Can You Spare 10 Minutes?

There are ten steps that go into the process of making a comic book. In fact, the ratio of time put into a comic to the amount of time it takes you to read it are miles apart.

A comic book takes on average ten minutes to read. After those ten exhilarating, amazing minutes you probably put the comic down and move on to something else. A question a lot of comic book readers have probably never thought about is how much work goes into making that comic book.

There are a large amount of “behind the scenes” people, busy at work, to make sure your comic arrives on Wednesday.  There are ten basic steps in the process of creating a comic book.  Some of them might be alarmingly obvious while others might never have crossed your mind.

The first step is coming up with the idea or concept. Warren Ellis, a veteran writer for DC, Marvel,  and Image Comics, had the following to say on this step:

I’ll have an idea, stare into space for an hour assembling its bits and testing it for legs enough to get to the end, and then open Notepad and put things down very roughly, just to get it out of my head and down on the screen so I can see it.

The second step involves the writer and the actual story. The writer(s) sit down and come up with the story that you will read. In most, but not all cases, the writer(s) is the same person that conceptualized the idea. Once the structure, plot, and theme are put together, the penciller comes in for the third step. The penciller, as his name insinuates, creates the artwork for the comic book. This person has a large role in creating the artwork for the book and is responsible for how everything will look. Since comics are based on their story and artwork, he carries a vital role.

As soon as the penciller is done, step four begins. This step involves the inker taking the penciller’s work and adding black ink which adds depth. This also gives the image a look of a three-dimensional drawing. The colorist follows behind him, taking step five, adding colors to the inked images. He brings together the collective work of both the penciller and the inker and comes up with the final image that will be printed for the public to see. The colorist needs to be cautious and consistent with their use of color. If character’s costume change color issue to issue, this will cause annoyance and irritation for the reader.

Now we are half way through the process with the sixth step. The story isn’t complete without the letterer. He adds the words that follow along with the illustrations including sound effects, speech bubbles, and captions.

The seventh step is the editing. The editor takes the collective work of the comic thus far and evaluates the quality and continuity of the work. He will have changes made or he might do it himself. He is literally the last person to review the comic before it hits the shelf so it is vital that the editor conducts himself in a comprehensive manner. After the editor hands the work off for printing, the eighth step begins. Within a few weeks the publishing company can have the final product ready for its eager readers.

Step nine involves marketing to potential distributors and retailers. Marketing might involve several forms of advertising such as press releases via the internet or magazines. This is how word gets out about the comic and often times “review copies” are sent out to build up buzz. The tenth and final step of the comic book process is distribution. The only way to get the comic books to the public is via distributors. The most popular one is Diamond Comics. Now that the comic has reached your local retailer or your website of choice you can buy it.

There you have it: The process of a comic book from start to finish. This process could take weeks and countless people are involved in getting your favorite story to you on time. Now, the next time you pick up a comic you can fully appreciate the time and energy that was put forth to provide you with ten minutes of entertainment.