Speech Balloons 101: American Comics vs. Manga Dialogue Flow Whether you are drawing an action-packed superhero adventure or a slice-of-life manga, one critical element often gets overlooked: speech balloon design and placement. Many aspiring comic artists focus heavily on character anatomy, dynamic angles, and detailed backgrounds, only to slap text boxes onto the page as an afterthought. However, speech balloons … Read More
American Comics vs. Manga Panels: How to Master Your Page Flow & Pacing
When you pick up a comic book, your eyes know exactly what to do. You scan the top left, move across the page, drop down to the next row, and repeat. But have you ever stopped to analyze why a Japanese manga feels like a fast-paced action movie, while a classic American comic feels like a series of dramatic snapshots? … Read More
American Comics vs Manga Page Layout
Master American Comics vs Manga page layout. Learn the exact paper sizes, safe zone, and bleed margins to for your artwork like a pro.
Reimagining Icons: How to Rewrite Classic Characters Without Ruining Them
When you were a kid, you probably had a favorite character from a classic novel or a historical era that lived rent-free in your imagination. Consequently, as a digital creator today, it is incredibly tempting to pull those icons into your own creative work—especially when exploring the legal freedom of the public domain. However, this creative freedom comes with a … Read More
How to Write a Strong Female Character Without Creating a Mary Sue
How to Write a Character Backstory That Feels Real (And Avoid the Mary Sue Trap) Great characters don’t appear out of nowhere. They are shaped by their past. One of the most common problems in modern storytelling is characters who feel flat or unrealistic. They might look interesting, but something is missing. Most of the time, the issue is simple: … Read More
From Joker to Darth Vader: What Makes a Truly Iconic Villain?
We often find ourselves drawn not just to the heroes in our stories, but to the architects of their suffering: the villains. From the unsettling chaos of the Joker to the tragic complexity of Darth Vader, antagonists are more than just plot obstacles; they are the mirrors reflecting our fears, the challenging forces that shape our understanding of good and … Read More
BECOME THE BEST COMIC BOOK ARTIST: TIPS FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS
by Peter Wilson FOUNDER OF https://comicspider.com FIND ME ON https://www.facebook.com/PeteComicsSo, you want to become a comic book artist? You’re in luck because the industry is growing faster than ever. In this statistic world, the comic book is the only thing that allows you to send a message to anyone in the world without even speaking their language. It’s the … Read More
How to Write a Comic Book or Manga for Beginners
HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING STORY FOR COMIC BOOKS, MAGA, AND GRAPHIC NOVELS – THE HERO’S JOURNEY The core of every novel, manga, comic book, movie, and play is the story and its characters. In this post, I talk about some of the basics for writing a story and the twelve stages of the Hero’s Journey. How have characters in … Read More
Colors vs. Black & White comics|Five reasons why color comics are popular
What is better; color or black and white comics? My five reasons why color comics are popular and what to consider before taking a decision. So far, I wrote about screen tones, pen nibs, Wacom Intuos pen tablets, and other art supplies that I use to create my manga Legends of the West. Right now it’s time to decide should … Read More
What Art Supplies Do I Need to Draw Manga
What art supplies do I need to draw manga What art supplies do I need to draw manga? What art supplies should I buy? What are the best art supplies? These are the most common questions that aspirant mangaka and beginners ask. In the last three blog posts, I talked about pen tablets, screen tones, and Japanese pen nibs. In … Read More
- Page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2
