When I first made the transition from somewhat passively reading comics to actively engaging with them as a hobby, I tried to learn a few things about comics beyond what I was seeing on the printed page. Not to date myself too much, but I’ll admit that this was well before webcomics existed. In fact, it happened to be right around the time when Jack Kirby was in a heated legal battle with Marvel Comics over ownership of the original art he created for the comics. Consequently, some of the more upscale fanzines would periodically print examples of his original art, and readers could compare them against what was eventually printed.
Also around that time, a local community college ran a small exhibit in their art gallery of original comic art. Probably inspired by that same legal battle. The pages were were framed and under glass, but I was able to see a dozen or two pages of art that went into the production of popular comic books. (I seem to recall Thor being prominently figured throughout the exhibit.)
But that was a decidedly active choice on my part to see how the comics were made. Even then, I only saw a handful of pages, most of which were from comics I didn’t own. So I had to infer other artists’ styles and techniques.
With the advent of the internet and improved printing techniques, it’s now much easier to see what original art looks like. Indeed, it’s not uncommon at all for artists’ sketches to be used in promotional materials in advance of a comic becoming available.
But where webcomics are a little different is that it’s much easier to run sketches right along with the finished pieces. What strikes me as particularly interesting, too, is how quickly webcomic creators adopt new ideas and try out new technologies. Kevin Vassey, for example, does his initial sketches for The Gnome Syndicate on an iPad...
In fact, in reading his blog, it would seem that he was only able to get his own iPad in April and yet he’s already using it for his work here.
Similarly, it seems that The Realist’s Asaf Hanuka has already taken to posting process sketches to his Google+ account, after having it less than a month. Below are not only his page layouts for his June 27 strip, but also design sketches for characters and elements he created for this story.
Of course, not every webcomic creator employs the latest technology; some still rely on a pencil and paper. But that’s still very useful in the creation of a webcomic. Sean Wang, in fact, did enough design sketches that he’s incorporated them into his update process for Runners. While he only releases a new comic page on Mondays, he kept fans’ attention through the week by uploading some of his preliminary work and additional notes on Thursdays.
Not only could readers keep up with the story, but they could see Wang’s thought process behind his story decisions take shape. Between his notes and sketches, he effectively annotated the entire comic, something that would not likely be practical were it published traditionally.
One more thing I’ll point out is that, on the web, a creator can sell the original art from the very same place his/her comic is at. Jason Yungbluth showcases all of the pages of original art for Weapon Brown, and notes the price of each if someone wants to buy the original. (Or he marks it as sold if someone has already claimed it.) As with Wang’s approach, it’s simple but effective. And with the web, it can obviously be updated immediately if a piece sells -- a noted advantage over print.
The internet has provided a wealth of easily accessible information to a larger group than ever before, and that is no different in comics. Creators can take advantage of the ease and speed of updates, the limitless canvas and the latest updates in technology to provide more insights into what they put into their work. It’s easy enough for casual fans to ignore, and substantive enough for more active fans to appreciate.
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