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Making Comics

Making Comics
Author: Keith Foster and Scott Lost
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© Keith Foster and Scott Lost
Description
Making Comics is a podcast where indie comics creators Scott Lost (Wanderers of Melissanda, The Second Shift) and Keith Foster (Kodoja, Three Protectors) discuss the world of independent comics from both artist and writer perspectives. It centers around one question - what did you do last week? Art, writing, promotion, you name it - it all adds up to the work behind an indie comic.
257 Episodes
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This week, Scott and Keith talk about getting close to the end of a comic (3:30), trying out a tip to work through creative block (11:20), getting original art back from one of your covers (17:45), taking a break in your story to map out the story's direction (22:30), improving your skills with gesture drawings and head sketches (30:25), and getting inspiration from positive feedback (34:00) before this week's topic: handling rejection (47:20).
This week, we talk about doing work (but not finishing) panels so they can be finished later (5:30), writing with the energy of a new project (9:00), working on pre-show commissions for SDCC (14:00), doing big thinking past the current issue of the comic you're working on (19:15), and flatting colors for a page (30:40) before this week's topic: copyrights (38:30).
This episode, we recap our in-store at Comic Book Hideout in Fullerton CA (4:00), then discuss how details are their own easter egg (17:10), jumping straight from your basic skeleton to writing a comic script (24:50), and shipping out Kickstarter packages (33:20) before we give our feedback (42:05) on some comics we've received from listeners and offer tips that apply to all creators.
This week, Scott and Keith discuss making changes with your artist (4:25), the right way visually start a story (12:10), understanding change deadlines (21:45), getting product reinforcements in for Kickstarters and upcoming shows (25:40), and doing deep story-within-a-story work (29:30) before we tackle this week's topic: extending a story (37:00).
This episode, we welcome artist Dave Law (Space Odditorium, Wolf Punks) and discuss bringing real-life elements into your comic for authenticity (6:00), attacking different scenes in different ways in a comic script (11:05), ensuring dialogue corresponds to panel size and how learning from the greats can backfire (16:10), juggling multiple projects as an artist (21:20), digital versus traditional pencils (29:00), working off your digital thumbnails (36:20), working with limitations (43:50), and turning things you don't like working on into things you do (56:00).
This episode, we begin with a convention recap (5:00), bouncing a story off your editor in the formative stage (30:45), ordering product for a convention (35:05), working your way to your story's ending (47:45), and finishing a splash page (52:35) before this week's main topic: leaning into conflict (58:10).
This episode, we sit down with Gary Hodges (creator of D vs M) and discuss, among other things, balancing your writing projects when you're eager to work on all of them (5:20), getting product ready for a show (12:20), pitching your book (28:30), making comics from a place of cinema fandom (39:15), the ambitious work you sign up for in making comics (47:00), how all the time you spend creating matters (53:50), the feeling once your book is released (66:40) and turning that into the next project (69:00),
This week, we discuss troubleshooting at the printer (3:40), a kaiju in-store event (10:10), working under a tight deadline to make new prints for a show (14:40), the top outline and page outline process for a comic (23:25), keeping a 'cut not add' mindset in editing your story (32:50), cranking out even more prints for a show (37:00), and turning a strange idea into a story (40:45) before we talk about this week's topic: making edits seamless (49:40).
This week, we review a productive panel week and the power of small increments (5:45), then we have a lengthy discussion on stopping your progress to do necessary character work (16:15), touching on character sheets (22:40), knowing when to go heavy on research (29:30), and how doing that research makes writing your story easier in the future (32:15), then discuss character studies and working with vendors (36:00).
This week, we recap Free Comic Book Day (4:15), the discuss getting back into drawing after running a Kickstarter (18:30), final edits of comics in the PDF stage (30:00), and designing a trading card (41:00), before we get to this week's topic: choosing simplicity (49:00).
This week, we discuss art for a trading card (4:50), interviews and the daily work behind running a Kickstarter (9:00), hiring an artist for a future variant cover (13:00), trusting the vision for your story - but not too much (17:20), and some answers to listener questions on comic book agents (26:10) and when writer/artists should stick to writing (41:30).
This week, we recap the first two days of Amazing Las Vegas (4:00), then talk about writing a short story over a weekend (14:05), working on backgrounds (17:00), forcing yourself to shutoff creative work so you can focus on Kickstarter work (19:30), and a fun two-page spread (26:00) before we get to this week's main topic: finding the right story to tell (29:30).
This week, we discuss the home stretch of Kickstarters (8:10), those unexpected moments when characters change the story (14:00), update frequency for Kickstarters (25:30), getting pages back and seeing your script changes (30:20) before this week's topic: making the wrong ideas right (38:40).
This week, we discuss the time that goes into launching a Kickstarter (3:15), reviewing a story with fresh eyes (14:30), your name in the back of Kickstarters and how to fill extra pages in your comic (18:45), some editor notes that might apply to your stories (29:30) before we get to this week's main topic (36:30) - no small characters.
This week, we share a few thoughts on WonderCon, including the art of staying patient (13:10), 'I'll be back' (22:05), and the value of a well-rounded product portfolio (28:20), then talk about a nice writing milestone (37:20) before this week's episode: avoiding lazy storytelling (47:00).
This week, we give our thoughts on Day One of WonderCon (4:20) before we discuss getting back to your work after stepping away (9:55), recording guitars for a comic soundtrack (12:50), putting the finishing touches on a comic for a Kickstarter (14:45), and creating what you want without thinking of how it fits in your portfolio (18:00) before we get to this week's topic: self-publishing versus working through a publisher (29:00).
This week, we talk about the dramatic changes that happen from beginning to end when you make small changes along the way (5:45), getting colors back for a piece (15:00), reviewing interior pages for a backup story (22:30), Kickstarter thumbnails (26:10), comfort in creating whatever you want (41:15), and returning to your art after some time away (55:40).
This week, we discuss adjusting the colors on full-color pages to fit the story and the problem-solving that comes with cell phone exchanges (6:20), those times when you need to sit down to write (14:15) those times when you need to get away from your project for a day or two (26:00), writing where the heat is (32:20), working with public domain (and not so public domain) characters (37:10), cutting pages and cutting dialogue in the interest of the story and why lettering your own writing is so helpful (42:20) before we get to this week's main topic: what makes a cover a cover (48:00).
This week, we talk about selling yourself on submissions(3:00), visiting your story location for extra authenticity (20:30), changing up the way your work as a way to keep things fresh (29:15), and working with your editor's notes as our main topic (34:40), as well as special logos for alternate covers (53:40) and toy designs (58:30).
This week, we discuss our creator retreat and the work we did there - thumbnail work (8:00), line-editing your writing (9:15), using the SLAC method to turn thumbnails into panels (26:15), writing the first draft of a comic script (28:30), patchwork comic covers (36:20), and making sure your dialogue matches the size of the panel it sits in (40:00) before we share the goals of fellow creators (44:10).