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The many stages of
creating diverse comics

Instructors break
down production

process

= By SAFOURA RIGI-LADIZ

ach artist has their own
preferred technique when
creating comics. Still,
whether it’s pen to paper
or using digital tools, a lot of simi-
larities can be found, according to
a Langara comic teacher who also
heads a non-profit comic society.
Jonathon Dalton has made
comics using the computer as well
as sketching with pen and paper.
Today, though digital comic draw-
ing is thriving, he still prefers using
traditional materials and finalizing
everything on the computer.
In the first stage, Dalton writes
a script. Because comics are a visual
medium, he wants to have the draw-
ing part happen as soon as possible.

“Tl draw small thumbnails with
stick figures,” he said. “And then I
write the words underneath, just to
figure out what’s going to happen in
the story.”

The next step is a rough draft with
the comics.

“Tl take my script, and I'll lay
it out to decide what happens on
each page,” he said. “I rewrite the
dialogue to make it work better. I like
to decide on the layout of the page.”

For colouring, Dalton uses Copic
or Prismacolor markers.

“I photocopy it onto thinner
paper because markers work better.
They don’t work as well on Bristol
[board],” Dalton said. “This way, if
I mess up the markers, I can always
re-photocopy it too.”

Dalton finalizes everything by
scanning his completed piece and
posting it as a webcomic or getting
it ready for print.

Josué Menjivar, another comic
book artist and comics instructor
at Langara, sketches his comics and
uses his iPad.

“Generally, [I] do pencil sketches
and then I just finish them off with

an ink brush, pen, and Pentel brush,”
he said. “I will then scan it and then
put it into Photoshop.”

B.C. COMIC BOOK COURSES

» Camosun College
The college offers a Comics

& Graphic Novels certificate
program.

» UBC

Although no certification is cur-
rently offered from the university,
students can enrol in a Comics
and Graphic Media course.

» Langara College

Langara offers a certificate pro-
gram. Students can take courses
full time or part time.

SOURCE: COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY
WEBSITES