Making Comics

This week, we talk about finding the weak spots in a story (3:30), finding inspiration for layouts (14:00), outsourcing PDF creation (22:50), continuing page work (31:30), the benefit of working at half-speed (36:45), and experimenting with effects (43:30).

This week, we talk about settling into a new process for comic pages (2:45), understanding creative limitations and when to outsource (9:20), color flatting issues (15:45), inking your first page (19:50), and the cloud-gathering phase for a story (30:00) before we share our 2026 creative goals (38:00).

It's part two of the 2025 Year-end Episode! As is tradition, we welcome Gary Hodges (D vs M) to discuss the second part of our year-end favorites including dark horse / pleasant surprise (1:15), purchase of the year (7:30), comic of the year (24:50), comic artist of the year (37:40), and comic writer of the year (52:30).

It's the 2025 Year-end Episode! As is tradition, we welcome Gary Hodges (D vs M) to discuss part one of our year-end favorites including favorite beer (3:00), YouTube show (10:30), TV Show of the year (37:00), movie of the year (44:00), and many more.

It's the 2025 Holiday Episode! As is tradition, we welcome Gary Hodges (Dinosaurs vs. Marsbots) and discuss nice - our proudest achievement for the year (5:00) and naughty - our greatest learning for the year (28:10), before we present a "fresh for '25" holiday hot take extravaganza (42:30)!

This week, we recap our creative retreat and discuss focused inking for three pages (3:50), keeping your curiosity through the learning process (13:40), the unspoken language of comics (20:00), drawing versus writing when it comes to thinking (33:00), and things to think about when you thumbnail (40:30), before we revisit talking heads pages (51:40).

This week, we talk about the crucial mid-campaign work for a Kickstarter (6:00), staying locked-in through the pencils stage (15:10), conveying facial emotion (20:20), and commission pieces and the learning curve (28:10), before a discussion on style (44:00).

This week, we talk about separating story from art direction on your pages (7:00), doing your own reference photos (16:00), reflecting on your book when it gets delivered (24:15), working past your minimum output goals (27:30), knowing when to stop for the moment on a story (33:10), and getting completed comic pages back from the artist (40:10) before this week's topic: finishing your first comic (45:30).

This week, we talk about being on the creator side of a Kickstarter launch (6:00), finding those pockets of time in the day be creative (10:30), how to convey story time without burning your story's real estate (17:15), and field notes from Fresno Comic Expo (27:00) before this week's topic: things to consider while drawing (33:15).

This week, we discuss and example of a life experience going directly into a story (5:30), how to address high panel counts for comic pages (14:15), using reference in drawing versus learning structure (25:50), and returning to an aging commission (38:50) before this week's topic: what to think about while writing and scripting (42:30).