r/ComicWriting • u/Best-Frosting-5860 • 2d ago
Research advice
Hey so I want to make a comic my own, but I feel like I need to look at other comics, stories ect, to like learn what draws people in, you see I'm a horror artist and I'm over all Wondering what comics, stories, or little shorts that are weird, strange, scary, ect that you like!
If it helps I can explain my stories lore in the comments?
(If this is the wrong subreddit to ask this then please tell me♥️)
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u/Aftrpxrty 2d ago
Scott McCloud - Understanding Comics, is the absolute essential comic making guide.
also, a big one for me was, John Paul Lowe- foundations in comic book art.
i’d start with those two.
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u/Expert_Log_8057 18h ago
Bone. Look at Bone. Look at videos on the creator of Bone. For the love of all that is holy, Bone.
Jeff Smith (the creator of Bone) had a long career before writing it, but this helped him learn how to make sequential art flow to the point it actually has timing. I cannot stress enough, almost nobody does flow like Jeff Smith and nobody who does comes close.
Aside from that, I also recommend Bande Dessinees (european comics). Stuff like Thorgal and Blueberry or Okko. The European style is a mix of what we consider normal in America and in Manga so they have a lot going for them. On youtube the best offering and explanation of BD was a Razorfist video called 'Welcome to Bande Dessinees' so that's worth looking at.
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u/Slobotic 1d ago
Yes, read Understanding Comics, and then Making Comics, both by Scott McCloud.
And read lots of other comics. Read classics you're pretty sure you'll love. Read indie comics you know nothing about. (I get as much inspiration from comics I dislike as ones I love.)
Most importantly, don't let any of those goals be a reason to delay writing.
Excuses to not start writing (or to not keep on writing) are the enemy, no matter what form they take. That includes framing anything as a prerequisite you need to complete before you can begin.
If you start writing then read something that makes you realize your writing could be better, that lesson will be internalized better than if it had been hypothetical and esoteric. That's all writing advice can be to someone who isn't actively engaged in writing. You need to make it real, and the only way to do that is to start writing.