Somebody emailed me and asked what the process for making my cartoons was and how long it takes. I tried to explain but it got all jumbled up so I said I would map it out for a month and see what kind of time frame I was looking at. So I am going to share it. Please keep in mind; the time frame is NEVER the same. Sometimes I may have a rush at the end of the month because of events in the month but otherwise I try to get them all done with in the first part of the month.
Let me explain how my sheet works…
“Date” – This is the date the cartoon will be publish (I work a month in advance).
“Day of the week” – This is the days of the week the “Date” falls on. This is important to know just in case I have a in-depth story line, I don’t want to do anything too intense on Friday, most of my story lines go M –F unless they go for the entire month, so far.
“Written” – I sit down and “fire out” all my ideas onto a tablet of paper, choosing words, layout of each panel, scene set up, etc. Depending on my mood, stress, etc this can last a week but, if the ideas come quickly, it can only take one sitting.
“Scripted” – This is where I fine tune all the ideas and put them into Word for a specific layout. My scripts are important to me because after being proofed, I use the hard copy as a checklist in the file, yes I keep all of the information for a month together in a file that I store, and the electronic copy I use to cut, copy, and paste the proofed script from. I do this because of my HORRIFIC spelling.
“Proofed” – This is Shannon’s department, she goes over the script, sometimes electronically, but most of the time she uses a hard copy. It’s just like 2nd grade; she pulls out her red pen and starts correcting things. Once the script has been proofed and accepted, I start drawing.
“Penciled” – I try to use one piece of paper for the entire 4 panels. I draw on the side of the sheet and just keep rotating the paper; this is the hardest process for me and takes the most amount of time. This is where the “work and re-work” is done. It can take as long as two weeks to do this and as little as a couple of days, depending if I can “see” the gag clearly.
“Inked” – This is where I go over the drawings with a sharpie marker. This is where things REALLY start taking shape. I outline the character with the sharpie and do the insides and backgrounds in just a felt tip pen. The sharpie markers usually get me a little light headed but I have recently found that a lot of others use a special water-based marker on Bristol paper, it does not bleed through the paper and you don’t get “the munchies” after a serious cram session. I have a electronic tablet and I have used it before AND know that the industry is changing to digital, but I still like the feel of pen to paper, for now.
“Laid Out” The black and white drawings get scanned into Photoshop and I have a template that I shrink the original scans to and place the text. This is also where I make any touch ups or clean ups to the drawings. The originals are drawn at twice the size of the template on the computer; this helps tighten up the drawing. After the layout is complete I then shrink it down to fit the website, which is half the size of the template, I then put them in a holding folder and publish all of them at one time to the websites…done! (Until next month.)
The entire process from start to finish can last, on average, about a week and a half, per title. I currently run three titles, plus magazine submissions, comic conventions, merchandise and anything else.
I hope that answers your question, you know I have a video around here somewhere, maybe Ill find it and post it.
Thanks for the GREAT question!
Random Question: What is the most unbelievable thing you’ve ever seen anyone do?
Post your answers below.
Ah yeah. I get similar with songwriting. Though the most common is “Do you write lyrics or music first?” How long and the process though? Man, you’ve got that nailed down and hammer put away dude. “What is the most unbelievable thing you’ve ever seen anyone do?” Hmmm good one. I’d say this. I’ll think “Hmmm I might just go for another helping of those awesome taters” and my wife will hand me the bowl as if I’d asked outloud. I’ll look at her and say “What.” you know as if to question her action and toss her off the trail? And she’ll say “You wanted more of these right?” I’m telling you Corp. Radar O’Reilly has nothing on my sweetie. And I’m not kidding either this happens all the time.
ESP? Interesting, and a little creepy, I have had that happen with Shannon a couple of times. I find it funny that a MASH-a-holic such as yourself refers to the incident as “Radar O Riley”, pretty good though
Push a person out of themselves! And that person doing said incredible thing was me! haha
It’s called ‘Wifey Intuition’ … the ability to know your husband so well, you’re thinking 1 or 2 steps ahead of him. Maybe we should be changing Admiral to Corporal??
Hey! Thanks for posting this! It’s very interesting to see how you do things. Think it’s pretty remarkable that you do a month’s worth at a time. It’s a great way to work! Unfortunately for me, my brain isn’t that organized.
The most remarkable thing I’ve ever seen anyone do? I saw the Chinese acrobats and a guy balance some chairs and tables on his feet with a guy on top of all that doing daring handstands. And as if this wasn’t remarkable enough, that guy on the bottom was balancing on two fingers. Yep. It’s nauseating to watch. I kept thinking his fingers were going to break completely in half. Amazingly they didn’t.