HAWAIIAN COMIC BOOK ALLIANCE
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Time and Space

Time is like a currency that needs to be budgeted wisely.  The following is an inspired Facebook post on the subject by Dan Slott.  Then watch the video by Lars Martinson on saving time.  The comic he spent 13 years drawing is an incredible work of art, but highly impractical in terms of time and effort.
Picture
​Every choice you make in a comic book script is something that will take artists different amounts of time to draw AND will eat up different amounts of physical space on the page.

I can't express that enough to people who want to start-- or are just starting to write comics. The constant management of those two kinds of "real estate" is a talent/skill you'll need to develop down to a basic, intuitive level.

When we get whimsical or romantic when talking ABOUT making comics, editors and writers often describe it as "films with an unlimited budget". Want to blow up an entire universe? Sure! No sweat. Want to have a thousand armies crest over a hill? It's a snap.

Except it isn't.

Our budget is
 Time It Takes Artists To Draw
 and Space It Will Take Up On The Page.

If you ask for a crowd shot on a four panel page, you need to be kind to your artist and make sure those other three panels are head shots and close ups.

If you look at Silver Surfer issues where I asked Mike Allred for a million crazy things, you'll see that our next issue might have Surfer flying through an endless black void. (Or an endless white void.) :)

That's the nature of time. That affects your artist. Be kind.

Space is how many story beats YOU can get into an issue.

If you write an amazing double page splash at the end of your 20 page issue... you can't think of it as a 20 page issue when you're planning out story beats. It's now more like an 18 page issue with one extra (though really powerful) panel added at the end.

If you want to add ONE more character into your story, they're going to eat up space too-- in every scene, page, panel and story beat they're in. Do you NEED them in your story? Taking them out will give every OTHER character more space to breathe and more focus on the page.

What NEEDS to be said? Words also eat up space on the page. This isn't TV. There's no accompanying audio track for your comic. Every word that's said goes into a word balloon or caption and eats up PHYSICAL space on the page. Every word carries ACTUAL weight. The more you can let the art carry the mood/tenor of a scene, the better. The less that's said, the more powerful a scene can be-- the more the lettering can be art on the page as well, working in tandem with the illustrations instead of vying with them for space.

Man, I could talk about this kind of comic book nuts & bolts all day... But another part of time management is GETTING YOUR WORK DONE. And I need to get back to a plot. :) Hope that if you're thinking of writing for comics (or just starting) that this gave you some food for thought. ttyl.
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The Hawaiian Comic Book Alliance is not responsible for the negotiation of contracts with individual artists.  Members who are available to do commissioned work are notated on the Members page.  Please communicate with them directly using the contact information on their page which you can get to by clicking on their photo.  

Messages left for the members via the contact form will be forwarded to them.
  • Welcome
  • Gallery
    • Oct Drawing Challenges 2020
    • Pepe Con 2020
    • Amazing Comic Con Aloha 2020
    • Pearl City Public Library 2019
    • Walk to End Alzheimer's 2019
    • Burning Spear Comix at Amalgam Comics
    • Drawing Challenges 2019
    • Maui Comic Con 2019
    • Halloween ComicFest 2019
    • New York Comic Con 2019
    • Carter Comics 2019
    • Keiki Hero Con 2019
    • Comic Con Honolulu 2019
    • The Longest Day 2019
    • Free Comic Book Day 2019
    • Kawaii Kon 2019
    • Go For Broke in SoCal 2019
    • Awesome Con 2019
    • WonderCon 2019
    • Roy in San Francisco 2019
    • Amazing Comic Con Aloha 2019
    • SAMCON 2018
    • Great American Comic Con 2018
    • October Art 2018
    • Maui Comic Con 2018
    • LA Comic Con 2018
    • EPALF 2018
    • New York Comic Con 2018
    • Kanaka CC Schofield 2018
    • HawaiiCon 2018
    • Amazing Weekend 2018
    • Comic Con Honolulu 2018
    • San Diego Comic Con 2018
    • Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con 2018
    • Shirokiya Matsuri June 24
    • Anime Ohana Fest 2018
    • Denver Comic Con 2018
    • Soldier Con 2018
    • Conference on Literature and Hawaii's Children 2018
    • NEET Summer 2018
    • Artist Avenue 2018
    • Free Comic Book Day 2018
    • Pop Swap 2018
    • Kanaka CC Hickam 2018
    • Silicon Vally Comic Con 2018
    • WonderCon 2018
    • Cartoonist IRL: Roy Chang
    • Kawaii Kon 2018
    • Hawaii Collectors Expo 2018
    • Local Comic Shop Day 2017
    • Anime Day 4.0
    • Aiea HS PTSO Craft Fair 2017
    • Maui Comic Con 2017
    • Halloween ComicFest 2017
    • LA Comic Con 2017
    • Rose City Comic Con 2017
    • Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2017
    • Comic Con Honolulu 2017
    • Free Comic Book Day 2017
    • Maui Con 2016
    • Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2016 SE
    • Hawaii Con 2016
    • Batman Day / Ghostbusters Book Drive
    • Comic Con Honolulu 2016
    • San Diego Comic Con 2016
    • Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2016
    • Free Comic Book Day 2016
    • Star Wars Day 2016
    • Kawaii Kon 2016
    • BOH Family Sunday - Mori & Steam
    • Enjoy Comics' Grand Opening
    • Anime Matsuri Hawaii 2015
    • Aki Matsuri 2015
    • Keiki Con 2015
    • Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2015
    • Hawaii Con 2015
  • Links
    • Books
  • Download
  • Contact