What Are the Traditional Elements?

Comix share several components with traditional comics. These components are story (text versus no text versus experimental text), keyframed story panels, archetypal characters, caricatures, and artwork. The first part of this chapter explores these components.

Story

A good mnemonic device to remember is ITSF, or “It’s the Story First!” The artwork must ride on a well-defined and articulated story. Without a story, or with a story that is poorly communicated, the characters will choke for lack of air. This is true no matter what the theme or the display medium. Great artwork is diminished by a poor story—by a story that lacks the quality, forethought, and craftsmanship to keep the reader interested. You know this from the movies. How many films have you seen that have great special effects but suffer from a script that lacks depth and cohesiveness? Special effects cannot by themselves create the spark that captures an audience who can’t wait for the sequel. Great artwork with a poor story is soon forgotten, thrown in a heap with the other entertainment media that leave no lasting impression. That is why we have devoted Chapters 4 through 6 of this book to those elements that are essential to good storytelling.

Does a comix story always need text? Not necessarily, although the incorporation of text is more commonplace than not. There are essentially three methods of Comix storytelling: text, no text, and experimental text.

Text

Text is by far the most common way of getting a story across, accounting for at least 90 percent of the cases. If you are telling your comix story using this traditional format, you should be a good writer, be studying to be a better writer, or hire a writer to work with you. Just remember that comix are a pictorial medium, so great words will never make up for poor artwork, and mediocre storytelling and bad art together spell a waste of time. Read Chapters 4 through 6 to get some hints on storytelling components.

No Text

If your story is to be told with images alone, the artwork had better be cohesive and memorable. You might compare a no-text story to the succession of images representing ancient stories as displayed in Paleolithic caves. To tell a story in images alone, you have to be able to think in images. There are a number of visual learning societies that you might look up on the Web that can aid you in this pursuit. It remains unclear whether visual thinking is a hard-wired trait. What is known is that everyone can learn to at least be more aware of how to use visual thinking.

There is another nontext way of telling a story: with the use of balloons. “Balloons” are what comix artists traditionally use as a frame for text that is being spoken or though, with an arrow indicating who is doing the speaking or a series of bubbles emanating from the character who is doing the thinking. For example, the figure at the end of the Introduction is accompanied by a text balloon that displays his words. Thought balloons can display either words or pictures. You could also use text balloons to display images, too, but in that case the reader’s appreciation will call for a bit more abstracted thought. See Figure 1.1.

Experimental Text

Experimental text refers to text that is somewhere between text and image. The most common case is the use of symbolic expletives. When we see the text line #@%^%$!!! we are prompted to substitute our own rich heritage of curses, as we see fit. We do this automatically because this device has been used so much over the years to defeat censorship. Making a character speak in Egyptian hieroglyphs or causing an alien from the stars to speak text that looked completely strange and indecipherable are additional examples of experimental text. See Figure 1.2. There’s more on this topic in Chapter 4.

Keyframed Story Panels

If you are an experienced animator, you may think it strange that we are using the word keyframe in a nonanimation context, but you will discover that it indeed belongs here. In the context of comix, a keyframe is a major frame or panel in a story that acts as a climax or result of a build-up of actions. The animator knows a keyframe as a frame in a sequence that holds major poses, around which other transition frames (“in-betweens”) lead from and to other keyframes. Keyframing is important to visual storytelling and vital to designing comix. Again, there is more on this topic in Chapters 4 and 6.

Archetypal Characters

Archetypes are categories of beings, usually based at least in part on world myths. Archetypes can be personified as human or animal characters or a combination of the two—characters that hold very powerful capabilities to represent the most heroic or demonic forces imaginable. Since myth is so pervasive, and since every culture evokes and relies on its own mythic stories, many comix artists and writers spend a long time researching the archetypal characters that populate myths. These are then recrafted in different costumes in order to fit into more contemporary stories.

Sometimes the myth of other cultures serves as the seedbed for the development of characters that come to life through comix in western cultures. Hollywood, even when it is making movies that are not comix based, often uses the same mechanism for character development. One example is the characters that populate George Lucas’ Star Wars films. Lucas is a learned researcher in world myth and religion, and all of the main characters in Star Wars have some connection to various archetypal beings in world myth. That accounts for their power, because archetypal characters touch on our deepest dreams and fears.

Archetypes are not the same as stereotypes. Stereotypes are narrow classifications that cast characters into constricted boxes for the purpose of making one race, gender, or ethnic class look less intelligent, less worthy, or less capable than another. Wherever possible, the comix artist should try to avoid stereotyping, either through inappropriate storylines or stereotypical artwork. Traditional comic books have played a large part in breaking down stereotypical representations, sometimes many years before society as a whole dealt with the same issues on a social level. So, the general rule is to cast your characters as archetypes, not as stereotypes. Archetypes can appear as any gender or race or even as nonhuman and nonorganic characters.

The earliest archetypes represented characters cast as one of three possibilities: the hero, the villain, or the innocent. The innocent was always the pawn in the story, a character who was pursued for nefarious reasons by the villain and was waiting to be saved by the hero. As an example of cultural stereotyping (because western culture was caught in a stereotyping grip that it only lately has become aware of on a wide scale), the innocent character was almost always a woman. In many recent instances, racial and ethnic personas were cast as the villain, reinforcing cultural prejudices. Unfortunately, this stereotyping still happens in too many situations today and is even mimicked in some art.

With the evolution of our perception and the appreciation for a wider array of archetypes, more personas have been added to Western literature. These include, but are not limited to, the following: the geek (most often modeled on a computer technician or programmer), the mad scientist (tied to our mistrust in the vagaries of science and technology), the abused villain (who acts that way because of his or her own experience of mistreatment), the brute hero, the dweeb (not as intelligent as the geek and more of a bumbler), the prankster or jokester (related to the shape-shifter archetype of the Native Americans), the monster (different from the ancient archetype representing fear and transformation, because we have so many monstrous real figures to draw on from history), the arrogant (most often stereotyped as a wealthy person), and of course the antihero (someone who becomes a heroic figure by accident and circumstance, not by conscious choice). As archetypal characters, the antihero and the hero often have a sidekick who acts like the archetypal jokester.

You can always build a complete story with the first three stereotypes, but having a richer well of archetypal personality resources will make your stories more contemporary. If you want to research your own stereotypical characters, there is no better way to do it than through the study of world myth and archetypal psychology. Be sure to read Chapter 6, “Character Design,” where we look at all of these archetypes in more detail. In the meantime, here is a short (very short) bibliography of some relevant books about archetypes that you might find useful:

Campbell, Joseph The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Princeton University Press, 1949
Campbell, Joseph The Masks of God (4 volumes), Viking Press, New York, 1969
Coomarswami, A. K. Who Is Satan and Where Is Hell? Bollingen Series LXXXIX, Princeton University Press, 1977
Creuzer, Geory Friedrich Symbolism and Mythology of the Ancient Peoples, Triumph Press, New York, 1810
Davidson, H. R. E. Gods and Myths of Ancient Europe, Penguin Books, England, 1964
Hamilton, Edith Mythology, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1942
Hillman, James The Dream and the Underworld, Harper and Row, New York, 1979
James, E.O. The Ancient Gods, Weidenfield and Nicholson, London, 1960
Jung, C. G. Four Archetypes, Bollingen Series XX, Princeton University Press, 1959
Jung, C. G. (ed.) Man and His Symbols, Aldus Books, London, 1964
Kramer, Samuel Noah Mythologies of the Ancient World, Anchor Books, New York, 1961
Neumann, E. The Great Mother, Princeton University Press, 1955
Ricoeur, Paul The Symbolism of Evil, Harper and Row, New York, 1967
Stevens, Anthony Archetypes, Quill, New York, 1983
Storm, Hyemeyohsts Seven Arrows, Random House, New York, 1972

Caricatures

A caricature is an exaggerated persona. Caricaturization remains the most powerful tool of satirical comedians and political cartoonists. The comix artist R. Crumb did more in the 1960s to change societal attitudes than all of the nauseating propaganda from either side of the political dividing lines. He played no favorites, showing the stereotypical actions and reactions of all sides involved. He did this by exaggerating the stereotypical personality traits of everyone to the point of hilarity. Humor remains a powerful force for social and political awareness and change.

Caricatures force people to think about wider issues, and they force the fence-sitter to risk an opinion, agreeable or not. People in the public eye are those most often caricatured because they are easily recognized because of some dominant physical characteristics, which the caricaturist usually exaggerates. A caricature is a blend of a photo and a cartoon. One or more recognizable physical attributes of the targeted person is exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Jay Leno’s chin, Nixon’s drooping mouth and five o’clock shadow, Bob Hope’s nose, Michael Jackson’s one gloved hand glove—all of these features are perfect grist for the caricaturist’s mill.

One exaggerated feature can identify an actor in a comix scene forever, and comix artists use the art of caricature to their best advantage to create memorable characters. The archetypal elements of a character’s persona are also caricatured so that heroes become even more heroic, villains all the more unrelenting, and fools exhibit hidden wisdom. Be sure to read Chapter 6 on character design for more details and suggestions.

Artwork

You can use several methods and techniques that will aid you in the development of high-end artwork for your comix illustrations. Your artwork has got to make the grade if you are interested in carrying through a comix project at a professional level. Comix remain primarily a visual medium, with rabid collectors constantly seeking out old and new ways of visual storytelling. When I began my own comix collections years ago, I always looked at the images first to see if they grabbed me. The images not only had to be first rate, but they had to pretty much tell me the basic story before I read one word of the text, or the work was of no value to me. If a comix designer does not understand how to create good art and attempts to rely on the words alone to tell the story, the game is over. The major part of this book is designed to give you creative options so your comix artwork will be unique and attractive to your targeted audience when you incorporate computer graphics tools and options.

Cohesive Components

What are the main cohesive components that tie a comix production together? There are three core items:

• Your characters must remain true to themselves throughout the storyline. This requires you to build your characters from the inside out, so that when you are illustrating them, they seem as though they are really living in their world.

• If the story is ongoing, each episode must have its own complete and self-contained secondary story, or playlet. For example, a daily episode of a TV soap opera has to offer the viewer a reason to tune in every day, so interesting things have to happen.

• If your comix have text, that text must match the personality of the actor doing the speaking. The worst way to approach a character’s speech is to rely too heavily on “proper” grammar and syntax. The characters’ words have to relate to who they are, how they act, and what they look like.

For more definitive examples of ways to achieve these objectives, see Chapters 4 through 6.

Targeted Audience

The plots that drive comix storylines are crafted to attract and satisfy specific audiences. The comix designer has to have some idea of the demographics of his or her audience and must shape the story vehicle accordingly. Some comix have decidedly adult themes, for example. Others have mythic content crafted to excite a certain targeted population, while some are used as vehicles for contemporary social and political satire and humor.

The best way for a comix designer to select a target audience is to be a part of that same audience. Creating comix requires extreme patience and committed work, so using themes that are far from your own interest only makes the task harder and sometimes impossible. To paraphrase Hemingway, “If you want to write about bullfights, you have to love to go to the bullfights.” It is only when you know and love your thematic material that you can infuse it with the level of believability that the reader will be mesmerized by, in both text and image.

What New Elements Do Comix Include?

Along with the ingredients that comix and comics share, there are also differences between the two media. To be sure, comix owe their existence to traditional comics, but as the technologies of digital art continue to advance and present the artist with new options, the traditional parent medium no longer holds all of the creative possibilities. For instance, comix incorporate the following facets that do not apply to traditional comics:

• The integration of digital 3D elements (see Chapters 2 and 6—10) This topic, of course, forms the core of this book. This book will expose you to 3D resources and creative techniques that can greatly expand your artistic options while at the same time decreasing frustrating and repetitive tasks.

• New computer-enhanced media “looks” (see Chapter 13, Compositing) The comix artist is recognized by his or her graphic style. Computer graphics, on the other hand, are often identified with the absence of an identifiable style so that everyone’s work looks overly similar. There are a number of ways to reintegrate personal artistic styles into digital artwork, many of which are explored in this book.
• New computer-designed F/X elements (see Chapter 14) Computer graphics are synonymous with the exploration and application of visual F/X, thanks primarily to the use of computer graphics in films. Many of those same F/X options can be applied to comix backgrounds, creating image content far from the traditional beaten path.

• New blending of 3D graphics and photographic elements (see Chapters 9, 13, 14, and 17) Traditional comics are composed of illustrations alone; in a few rare instances, photographs are used as background material. But with the new digital options, photography can be used as backgrounds, foregrounds (including characters), or even both. Once incorporated, photographic elements can be transformed into illustrative media.

Who This Book Is For and How Best to Use It

If you find that one or more of the following categories of readers describes you, you may also find it helpful to use this book in the ways suggested:

The comics/comix professional looking for new ways to do things with a selection of some of the digital tools that are available This person is already involved in comics or comix creation and has previous experience with getting work published. If you fall into this category, how you use this book will depend on whether you already use digital media in your work. If you have little or no familiarity with digital media, you should read the whole book and gain familiarity with the software, paying special attention to Chapters 6 through 18. You should follow the tutorials and create the projects in Chapter 19. Chapter 20 might present you with some new vehicles for marketing your digitally enhanced work. If you already use digital options to create your work, the following chapters are the most vital ones for you: Chapters 7–14, 17, and 18. At least take a look at the projects in Chapters 19 and 20.

The professional and high-end hobbyist computer graphics artist seeking a new vehicle for expression This can be for the purpose of enhancing your income, as a creative challenge, or just for learning how to apply a new set of tools. You should read this book from start to finish, paying special attention to any and all new software options presented. Work through all the tutorials.

The novice computer graphics artist seeking guideposts to available tools Read this book from start to finish, working through all the tutorials. Pay special attention to all the software mentioned. As soon as possible, purchase that software and learn to use it.

Readers who have a working familiarity with any of the software mentioned in this book and who are interested in exploring new uses Read this book from start to finish, working through all the tutorials. See what software you already own that matches packages mentioned in the book, and jot down and explore any new-use ideas that you may come across.

Classroom instructors in the arts who are looking for a text that describes both methods and tools used to create comix This book can be used to shape lesson plans by referencing the included tutorials. Read this book from beginning to end, paying special attention to the tutorials and how they might be reconfigured for your use. Since the author is also an experienced classroom instructor, you can query him in care of the publisher for suggestions on instructional design based on the book’s contents.

Animators for film and television Comix (sans the text balloons) are animation storyboards, and any animator who is involved with the creation of a storyboard using digital tools is already a comix artist. Read the book from start to finish, with special attention to Chapters 6–10, 13, and 14.

Everyone interested in the visual arts and new media and how they are evolving In many ways, this book takes a look at a traditional visual art display medium (comics) and shows how the availability of new tools and techniques is forcing the evolution of this art form right in front of our eyes. In that context, the book can even be used as a text for contemporary art history courses.

All comix aficionados who are interested in a comprehensive work that deals with this evolving creative medium of artistic expression Leave this book lying around in public view. Just as there is a rising interest in documentaries that show how films are made, so there is interest in every facet of creativity such as comix exhibit.