Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with comicbook

A pop-up comic using fold-in technology

Shepherd — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:03:01 -0800

How can I fold a comic book page to make a story more interesting and still legible when unfolded? I'm working on an idea for a comic book -- pitched pretty young -- that focuses on parts of the comic where the reader interacts with the comic to move the story forward. (Totally unrelated to this comic book project, still in development).

As a f'rinstance: characters have to cross a bridge over a chasm, but the bridge has collapsed in the middle. A character implores the reader to fold the page, Jaffee style, to eliminate the gap in the bridge. The reader can then turn the page, the characters are on the other side of the bridge, and the story continues. If the second page (the crossed-the-bridge page) is then unfolded, the gap in the bridge is still there, or maybe another character has figured out a way to cross (using yarn or a tree branch) in the middle of the page.

I'm trying to think of other ways to engage young readers by manipulating the comic itself. Reversed text and holding it up to a mirror is a possibility, so is folding over the last third of a nine-panel grid page (with another nine-panel grid on the back) to alter a story in progress.

Paul Grist does brilliant fourth-wall stuff with Jack Staff, but this is going to be for a much younger audience, so I can't get too clever. I also don't want to do anything destructive (so no cutting, tearing, or punching holes). Gatefold pages and die cuts might be a possibility, but I don't know if the publisher would be enthused about the additional expense.

In essence, I'm trying to cheapjack a pop-up book in comic-book format: something that will give children that fun, hands-on interactive quality, but only using folds and trickery (turn the book upside down, look at it in a mirror, fold a corner, etc.). I've got a few ideas, but I'd like to see what the hive mind has up its sleeve, especially since I know we have a lot of smart papercrafters in here that will have better ideas than me on this.

Thanos is intriguing. Who else?

np312 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:35:22 -0800

In your opinion, who are the best alien super-villains? Difficulty: I'm only interested in those that originated from comic books. I'm not interested in the bad guy from a sci fi movie which was then turned into a comic book. I'm actually not interested in movie alien villains whatsoever, no matter where they came from. Just purely comic book based super-villains, that are alien-born (or alien-created.)

To repeat, they cannot be 100% Human. They can appear human, but not be earth-based or have 2 human parents.

Most importantly, they have to be really awesome bad guys with interesting personalities. I'm looking for actual individuals, not just a swarm of evil-intentioned creatures working under a hive mind.

This is for the basis of comparison on a project I'm working on, so if you can include your reasoning for WHY you think they made such awesome villains, I'd be very interested to know. (For example, I've always liked Thanos as a supervillain because he was genuinely in love with Death incarnate, thus killing thousands of people to prove his devotion to her.)

Thanks for indulging my geekdom, those of you who are not currently at Comic Con as we speak.

A question about the V for Vendetta comic book

Brandon Blatcher — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:32:36 -0800

What was the name of a certain tv show and lead character from the V for Vendetta comic book? Was it mentioned in the movie? Can you quote me the lines from the comic book? It was an over the top racist show, featuring a white guy trying to defend a white woman from "black, cannibal filth" or some such.

Help me pick a good comic book series for a 9 year old.

Becko — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:45:28 -0800

Help me pick a comic book series for a birthday gift for my nephew. My nephew will be 9 this week and I was going to get him a comic book subscription. But then I realized that the subscriptions aren't actually for issues 1-12 of a series, but instead they just pick up where they currently are in the storyline.

So I though maybe instead it would be a good idea to get him one of those big comic anthologies. I just have no idea what to get him.
He's always loved Spider-Man ever since he was little, but I don't know that he's ever actually read many comics. I always thought the X-Men seemed like a cool series to get into.

Or are there just any other generally awesome comics/graphic novels I should consider? He absolutely loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Nothing too violent, his mom won't really appreciate that.

How did R. Crumb and Jim Woodring do it?

cmoj — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:49:36 -0800

How can I effectively self-publish my comic book? So, my friend and I have been drawing comics for some time. We've even published one on Lulu, and Lulu is a really cool thing, but not really what we need.

For one, it's too expensive. It's sort of modeled for people to buy the books online, which no one does as near as I can tell. There is only one quantity price break, so 100 books cost a little less than $700 to print. This makes them too pricey to sell even trying to break even (profit is not important). It's been a while since I did any heavy research, but I recall that the next best option was some company where I could get them for 3 bucks or so, but I'd have to order, like, thousands.

I wouldn't be opposed to the possibility of being picked up for distribution, but I know that Diamond is cutting way back, and not even promoting their independents right now. My main concern here is creative control, plus the appeal of this thing might me local (college arts town that likes to support its own). Seems unlikely to me.

Also, this thing is in color, which makes it that much more expensive. On Lulu, even if it's b&w it's only a buck or two cheaper. If b&w was substantially cheaper elsewhere, that might be an option, though. Another thing I've thought about is the kind of paper. You can't print on comic book-type paper on lulu, but then nowadays a lot of comics are on regular color glossy paper.

I've seen some similar questions from before on here, but I'm still kind of swamped by the whole thing.

Oh, and I've got nothing against web comics, but... I dunno... nothing beats a hard copy from the artist.

Any suggestions? Did I leave anything out?

ID an old comic book story about an alien squid in a basement?

schoolgirl report — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:51:39 -0800

Help me ID a story I read in a comic book in the late 70's, early 80's - it was a short story, not the entire comic, I believe - about an old couple who (intentionally or not) had an alien in the basement. A few bits that remain in my brain:

- Alien looked like a squid or some other tentacled beast.

- The couple would invite people into the house for some reason I don't recall, where they would be eaten by the alien.

- The last panel was an overhead view showing skeletons tumbling out of a basement bulkhead.

I'm not sure how the story played out, and why the fact that the alien was eating the guests was apparently a surprise reveal.

The only other comic book I recall reading around that era was a Spiderman featuring, I think, the Jackal, in which one of the henchmen Spidey was about to question had his brains fried by something. It's possible the alien story was in the back of that issue, but I don't know for sure.

Looking for english-language blog about french graphic novels.

yeoz — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:36:27 -0800

I'm looking for english-language blogs about french or franco-belgian comic books or graphic novels. There was one that I think that was linked on MetaFilter some time ago, but, I can't find it again, and i'm not even sure that was english-language ... But, any blogs about french comics/graphic novels that you can share would be great! Thanks.

Looking for new comics to read

reenum — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:18:57 -0800

I need some recommendations for daily comic strips to read I've checked the old threads and found one thread that led me to some good stuff.

But, alas, that thread seemed to be filled with comics that were not to my taste. Plus, the thread is over 3 years old. Surely new stuff has come out since then.

My favorite comic strips in the past and present are as follows:
Calvin and Hobbes
Bloom County
Doonesbury (especially the Uncle Duke character)
Sinfest
My Filing Technique is Unstoppable (except for the excessive cursing)
Dilbert (Dogbert's my fav)

I'm looking for comics with a quirky point of view and an edgy sense of humor. I'm not big into sci-fi, gaming, or fantasy, so a lot of those might be out. I'm not closing myself off to such comics, but they would have to be really outstanding for me to get into them.

Also, I don't want to limit myself to webcomics. If there are nationally syndicated or paper-only strips out there that you think I might like, please recommend them too.

Thanks!

Post-Nuclear comic book?

arniec — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:41:33 -0800

What is this post-nuclear holocaust comic book I had as a kid? In the early 80's I went to Canada and bought a couple comic books that were in digest form. Both were collections.

The one I'm trying to remember seemed to be an anthology of nuclear war and post-nuclear war stories. The stories were not connected in any way other than it was after the nukes went off, and I recall the art being drastically different in the stories as well.

The story I remember best was a boy and his dog who survived the blast but his parents did not. He wasn't sure what to do or where to go. It ended talking about how his skin was turning green, his dog's hair was falling out, and he felt sick...

Anyone able to find this book for me?

To help with the timing, the other comic I bought with it was a collection of "Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen" where Jimmy had a dream that he was king of an alien world, then he woke up and told Superman about it, and Supes wondered if that world was a dream of if the "real world" with Superman was a dream.

Thanks for any help!

Avoiding the super-slush pile

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:12:49 -0800

So -- with no direct industry contacts and conventions out of the question -- how does one pitch to Marvel Comics? I'm an indie comics creator with a reasonable track record -- a few decently (but not ragingly) successful North American books under my belt and a few more on the way -- and I have a very good idea that uses a currently inactive Marvel Comics character. It's rooted enough in their universe that it has to be a Marvel project. The thing is, while I have a number of contacts at small publishing firms, with artists, etc., the circles I move in aren't really "Marvel circles" to the extent that anyone I know can bend the ear of an editor. And I live far away from the States, making one-on-one convention-schmoozing an impossibility.

I'm accustomed to the indie pitch process: I get together with a great artist, we put together a good package, and we send it to relevant publishers. I bat about .500 this way, slowly trending upwards as I get more projects and recognition under my belt. But I'm still a nobody as far as Marvel and DC go, and since they do their own artist/writer bundling, the idea of getting an artist to dive into spec art for a project that would probably get reassigned anyway doesn't seem practical -- although if I'm wrong on this, please correct me.

What does a pitch package that arrives at the Marvel offices look like if it's to avoid the unsolicited-garbage category right away, given that I imagine their mailbag groans with such things? And, apart from sheer unrelenting excellence, what can get such a thing noticed by the right people?

Holy Hand-out Help, Batman!

np312 — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:31:19 -0800

I'm looking for a high-quality scan of a single page out of any Batman or Superman comic book or graphic novel that I can print out off of the internet. My google-fu is apparently not up to snuff. Black and white would probably be preferable to color since I'm looking for something I can print out and photocopy as part of a high-school hand-out for writing action scenes in film. But it needs to be legible and print-outable for free. I only need one page, but it has to be decent quality.

The optimal page would be from an action sequence with both pictures and words.

Thank you for your help!

Proposal for a stage play?

Sticherbeast — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 14:09:22 -0800

A friend of mine is in talks with a certain comic book writer to adapt a certain graphic novel for the stage. According to the writer's manager, they're interested in at least one run of the show, provided he can show them a satisfactory proposal. Great news! The only problem is, what should that proposal consist of and look like, for presentation to the writer and his manager?

Think of all the tints, bay-bee!

Slothrop — Tue, 01 May 2007 05:48:35 -0800

Planning a comic book : question about cost of one-color vs. two-color vs. four-color offset vs. digital. I am starting a new comic book (I'm the sole creator) and before I begin I'm wondering about the cost of different print outputs. I've already finished the first part of one separate story (story a) that I'm doing in full-color, all vector art in Illustrator.

Because I'm doing the next story (story b) as vector art as well, I was wondering if it would be more cost effective for a printer if I set it up as one-color or two-color. Most comic printing is one-color (black-on-white) but I've occassionally seen a creator do two-color work (Heavy Liquid from Paul Pope comes to mind) and I think it works really well. I am in complete control of the work so I can use which ever color technique I want, but I'd like to see it printed and I think I'd have a better shot as an unknown creator if my work was relatively cost efficient to produce for the publisher.

So, even if you don't know the exact costs, could you (my hypothetical MeFi designer/reader) estimate the difference between one-color print versus two-color versus four-color versus digital? Say, for instance we call one-color printing a cost of 1000 wozzits, then two-color is 1500 wozzits with four-color being 4000 wozzits and digital being 2000 wozzits..?

Thanks!

The Purple Protagonist??

knapah — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:00:04 -0800

For a friend: Name the heroine - similar (looking) to She-Ra but with a purple outfit. Hair: Black/Brown with purple in it. May have ridden a white horse. Help?

Help a wannabe Alan Moore?

Bookhouse — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:13:18 -0800

How can a writer find an artist for a comic book collaboration? I'm a professional writer who's starting to have a little success with his fiction (short stories published, finishing a novel). I've had an idea for a story that really wants to be told in comic book form. I'm certainly not good enough to draw it myself -- so how can I find an artist to collaborate with?

Am I correct in thinking that it's sort of a seller's market? After all, the art must be more time-consuming, and plenty of artists write their own stuff. Also, I'm not looking to break into the field permanently, I just want to tell this story. However, I do like comics and have read several books on writing them and want whatever I do to be of a professional calibur -- so I don't want to just find some spaz to draw stick figures.

Should I just tell it in prose and be done with it?

How do I buy comics online in Canada?

cm — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 22:41:50 -0800

CanadaFilter! Help a Canuck get his comic book fix. I'm looking for an online source for comics located in Canada. There are services like this in the USA: In Stock Trades and Comic Hole. Despite the high Canadian dollar it's still a pain to ship accoss the border. So, aside from Amazon.ca and Chapters.ca where do the Canadian comic book fans shop online?

Help for finding an old Donald Duck comic book

america4 — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:52:28 -0800

I'm looking for a particular Dell Donald Duck comic book (I don't know the story line, only what the front cover looks like), and no, don't know the issue number, etc. My guess somewhere between 1958 and 1964, but purely a guess. What's the best "source" to try and identify the comic book in question? [description of the front cover, follows]Thanks! The front cover had a full length Donald Duck that took up most of the front cover, his arms were out to the left (as you're looking at the front cover) and he was holding an alarm clock.

Batman's super power. Discuss.

TwelveTwo — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 22:41:51 -0800

What is Batman's super power? For bonus points, what is Darkwing Duck's super power?

Mmmm...comic summaries.

Falconetti — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 14:23:44 -0800

Are there any sites that sum up complicated storylines in comic books? I don't read superheo comics, but for whatever reason I like to read explanations or summations of stories that greatly affect the comic universe or a famous character or team. Think "Infinite Crisis" sort of stuff.

Best way to sell comic books?

blue_beetle — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:03:29 -0800

How to sell comic books I have a large collection (1200) comics books, mainly early 90's DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Justice League) in mint condition. I want to find the simplest way to get rid of them (and maximze profits, of course). Is ebay the best way, or should I take them to a local comicbook store? Is it worth trying to sell them individually, or just as a set? Does anyone have any experience with this? As a side note, I have had no experience (buying/Selling) in the comic book industry in more than 10 years.

Help finding "Dialectic Materialism" comic book

rokabiri — Wed, 16 Feb 2005 10:47:07 -0800

While some of us as children were reading Life is Hell and Mad Magazine, Marjane Satrapi was reading comic books on Marxist theory. In her book Persepolis she mentions her favorite comic book as being titled Dialectic Materialism. I've also seen this book referred to as Dialectic Materialism for Children but can't find it anywhere. Has anyone heard of it or know where I can find a copy?

Connecting Writers and Artists

Shanachie — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 13:12:53 -0800

I've written a feature length screenplay. I showed it to a friend who's an editor at a publishing company in the UK. He suggested I consider doing the script as a graphic novel. Is there a resource on the web for writer's and artists to connect? Also, is there a guide to transform my movie from screenplay format to comic book format?

Josh Whedon's Astonishing X-Men: questions of continuity

feelinglistless — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:22:21 -0800

A question for people who've been reading Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men... I haven't read X-Men (or many comic books) for a few years so I'm not up on the continuity. So I was wondering -- what's up with Kitty Pride -- she looks younger than last time I met her and in the memories which appear in the opening issue -- have I missed something or is it just the way the artist is drawing her? Also, while I'm here, what's happened to Jean Grey?

[I have tried Googling for this stuff and all I've found are rightly glowing reviews for this new series]