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Find out how to start your own comic strip. This very comprehensive article / tutorial will guide you through coming up with a comic strip idea, how to lay out your comic strip page, how to write comic lettering, and how to keep continuity in your comic strip from day to day, week to week, year to year. There are also many illustrated examples that will guide you through the cartooning / comic strip process. Good luck.

Here Are Even More Comics / Comic Strips Drawing Tutorials

HOW TO START YOUR OWN COMIC STRIP

((How to Come Up with an Idea, How to Lay Out Your Comic Strip, How to Do Comic Lettering, and How to Keep Continuity from Day to Day Comic Strips))

Comic Strips have been around for generations and never fail to make people laugh. Although the newspaper industry isn’t doing well, comic strips have progressed to another medium…the Internet. As long as there are creators with vivid imaginations and a flair for wit and humor, the marketplace for the comic strip will never become too crowded.

Here you can see a comic strip that suffered from the shortage of cartoonists in the post-world war II newsprint shortage…you can take it for what it was – it seemed to have loyal readers who enjoyed the comic strip … even though it doesn’t make much sense in the world that we live in today.  The antics of this roly-poly cab driver / ex-wrestler. The reproduction above is the same size as it appeared daily in the newspapers. This portion at the left is the exact size of the original drawing which was made twice its size.

Getting started on a comic strip is not an easy task 0 you must put your heart and soul into it .. sincerely believe in it … stay with it .. and above all - NEVER BECOME DISCOURAGED WHILE WORKING ON IT!

First of all, make a thorough study of the comic strips (aka The Funnies) that are popular today.

Try to figure out what “type” of comic strip would suit you best – would it be adventure, girl, kids, family, super hero, depressing humor, etc? Or will it be a “different” or “unique” comic strip?  Remember – each of these “types” can be executed in a comic strip style.

And now the toughest part, getting the idea!

The best source for ideas is life itself … keep in constant touch with what goes on in every aspect of life. The one – panel type of strip shown above gives you an idea of what can be done with a group of neighborhood kids.

A LETTERING GUIDE FOR YOUR COMIC STRIP LETTERS AND TEXT

To be sure that your lines will always be even, take a piece of thin cardboard and mark of the space for the lettering and the space between.
Place it on the left edge of your paper and mark it off. Use a t-square to rule your pencil lines across your paper.

Here are some samples of text balloons for conversations within the comic strips.

LAYING OUT YOUR COMIC STRIP PAPER

We will start laying out a comic strip, bearing in mind, that both this page and the next page will be treated as one sheet of paper.

Take a full sheet of 2 or 3 play Bristol Board – Divide it to get as many strips as you can from it … the strip should measure 16” x 4 3/4″ – add an inch all around for a border – now divide it in half allowing a 1/4” separation. Get your lettering guide and place it on left side – mark off, and with a T-Square, rule down your guide lines for lettering – start penciling-in your action taking as much space as you will need for each panel … rough in your lettering as you go along

Below, see the progression.

Let us assume that you already have your cast of characters … in this case, the main character, “Haff Nelson” has just had a fight with his enemy “Peach Fuzz” – this is the second of a two day segment of continuity…

Remember, only the middle separation is constant because some newspapers use the strip one panel on top of each other in two columns

Now that your figures / characters are pretty well penciled-in, start inking your comic strip. For your lettering and outlines of characters, I would suggest a Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen. This is a waterproof  india-ink pen and they sell them in many different sizes…they even sell one that is a brush. It will give you a good even outline, plus  a good lettering job. If you have a favorite pen of your own, use it. Be sure to ink in your lettering before anything else!!!

Ink your comic strip in this order: (1) Lettering, (2) ballons, (3) characters, (4) background (5)  borders last. Don’t hurty this part…speed will come later.

(A)

(B)

Now lets look at comic strip (B). Compare it with Comic Strip (A). Notice where, and how the shading was applied. Notice the action lines in the second panel which denotes shaking of the leg…notice the lines of motion in panel three and the leathery appearance of Haff Nelson’s Jacket – his pants are solid black which makes him a stand out – after “coloring” the clothes, the strip is completed with ground and background shadows.

CONTINUITY IN COMIC STRIPS

This complete week of comic strips shows how the continuity can sustain the interest of the readers. Notice that these strips use only three panels a day.

In working out continuity for a comic strip, work on a scrap piece of paper that is sectioned off with panels – sketch in your figures (very rough) – then work off this for your finished job.

Here is the type of “kid” comic strip that has become quite popular. “Simplicity” is the by-word in this case. Kid strips and panels have flooded the newspaper market, but there will always be room for a winner!  Who knows, you may come up with another “Peanuts”, “Nancy”, or “Dennis the Menace.”

An “off-beat” type of comic strip might be something you are interested in developing. What is the gimmick? … The little guy always gets into a jam, trying to be someone that he is not.

A one – a – day comic panel that looks into the future concerning a conversation of the past.

Drawing for comic strips is truly a medium towards which a budding young cartoonist should energetically strive for. If you have a burning desire to create a feature comic strip, by all means, tackle it. The rewards, in many cases, are amazing!! Good luck!!

Here Are Even More Comics / Comic Strips Drawing Tutorials

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