floor shows the semicircle that gives the 180 degree rule its name. The flat side
of the gray area is the action axis. As can be seen by the positions of cameras 1, 2, and 3, filmmakers
generally do not move the camera over the action axis. If a camera moves beyond the action axis
(camera 4 view), it makes the characters or objects in the environment switch the side of the screen
they are facing. Camera 4’s view makes it appear as though Batman is running away from his foe.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
In a sequence in which the subject is established as moving in one direction, the Batmobile traveling
right to left in this case, all the shots in the sequence, no matter what the distance or angle, should
ideally maintain the established direction or be directionally neutral.
Art by Will Rosado.
When the action flow direction is not maintained, it can give the readers the impression (consciously
or subconsciously) that the subject is changing direction.
Art by Will Rosado.
ESTABLISHING A CHANGE IN DIRECTION
If in the course of a story a character or vehicle changes direction in its
environment, it is best to show that change clearly. Ideally, comics
artists should show the turn relative to the previous direction and
establish the new direction.
establish the new direction.
When a subject changes direction in a story, the artist should show the turn (third panel) and
establish the subject’s new directional bias.
Art by Will Rosado.
REVERSE ANGLES
There are times when the camera has to travel across the action axis. In
those cases, there are ways to minimize any disconcerting effects on the
readers.
Often, these reverse angles are done during sequences with multiple
characters conversing while sitting and facing the same direction. They
may be seated next to each other in a restaurant booth, in a car, on a
train, in a plane, or on a sofa.
After establishing the action direction, focus on a character who is
facing the established direction. Then reverse the angle (hop to the other
side of the action axis) to focus on another character when he or she is
speaking or is otherwise the focus of the shot. End the sequence by
reestablishing the original action flow direction. Including reverse angles
in sequences that are “bookended” by shots of the established action
flow direction helps keep the audience directionally oriented.
When it is done carefully, action flow continuity can be maintained while incorporating reverse
angles.
Art by Will Rosado.
If possible, when using reverse angles, keep the characters on the same sides of the panel as was
established originally. In both of these panels, even though they are on opposite sides of the action
axis, Robin remains on the left of the panel and Batman stays on the right.
Art by Will Rosado.
MORE OBSERVATIONS ON DIRECTIONAL CONTINUITY
There are several other ways visual storytellers can think about and
utilize action flow.
Using the action direction in a picture to help tell a story is a very old
concept. Alternatively, a creator might have all the protagonists in a
story move with that natural left-to-right eye flow until the protagonist
experiences a defeat, hits an obstruction, or experiences a reversal in his
or her journey. When that occurs, the character changes direction and
moves from right to left in the frame—against the natural eye path. The
antagonists in the story would move in the direction opposite to that in
which the protagonists move. This is an interesting approach, but it can
be too restricting. Whatever action flow approach the artist uses, the
action flow continuity should be a conscious and consistent effort and
not haphazard. Do whatever works to tell the story in a clear and
compelling way.
Cultural Considerations
As readers of Japanese manga are aware, in some cultures, people are
trained to read from right to left before reading from top to bottom.
Thus, if a comics creator is producing work for a foreign audience, it is
a good idea to check on the reading conventions of that culture.
THE IMPORTANCE AND RELEVANCE OF ACTION FLOW CONTINUITY
TODAY
Maintaining action flow continuity may be more important in moving
media than it is in still media. It is, however, a concept that many
comics artists and editors do not pay enough attention to.
Unless there is a conscious decision by a comics creator to violate
action flow continuity for a reason he or she feels supersedes the need to
maintain that continuity, it is best to practice consistent action flow.
Why might a comics creator purposely go against the established
action flow bias in a sequence? One possibility is that the artist felt that
prompting the reader to the next panel or the next page by using the
direction of a panel’s action flow was more important than maintaining
the action flow continuity within a sequence.
In recent years, the use of—or even the knowledge of—action flow
continuity or the 180-degree rule has diminished. This seems to be the
case across all sequential visual media.
At one point, maintaining action flow continuity was such a priority
that if a film director screwed up the action bias while shooting, film
editors would flop (create a mirror image of) the inconsistent shots to
make the sequence consistent. However, doing that could generate other
problems. A left-handed character might suddenly use his right hand for
a while, or a character with a scar on one side of her face might appear
to have a scar that migrated from one side of the face to the other and
back! In such situations, the editor had to choose which was the lesser of
two evils—inconsistent action continuity or the issues created when a
mirror image was made of the negative.
Sometimes artists feel it is important to urge the reader to go to the next page by having the action in
the last panel of a page move from left to right.
Script by Grant Morrison, art by Rags Morales and Rick Bryant.
Why is action flow continuity/the 180-degree rule not observed as
much today as in decades past? Here are some possibilities:
• Classic visual storytelling and cinematography skills are not taught as
often or passed on by mentors as much as in the past.
• When viewing modern GPS, radar, or sonar and when experiencing 3D
• When viewing modern GPS, radar, or sonar and when experiencing 3D
game environment maps, the direction at the top of the frame or
screen is whatever direction the user is headed at the moment. Thus, if
a driver is headed south, the top of the GPS screen will be south, not
north. This may gradually create an audience that can cope with some
action continuity inconsistencies better than could those in the past.
• Film/video making technology and the “surface flash” of quick cuts and
other film/video techniques that help generate visual excitement seem
to have taken precedence. MTV got hot in the mid-1980s by showing
music videos, and many of the video directors used a documentary
approach married to exciting surface flash techniques.
However, unless there is a compelling reason not to observe consistent
action flow continuity in any visual storytelling medium, it should be
maintained. Doing this will help readers stay oriented on the conscious
and subconscious levels.
If a mirror image is created of a character to make it conform to the established action flow bias,
sometimes problems arise. A character with an asymmetrical costume design, as is the case with
Firestorm’s chest icon (correct in the left-hand image), will have his or her costume design flopped. If
a character normally carries a weapon in the right hand, creating a mirror image will cause the
weapon to switch hands.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MORE WAYS to ENTHRALL READERS
In addition to everything covered so far, comics creators have
even more techniques at their disposal for affecting readers.
Visual Metaphors or Themes
If they are used in an artful way, design metaphors or visual themes can
add an extra layer of creativity to visual storytelling.
This may involve using a visual element or elements that repeat
throughout the work to foreshadow or reinforce a specific mood or
event. Creators can use weather, lighting, color, setting, panel border
design, lettering, and other visual elements to do this.
Water, especially falling water as seen in dreary rainy weather and
tears, is a common metaphor for sadness in film, TV, and comics.
Sometimes it’s interesting to go against the usual or clichéd
expectations of the audience. If rain and tears are typically associated
with depressing situations, try turning that expectation on its head.
Visual storytellers also can use falling water as a symbol of rebirth and
joy, as when spring showers help grow a lush green landscape or when
tears flow as a mother and child are reunited.
It’s usually better to be restrained when using design metaphors than
to go over the top, hitting the readers over the head with your cleverness
and drawing attention from the story instead of enhancing it.
In his Batman Black and White story “Good Evening, Midnight,” Klaus
Janson used several visual metaphors and themes. Food was used as a
symbol of love at the beginning and end of the story. Each of the three
settings in the tale had its own distinct weather. Echoing throughout the
story are parents’ hopes for and fears about the vulnerability of their
children. (See Chapter 15 of Janson’s The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling
Comics to learn more about his thoughts and process for creating this
story.)
Klaus Janson’s “Good Evening, Midnight” uses visual metaphors and themes to enhance the
effectiveness of the story.
Script and art by Klaus Janson.
Action/Reaction
During sequences with two or more characters interacting, whether they
are in a conversation or a shootout, some comics creators tend to cut
back and forth between the characters, rarely showing both or all of the
characters in the same shot.
If the sequence does not include shots with both or all characters in
the same panel, it becomes difficult for readers to know where the
characters are in relation to each other and the environment.
For example, in a gunfight between two characters, if the artist does
not occasionally show where both shooters are in relation to each other
and the environment, it will not be clear how far away the shooters are
from each other, what environmental objects are nearby, or where the
characters are moving within the environment as the scene progresses.
Related to that point, some artists have a tendency to separate each
action/reaction combination when they should at least occasionally
combine action and reaction in one panel. One character can shoot a
weapon, and in the same panel, another character can react to being hit
by the shot. Or one character can verbally reveal some surprising news,
and in the same panel, another character can react to the news.
There are times when an artist may want to separate the action and
reaction to create a bit of suspense. For instance, after one character
fires shots, it is not clear if the target was hit for a beat or two.
By picking from and skillfully utilizing all the visual storytelling
techniques at their disposal, comics creators have a wide range of subtle
to blatant ways to affect readers emotionally and propel them forward
through the story.
When actions and reactions in a sequence are always presented in separate panels, the reader can
lose track of where the characters are (how close) in relation to each other and the setting. In this
example from a Kamandi story written by Dave Gibbons and illustrated by Ryan Sook in the
Wednesday Comics anthology, Sook’s original art was cropped to help make a point. The next graphic
shows Sook’s original panel composition.
Script by Dave Gibbons, art by Ryan Sook.
When action and reaction are shown in the same panel during a sequence, the reader stays informed
about the proximity of the characters and the artist can cut down on the number of panels needed to
present the information.
Script by Dave Gibbons, art by Ryan Sook.
Art by Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning.
PART THREE
NARRATIVE +
ART
Remember that narrative + art + sequential visual storytelling =
comics. I’ve discussed SVS, so now the focus turns to narrative (story)
and art.
Most comics narratives are built around dramatic arcs, and so story
structure will be a major topic.
Some comics utilize photos or other visual elements for their art.
However, the vast majority of comics are drawn using line art, and that’s
what I’ll concentrate on.
CHAPTER NINE
NARRATIVE: WRITING for VISUAL STORYTELLING
Even if comic book artists do not plan to write, they need to be
able to work and communicate effectively with writers.
Therefore, all comics artists have to know the basics of story
structure, characterization, pacing, and other creative elements
of telling tales.
The first book in this series, The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by
Denny O’Neil, is a great resource for writers and is highly recommended.
What follows are some of my own thoughts to go along with Denny’s
insights.
Classic Story Arc
No matter what form of media is used to tell it, a story usually has a
classic arc structure. The vast majority of stories you’ve read or seen
incorporate a classic story arc.
Comics can employ other types of narrative too, including mood
pieces, character sketches, abstract tales, and instructional and
educational pieces. However, most stories generally follow an arc in
which:
• One or more protagonists encounter a catalytic incident that disturbs
their status quo.
• That incident propels the protagonist or protagonists actively into an
escalating series of events or conflicts with one or more antagonists
and/or other obstacles, whether physical or emotional.
• The events reach a climax in which the conflict between the
protagonist and the antagonist is resolved (at least temporarily) and
the ramifications of the resolution are shown (the new status quo).
There are many celebrated works of fiction that do not follow the
classic story arc. However, the majority of tales that have stood the test
of time as well as the most popular contemporary works of fiction
generally follow this basic arc.
Former DC Comics editor the late, great Archie Goodwin gave us a humorous insight into his creative
process.
Copyright 2013 by “The Estate of Archie Goodwin.”
If you want to produce a story with the highest chance of reaching and
affecting the largest possible audience, you should use a classic story arc.
The classic arc allows for an attractive combination of the conventional
and the inventional. Within the familiar classic story arc there are
countless ways to generate tension, jeopardy, novelty, mystery, and so
on, thus satisfying people’s contradictory needs for structure and
novelty. Classic structure is the most gratifying story format for the
largest possible audience and therefore the most popular type of fiction
structure.
Writers need to give readers what they expect, but not in the way they
expect it. Characters (including their abilities, weaknesses, and
knowledge), story situations, objects of power, and environments all
should be set up as the story progresses. At the climax, some of the
elements that have been set up should be used in a surprising way that is
still logical in the context of the story. The knowledge, ability, and/or
weapons that the protagonist picked up along the course of the journey
can be used in an unexpected combination at the climax.
THE PROTAGONIST
A protagonist is the main character in and focus of the story. Most
protagonists have heroic characteristics that are revealed, put to the
test, and/or changed during the course of the story. There are some
stories in which the protagonist is an antihero. In those cases, the
protagonist is often pitted against heroic antagonists or against other
nonheroic characters.
Usually, the protagonist is changed in some way by his or her story
experience. At the very least, the events of the story should reinforce
the character’s original point of view.
If the protagonist emerges victorious, the story has a happy ending.
If the protagonist loses, the tale has a sad ending. If the ending is a
mixture of positive and negative outcomes for the protagonist, the
story has an ironic ending.
In most cases, the protagonist is a character the reader can identify with on one or more
levels, helping the reader vicariously share the aspirations, dangers, and adventures that the
protagonist embodies and experiences.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Genre Expectations
In the various action/adventure genres (Western, superhero, detective,
sword and sorcery, etc.), there is almost always a final showdown
between the main protagonist and the primary antagonist. The audience
expects it and would be disappointed if the story did not contain a
satisfying showdown. The trick is to add inventional elements to the
expected showdown to make it novel and unexpected.
In film Westerns, the showdown often takes place in the dusty street of
a small town. Samurai films are very similar to Westerns. The classic
Akira Kurosawa film Yojimbo, starring Toshiro Mifune, was one of
several samurai films remade into American Westerns. Sergio Leone took
Yojimbo and turned it into A Fistful of Dollars starring Clint Eastwood. In
Yojimbo, the viewer knows that the bad guy is the only character with a
handgun and that Mifune’s protagonist has only a knife and a sword.
Before the showdown, we see Mifune’s character in a dilapidated shed.
As a strong wind howls through the splintered walls of the shed, he
passes the time by throwing the knife, pinning leaves that blow around
the shed in unpredictable ways.
Later, as the protagonist and the main antagonist approach each other
on the street for the showdown, we expect Mifune’s character to seek
cover as the bad guy begins to slowly draw the revolver from the large
sleeve of his kimono.
Instead of running or hiding behind cover, Mifune unexpectedly
charges, allowing him to get close enough to the bad guy to throw the
knife. The blade slices into the bad guy’s moving gun hand before a fatal
shot can be fired.
The audience knew it was going to come down to a fight between the
good guy and the bad guy, but the execution of the fight provided a
twist they were not expecting, even though it was set up by the scenes of
Mifune practicing knife throwing on the wind-blown leaves. The
audience got the showdown they expected, but not in the way they
expected it: a mix of the conventional and the inventional.
Internal and External Desires and Conflicts
Most characters should have both conscious and subconscious desires
that motivate them. Often, those desires are in conflict. For example, a
character who consciously wishes that his or her actions were
appreciated by others may subconsciously feel that he or she is not
worthy of the admiration of others. This inner conflict can spark or
intensify the character’s conflicts with others.
Let’s look at Batman for an example. Judging from the bulk of the
character’s publishing history, it’s clear that he is usually more
comfortable as Batman than he is as Bruce Wayne. If you explore the
reasons for this disconnect between the Batman and Bruce Wayne
personas, odds are that you’ll discover one or more conflicts between the
character’s internal and external desires.
Batman’s conscious mission, his obsession, is to end crime and protect
innocent lives, especially young lives. Witnessing the death of his
parents as a child gave birth to this obsession.
The character has few close relationships. Even Alfred, the person
closest to him, usually is kept at arm’s length. In part, this is because
Batman’s obsessive fight against Gotham City’s criminal element does
not allow him enough time or mental bandwidth for close relationships.
Such relationships would distract him from his mission. Also, the loss of
his parents was so emotionally traumatic that Batman does not want to
be in a position to feel that loss again, and so he keeps most others at a
distance.
Having maintained this social distancing for many years, the character
has limited social skills. Outside the external formalities of public events
and appearances, Bruce Wayne usually feels awkward in private
personal encounters. He is comfortable only as Batman.
One might sum up Batman’s conflicting desires in these terms:
• His external (conscious) desire is to eradicate crime (particularly in
Gotham).
• His inner (unconscious) desire is never to stop fighting crime.
Batman’s desires are in conflict. If Batman actually eliminated crime,
he would have to stop being Batman, stop playing the difficult but
largely rewarding self-made role at which he excels. Instead, he’d be left
he would have to stop being Batman, stop playing the difficult but
largely rewarding self-made role at which he excels. Instead, he’d be left
as the civilian who was handed a fortune along with an inability to deal
with others.
In a way, the conflict is illogical since there is no way Batman,
however hardworking and efficient he was, could totally eradicate
crime. However, it may explain why Batman spends more time and
resources literally fighting criminals than trying to address the
conditions that help foster criminal activity.
The conflict between these two desires takes shape when Batman
occasionally tries to strike up a relationship with a woman. When he
does get involved with women (Catwoman, Talia al Ghūl), the women
are usually at least as damaged emotionally as Batman/Wayne is. These
relationships are therefore doomed. Also, his external desire leaves him
no time to learn how to have a “normal” healthy relationship.
Whether or not you agree with the specifics of this particular Batman
example, you can use it as a guide for how to figure out the conflict(s)
between the external and internal motivations of the characters you
write.
Two characters who share a similar external/conscious desire can be
quite disparate because of their differing inner/subconscious desires and
the resulting conflicts between their external and internal desires.
Characters who are the focus of long-running series usually evolve
over the years to reflect the times and the inclinations of the changing
creative and editorial personnel telling the tales.
Whether you are working on an established character or creating a
new one, figuring out the character’s conflicting desires will help make
the character more interesting. This also will help you generate a lot of
stories that consistently ring true for the character and the audience.
Batman/Bruce Wayne’s conflicting internal and external desires drive the character.
Script by Scott Snyder, art by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion.
WHAT ABOUT ROBIN?
If Batman is devoted to protecting the young, how do we explain his
teaming up with Robin? Perhaps, subconsciously, Batman
rationalizes that exposing a boy to danger on numerous crimefighting missions is more than balanced by the concept that if young
Bruce Wayne had possessed Robin’s abilities, he might have been
able to prevent his parents’ deaths.
Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.
Theme
Every comic book series and each story in a series should have a
unifying theme. A theme should be something more specific than
nebulous musings about “being human” or exploring “what freedom is”
or similar meanderings. A thematic statement is best. It should be one or
two sentences at most, and it should be a real statement. If a story works
on multiple levels, there can be more than one valid thematic statement.
Only one thematic statement is needed, however, to make sure all the
plot elements tie into it and unify the tale. Ideally, the theme will
contain a “primal” element, something about survival, freedom, love, or
another basic human need or desire.
Keeping in mind what was discussed earlier in this chapter about
Batman’s internal and external desires, the theme for a Batman series
might be: “Obsession for a never-ending mission will, out of necessity,
cause the obsessed to ‘shortchange’ other people in their lives (not be
readily available) and deny themselves the experiences, pleasurable and
otherwise, that most people experience during their lives.”
Batman was handed a fortune but no family. Alfred is a surrogate
father but also an employee. Batman has no role models for traditional
family structure or middle-class/lower-class financial values. In other
words, he is disconnected from the experiences shared by most others.
What would Batman do if there were no crime? Being obsessed allows
Batman to avoid some of the areas of civilian life with which he is not
comfortable.
In many ways, as Batman, he is a more balanced personality than he is
as Bruce Wayne. As Batman, he is an intellectual detective drawing on a
broad range of knowledge while also being an elite athlete who
incorporates cutting-edge technology into his work.
The original Watchmen series was a long and very complex tale with
multiple themes. I feel like living dangerously, so here is an attempt to
nail down one of the major thematic statements of the series:
Powerful authorities are
predisposed to hypocrisy
and corruption and in need
of controlling supervision
themselves—creating multiple
layers of supervision, confusion,
waste, and, ultimately, the
instability that most authority
strives to avoid. Or, as the Roman
poet Juvenal said: Quis custodiet
ipsos custodes? (Who watches
the watchmen?)
When working on a plot for a story, see if you can come up with one
or more thematic statements that all the story elements support. This
will help assure that the work will feel consistent and whole to the
reader.
Self-Contained and Serial Story Structure
A self-contained story is just that: a single tale meant to stand on its
own. A reader should be able to read that particular story and
experience a full and satisfying story arc.
Each issue in an ongoing or miniseries comic book title should have a
serial story structure. Ideally, each issue has its own arc while filling its
role in the overall arc of the series. Denny O’Neil (with Paul Levitz)
covers serial story structure in The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics.
Attracting and retaining new readers is vital to the future of the
comics business. With industry sales a fraction of what they were fifteen
years ago, it’s more important than ever to make each issue of a series a
satisfying and welcoming experience for a new reader even if the issue is
part of a larger, multi-issue story arc.
Comics creators should be careful not to assume that their readers
have years of series continuity in their heads. Even if a comics series
ultimately will be collected into a trade paperback, each issue of the
initial series should be structured to provide a satisfying experience for
readers, both new and returning.
Every issue, whenever characters, even iconic characters, are brought
“on stage,” they should be introduced by name through dialogue,
captions, signage, and the like. Their actions (including body language)
and speech should give clear indications of their personalities,
motivations, and short-term status quo. A visual introduction to their
powers should be made.
Every issue of a comic is someone’s first issue of that title and should
be structured to be welcoming to new readers as well as entertaining to
long-term readers.
If a new reader tries to sample an issue of an ongoing title that is not
structured to be a satisfying and informative experience on its own,
there is a good chance that that reader will feel alienated and not
continue with the series.
The Dark Knight’s comics embody themes that keep the character and his mission consistent across
multiple titles generated by a number of different creators.
Art by Alex Ross.
Letting the Story Write Itself
Some writers like to come up with a basic premise for a story and then
begin writing, assuming that the story will write itself and that a solid
ending will evolve along the way. Very few writers are able to pull this
off consistently. Many writers who think they can do it are fooling
themselves. Their stories often meander and/or the endings are
unsatisfying for the audience.
For many writers, before they write a first draft, it is important that
the initial story concept include a definite ending. As the writing
progresses and the story evolves, that ending may change. However,
there needs to be an end target to shoot for at the beginning or the story
may wander aimlessly. Think of a car trip: You want to drive from New
York City to San Francisco and plan to stop in Chicago and Denver along
the way. You map out and follow the most efficient route. On the road
west, you discover parks, museums, events, or other distractions. Even
though you didn’t originally plan to stop at these interesting places, it
was the route you were taking toward a planned destination that
exposed you to them. If you’d just gotten in the car and driven
haphazardly, you would not have found those particular points of
interest and they would not have had the same context within the
overall trip experience. It’s possible that in Denver you meet someone
who tells you how fantastic Monterey is. You decide to make Monterey
your final destination instead of San Francisco. It’s because you’d
planned to go to San Francisco to begin with that you found out that
you’d prefer to go to Monterey. Changing the ending of the story is okay
if it makes sense, but in most cases writers need to have an initial
destination in mind when they begin their journey in order to reach the
destination and make sure it stays in context with the rest of the story.
Most writers need to have a plot outlined before they begin writing the first draft of the script. That
outline should include an ending even if the writer later decides to change the ending.
Photo by E. Potts.
Writing Approach
Different writers have varying preferences for the way they approach
writing. Each writer needs to do what works best for him or her. That
said, be careful that what works best for you does not become an excuse
to take the easy way out or to follow the same comfortable route you’ve
traveled many times before. Do the preliminary work (work out a basic
plot or pitch, gather and absorb the research, etc.) before you hammer
away at the first draft.
After you have your story pitch, write the first draft from the gut
without obsessing about whether it conforms to a classic story arc
structure. Odds are, if you are familiar with classic structure
(instinctually or intellectually), you will be using a lot of that knowledge
subconsciously as you write anyway.
What you don’t want to do at this stage in the writing process is get
robotic about hitting each plot point in a classic arc. Doing this may
result in a dry, mechanical script and inhibit some of your inventional
impulses. It also may prevent you from coming up with something
valuable because the idea didn’t initially fit into a strict structure model.
WRITER’S PROCESS
Here’s a step-by-step approach that works well for some writers:
• Before beginning work on the script, draft a rough story outline that
includes a specific conclusion.
• Do any needed research and make notes.
• Write the first draft of the script from your gut. If the story veers
somewhat from the outline, explore the new direction. You can always
go back later and try a draft in which you stick to the original outline.
• When you finish the first draft, match the major plot elements in the
script with one or more of the classic story structure models and see
where your story departs from the model.*
• Wherever your story departs from the classic arc model, ask yourself as
honestly as possible if the story would be better if it was altered to be
more in line with the classic model—or if your initial approach is the
best way to tell the story in the most compelling and creatively
best way to tell the story in the most compelling and creatively
satisfying manner. Usually, the former will be the case. However, once
in a while, it is not. You may come up with an inventional story
structure variation that tells your particular story in a more compelling
way than the more traditional story structure could. A major
consideration here is whether you are writing solely for your own
satisfaction and expression or writing to grab the attention of a larger
audience.
* When working on serial stories, the structure will be altered somewhat from that used for a stand-alone work. See
Dennis O’Neil and Paul Levitz’s comments on serial story structure in The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics.
FOR MORE ON STORY STRUCTURE AND WRITING,
CHECK OUT …
The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher
Vogler (Michael Wiese Productions)
Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
by Robert McKee (ReganBooks)
The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by Dennis O’Neil (WatsonGuptill)
Adventure, Mystery, and Romance by John G. Cawelti (University of
Chicago Press)
CLASSIC STORY ARC SIMPLIFIED
Based on author, lecturer, and Hollywood story consultant
Christopher Vogler’s work, here is a simplified version of a classic arc:
• The story begins in the protagonist’s ordinary world.
• The protagonist receives a call to adventure.
• Often, the protagonist initially refuses the call.
• Sometimes the protagonist meets a mentor who helps convince the
protagonist to do the right thing.
• The protagonist crosses a threshold of some sort and enters a
special world.
• In the special world, the protagonist encounters tests, allies, and
enemies.
• The protagonist (and allies) approach the major challenge in the
special world.
• An ordeal is experienced by the protagonist where he/she faces
death on some level.
• After successfully dealing with the ordeal, the protagonist takes
possession of a reward of some sort (saved a life, gained key
information, destroyed enemy’s resources, etc.). However, the
danger of losing the reward still exists.
• In the road back to bring the reward to the ordinary world, the
protagonist is often chased and in great danger.
• When about to cross the threshold to return home, the protagonist
is once again severely tested. He/she has a closer brush with death
and is changed or experiences a resurrection on some level.
• Having been transformed by the experience, the protagonist returns
home with the elixir or the reward.
Reprinted with permission by Michael Wiese Productions
The Writer’s Journey, 3rd edition, copyright © 2007 by Christopher Vogler, www.mwp.com
CHAPTER TEN
ART: DRAWING for VISUAL STORYTELLING
The second and third books in this series, The DC Comics Guide
to Pencilling Comics and The DC Guide to Inking Comics, both by
Klaus Janson, are great resources for comics artists. Not only is
Janson a highly respected veteran of the comics business with
credits on many major projects, he has taught students at New
York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts for many years. My
goal in this chapter is to complement and expand on the
information in Janson’s books.
Drawing Ability
Any art meant for consumer viewing that is not well drawn can
negatively affect the reader’s experience.
Whether the work is a humor story told in a “cartoony” style or an
interpersonal drama drawn in a representational style, the reader of the
work needs to be able to identify all characters, environments, and
objects immediately. If the drawing is weak and readers keep being
pulled out of the story experience to try to figure out what they are
viewing, the comics creator has failed in the mission to keep them
immersed in the narrative.
If a well-drawn man is next to a very poorly drawn car, the difference
in drawing levels will catch the attention of many readers, distracting
them from the flow of the story. Also, artists who rely on a lot of photo
reference need to have enough drawing ability to make sure all the
photo-referenced art meshes well with the unreferenced drawings. The
art must display a consistent level of drawing knowledge, detail, and
rendering.
A comics artist has to be more versatile than just about any other
category of visual artist. Most fine artists and commercial artists
specialize in one subject or a few subjects. They concentrate on portraits
or still-life subjects, landscapes, product shots, and so forth.
A good comics artist has to be able to draw anything real or imagined
with the same high level of convincingness.
An exercise that prompts artists to tackle and conquer difficult
subjects begins when they generate a list of the objects they tend to
avoid drawing. The lists usually consist of objects they do not enjoy
drawing because of deficiencies in their current drawing skills. Often,
the lists include animals of various types, vehicles, and complex scenes
of buildings in perspective. The artists then tackle each item on the list,
drawing it from different angles. The feeling of accomplishment after
conquering a formerly avoided subject is fantastic. Sometimes, a subject
that artists used to avoid becomes a specialty that they eagerly look
forward to drawing.
Early in my career as an artist, I did not pay enough attention to
exterior settings, whether they were urban or rural. If a panel called for
buildings or foliage in the background, I’d either make them up (not
very convincingly) or find a photo reference from which to work. Little
thought was given to the nature, age, and mood of the buildings or the
types of trees. I then had the good fortune to be asked to ink several
issues of a series Kevin Nowlan pencilled. Kevin’s pencils were very tight
and well drawn. I learned a lot by inking his pages. One of the many
things Kevin did well was give the urban buildings in the story a lot of
character. The slum buildings were slightly “out of square” (the
perspective was purposely off a bit), bricks were chipped, walls sagged,
and the awnings were tattered. The decaying buildings cast foreboding
shadows. When the scenes shifted to the modern sections of the city, all
the buildings were straight, shining beacons of steel, masonry, and glass,
very different in feel from the slums. Inking Nowlan’s work inspired me
to think about settings more as characters.
STORYTELLING LAYOUTS BY NONARTISTS
To produce rough visual storytelling layouts, comics creators do not
have to be highly polished artists. It’s fairly rare, but sometimes, with
the approval of their collaborators, writers will do thumbnail
breakdowns of the story to accompany the script or plot. As long as
the writer can generate recognizable environments and characters
(even as labeled stick figures) and has a knack for creating strong
visual narratives, he or she can create roughs from which more
polished artists can produce the finished art.
The Nature of Line
Most comic art is rendered in line. What do our lines represent?
In Successful Drawing, the renowned illustrator, teacher, and author
Andrew Loomis says, “The eye perceives form much more readily by
contour or edge than by … modeling. Yet there is really no outline on
form; rather, there is a silhouette of contour, encompassing as much of
the form as we can see from a single viewpoint. We must out of necessity
limit that form in some way. So we draw a line—an outline.”
Line also is used to render forms within the outline of the figure,
representing texture and shading on forms.
Line often is used decoratively as well.
Often, to the nonartist, the art that looks like it has the simplest or the
least line work looks less impressive than art rendered with lots of lines.
However, the lower the number of lines an artist uses, the more
important each line becomes. This is because much more information
has to be transmitted to the viewer through each line when there are
fewer of them. Artists such as Alex Toth were masters of conveying lots
of drawing knowledge and information with relatively few lines.
In this moody Batman illustration, Jim Lee uses the buildings of Gotham almost as characters,
reinforcing the mood of the protagonist.
Drawing Style
Ideally, an artist’s drawing style should consist of the design and
rendering approach he or she chooses that best fits a particular project.
For many artists, however, drawing style is in part composed of tricks
they use to get around their drawing weaknesses. Sometimes these
“cheats” consist of a highly detailed or “busy” surface rendering style
that, ironically, represents an attempt to camouflage or disguise their
weak knowledge of anatomy and/or drapery. Sometimes artists will use
a lot of black areas in their art, not to create mood so much as to cover
up areas they don’t feel comfortable drawing.
Artists with strong drawing knowledge can use intense detail and/or
lots of black in their work to great advantage since they are using these
techniques on the basis of knowledge and not to cover up weaknesses.
Examples of artists with very strong drawing skills who have a busy
surface style or who use a lot of black areas include Art Adams and Mike
Mignola, respectively.
No matter what style or styles artists use, they should endeavor to
gain as much drawing knowledge as they can so that their style is
informed by knowledge and not used as a smoke screen to cover up lack
of knowledge.
FOR MORE ON COMICS ART AND DRAWING, CHECK
OUT …
For drawing comics specifically:
The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics by Klaus Janson
(Watson-Guptill)
The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics by Klaus Janson
(Watson-Guptill)
The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics by Freddie
Williams II (Watson-Guptill)
For drawing in general:
The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty
Edwards (Tarcher)
Successful Drawing by Andrew Loomis (Titan Books)
To draw effectively with fewer and “simpler” lines takes as much or more drawing knowledge as
drawing convincingly using detailed rendering. Here you can see examples by masters of both
approaches.
Art on top by Alex Toth. Art on bottom by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.
An intimate knowledge of drawing underlies Art Adams’s highly detailed style.
WHY COPYING SOMEONE ELSE’S ART FOR PRACTICE
IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD
The fact that surface style is partially an attempt to cover up drawing
deficiencies is one of the many reasons copying another artist’s
drawing style can be problematic. Inexperienced artists tend to
emulate the surface style of the artist they are copying, amplifying
both artists’ drawing weaknesses.
There are certainly a lot of things you can learn by observing the
work of others, emulating another artist’s approach to drawing, and
even doing some copying.
As a general rule, the best a comics creator can be when copying
the style or actual drawings of another artist is a second-rate version
of the artist being copied. Artists who abandon copying the surface
style of another artist to beef up their skills and forge their own
creative path have a chance to surpass their idol’s accomplishments.
Sometimes, as a training exercise, it helps to copy the ways others
have simplified complex figures or objects, rendered various textures,
or composed visual elements using methods that are new to the lessaccomplished artist. When copying the work of another artist as a
learning exercise, comics creators need to make sure that they:
• Pick the work of artists with real drawing knowledge.
• Study how faces, figures, animals, buildings, or vehicles are
constructed, lit, and rendered so they can draw (pun intended)
upon that knowledge later without the need to copy.
Mike Mignola’s use of black as a design and storytelling tool requires a high level of drawing ability.
Drawing Exercises
Drawing exercises can improve drawing knowledge. Here are a couple of
them:
• Make a list of all the subjects the artist normally avoids drawing. Every
week, the artist tackles one of those subjects, drawing it from a variety
of angles until he or she gets comfortable drawing the subject.
• At least a few times a week, the artist picks a different subject (person,
landscape, household object—whatever) and draws that subject in at
least five totally different styles and/or media. The styles might
include:
– Dry brush
– Blind contour drawing (aka leading-edge contour drawing)
– Charcoal or Conté
– Pen and ink
– High contrast
– Sculpture (clay or similar malleable medium): Sculpting is a key part
of this exercise. Artists sometimes get comfortable drawing a subject
from a certain angle and under specific lighting conditions. By
sculpting a human figure, artists can:
+ Learn where their drawing knowledge is weak and needs beefing
up. (Artists can’t cover up their knowledge gaps as easily on a 3D
sculpture as they can by using rendering styles on a 2D drawing.)
+ Learn how the figure looks from all angles, including the angles
the artist consciously or unconsciously avoids when drawing. This
expands the number of angles the artist will feel comfortable
drawing the figure from in the future.
+ Upgrade the ciphers for “objective reality” that artists program
their brains with so that they can draw from “out of their heads”
(without reference) more convincingly.
+ See how the subject looks under a variety of lighting conditions.
Style Suitability
Sometimes our initial assumptions about which art styles are or are
not suited to which subjects can be overly limiting. Before Art
Spiegelman’s groundbreaking graphic novel Maus was published, if I
had been told that he was doing a serious story about the Holocaust
in a cartoony art style with mice and cats in place of humans, I would
have been skeptical, to say the least.
Maus, however, turned out to be an amazing and successful work
of comic art that appealed to a much wider audience than do most
comics or graphic novel projects.
Drawing the same subject in a variety of styles can help artists break out of their default rendering
approach. Here, a photo of John F. Kennedy was rendered in pen and ink cross-hatching, blind
contour line, and high contrast.
Negative Space
Negative space is the part of the visual in a panel that is outside and
between the main areas of focus. It can be open, unoccupied space or
large areas of white or black space, but it is often part of an object (such
as a wall) that is cropped and lit in a way that draws attention to the
areas of positive space instead of to itself.
Negative space gives the eye relief from the clutter of too much positive space and when used
properly can help direct the eye to the most important part of the panel.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Many new artists tend to fill all of the panel and page space they can
with objects and line work. Designing panels and pages with negative
space can give the reader’s eye some relief, focus the reader on the
important positive space areas, and make life a bit easier for the artist.
Artists need to make sure that they do not use negative space as a
crutch to get out of drawing objects necessary to establish a scene or
crutch to get out of drawing objects necessary to establish a scene or
propel the story forward. Comics artists should make a conscious effort
to use negative space in support of their visual storytelling.
When a would-be comics artist shows me work that consistently lacks
negative space, I’ll draw an empty horizontal rectangular panel and ask
him/her to sketch “a man sitting in a room being lonely.” The majority
of the time, the artist will sketch a figure that is dead center in the
frame. Usually, that figure will fill much of the panel.
Using the basic pose the artist sketched, I’ll draw the same rectangular
frame, reduce the size of the figure and push it off to one corner of the
panel. Just reducing the size of the figure helps impart a feeling of
loneliness. The negative space adds to the sense of isolation.
Doing this exercise helps illustrate (pun intended) how utilizing
negative space is not only pleasing from a design standpoint, it can play
a huge role in the storytelling.
The slumping figure is off to the side in an asymmetrical design with the wall and floor creating a lot
of isolating negative space. Even with the inclusion of the bed, window, and mirror, the design leaves
a lot of “open” space. The wall and floor perspective lines also lead the eye to focus on the figure.
Spotting Blacks
The pattern of black areas in a panel or on a page should make an
interesting pattern that also helps steer the eye to the main subject areas.
Arranging these black areas is referred to as spotting blacks.
Artists can easily check how the pattern of black areas on a page they
are working on will look. By putting a piece of tracing paper or vellum
over the work in progress and using a thick black marker to fill in all the
anticipated black areas, an artist can plan black area patterns for the
page. If the resulting pattern isn’t pleasing or functional, the artist can
redo them without harming the layout or the original art. If artists are
working digitally, they can add a new transparent layer to the art file
and fill in the black areas on that new layer to see how they work.
Sometimes, if some of the negative space in a panel is black, the black
areas may overlap some or all of the panel’s negative space.
Placing a vellum or tracing paper overlay on a page rough and using thick markers is a great way to
test out possible black patterns for the page. If working digitally, the artist can test out black areas on
a separate layer.
Depth of Field
In most cases, artists should clearly define the foreground, middle
ground, and background planes to create a feeling of dimensional depth.
They can use:
• Tonal or color contrast
• Atmospheric blur
• Differences in outline contour thickness and/or in level of detail
• A combination of these techniques
Tonal or Color Contrast
The foreground consists of dark cool colors. As you go farther into the background, the colors get
increasingly warmer and lighter.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Atmospheric Blur
Adding an atmospheric blur or haze over the background contributes to the sense of distance.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Outline Contour Thickness and Level of Detail
Using a thicker outer contour line on objects in the foreground helps pop these objects forward. To
make objects in the background appear farther away, try reducing the thickness and/or tone of the
lines. Reducing the level of detail on objects in the background also helps create a sense of depth.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Combination
Often combinations of these techniques are used.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
There are times when artists may purposely want to meld or flatten
the foreground, middle ground, and background planes.
Batman is a “creature of the night” and often uses his dark costume to blend into Gotham City’s
nocturnal urban environment. To show this, artists sometimes purposely meld the foreground,
middle ground, and background planes.
Art by Jorge Zaffino.
Tangents
A tangent occurs when the edges of two or more objects in a panel just
touch or are so close that they are almost touching.
It is better to have objects either overlap significantly (which can help
create a feeling of depth) or separate them so that there is a significant
distance between them.
Tangents are visually awkward areas where the edges of objects just touch or almost touch. Here, the
top of Batman’s cowl ears touch the line of the roof in the background. The angle of Batman’s ears
also matches the edge of the roofline. Additionally, Catwoman’s heel just touches the outer edge of
the roof line.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Many comics creators are a bit blind to the tangents in their own
work. However, they can spot tangents readily in the work of others.
Therefore, artists can help one another by checking each other’s work for
tangents. Holding the work up to a mirror or flopping the image by
using imaging software also helps an artist spot tangents and other
drawing issues.
Through overlapping and/or separation, you can eliminate awkward tangents.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Cropping Figures
As a general rule, when you are cropping a figure, strive to avoid
cropping at a major body joint. It looks awkward when an arm is
cropped at the shoulder, elbow, or wrist or when a figure is cropped at
the waist or neck.
Cropping a figure at major joints (shoulder, neck, elbows, waist, knees, wrists, and ankles) creates an
awkward look.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
It usually looks better when the figure is cropped between major
joints. Why it looks awkward or unsettling for a figure to be cropped at a
major joint is unclear. The reason may well be more psychological than
aesthetic.
When cropping a figure, do so between major joints of the body. In this example, the figure’s arm is
cropped between elbow and wrist and the leg is cropped between knee and ankle.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Design Balance
The two main terms describing the way subjects are arranged or
balanced within a picture are symmetrical and asymmetrical.
Symmetrical balance occurs when all the objects/positive spaces are in
the middle of the panel or are evenly distributed throughout the picture.
Asymmetrical balance occurs when objects/positive spaces are
distributed off center and/or unevenly within the panel.
Symmetrical balance: All visual elements are evenly distributed throughout the frame.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Asymmetrical balance: The visual elements are unevenly distributed throughout the frame.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
UNDERSTANDING BALANCE
Symmetrical designs often impart a feeling of formality, stiffness, or
solemnity. Asymmetrical design can impart a wide range of feelings.
To grasp the concept of design balance, it helps to have a literal
interpretation of the term balance.
Imagine the bottom of the picture frame as the surface of a seesaw or teeter-totter with a fulcrum
under the middle
Now imagine that all the positive space objects within the panel fall to the bottom of the panel,
pushing their relative sizes and weights down on the teeter-totter.
Keep in mind that the farther away from the center/fulcrum that an object is, the more downward
pressure it will exert on the teeter-totter.
In this case, the seesaw in the panel above remains balanced since all the positive elements are
evenly distributed. The seesaw in the panel to the left tips to one side, meaning that it has
asymmetrical design.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
You can counterbalance a large object near the center of frame with
smaller objects positioned farther to the opposite side of the frame.
The same-size object, when placed slightly off center of the fulcrum, does not exert as much
immediate downward pressure on the seesaw as does the same object placed far out to the side on
the end of the seesaw.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
As a result of leverage on the seesaw’s fulcrum, the big heavy helicopter, placed slightly off center,
would theoretically be balanced by Batman standing on the far opposite end of the seesaw.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Balanced Asymmetrical Design
There is a subcategory to asymmetrical design: the seemingly
oxymoronic balanced asymmetrical design. Balanced asymmetrical design
occurs when the positive space elements are arranged unevenly
throughout the frame but would still balance out the seesaw because of
the way the various object sizes are placed in relation to the fulcrum. As
noted above, the farther away from the fulcrum an object is, the more
downward leverage it has. Thus, a large object close to the fulcrum can
be balanced out by smaller objects that are farther away from the
fulcrum.
The medium and smaller visual elements, when placed far to one side, can balance a large element
that is slightly off center of the seesaw’s fulcrum. When an artist is doing early panel design sketches,
breaking the visual elements down to different-size geometric forms can make the balancing act
easier.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
DESIGN BALANCE VARIETY
Comics artists should incorporate a variety of design balances in a
story so that the work doesn’t fall into a visual rut. Also, artists can
use the different types of balance to add emphasis and aid
storytelling. For example, artists may use a series of balanced panels,
but when the characters reach an upsetting conclusion, the artists
switch to an asymmetrical design to emphasize the mood. Or the
artists may introduce a scene of a dictator’s rally with stark symmetry
and show a ragtag group of heroes going up against the dictator in
asymmetrically designed panels.
The Rule of Thirds
For many centuries, there have been theories on how to divide space in
the most aesthetically pleasing way. Since at least the time of ancient
Greece, the golden section (aka golden ratio) has been touted as an ideal
to strive for.
Loosely related to the golden section and easier to understand is the
rule of thirds. As Marcos Mateu-Mestre notes in his excellent book Framed
Ink, dividing the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically shows
the strong compositional points for placing subjects within the frame.
The crop tool in recent versions of Adobe’s Photoshop shows the
divisions by thirds as users adjust the selected area to be retained after
the crop.
A golden rectangle can be cut into a square and a smaller rectangle with the same aspect ratio
(proportional relationship between width and height).
After dividing the frame into horizontal and vertical thirds, try placing one or more characters or
major objects of focus where (or near where) the lines intersect. This can help create strong
compositions.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
The lines in Photoshop’s crop tool that divide the image into thirds horizontally and vertically help
the user easily crop the art in a way that places the major visual elements at the intersections if so
desired.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Facing Pages
In the West, when readers open a comic in which two story pages are
viewable simultaneously, they generally read the pages in the correct
order, processing the page on the left before moving to the page on the
right.
However, a reader’s peripheral vision may pick up information from
the right page as he or she reads the left page. Therefore, some comics
creators may wish to move major plot twists, big reveals, or other visual
surprises from the latter part of a page on the right side to the next page.
This will prevent that visual information from being picked up by the
readers until they turn the page.
It is not always possible for artists to tell for sure which pages in a
story will face each other. Some comics have scattered advertising,
promotion, public service, and letters pages. The placement of these
nonstory pages is often not in the artist’s control, and their position in
the comic may not remain consistent from issue to issue.
Most facing pages are meant to be read individually, left page first and then the right page. Good
page design makes sure the reader’s eye path is intuitive.
Script by Scott Snyder, art by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion.
Double-Page Spreads
Occasionally, a story may call for a double-page spread where the two
facing pages are designed to be one large page. This requires that the
artist check with his or her editor to make absolutely sure that the facing
pages needed for the double-page spread will indeed be facing each
other.
Some double-page spreads consist of one giant panel that spans both
pages.
Other double-page spreads contain multiple panels.
This two-page Justice League spread with art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams is one large panel,
creating a big impact on the reader.
This two-page spread with art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams, also from Justice League, creates a big
impact while containing multiple panels.
Bleed Pages
A bleed is where the art extends to the very edge of the page instead of
being contained in the frame that normally is recessed in from the page’s
edge.
The bottom panel art runs, or bleeds, off the printed page on the bottom and sides.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Like most special effects, bleed pages can be overused. When they are
used too often, the specialness and emphasis that a bleed lends to a
panel or a page is lessened; it becomes the rule instead of the exception.
Another problem occurs when facing pages bleed into each other in a
way that confuses the reader’s eye path. Readers may have to stop
momentarily to decide if the artist is trying to lead them across both
pages as though they are one giant page or if each page should be read
individually in the customary way.
If individual facing pages both have bleed art that meets in the middle of the spread, each page
should have its own distinctive color scheme and panel layout. Otherwise, as is the case with the top
panels in this example, readers may have to stop momentarily to decide if they should read across
both pages or if each page should be read individually.
Script by Geoff Johns, art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.
Caption and Balloon Placement
Coloring and lettering greatly affect mood, characterization, and
storytelling. Read Mark Chiarello and Todd Klein’s The DC Comics Guide
to Coloring and Lettering Comics for a lot of in-depth information on these
topics.
There are two main approaches for placing copy elements in a panel.
The first approach butts copy up against panel borders:
Some creators prefer that captions and balloons be pushed up against panel borders to preserve as
much of the panel’s real estate for the art as possible.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
The second approach recesses copy away from panel borders:
Other creators like having captions and balloons “floating” in from the borders, surrounding the copy
elements with the art or color within the panel. The theory here is that recessing allows the reader’s
eyes to fill in the copy areas with the surrounding art when the reader is not actively reading the copy.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
When balloons and captions are butted up against a panel border, in effect, they become part of the
border, creating an odd-shaped frame for the panel’s visual content.
Recessing balloons and captions in a little from the panel border maintains the panel border’s
original clean rectangular shape.
The caption and balloon placement approach a creator uses can affect
the “frame” format of a panel.
There is no right or wrong approach. It’s a matter of personal aesthetic
taste. Comics creators should consciously decide on the copy placement
style they want to use instead of placing copy haphazardly.
ICONS AND SYMBOLS
Symbols and icons juxtaposed with the art and/or words in a panel can
add another layer of meaning.
Emanata is a term used to describe marks or icons that express a
thought, emotion, or action. Sometimes they are contained in a balloon,
but often they hover near a character without a balloon or other
containment.
Emanata juxtaposed with a visual can impart a distinct feeling.
Composed using art assets from DC Comics Style Guides.
Art by Whilce Portacio and Richard Friend.
PART FOUR
PUTTING IT ALL
into PRACTICE
New comics artists are often unsure how to take a script and turn it into
a comic. There are many decisions to be made on what visual
information to show and how best to show it. Confusion and frustration
can result.
Having a clear methodology can help alleviate that frustration and
streamline the process.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A STEP-by-STEP
PROCESS for ARTISTS
Okay, roll up your sleeves, grab a pencil, and get ready to learn
the process for turning a script or a plot into a comic.
Working from a Full Script
When working from a full script, the number of story pages, the number
of panels per page, and descriptions of the visuals contained in each
panel are spelled out for the artist.
Sometimes the artist will envision changes to the story or feel that
rearranging the pacing will improve the project. The artist should get
approval from his or her editor or collaborators before making changes.
When working on the storytelling layouts from a full script, the main
compositional decisions an artist will have to make include:
• Angles, layout, dynamics, depth of field, and so on
• Where to provide room for lettering, along with some aspects of the
juxtaposition of visuals and copy
• Relative emphasis of the panels and their content on each page
• Pacing, primarily through panel sizes and shapes since the panel count
per page already has been decided by the writer
• Panel design balance, negative space, primary/secondary focus, black
patterns
Though many, but not all, of the creative decisions will have been
made for the artist by the scripter, the comics artist will still have to
execute—to draw the story.
Working from a Plot
When working from a plot or from a hybrid between a plot and a script,
artists have a lot more input into the story, its execution, and its
presentation than they do when working from a full script.
Remember, when working from a plot, the artist will be making the
decisions on what visuals to encapsulate and show the audience as well
as what visuals to leave out.
Step-by-Step Method for Artists
The following step-by-step methodology may be helpful when an artist is
working from a plot or a loose script. It highlights many of the decisions
that artists have to make. These decisions and the resulting creative
executions determine how the audience experiences the story. Remember,
the ultimate goal of the visual storyteller is to keep the audience
immersed in the story.
• Read the plot thoroughly:
– Make notes of any questions you might have about the story.
– Highlight all information that can/should be shown visually. (Look
for the nouns and verbs!)
– If initial ideas for visuals hit you, do small, simple thumbnail
sketches.
• If needed, communicate with the collaborator/editor to get responses
to any questions you have about the story.
• Write story page numbers on the plot, roughly figuring out how much
of the previously highlighted information can comfortably fit on each
page of the comic. If you haven’t used up all the pages allowed for the
job, go back and decide what story elements you want to give more
space to. If you run out of pages to work with before the entire story is
accounted for, figure out which story elements can be combined,
edited down, or cut altogether.
• Do a second reading of the plot:
– If you did not do so upon the first reading, draw thumbnail sketches
of ideas for any visuals that pop into your head, including ideas for
panel arrangements on the pages, scenes, and character poses.
– Note any visual reference you’ll need to research.
• Identify the key visuals that each sequence will need to propel the story
forward.
• Draw rough page schematics (empty panel arrangements) indicating
how many panels each scene will need per page:
– Remember that at or very near the beginning of each scene, there
should be an establishing scene.
– When a character is introduced for the first time in the issue, include
a full-figure shot of that character. If possible within the context of
the story, try to introduce characters actively to establish their
personalities, moods, and abilities visually. Also, soon after a
character comes on stage, include a close-up.
– Identify information that needs to be visually established or set up
earlier in the story so that it can play a larger part later in the tale.
– That way, when you are through examining the script, you can
revisit the sketches and decide how viable those initial visual
thoughts were.
• Draw thumbnails of ideas for panel contents on the basis of the visual
information that was highlighted earlier.
• Arrange the panel thumbnails to compose pages that are based on the
page schematics:
– Adjust where needed to make page design and eye flow work.
– Work out where captions, word balloons, and all other lettering will
go, making sure all will be intuitively read in the correct order.
• Look up needed visual reference.
• Design characters and setting environments, if needed.
• Create page roughs for each story page on 8 ½-inch × 11-inch paper.
• Do finished pencilled art on a full-sized art board or on the computer.
THUMBNAILING
As they read a prose novel, screenplay, or comic book script, most
artists generate mental visuals—they can’t help it! As they read a
script or plot, comics artists often draw very simple thumbnails (small
rough sketches) to make a record of these initial mental visuals. The
sketches can be in the margins of the plot/script or on a separate
sheet of paper.
Thumbnailing is a form of brainstorming. As with all forms of
brainstorming, many of the initial ideas may not prove useful to the
story for various reasons (e.g., poor design, wrong angle, too clichéd).
However, some of the nonuseful thumbnailed ideas may act as
springboards, spawning other ideas that could be more helpful.
REFINING THE ROUGHS
After working out the initial visual storytelling on page roughs and
before moving on to drawing finished pencils on full-size art boards,
artists should review the roughs to make sure that they:
• Selected the best angle, eye-level height, and distance for each shot to
convey accurately the visual info to move the plot forward, show
action clearly, and indicate the mood (happy, sad, ironic, suspenseful,
horrified, humorous, etc.).
• Clearly established the cast of characters and the environments and
reestablished them when they were reintroduced after being offstage
for a while.
• Kept the focus of each panel/page on the primary information and/or
action while including elements that are lower on the scale of
immediate importance.
• Maintained consistency of established visual information (didn’t
contradict or ignore established environments).
• Created the right story pacing by using internal panel composition
along with the size, shape, and/or number of panels in each sequence.
• Used an interesting variety of design balances, compositions, black
patterns, and open/negative space.
patterns, and open/negative space.
• Established and maintained action flow continuity.
• Left appropriate and well-designed room for titles, word balloons,
captions, sound effects, credits, and other lettering.
• Effectively used a design metaphor or visual theme (if one was used).
• Did not create awkward tangents or crops.
ESTABLISHING-SCENE BASICS
Remember the basics for establishing a scene:
• Usually requires a long shot.
• Establish the cast in full figure.
• Make clear where everyone and everything is in relation to each
other.
• Set up the scene so that subsequent panels will be able to maintain
action flow continuity within the established environment.
• Sometimes have two shots: one exterior showing a dwelling and its
surroundings and then an interior shot where most of the sequence
will take place.
Doing page roughs on 8½-inch x 11-inch paper is easier when each sheet has a page border with
margins wide enough to show bleeds, and on which standard panel border dividers have been
indicated. Draw one up and use a copy machine to print as many as you’ll need.
Photo by E. Potts.
TRANSFERRING FROM PAGE ROUGHS TO BOARDS
There are several ways in which an artist can transfer the page roughs
onto the full-size art board to produce the finished pencil drawings
for a page. The artist can:
• Replicate the page roughs by drawing them freehand onto the fullsize board.
• Blow up the page roughs in a copier so that the main art area is 10
inches x 15 inches, and then light-box the roughs onto the full-size
art board.
• Use an opaque projector to cast an enlarged image of the roughs
onto the full-size board for the artist to trace from.
• Scan the page roughs into a computer and draw finished art in
layers on top of the roughs using Photoshop, Manga Studio, or
other graphics software.
As artists grow in experience and confidence, they can begin to skip
the page-rough stage, jumping from the thumbnail stage to working on
the full-size finished art. Some experienced comics creators can mentally
image and organize so well that they can go from reading the plot to
immediately drawing on the full-size art boards with great results.
Others prefer the more methodical staged approach outlined on this
page.
For sketching thumbnails, this arrangement of four pages on a single sheet of 8½-inch x 11-inch
paper is handy.
For those who prefer doing larger thumbnails or who like to work their way up from small
thumbnails, to larger layouts, to full-size finished art, this single-page template on an 8½-inch x 11inch sheet is very helpful.
CHAPTER TWELVE
WATCHING the PROS WORK
In this chapter, three highly accomplished comic book artists
have drawn the same three-page sequence, showing how
personal and different each artist’s work can be while
observing the same principles of strong visual storytelling. At
the end of this chapter, I have also included my interpretation
of the sequence.
See how each artist transforms a page of words into dynamic visual
storytelling.
The Artists
• Whilce Portacio
• Bill Reinhold
• Phil Jimenez
From Script
To Art
The artists’ work includes their comments on the decisions they made,
including if, when, and why they felt that a goal they were going for
required that they do something outside the general storytelling
principles and techniques outlined in this book.
Here is the three-page plot from which all the artists worked.
Examine and learn from the similarities and the differences among the
various artists’ interpretations of this plot.
Whilce Portacio Version
Whilce Portacio was born in the Philippines and spent time in Hawaii,
Midway Island, and New Mexico before settling in the San Diego area.
Breaking into comics’ professional ranks in 1984, Whilce began inking
over the pencils of Frank Cirocco, Chris Warner, and Art Adams at
Marvel. His first professional pencilling work was on a short sequence
contained in the first issue of Strikeforce: Morituri. After that, he received
a series of increasingly high-profile assignments at Marvel, including The
Punisher, X-Factor, and The Uncanny X-Men, becoming one of the most
popular comics creators in the process.
As one of the founders of Image Comics, Whilce created and produced
Wetworks and several other titles for that imprint.
More recently, he has drawn highly successful runs for various Batman
projects, Spawn, Journey into Mystery, and The Incredible Hulk.
He currently is working on a new creator-owned title, Non-Humans.
WHILCE PORTACIO’S COMMENTS
The first thing I do is read the whole plot from a reader’s point of view
just to enjoy the story. I do this to get a feel for what basic emotion(s)
the writer may want to convey with the story.
When I read it the second time, I go slowly and carefully, as an artist,
to see how I want to visualize the written story. I mentally visualize the
images I want to draw. Generally, if I can easily “see” a story in my head
as I read, it means there will be ample room on the page to visualize it.
Of course this is the perfect situation. In most cases, however, there will
be some scenes, sometimes whole plots, which will require a lot of
panels to convey the action properly.
Instead of sketching small layouts, I like to do my roughs on the fullsized original art board. That way I get an exact feel for how I am filling
the page. During this first pencil on paper stage, I am less interested in
the flow of the page than I am in working out the correct number of
panels needed to convey the action that the story calls for. For me,
visually conveying clear action is more important than flow on the page.
I am confident that if I later feel there is a major “flow” problem, I can
fix it by reworking the composition of that panel.
My first attempt at laying out the story is based on instinct and
My first attempt at laying out the story is based on instinct and
concentrates on making the action clear. I read the scene description and
ask myself what panels are needed to tell the action. Even at this stage I
try to think of which actions are truly necessary to show and which can
be pushed to the background—or which we can do without. At every
stage of this layout process I strive to identify the actions that I can edit
out and still have the story remain clear. This, hopefully, allows me to
have the maximum space to draw the story I want.
Page 1
It is quickly evident there is a tremendous amount of action and
background detail in this plot. I go into editing mode and try to squeeze
action together. This is especially the case on the last two pages, where
there is so much action that I fear losing any emotional grip on the
reader because every panel must be so small and technical (interaction
of cars, trucks, and buildings). So there are very few panels of our hero
as he struggles to save the day. Since the first page is relatively simple, I
try to get in my big shots of the hero there in case I won’t have space
later.
Page 2
Page 3
As I get into the last two pages, I see there is very little space to have
panels that cut back to our hero. I keep this in the back of my mind. At
this point the clearness of action is the top priority.
Invariably I end up with pages containing panels of similar size. This
can be remedied in the next stage. Now that all the action is on the page,
I can clearly see where I need to adjust my layouts.
Next, I take the layouts into Photoshop since it’s faster to edit and shift
panels digitally than to redraw everything by hand. (Deadline, deadline
—always in the back of the mind.) I add emotional feeling and alter the
panels digitally than to redraw everything by hand. (Deadline, deadline
—always in the back of the mind.) I add emotional feeling and alter the
pacing by adjusting panel size and composition and, in some cases,
combining two panels into one.
Overall I am happy with the layouts. There wasn’t as much of a
squeeze for space as I anticipated, but I am worried about two points:
1. There is little room to make the story personal by showing Batman in
the last two pages.
2. The end panels are very small, giving them very little significance as a
resolution.
Now I must look over the layouts and try to reclaim some space to
remedy these two points.
PAGE 1 ADJUSTMENTS
Panel 1: The plot asks for a lot to be established here. The best way to
try to handle the required elements is to distribute them on different
visual layers. The order of priority is:
• Batman and Gordon
• The policemen/cars
• The fuel truck
Notice that I draw one boarding gate in full in the far background and
then suggest other gates by showing just parts of them. I also don’t need
to clearly show three police cars.
Panel 2: This is a typical establishing shot of an airport tower and
airplane on approach. I keep in mind the need to compose the panels in
a way that allows space for the writer to add captions and/or dialogue
balloons. If I leave little room to add captions or balloons, the copy may
end up covering important parts of the drawing.
Panel 3: Knowing I will have precious little space to show Batman, I
choose to insert his and Gordon’s faces here in an unconventional way. It
makes them stand out and therefore hopefully gives them prominence on
page 1 so that the readers are less aware they see very little of Batman
later on.
Panel 4: Since I am trying to gain space in pages 2 and 3, I transfer
Panel 4: Since I am trying to gain space in pages 2 and 3, I transfer
panel 1 from page 2 (the plane landing panel) to here. Because it is next
to a full shot of the airplane, I don’t have to show the full plane in this
panel, just the landing wheels touching ground.
Page 1
PAGE 2 ADJUSTMENTS
Panel 1: In the original version, panel 1 and this panel played real well
with each other. In the original panel 1 (now the last panel on page 1),
the plane lands on the left-hand side of the panel. With this panel, the
plane is now fully on the ground and is in the middle of the panel,
indicating it has traveled farther in space than it was in the prior panel. I
would have a note for the writer to make sure Gordon says “the plane is
passing us by” just to be clear.
passing us by” just to be clear.
Panel 2: Now we have the fuel truck hitting the baggage truck, and to
make sure we understand the relationship of this action with the plane, I
choose to use the same angle of the plane in the prior panel, just zoomed
in a bit.
Panel 3: This is a shot of the Batmobile hitting the fuel truck with the
police cars behind showing the relationship the plot called for. Notice
that I make sure the fuel truck is oriented in a direction toward the
established direction of the taxiing airplane with Batman coming in from
the opposite direction.
Panel 4: As the truck is flying up into the air, I start to change the
position of the camera. At this point in the story the drama is about to
switch from the airplane being hit by the fuel truck to the fuel truck
sliding into the passenger terminal.
Panel 5: The camera position has now completed its movement and is
showing that the danger is now pointed toward the passenger terminal.
Panel 6: This panel was transferred to this page from page 3. The
panel visually plays better here because it zooms in on the previous
panel, showing the true danger Batman must avert.
Page 2
PAGE 3 ADJUSTMENTS
Panels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: I move up all these panels to fill in the extra
space I now have. For action clarity I make sure the fuel truck is always
going left to right and Batman is going the opposite way.
Panel 6: Now with room for a new shot of Batman I choose to end the
scene with Batman in his Batmobile and the cheering crowd behind him;
notice again Batman oriented right to left.
Page 3
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS ON WHILCE PORTACIO’S PENCILS
Whilce first establishes the airport terminal and introduces the
characters in dramatic full figure. He chose to establish the incoming
plane separately. We get a hint of the Batmobile on the right.
On the lower section of the page, Whilce utilizes a variation of an
overlay transition. With the Batman and Gordon figures separate from
but overlapping the second and third panels, the impression is that the
characters are observing the events in those two panels even though
characters are observing the events in those two panels even though
each panel is from a different angle and the action happens sequentially,
not simultaneously.
Page 1
Since the police vehicles were not shown on the first page, Whilce
establishes that police cars are present in the first panel. There is a lot of
content and information in this panel. Ideally, it would have been nice if
the Batmobile on the left were farther from the camera. This would
allow us to see more of the Batmobile and clearly establish the vehicle.
Whilce establishes the plane, baggage train, and fuel tanker in the first
panel. Because the artist maintains the relative positions of the various
vehicles (plane on the left, baggage train in the middle, tanker on the
right), the action taking place in the second panel is clear. If the second
panel shot had been positioned from the other side of the action axis, the
relative positioning of the vehicles would have changed, very possibly
confusing the reader. Whilce makes sure the reader doesn’t encounter
any such problems.
By moving the first panel from the third page to the bottom of the
second page, Whilce not only gave himself more room to work with on
the third page but ended the second page with a more personal and
emotional threat to the civilians in the terminal.
Page 2
On the third page, Whilce clearly shows the Batmobile skidding in
front of the sliding fuel tanker with the front of the vehicle angled to the
left. That directional bias is maintained throughout the rest of the page,
helping the viewer follow the action through a variety of shots and
angles.
He ends the page with a panel projecting a sense of accomplishment to
wrap up the sequence. It includes a relatively large head shot of Batman,
something the action-packed plot hadn’t allowed for since the first page.
something the action-packed plot hadn’t allowed for since the first page.
Page 3
Bill Reinhold Version
A lifelong Illinois resident, Bill Reinhold graduated from Chicago’s
American Academy of Art in 1982. After he worked for several smaller
comics publishers, Bill’s profile in the comics business began to rise with
his work on The Badger for First Comics in the mid-1980s.
His work caught the attention of editors at larger publishers, and Bill
was soon receiving pencilling and inking assignments from Marvel on
The Punisher, The Silver Surfer, Daredevil, The Prowler, the Earth X trilogy,
and Spider-Man. Along with writer Mike Baron, Bill co-created Spyke for
Marvel’s Epic line of creator-owned titles.
At DC Comics, Bill has produced art for a variety of titles, including
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, The Book of Fate, Challengers of the
Unknown, Green Arrow, and The Brave and the Bold.
He pencilled and inked the recent revival of Magnus, Robot Fighter for
Dark Horse Comics.
Bill’s work often incorporates impressive dry brush and ink wash
techniques.
For this three-page story, Bill demonstrates his start-to-finish art
process, from initial thumbnails to page layouts, to pencils, and finally to
finished inked pages.
BILL REINHOLD’S COMMENTS
When I first get a script, I like to read it straight through to get an
understanding and feel for the story. I generally save note taking or
rough sketching for a second read.
If it’s a full script, a lot of the panel-to-panel storytelling has been
done under the writer’s control. As an artist, working from a plot or
rough script can be very rewarding. The freedom of choices can really
fuel the imagination.
On my first attempt at thumbnail layouts for a story I don’t worry
about panel size or page design. I just try to visualize each scene from
different angles. I sometimes close my eyes and imagine being a camera
revolving around a scene looking for the right shot. I have even used
props, toys, and so on, to simulate a scene so I can look at it from
different angles. How many pages I have for any scene will help me
decide what best to emphasize. I could use ten panels to show a plane
decide what best to emphasize. I could use ten panels to show a plane
landing, or just one.
Then there is the entertainment value. A lot of small panels can be fun
and tell a story, but sometimes a large shot is best for drama or the cool
factor. It’s all about making choices that will serve the story best.
This short Batman sequence had many challenges. Carl’s plot has a
very cinematic feel that made it a lot of fun to draw. A lot of reference
was required for airports, planes, police, and the diverse crowd at the
airport. For reference, I used everything from materials I’ve collected
over the years to online videos of planes landing. I also used a mirror to
work out poses for the characters.
Page 1: I chose to take half the page to show the expanse of the airport
and a detailed view of buildings, vehicles, and an overview of our
players.
However, as I continued on the story, I felt that Batman and
Commissioner Gordon were getting too little attention. With a longer
story I could have easily detailed the scene and shown our players
dramatically. But I had to choose. A smaller first panel would still tell
the story and establish the scene, leaving me room for a larger panel
with Batman, Gordon, and the police watching the plane land. I think
this better put the viewer at the scene.
Page 2: We begin with the plane passing the gate and everyone going
into action. Batman is already long gone by the time Gordon yells at his
officers to pursue. After I established the chase scene and all players,
instead of another outside objective view, I took us inside the Batmobile,
getting Batman’s POV of the tanker ramming the luggage train. After the
Batmobile slams into the fuel truck, I set up the next page as the
Batmobile travels around the sliding tanker.
Page 3: As the truck’s cab dislodges from the tanker, the Batmobile
slides into place, attempting to block the tanker from smashing into the
airport terminal.
Inside the terminal we view the panicking crowd. The Batmobile’s
straining brakes lock its smoking tires. I decide to get personal again
with inset panels portraying a panicked girl and a determined Batman
straining to stop the tanker’s momentum.
For the last panel I first chose to show Batman’s success from the
cheering crowd’s POV. Instead I decided to show the halted tanker and a
triumphant Batman with Gordon approaching. Smoke still billows from
triumphant Batman with Gordon approaching. Smoke still billows from
the brakes and tires. I imagine that Batman is summing up the situation
as he and Gordon decide their next move. I’m sure the tanker driver is
being handcuffed as they speak.
When I’ll be inking my own work, I prefer to draw in a loose pencil
style. That way I can see a lot of my underdrawing, helping me make
final structure, line weight, and black placement choices while I’m
inking.
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS ON BILL REINHOLD’S THUMBNAILS
Bill’s initial tiny thumbnails combined rough ideas for major panels
and simple schematics showing how the panels would be arranged on
the page.
Next to many of the sketches he noted the information contained in
each panel, making sure that he captured all the information from the
script.
As he did on the page 3 thumbnails, Bill sometimes will try sketching
the same shot from several angles to find the best one to show the action
in a way that is both clear and dynamic.
Author’s Comments on Bill Reinhold’s Layouts
Bill moves on to do tighter layouts, drawing each page at 5 inches × 7
inches.
On the first page, the splash panel clearly establishes the airport and
where the various characters, buildings, and vehicles are. This sets up all
the visual elements that will soon come into play.
Even though each panel is packed with visual elements, Bill
incorporates room for dialogue and captions as well as leaving some
open space for eye relief.
Since the first panel is such a long shot, Bill comes in progressively
tighter in the next two panels, fully establishing the two major
characters, Batman and Commissioner Gordon, while advancing the
action of the plane’s landing, taxiing, and turning.
Page 1
On the second page, Bill uses an inset panel with a close-up of Gordon
reacting to the plane moving away from its assigned gate.
After establishing that the Batmobile is to the left of the fuel tanker
truck in the second panel, Bill maintains that relationship in the third
panel until clearly showing Batman maneuvering his vehicle around the
right end of the skidding tanker.
On all three pages, Bill had to deal with compressed time—depicting a
lot of time and action in a very tight page and panel count. This
situation was perhaps most extreme on the third page. As Bill stated
regarding the sequence in which Batman uses the Batmobile’s brakes to
stop the tanker from crashing into the crowded terminal, “I could’ve
used five or more panels for that scene, demonstrating movement with
various close-ups.”
Artists often are forced to reveal a lot of action and information in less
space than they would like. When faced with such situations, the better
artists find a way to pull it off, as Bill did here. Lesser visual storytellers
will show part of the action and hope the writer will cover the gaps in
visual clarity.
Page 2
On page 3, in the middle tier of panels, Bill incorporates two inset
panels over a scene of Batman desperately trying to stop the tanker from
crashing into the terminal. The first inset shows several of the helpless
innocent civilians whom Batman, in the second inset, struggles so
determinedly to protect from the potential disaster.
Page 3
Author’s Comments on Bill Reinhold’s Pencils
After they are done to his satisfaction, Bill copies the layouts, enlarging
them to the standard 10-inch × 15-inch original art size. Using a light
box to trace the work, Bill transfers the layouts to the finished art
boards. When the basic forms have been transferred to the boards, Bill
tightens the pencils. However, when inking his own work, he usually
does not pencil very tightly. For this job, he produced tighter pencils
than he normally does.
Page 1
When it comes to figuring out the placement of black areas (spotting
blacks), Bill says, “It varies for me. If it strikes me in the
thumbnail/rough stage, I’ll sketch in the black areas; otherwise I’ll work
them out in the pencils.”
Page 2
Page 3
Author’s Comments on Bill Reinhold’s Inks
Bill inked his pages, giving readers a clear demonstration of the steps for
creating comic art from start to finish.
When inking his own pencils, Bill sometimes uses ink wash, a difficult
and somewhat lost technique in which the artist uses diluted ink to make
a gray tone painting.
Bill also occasionally uses a dry brush inking technique to add texture
to his work. Dry brush involves draining the brush of much of its ink
before applying it to the page so that instead of a clean black line
flowing off the brush, the ink breaks up into rough streaks and spots.
You see some of this on page 1 in Batman’s cape in panel 3 and in the
cast shadow toward the bottom of the page.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Phil Jimenez Version
A native of Los Angeles, Phil Jimenez moved to New York City and
attended the School of Visual Arts. His first professional work was for DC
Comics in 1991, when he contributed a few pages to the War of the Gods
miniseries.
Phil’s’ highly detailed style combined with his solid storytelling soon
won the admiration of fans and fellow pros alike.
At DC Comics, Phil has drawn and written for many highly popular
projects, including New Titans, JLA/Titans, Planetary/The Authority,
Tempest, Wonder Woman, Adventure Comics (featuring the Legion of
Super-Heroes), and the megaseries Infinite Crisis.
He has recently worked on Fairest for DC’s Vertigo imprint. Previous
work for Vertigo included The Invisibles, Swamp Thing, and Otherworld.
For Marvel, Phil has produced work on Astonishing X-Men, New X-Men,
and The Amazing Spider-Man.
A comics creator dedicated to sharing his knowledge with others, Phil
serves as an instructor at his alma mater, the School of Visual Arts,
where he teaches life drawing. He is also a mentor for design students at
the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
For the three-page Batman sequence, Phil did tight layouts and shared
his thoughts on his process.
PHIL JIMENEZ’S COMMENTS
When I first read a comic script, I tend to avoid the dialogue, as it’s not
my general interest so early on.
What I’m initially looking for is plot, action, locales, and
numbers/types of characters I’ll be expected to draw, because I think
about and approach action-heavy scenes differently than I might
intimate conversational scenes and because those differences will affect
the amount of time I’ll be sitting at my drawing table.
That is to say, I try to budget my time and energy depending on what
I’ll be expected to draw and how much research and “thought time” will
be devoted to each page. (The irony, of course, is that no matter what
I’m expected to draw, I never really get any sort of head start on the
material; I tend to do a lot of “thinking” and lots of research until I have
no choice but to start, and invariably, I’ve not left myself enough time to
no choice but to start, and invariably, I’ve not left myself enough time to
complete the assignment and therefore rush through to the end.)
The first thing I noticed reading this script was how reference-heavy
the pages were and how I wouldn’t even be able to block out the action
without finding the reference first—the specifics in the reference would
actually determine composition on some of the pages, so I needed to
know the size, scale, and look of the locations before I broke the pages
down in thumbnails.
Thus, I started scouring my books and the Internet to find photographs
of airports and airport terminals, planes, and the fuel truck that I could
use while breaking the pages down.
Page 1
Page 1: I love establishing shots. I love creating environments for
characters to interact with. It’s sort of like giving actors a stage or set to
play on; the more of a world I give them to react to, the more emotion
and range I can get out of them and the better and more clear the
storytelling experience for the reader.
On this page, I took the opportunity to break a two-panel page into
three, which may or may not have been necessary. But I wanted to give
a distanced shot of the airport to show us the terminal and Gotham City
behind, as well as establish the airplane landing, which was an
a distanced shot of the airport to show us the terminal and Gotham City
behind, as well as establish the airplane landing, which was an
important part of the script.
In the establishing shot, I scribbled in some foreground objects from
the reference first, then placed Batman and Commissioner Gordon in the
scene, backs to us—once again, at a scale that helped establish size,
distance between objects, and the characters’ relationships to the objects
around them. Also, on my initial thumbnails, I started laying in areas of
solid black with a simple black marker to start building a sense of depth
and space and mass and an overall “graphicness” to the page.
In the third panel, I went in close on Batman and Gordon at a slight
worm’s-eye view. My tendency is to try to draw at least one close-up of
the lead characters early on to really give readers a connection to them.
Also, it’s compositionally opposite to the larger, distance-establishing
shot—creating two simple shapes to oppose/contrast the multitude of
figures and numerous shapes happening in the panel above.
Page 2
Page 2: Page 2 holds an enormous amount of action. It was tricky
breaking the page down, and it took several passes before I was able to
figure out how to get it all in a few panels.
Part of it is just getting the action down in as many panels as I think it
requires. I’m figuring out the action in my head by figuring it out on the
page.
Note that the plane that we establish arriving at the airport on page 1,
panel 1, lands on page 2, panel 1. I’m paralleling action and panel shape
to provide continuity between panels.
panel 1, lands on page 2, panel 1. I’m paralleling action and panel shape
to provide continuity between panels.
Ultimately, I pulled the camera back and up—way up—to give readers
another establishing shot of the plane, the police cars, and the airport
terminal itself. These are BIG objects that dwarf human beings, and I
wanted to remind readers of that by giving them another sense of scope,
even in a smallish panel.
Close-up on Batman and Gordon again. In contrast to the third panel
of page 1, the characters are now reacting, turning as they hear
something roaring at them off panel.
I kept the panels and shapes here long and rectangular; part of this is
to mimic the “widescreen” effect that has become so popular in comics.
Also, any sort of ornate design would have made it nearly impossible to
compress the action into the page and still make it clear. Simple panel
shapes and a simple narrative stream give the readers the most bang for
their buck.
I moved some action from page 1 to page 2 to give it more “surprise.”
This is what Batman and Gordon are reacting to—a truck barreling
through a luggage carrier, which is torn apart by the truck cabin.
Batman leaps into the Batmobile in the next panel—note how I drew
Gordon in the foreground but left plenty of room for Batman’s cape and
the Batmobile.
Also, in nearly all of these panels, I try to include competing “invisible
diagonals” compositionally by cocking the camera and laying in the
vehicles and figures at discernible angles. These create a tension that
elevates the sense of movement and excitement on the page even though
the panels are so simply laid out.
The last two panels are long and big; this is where the Batmobile
sideswipes the truck and knocks it over. Because car action is
hyperdependent on movement and because there is no movement on the
static comic page (why I generally eschew that kind of action in a comic
book), I wanted to create long shapes and use speed lines to suggest the
kinetic frenzy of the action. I also wanted to leave the biggest panel for
last to showcase the explosive outcome of the collision.
Page 3
Page 3: An easier page compositionally, so I ended up going big again.
Four panels or so. The first panel is big to showcase the interior of the
terminal and the people threatened within. Through the windows, we
see Gotham City in the background, once again reminding the reader
where the characters are in relation to the larger world around them
(and giving the airport a proper Gothic, creepy backdrop).
The rest of the page serves the story fairly simply with an overhead
shot of the Batmobile pushing the trailer to its complete halt. I chose a
bird’s-eye view here for both composition and ease of storytelling
shot of the Batmobile pushing the trailer to its complete halt. I chose a
bird’s-eye view here for both composition and ease of storytelling
reasons. Then we have the final shot of the cheering passengers in the
terminal. Once again, I chose fairly tight close-ups of the human beings
in the story to connect readers to the people they’re reading about and
hopefully bring all that action home on a more human level.
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS ON PHIL JIMENEZ’S LAYOUTS
Phil likes to incorporate compositional diagonals that help lead readers’
eyes back and forth across the page. For example, on page 1, the
approaching plane travels left to right. In the second panel, the angle of
the runway and terminal perspective move the eye right to left. In the
third panel, the direction of the character’s gaze prompts readers to
move left to right once again and on to the next page.
On the bottom of page 2, again Phil uses the diagonal created by the
vehicles to lead the reader to the next page.
The last panel of page 3, however, is a neutral shot of the relieved
crowd of passengers. This stops readers’ eyes, signifying the end of the
action sequence and allowing readers to catch their breath momentarily.
Phil sometimes places a higher priority on leading the eye with page
design than on maintaining consistent action flow continuity. However,
if the storytelling generally remains clear, emphasizing design elements
becomes a matter of creative preference.
Author’s Version
I knew this plot was jam-packed with a lot of information for three
pages. It wasn’t until I tried doing rough layouts for the sequence myself,
however, that I realized just how difficult a task it was going to be.
Trying to show everything clearly in the space allowed was daunting.
Page 1: The first panel, the splash panel, is also an establishing shot.
My first inclination was to do a long shot from above the airport to give
the reader a clear look at the airport’s layout and set up the sequence’s
future action. However, such a long shot would mean that the characters
would be seen too small to really establish clearly. That would mean
having to establish the characters fully in succeeding panels. To establish
both the characters and the airport setting simultaneously, I settled on
this layout.
The ground-level angle allowed me to establish depth by means of
overlapping and scale.
The skyline of a major city is seen in the background. Batman’s cape,
Commissioner Gordon’s coat and hair, and the flag on the control tower
show us that it’s windy. Clouds stream across the sky.
We see some of the Batmobile behind Batman, but probably not
enough to really establish the vehicle, especially since it is a major
element in the action that follows. I would pull the Batmobile out to the
left a bit to show more of it if I took these layouts to full pencils.
The angle of the terminal building and Gordon’s position to the right
of Batman help create an asymmetrical pyramid design with Batman’s
head at the apex. Since we read left to right, even the landing plane’s
wing helps lead the eye toward the main characters, as does the
direction of the ascending plane in the background.
One of the visual storytelling problems was how to get across that the
plane is landing. Planes assume the same nose-up position when taking
off and when landing (the wheels under the wings touch down first, and
then the nose descends and the front wheels make contact with the
ground). Since the plane’s position alone couldn’t indicate whether it
was landing or taking off, I used an upward curve on the contrails and
engine exhaust to indicate that the plane was descending.
The panel fits in all of the establishing scene information while still
having a fair amount of open space (sky). There is room for a title and
credits.
having a fair amount of open space (sky). There is room for a title and
credits.
This is a case where the reader will look at the panel for a few
moments, absorb the info (mostly subconsciously), and then move on
without realizing how much went into working out the storytelling and
composition of the panel. This is how it should be.
The second panel establishes the faces of the two main protagonists
and gives them space to fill the reader in on nonvisual aspects of the
scenario through their dialogue.
The third panel with the ground traffic director in the foreground sets
up the taxiing plane’s turn and uses the ant-sized protagonists to fill in
more details.
Page 1
Page 2: In panel 1, I wanted to show the plane clearly changing
direction and its orientation to where Batman and the Gotham lawmen
were stationed on the runway. To do this, I used a long down shot. Even
though it’s very small, the jet fuel truck is also set up, positioned
between the boarding docks.
The close-up of Gordon in the second panel shows his reaction to the
plane missing its gate and continuing down the tarmac. It’s hard to tell
in these pencil roughs, but the plane is reflected in his glasses.
In the third panel, Gordon and his men scramble to get into their cars
in these pencil roughs, but the plane is reflected in his glasses.
In the third panel, Gordon and his men scramble to get into their cars
to follow the plane. Batman, however, is already roaring after the plane
in the Batmobile. On the right, the fuel truck begins moving toward the
plane as the aircraft finally turns to dock at a gate farther down the
terminal. Far in the background, a tractor-towed baggage train is also
pulling out, headed for the arriving plane.
The fuel truck plows through the baggage train in the fourth panel,
sending the tractor, driver, and luggage flying. This shot could be seen as
a zoom in on the fuel truck and baggage train from the previous panel.
It took a while to figure out a good angle to show the Batmobile
slamming into the truck’s cab and diverting it. I’m still not sure if this is
the best solution.
In the sixth panel, the Batmobile slides in front of the rolling fuel
tanker. Bill Reinhold pulled off a similar shot much better in his version
of the story. The hand in the foreground leads us to the next page,
where …
Page 2
Page 3: … one of the panicked passengers has his hand plastered
against the window while he yells a warning to the others in the
terminal.
To get some depth and give the impression of a lot of panicked people,
I used cropped overlapping figures reacting as the Batmobile attempts to
stop the fuel tanker from slamming into the terminal.
To show the skidding Batmobile and fuel tanker approaching the
terminal with the Gotham police in pursuit, in panel 2 I used another
long down shot. The previous shots of the tanker and the Batmobile
terminal with the Gotham police in pursuit, in panel 2 I used another
long down shot. The previous shots of the tanker and the Batmobile
heading toward the terminal had the action moving right at the reader.
It’s not easy to convey most types of movement when the action is
coming straight at the reader. Therefore, I felt it was past time to make
the action clearer. We see the pursuing Gotham police cars chasing the
skidding tanker.
I was tempted to include an inset panel of Batman’s foot pushing hard
on the Batmobile’s brake pedal.
With so much info and action crammed into three pages, it was hard
to figure out how to show the Batmobile successfully braking to a halt. It
may be hard to tell in the roughs, but panels 3 through 6 focus on a
Batmobile wheel as it progressively slows to a stop. The multi-imaging of
the wheel/tire decreases over the sequence, and the smoke from the
burning tires stops streaming back as the car comes to a halt. Since the
car is no longer moving in panel 6, the smoke drifts straight up.
Gordon and his uniformed cops arrive after Batman has exited his
vehicle. The battered tanker sits still.
The amount of information in this three-page sequence could easily
have filled twice the number of pages. However, comics artists don’t
always have the luxury of telling the tale in the space they feel is ideal.
Page 3
AFTERWORD
These days, the potential comic audience has a nearly limitless array of
diversions that vie for its attention and dollars, including movies, TV,
video games, and the Internet. To grab the attention of a large audience
today, whether in print or digital formats, comics creators need to have
the skills to tell great stories in interesting, clear, and compelling ways.
Polished drawing and rendering skills are great, but unless they are
combined with strong stories and sequential visual storytelling skills, the
short attention span of today’s comics audience may well cause sales to
fade instead of grow.
Great stories, well told, will help compel a large audience to spend its
money and its time on comics.
When in doubt about whether your visual storytelling decisions are
solid, remember that your ultimate goal is to keep the reader immersed
in the narrative. Anything that detracts from that should probably be
avoided.
Now that you have a solid grounding in the basic principles and
techniques of SVS, continue to expand your visual storytelling
knowledge and skills. Read the sources suggested throughout this book
and discover new sources of information. If you have some new insights,
please let me know. I am always looking to expand my knowledge.
You can reach me at cpotts1@hotmail.com. You also can leave
messages on my blog, “General Eclectic”—just go to www.carlpotts.com.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Art by Alex Ross.
Art by Steve Ditko.
GLOSSARY of COMICS
TERMINOLOGY
Creators working in other sequential visual media—including film,
television, and electronic games—share many concepts and terms with
those who work in comics.
Terms for certain related concepts between media are sometimes used
synonymously even though they do not mean quite the same thing.
These terms include frame and panel as well as shot and angle.
Angle The viewpoint from which the creator chooses to show a shot.
Major categories include bird’s-eye/aerial shot, medium/neutral shot,
and worm’s-eye/low shot. Tilt shots (aka canted angle shots) occur when
the horizontal frame is not parallel with the horizon.
Balance A design term. There are three main categories of balance:
symmetrical/balanced, asymmetrical/unbalanced, and balanced
asymmetrical. Most often refers to the design balance within a panel but
also can refer to the design of a page or spread.
Bleed A panel or image that “bleeds” off the edge or edges of a page.
The art is cropped by the physical edge of the printed page instead of by
a border recessed from the edge of the printed page.
Border A line that defines the outside edges of a panel or page. Different
styles of borders can affect a reader’s perception of the panel’s contents,
indicating whether the contents represent “normal reality,” a dream, a
flashback, a fantasy, and so forth.
Continuity Maintaining consistency of all narrative elements so that
there are no discrepancies. Can refer to consistency in plot, series,
fictional universe, characterization, environments, action flow direction,
and so forth. Also refers to the sequential order of the narrative.
Crosscutting Alternating panels or sequences between two or more
scenes to indicate parallel action.
Emanata A term coined by Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker. Marks or
icons that express a thought, emotion, or action. Sometimes contained in
a balloon but often hover near a character without a balloon or other
containment.
Encapsulate To pick and encase a key moment of a narrative to show in
a panel. Can also imply condensing as well as encapsulating a moment.
Establishing Shot Usually a long shot at or near the start of a scene to
establish who and where all the characters are in relation to one another
and the scene’s environment. It also can establish the general mood and
situation of the scene. Scenes usually need to be reestablished when they
are returned to after a significant absence.
Frame Often used synonymously with panel. It also can mean a single
frame from a film. However, for both film and comics, the term also can
apply to the part of a larger visual that the artist has chosen to show the
reader—a long, medium, or close-up shot—and from what angle. The
frame is defined by the outside edges of a panel that typically is
established by a border.
Gutter The space between panels. The space is usually white or negative
space, but in some cases it may consist of positive space if the gutter is
between panels that are inset or superimposed over a larger panel.
Icon A visual element, usually a simplified drawing or symbol, that
represents an idea, person, place, thing, or action.
Inset Panel A panel placed inside or superimposed over another panel.
Juxtapose To place panels next to each other, thus creating a
relationship between the panels and modifying the meaning of each
panel’s contents through its association with a neighboring panel or
panels. The term also refers to the combination of words and pictorial
elements within a panel and in comics in general. The meanings of the
juxtaposed text and pictorial elements are modified through their
association.
Montage An arrangement of “independent” visuals or vignettes in the
same panel. Often used to represent events or actions that are being
condensed and summarized. Sometimes indicates various events
happening simultaneously.
Motion Lines or Speed Lines Lines that indicate movement of a
character or object. Can be applied to the object in motion (usually seen
in the West) or to the surrounding environment (often done in manga).
Neutral Shot Where the main action in a panel moves directly toward
or directly away from the viewer. Sometimes referred to as head or tail
shots.
Page An entire leaf of a printed comic book (approximately 6 ½ inches
by 10 inches in the traditional American comics format). For electronic
media, a page is whatever fits on a display screen at one time (including
scrollable areas).
Pan When the “camera” pivots on one spot to reveal more of a scene, or
to follow the action of a subject in an arc.
Panel A visual, often accompanied with words, which encapsulates a
moment from a narrative. Usually a rectangular box and often contained
by a border. Panels sometimes have no border or are only partially
contained by a border. Occasionally, panel content will overlap other
page visual elements or fade at the edges (vignette).
Planes The depth that the visual elements in a panel have in relation to
each other and to the camera. The depth levels, or planes, usually are
broken down as foreground, middle ground, and background.
Reverse Angle A panel that is “shot” approximately 180 degrees from
the previous panel. Often used when two characters involved in
conversation are sitting next to each other while facing in the same
direction (as in a car, plane, train, etc.).
Sequence A series of sequential panels that constitute a scene or an
event in a narrative.
Shot The distance at which the creator chooses to show a subject or
scene. The major categories are the long shot, medium shot, and closeup. Moving shots are shots modified by tracking (sequentially indicating
lateral movement across a subject or scene), zoom (sequentially moving
in or out from a subject or scene), fade (sequentially clarifying or
obscuring a subject or scene), and so on.
Splash A large panel, often a full page, at or near the beginning of a
story or issue. Often serves as the beginning of the story (even if it is
preceded by a prologue). The title and creative team credits for a story
often appear on a splash page.
Spread Panel(s) or visuals that spread across two facing pages.
Subjective Shot Shows a view through a character’s eyes or over the
shoulder (OTS). Similar to the view for “first-person shooter” games.
Tier A horizontal row of panels.
Traveling Shot When the “camera” moves through space.
CONTRIBUTORS
Arthur Adams, Joe Bennett, W. H. Haden Blackman, Brett Booth, Doug
Braithwaite, Rick Bryant, Greg Capullo, Nick Cardy, Tony Daniel, John
Dell, Steve Ditko, Julio Ferreira, Mark Fredrickson, Richard Friend, José
Luis Garcia-Lopez, Dave Gibbons, Jonathan Glapion, Gene Ha, Russ
Heath, Hi-Fi Design, Sandra Hope, Adam Hughes, Klaus Janson, Phil
Jimenez, Geoff Johns, J. G. Jones, Scott Kolins, Joe Kubert, Andy
Lanning, Jim Lee, Francis Manapul, Marcos Mateu-Mestre, Mike
Mignola, Rags Morales, Moritat, Grant Morrison, Kevin Nowlan, Eddie
Nunez, Yanick Paquette, George Perez, Whilce Portacio, E. Potts, Norm
Rapmund, Bill Reinhold, Ivan Reis, Eduardo Risso, Will Rosado, Alex
Ross, P. Craig Russell, Miguel Sepulveda, James Shoop, Walter
Simonson, Scott Snyder, Ryan Sook, Ardian Syaf, Alex Toth, J. H.
Williams III, Scott Williams, Jorge Zaffino
Art by Doug Braithwaite and Bill Reinhold.
Also Available from the
DC Comics Guide Series
The DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics
The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics
The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics
The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics
The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics
INDEX
A
abstract works, 1.1, 9.1
action axis, 7.1, 7.2
Action Comics
action direction
action flow continuity, 3.1, 7.1, 7.2
action/reaction
Adams, Art, 10.1, 10.2, 12.1
Adams, Neal
Adventure Comics
Adventure, Mystery, and Romance (Cawelti)
angles, itr.1, 3.1, 10.1, 11.1
high angle shots
low angle shots
medium angle shots
reverse
tilt angle shots
antagonists
art, 1.1, 8.1, 10.1
bleed pages
caption and balloon placement
copying someone else’s
cropping figures
depth of field
design balance, 10.1, 11.1
double-page spreads
drawing ability, 3.1, 10.1
drawing exercises
drawing style
facing pages
icons and symbols
nature of line
negative space
rule of thirds
spotting blacks
storytelling layouts by non-artists
style suitability
tangents
asymmetrical/unbalanced design
balanced
atmospheric blur, 10.1, 10.2
B
balance
asymmetrical/unbalanced design
balanced asymmetrical design
between conventional and inventional, 3.1, 9.1, 9.2
symmetrical/balanced design
balloon and caption placement
Baron, Mike
Batman, internal and external desires of
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight
Batman Black and White series, 3.1, 8.1
Batman Confidential
Batman #3, 5.1, 10.1
Batwoman #12
Blackman, W. Haden, 6.1, 6.2
bleed pages
Book of Fate, The
Booth, Brett
borders, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4
brainstorming
Braithwaite, Dougie
Brave and the Bold, The
Bryant, Rick
C
caption and balloon placement
Capullo, Greg, 5.1, 10.1
casting director
Challengers of the Unknown
character sketches, 1.1, 9.1
characterization
Chiarello, Mark
cinematographer
Cirocco, Frank
classic story arc, 9.1, 9.2
close-up/reaction shots, 5.1, 5.2
comics, defined
commercial artists
complementary juxtaposition
continuity, 3.1, 7.1, 7.2
conventional and inventional, balance between, 3.1, 9.1, 9.2
covers
creative decisions, in service of story
cropping figures
D
Daniel, Tony, 3.1, 6.1
DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics, The (Chiarello and
Klein), 10.1
DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics, The (Williams)
DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics, The (Janson), 10.1, 10.2
DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics, The (Janson), 8.1, 10.1, 10.2
DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics, The (O’Neil and Levitz), 9.1, 9.2, 9.3
DC Comics Style Guides, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 7.1,
7.2, 9.1, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8
depth of field, 10.1, 11.1
design balance, 10.1, 11.1
direction, establishing change in
director
distance categories
Ditko, Steve, itr.1, afw.1
documentary films, 7.1, 7.2
double-page spreads
drawing ability, 3.1, 10.1
drawing style
dry brush inking technique
Duncan, Randy
E
Eastwood, Clint
educational pieces
Edwards, Betty
Eisner, Will
emanata
encapsulation, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2
establishing shots, 5.1, 5.2
extreme close-ups
F
facing pages
Fairest
Ferreira, Julio
film, differences between comics and
fine artists
First Comics
first drafts, 9.1, 9.2
Five C’s of Cinematography, The: Motion Picture Filming Techniques
(Mascelli), itr.1, 5.1
Foley (sound effects) engineer
foreshortening
Framed Ink—Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers (MateuMestre), itr.1, 5.1, 10.1
frames (see Panels)
Friend, Richard
full script, working from
G
Garcia-Lopez, José Luis
genre expectations
Gibbons, Dave, 5.1, 8.1
Giordano, Dick
Glapion, Jonathan, 5.1, 10.1
golden section
Goodwin, Archie, itr.1, 9.1
graphics software
Green Arrow
gutters, 2.1, 4.1, 5.1
H
happy endings
height angles
high angle (bird’s-eye view) shots
I
icons
Image Comics
inbetweener, reader as
Infinite Crisis, 8.1, 12.1
ink wash
inset panels, 5.1, 7.1
instinct, itr.1, 2.1, 4.1
instructional content, 1.1, 9.1
internal and external desires and conflicts
inventional and conventional, balance between, 3.1, 9.1, 9.2
invisibility, of good visual storytelling
Invisibles, The
ironic endings
J
Janson, Klaus, 8.1, 10.1, 10.2
Japanese manga
Jimenez, Phil, 5.1, 8.1, 12.1, 12.2
JLA/Titans
Johns, Geoff, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3
Judas Coin, The
Justice League, 2.1, 10.1, 10.2
Juvenal
juxtaposition, 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 10.1
K
key frames
Kirby, Jack
Klein, Todd
Kubert, Joe, itr.1, 4.1, 5.1
Kurosawa, Akira
L
Lanning, Andy
Lee, Jim, fow.1, 2.1, 3.1, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5
left-to-right bias, 3.1, 7.1
Legion of Super-Heroes
Leone, Sergio
Levitz, Paul, 9.1, 9.2
lighting director
line, nature of
line art
logos
long/establishing shots, 5.1, 5.2
Loomis, Andrew, 10.1, 10.2
low angle (worm’s-eye view) shots
M
magic shows
map orientation
Mascelli, Joseph V., itr.1, 3.1, 3.2, 5.1
Mateu-Mestre, Marcos, itr.1, 5.1, 10.1
McCloud, Scott, itr.1, 1.1, 2.1, 5.1
McKee, Robert
medium/action shots, 5.1, 5.2
medium angle shots
Mifune, Toshiro
Mignola, Mike, 10.1, 10.2
Milgrom, Allen
mirror image
montage, 5.1, 6.1
mood pieces, 1.1, 9.1
Moore, Alan
Morales, Rags
Morrison, Grant
N
narrative, 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 8.1
classic story arc, 9.1, 9.2
genre expectations
internal and external desires and conflicts
negation of the negation
protagonists, 9.1, 9.2
self-contained and serial structure
story pitch (logline)
theme
writing approach
negative space, 10.1, 11.1
neutral shots, 7.1, 7.2
New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, The (Edwards)
New Titans
non sequitur
Nowlan, Kevin, itr.1, 10.1
O
objective shots
180-degree rule, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3
O’Neil, Denny, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3
outline color thickness, differences in, 10.1, 10.2
overlapping panels
P
pacing, 9.1, 11.1
pages, (see also step-by-step process for artists) bleed
covers
double-page spreads
facing
panel arrangements on, 5.1, 6.1
pan shots
panels, itr.1, 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1 (see also step-by-step
process for artists) action direction
action/reaction
arrangements on page
borders, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4
camera moves
caption and balloon placement
combinations
design balance, 10.1, 11.1
double-page spreads
gutters, 2.1, 4.1, 5.1
height angles
inset, 5.1, 7.1
inventional panel arrangements
montage
negative space
overlapping
point of view
sequences, 1.1, 5.1
sizes and shapes
transition types
types of shots, 5.1, 7.1
vignettes, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
Paquette, Yanick
Picasso, Pablo
Planetary/The Authority
plot, working from
point of view
Portacio, Whilce, 10.1, 12.1, 12.2
Potts, Carl
Potts, E., 3.1, 3.2, 9.1, 11.1
Power of Comics, The (Duncan and Smith)
protagonists, 9.1, 9.2
R
Rapmund, Norm
rectangular formats
reduction, 4.1, 4.2
reductive/additive relationship between artist and audience, 2.1, 2.2
reestablishing shots
Reinhold, Bill, 3.1, 12.1, 12.2, con.1
reverse angles
right-to-left bias, 7.1, 7.2
Rosado, Will, 2.1, 4.1, 5.1, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3
Ross, Alex
roughs, refining
rule of thirds
S
sad endings
Samurai films
scene basics, establishing
screenwriter
sculpting
sequences, 1.1, 5.1
sequential visual storytelling (SVS), (see also pages; panels) components
of
encapsulation, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2
goals and principles of
reduction, 4.1, 4.2
set designer
setting up and paying off
Sgt. Rock, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2
Shoop, James
Shooter, Jim
shots, types of
Simonson, Walter, itr.1, 6.1
sizes and shapes of panels
Smith, Matthew J.
Snyder, Scott, 6.1, 10.1
Sook, Ryan
Spiegelman, Art
splash page
spotting blacks, 10.1, 12.1
spreads
Spyke
Starlin, Jim
statement, thematic
step-by-step process for artists
establishing scene basics
Jimenez example
Portacio example
refining roughs
Reinhold example
thumbnailing, 11.1, 11.2
transferring from page roughs to boards
working from full script
working from plot
story pitch (logline)
story structure, 8.1, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3
storyboards
subjective shots
Successful Drawing (Loomis), 10.1, 10.2
Swamp Thing, 6.1, 12.1
symbolic covers
symbols
symmetrical/balanced design
T
tangents
Tempest
theme
thumbnailing, 11.1, 11.2
tilt angle shots
tonal or color contrast, 10.1, 10.2
Toth, Alex
tracking shots
trade dress
transitions
between actions
between elements
between moments
between scenes
between subjects
between unrelated elements
inner
panel-in-panel
superimposed
TV, differences between comics and
U
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (McCloud), itr.1, 1.1, 2.1, 5.1
V
Vertigo imprint
vignettes, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
visual literacy
visual metaphors and themes
Vogler, Christopher
W
War of the Gods
Warner, Chris
Watchmen series, 5.1, 9.1
Wednesday Comics
Western films, 7.1, 9.1
Williams, Freddie, II
Williams, J. H., III, 6.1, 6.2
Williams, Scott, 2.1, 3.1, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4
Wonder Woman
Writers Journey, The: Mythic Structure for Writers (Vogler)
writing approach
Z
Zaffino, Jorge
zoom shots