Im Mike. I love comic books. That kind of love a man has for a woman, but not that sexy kind of fun love us kids have. That kind of love, married people have. Where they really appreciate what the other person does, and are utterly obsessed with every facet, good and bad. Well thats how Im gonna be when I get married! I will treat my woman how I look at comic books. And trust me ladies, thats a really, really good thing.
A comic book should be a beautiful piece of art, not a collectors item. An intriguing amalgamation of different artists works, combined into one delectable treat for your eyes and brain to savor. A finely made comic book is the visual equivalent of finely made music. The writer is the lyricist, the penciler is lead guitar, and the inker is bass, the colorist is the drummer, and the letterer is the vocalist. Each one a master of their own craft, but when their merits combine they make an amazing spectacle that could be enjoyed to its fullest.
Im a writer, with the intent of writing comic books one day. I work at a SamGoody cd shop, as assistant manager. I love music, a lot. Not as much as comic books, but music is the soundtrack to my life. Im also pretty crazy about movies, especially artful ones. Im an artfag, I look for the art in life. I think Music, Movies, and Comics are the art to define our generation, even if you dont realize how important comics are.
The story written by the writer is the backbone, the tale that must be woven visually. But the art carries it, layout, and pencils set the scene like a director or cinematographer of a movie. Not just any artist can draw a comic, they need to be able to tell a story in a series of pictures, lay it out on a page, and make transitions from panel to panel that allow the reader to understand what is going on. The inker is not a tracer; the inker is the lighting director, and mood setter. A pencilers pencils will look similar in style, on two pieces of work, but different inkers will change the tone entirely, things can be dark and sinister or light and uplifting and it all depends on the ink. The colorist brings the pages into rich attractive life. Color, or shading have the same effect, it depends on which is more dynamic in each situation. Black and white can be just as good if not better than color. Even the letterer is an artist. Lettering is often overlooked, and is quickly being replaced by typesetting from computers. Lettering done right, is more than just writing legibly, you can stretch and space text accordingly to portray the emotion in which the words are being spoken. Size and style can determine the mood. The letterer is important, lets not see them fade away.
Sometimes you come across uber talented individuals who can do more than one of these tasks, and sometimes even all of them. In some cases these books are better than most collaboration, and only prove how amazingly talented they are. A lot of hard work goes into a comic, a lot of time and effort, and they are meant to be appreciated, and enjoyed. A comic is entertainment, like watching a TV show or listening to CD. For three bucks, you get twenty minutes of entertainment, not a bad deal. Its unfortunate that the comic book has been deemed collectible and has spawned a horde mentality that involves keeping them in pristine condition and never, ever reading them. The thought of the comic book fan stereotype sickens me, comics are not meant to be encapsulated in plastic and never read. They were created for us to read and enjoy, not horde like greedy little pigs. What brought about such mentality? Was it the paper drives of World War II? When parents donated all their childrens comics? And then ten years later when the kids wanted all their old comics back, and would pay anything for them, an industry was founded on the collectibility, and not the entertainment value?
I digress. This is my love letter to comics. Thank you for being there, in the good times and bad, I feel your name has been tainted by society and I will fight for you.
I have major plans, for this fight.
So this is what to expect from me people, I love comic books, and I hope for you all to find a love for comics as well.
A comic book should be a beautiful piece of art, not a collectors item. An intriguing amalgamation of different artists works, combined into one delectable treat for your eyes and brain to savor. A finely made comic book is the visual equivalent of finely made music. The writer is the lyricist, the penciler is lead guitar, and the inker is bass, the colorist is the drummer, and the letterer is the vocalist. Each one a master of their own craft, but when their merits combine they make an amazing spectacle that could be enjoyed to its fullest.
Im a writer, with the intent of writing comic books one day. I work at a SamGoody cd shop, as assistant manager. I love music, a lot. Not as much as comic books, but music is the soundtrack to my life. Im also pretty crazy about movies, especially artful ones. Im an artfag, I look for the art in life. I think Music, Movies, and Comics are the art to define our generation, even if you dont realize how important comics are.
The story written by the writer is the backbone, the tale that must be woven visually. But the art carries it, layout, and pencils set the scene like a director or cinematographer of a movie. Not just any artist can draw a comic, they need to be able to tell a story in a series of pictures, lay it out on a page, and make transitions from panel to panel that allow the reader to understand what is going on. The inker is not a tracer; the inker is the lighting director, and mood setter. A pencilers pencils will look similar in style, on two pieces of work, but different inkers will change the tone entirely, things can be dark and sinister or light and uplifting and it all depends on the ink. The colorist brings the pages into rich attractive life. Color, or shading have the same effect, it depends on which is more dynamic in each situation. Black and white can be just as good if not better than color. Even the letterer is an artist. Lettering is often overlooked, and is quickly being replaced by typesetting from computers. Lettering done right, is more than just writing legibly, you can stretch and space text accordingly to portray the emotion in which the words are being spoken. Size and style can determine the mood. The letterer is important, lets not see them fade away.
Sometimes you come across uber talented individuals who can do more than one of these tasks, and sometimes even all of them. In some cases these books are better than most collaboration, and only prove how amazingly talented they are. A lot of hard work goes into a comic, a lot of time and effort, and they are meant to be appreciated, and enjoyed. A comic is entertainment, like watching a TV show or listening to CD. For three bucks, you get twenty minutes of entertainment, not a bad deal. Its unfortunate that the comic book has been deemed collectible and has spawned a horde mentality that involves keeping them in pristine condition and never, ever reading them. The thought of the comic book fan stereotype sickens me, comics are not meant to be encapsulated in plastic and never read. They were created for us to read and enjoy, not horde like greedy little pigs. What brought about such mentality? Was it the paper drives of World War II? When parents donated all their childrens comics? And then ten years later when the kids wanted all their old comics back, and would pay anything for them, an industry was founded on the collectibility, and not the entertainment value?
I digress. This is my love letter to comics. Thank you for being there, in the good times and bad, I feel your name has been tainted by society and I will fight for you.
I have major plans, for this fight.
So this is what to expect from me people, I love comic books, and I hope for you all to find a love for comics as well.
blackriver:
i had that same problem once. Welcome to SG