Art versus Writing

[Nikh]

I'm curious as to what other creators think is more important in making a comic, the art or the writing? I've been at it for a few years now, I have a love/hate relationship with my art style, but I've always been fairly proud of the writing. So I'm curious about the opinion of other creators, if you were forced to pick between being proficient in only one of these fields, which would you choose and why?

[keii4ii]

Why does it need to be one versus another? A good number of us are making comics precisely because we are fascinated by both.

[eagle1]

The most important thing is story.

Story is not the writing. It is the marriage of the writing with the images to create a compelling narrative. Both the writer and the artist must be good story-tellers using the visual medium in order to make a comic work.

Eagle
(Story First!)

[Raven_C]

I dunno man. Being an illustration student, it's important that I create an aesthetically pleasing image that tells a good story. Same with comics, only difference is it's sequential. I can't really choose.

[ashriott]

Majority will say story over art, but I'll say both. It's called a graphic novel for a reason, it's supposed to be a story told in pictures. Both are equally important. A good story needs art to portray it at its best visually, and good art is nothing without a good story.

[Nikh]

Yah perhaps versus was a bad choice of words. Lemme rephrase that as to which creators personally think they are challenged more by; creating an interesting read, or creating an interesting visual. For me the story/dialogue comes MUCH easier than the artwork.

[RiverKai]

I've had multiple industry professionals tell me that if a story isn't written well, it doesn't matter if they are the best artist in the world. But if the art is sub-par and the story is written well, it still has a very good chance of doing well. Most people aren't completely aware of how professional art should be, as long as it properly communicates with the audience.

Popular comedic adult cartoons have amazing examples of this:
Look at South Park, the Simpsons, etc. That sh*t was not done well AT ALL at first, especially in terms of artwork O_O it's the writing that makes it something capable of looking over, and those shows tanked originally without good enough writing, and some were cancelled.
At the same time, shows like Bob's Burgers which aren't very visually appealing can be off-putting to the point where people don't even give it a chance, even if the writing is done well.

The balance is important, as well as finding a niche and making a reputation out of it if it isn't going to look all that great.

[RiverKai]

Oh I was writing and didn't see your new post. In terms of what comes easier, I think the writing is a quick, flowing thing for me, where the artwork is something to constantly take major time on. They both have their challenges

[Raven_C]

Lemme rephrase that as to which creators personally think they are challenged more by; creating an interesting read, or creating an interesting visual. For me the story/dialogue comes MUCH easier than the artwork.

Well, in that case, I'm much stronger at creating an interesting visual. I think I've mentioned it before in another thread, but dialogue can be difficult for me but I am trying :S

[ghostnxs]

I think I am basic at writing dialogue but other writing I can do just fine. I find art challenging because I notice when things are wrong more so than when I am writing.

[Nikh]

Yeah that's a really good point, Bob's Burgers IS kinda ugly to look at, but the dialogue is so natural it sounds like an actual conversation.

[Nikh]

I think people are also much more critical of their own artwork, now that I think about it. As I'm working I'll chuckle at a line of dialogue but cringe at some of the artwork.

[ghostnxs]

To be honest I don't think I've ever noticed bad writing in anything and if I do I just ignore it. Because I'm more interested in seeing what happens next than worrying about plot holes. Art on the other hand.....yeah it is much more noticeable and harder to ignore.

[UzukiCheverie]

I'm gonna say story. Art is just as important, but as I've said it a million times before, people will come for the art, but stay for the story. It doesn't matter how beautiful your comic is, if the plot/content sucks, no one's gonna want to stick around for it. That's one of the biggest reasons why comics like Cyanide and Happiness, XKCD, and Homestuck are so popular - the content they deliver is worth reading. If they looked beautiful, well, good on that, but if the content they made wasn't as good as what they're making now, then what would have been beautiful art would have just been overlooked.

[Eligor191]

100% PERCENT i Completely agree with you.

[stevenolsen00]

I've heard it said by a lot of comic people that art attracts people, but story keeps them there.

[abbastudios]

It's not a comic if you don't have writing and art.

There's no VS or "either or" situation.

[scythe]

This is what's known as a false dichotomy.

[AnnaLandin]

Honestly, there's no conflict between them. In comics, the writing and the art both tell the story. Do you know how much story you can tell with a single panel of a character's facial expression? Or how much meaning you can pack into the contrast between what is said in the dialogue and what is shown in the pictures? I mean, my story would be nothing without the visuals.

And as my ambition is to be good at storytelling, I strive to be good at both aspects.

[Erena]

I think both are very important and everyone will have their own preference. However, me personally, I care a little more about the story.