Outlining your story is easily one of the most important parts of the process, and one that can sometimes be overlooked. For years, I thought I could get away with having a general idea and then jump into writing it and letting it evolve as I went along. It’s maybe no surprise to those who…
Category: Blog
Important Questions to Ask an Editor Pre-Contract Signing
Comic Book Burnout: What To Do When You Don’t Want To Read Comics Anymore
How to Prevent Con Crud at Conventions
Con crud is a very real struggle for creators. With thousands upon thousands of people all contained in the same building, it’s easy to imagine how quickly illness can spread amongst them. Creators are interacting with guests all day long, talking, shaking hands, hugging, etc. without a second thought about it. Most creators who’ve been to…
The Freelancer’s Cookbook: Anoosha Syed’s Butter Chicken Recipe
Today’s recipe comes from cartoonist, Anoosha Syed: After I moved out and had to fend for myself, my mom started to send me voicemails of her going over some of her favourite recipes. This is butter chicken (murgh makhani), easy-breezy to make in 15 minutes, healthy and filling and cosy and perfect for busy…
The Freelancer’s Cookbook: Easy Marinara
Today’s recipe is from Ally Rom Colthoff who has kindly shared her recipe for marinara. I make this recipe a lot. Its primary ingredients keep for a long time, making it perfect for times when you’ve just gotta work with what’s already in the cupboard. It’s also extremely versatile and easy to change…
How I Do Research For a Graphic Novel (Tips and Advice)
How does a comics creator do their research for a graphic novel? Well, nobody quite knows tbh – unlike thumbnails or scriptwriting, the research process (collecting and turning information into a story) is rarely talked about in comics. Unless you hang around academic circles, or work in a genre like science or historical, you wouldn’t…
Advice for First-Time Editors of Graphic Novels
Graphic novels, especially ones for children, are a thing now. This is great news – it means more books, more diverse voices, and more public appreciation for the medium. Some of the people most excited for GNs are editors; many of whom are fans of comics and will be taking on comics projects for the…
Free and Cheap Adobe Alternatives for Creators
Quick Links for all the software mentioned here: Freeware and/or Open Source: PS: GIMP | Krita | Photopea | MyPaint | Paint.NET | Sketchbook | Fire Alpaca | Medibang Paint AI: Inkscape | Vectr IN: Viva Designer | Scribus AN: Blender | Open Toonz | Pencil 2D | Wick Editor | Synfig* LR: RawTherapee |…
Tutorials and Helpful Guides for Colourists
Color with Kurt Kurt Michael Russell has an instructional web site as well as an instructional YouTube channel to help colourists at any level better navigate the field. While Kurt’s YouTube channel allows you to watch videos for free, there are options available for “memberships” ($4.99/month USD) that come with exclusive perks. The full courses…