popular and diverse is making a return The many stages of creating diverse comics

Instructors break down production process

 By SAFOURA RIGI-LADIZ

Each artist has their own preferred technique when creating comics. Still, whether it’s pen to paper or using digital tools, a lot of similarities can be found, according to a Langara comic teacher who also heads a non-profit comic society.

Jonathon Dalton has made comics using the computer as well as sketching with pen and paper. Today, though digital comic drawing is thriving, he still prefers using traditional materials and finalizing everything on the computer.

In the first stage, Dalton writes a script. Because comics are a visual medium, he wants to have the drawing part happen as soon as possible.

“I’ll draw small thumbnails with stick figures,” he said. “And then I write the words underneath, just to figure out what’s going to happen in the story.”

The next step is a rough draft with the comics.

“I’ll take my script, and I’ll lay it out to decide what happens on each page,” he said. “I rewrite the dialogue to make it work better. I like to decide on the layout of the page.”

For colouring, Dalton uses Copic or Prismacolor markers.

“I photocopy it onto thinner paper because markers work better. They don’t work as well on Bristol [board],” Dalton said. “This way, if I mess up the markers, I can always re-photocopy it too.”

Dalton finalizes everything by scanning his completed piece and posting it as a webcomic or getting it ready for print.

Josué Menjivar, another comic book artist and comics instructor at Langara, sketches his comics and uses his iPad.

“Generally, [I] do pencil sketches and then I just finish them off with an ink brush, pen, and Pentel brush,” he said. “I will then scan it and then put it into Photoshop.”

» Camosun College

The college offers a Comics & Graphic Novels certificate program.

» UBC

Although no certification is currently offered from the university, students can enrol in a Comics and Graphic Media course.

» Langara College

Langara offers a certificate program. Students can take courses full time or part time.

SOURCE: COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY WEBSITES