The Art of The Comic Book Script

"Where do I start?". That was the question I asked myself when I sat down to create my first comic book script. As it turns out, guys like Frank Miller or Brian Bendis make a very difficult process look easy. I decided to dedicate this post to those, like myself who have decided to stop just buying our favorite form of four color entertainment and start to create it as well.

"Thierry, what makes a comic so hard to write?" Glad you asked, a comic is difficult because not only do you have to organize a coherent story, but you must do it in a certain framework. Comics these days are usually done in story arcs. For example, many of you have seen "The Dark Knight" by Christopher Nolan. Had the story been told in the form of a comic, it would have been about four to six issues long. A comic is released monthly and the only way to get readers coming back to leave them with cliff hangers so they pick up the next issue. For example, the scene where Heath Ledger's "Joker" crashes Harvey Dents fund raiser could have been the end of an issue of a comic. The joker would have been drawn coming off the elevator; taking the party goers hostage and finally grabbing Rachel and asking her the iconic question "Wanna know how I got these scars?". The issue would have ended there, forcing the reader to come back next month in order to see what happens next. Every issue has to pull this off, they must each engage the reader and make them feel that they've read a complete story while at the same time leaving just enough questions so that the reader returns for the next issue.

The next problem for a comic writer is the layout of each page. In most cases this is done in conjunction with the artist of the book. Together, they would decide on how many panels should be on each page and how to link them together. This is important because it engages the reader and helps them to know which panel to read next.

Finally, there is the dialogue. Much like a screenplay writer, a comic writer must not only describe the characters surroundings but be able to put words in his or her character's mouths.

All of this is difficult, but not impossible to master. My best tip to aspiring comic book writers would be to start by doing what you already love. READ TONS OF COMICS!!!!!......TONS!!!! Read so many that the people around you start to worry about you. Read until you look like Tom Hanks in "Castaway".......well, maybe don't go that far, but you get my drift. The other resource that has been invaluable to me so far, has been that there are an unprecedented number of scripts being released by both of the big two comic book companies. Picking those up and picking out the techniques you like best will have you putting the proverbial boot to proverbial ass in no time!!!

In Brightest Day and Blackest Night, No Smocker Shall Evade My Sight!

Thierry

Until next post.....