Do comics have to have action-filled stories?

[Izzzyzzz]

I am currently in the process of writing and drawing a comic about two teenagers in 90's america- they basically just goof around and get into high school drama. Obviously there's a storyline, but it's just human drama. There's no magical storyline or quest they need to go on. Can comics like this still be funny and interesting, or do they simply not match up to adventure/fantasy comics? It's something I'm really keen on doing, but I also want it to be interesting for others! Any advice/opinions would be much appreciated

[dawgofdawgness]

Well action is honestly just nothing if it's not interesting. (Certain) superhero movies/TV shows and thrilling action series may be popular, but only because they have a good storyline that goes hand-in-hand with the action. Also, people LIVE for the human drama. Every popular story has it. Slice of life is actually the most popular genre, on Tapas at least.

[QueenofBabyLoon]

As soon as a comic has too much action, I am out of there. To much movement, too much katching, kapow, etc. just turns me off immediately. I like comics that are slow-paced, full of brilliant, smart dialogue and focus on the inner lives of their characters. I'd much rather look at a character making Stroganoff beef for 10 panels, reminiscing about his mother than look at a character wield a sword and kill trolls for one panel.

[vothnthorvaldson]

I don't think it has to. It will depend partially on the genre, but even genres typically full of action can accommodate more drama and less action. I suppose in superheros comics you would always expect SOME action, but it does not mean it cannot be mainly psychological; technically, fantasy and sci-fi can be psychological only, even if we are often used to see action in these genres.
Then if you go to slice of life or romance, it's even more common to lack the action.

@QueenofBabyLoon I like to imagine that beef stroganoff comic idea as a dare

[Klaustasya]

I don't think action is strictly necessary into a story.
I'm trying to write a new story without using the action factor too much, i have to say that at least for me it's hard to do it, but sometimes you can create an entire chapter about one character's feeling, backstory or routine without bothering too much with vibrant dynamics.

[chocolatteboss]

as long as there is something that hooks the viewer in.

give your characters some kind or arc or something that may make the reader feel like they are advancing in a way. doesn't have to be action filled. just fun and attractive to read.

[mariusthered]

think of comics like a roller coaster, if it's all hills and no build up it would not be half as fun. the slow parts are good for building characters, background, new story lines

[Mr_estella]

no, it's not necessary as long as you have something to replace it, it could be a deep characterization, representing a real issue in a realistic and deep way, or something and of course you have to do it in a way people don't get bored or find it hard to read, but you know, an action scene from time to time wouldn't hurt

[beta1042]

if it's a plot based story, I think some form a conflict is generally needed, but not necessarily action.

[qwerty]

Not at all! Personally I tend to appreciate stories that don't rely on action to be interesting

[Trevor]

the short answer is just simply no, to say that comics have to be action filled would be like saying any other form of entertainment like movies, books and tv shows have to be action filled

[unknown_user]

Yes, all comics have to have action-filled stories, otherwise nobody will read them -
an answer, which nobody will give

Just look at the top tapas slice-of-life series...

[GusC]

You have to understand what action is—the release or climax of tension. The fighting or physical confrontation is just the most obvious manifestation of that realized tension. You don’t need action scenes, but you do need action—you need tension or drama or conflict that escalates into a moment of narrative action—a climax.

It’s good that you’ve thought about this, because, in my experience, this is one of the most rampant issues in non-action genre webcomics. There is a crippling or distracting inability to create tension and capitalize on the tension. There either isn’t any meaningful conflict—which is unfulfilling and tedious—or the tension that is built is released prematurely or off handedly, which is frustrating and blue balling.

You don’t need to have swashbuckling fights or gritty slugfests, but you do need conflict, tension, and climax.

[vothnthorvaldson]

You don’t need action scenes, but you do need action—you need tension or drama or conflict that escalates into a moment of narrative action—a climax.

I'm not 100% ok with that. I do think it's a good recipe (and probably a safe one), but if we consider this is necessary, that means we deny the possibility of a fully contemplative comic. And I think it's a shame, because I find the mix of text and images that makes a comic a very good media to convey contemplative stories (while admitting they are not the easiest to tackle, which is the main reason that is not what I choose to write).

[GusC]

IContemplative, slow burning meditation and realized tension are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they rely on one another. If your two characters spend days or weeks or longer brooding over their struggles, that is tension. Relationship drama, misunderstandings, random acts of misfortune, personal failings—these are all conflicts and seeds of tension. You can spend as much time as you deem appropriate on these things, so long as they are leading to a moment of confluence. The seeds of conflict and tension and obstacles to character goals need to arrive at some kind of reckoning. That doesn’t need to be flashy or explosive. It doesn’t need to be high octane or fast paced.

Readers want momentum, they want to see the arc rise and fall. They will be patient so long as they believe you are leading them somewhere fulfilling and meaningful—and the most fulfilling and meaningful moments in human existence are when we confront the event horizon of our decisions and choices.

[Jenny-Toons]

I think the problem a lot of people can have (especially beginner creators) is that when we hear "action", we immediately think "something fast, something dramatic, something drastic"

And that....really isn't all that it is?

I mean, that's the premise for most Action movies, but that's not all of it.

As @GusC noted -- it's focused on tension, build-up, and climax. Most good stories have that. They might not be jammed packed with flashy settings or life-changing moments. Hell, they might not be heavily conflict-based. But something is happening and we are led to a conclusion.

A good example I adore is John Carpenter's The Thing.

Yes -- there is action in the traditional sense. Explosions, murders, fighting, a bit of weaponry. But this movie focus on the tension that leads up to those moments. The buildup that makes those moments make sense. I don't watch The Thing because of the monster popping into frame. I watch it because Childs thinks Mac is the alien, because no one can trust one another, and because there is a clear conflict without flashy scenes.

As long as you are able to build up to your moments, whether it has big or small conflict or it turns out there's no real conflict at all, you have a story that has action.

[vothnthorvaldson]

Well obviously there will always be some kind of tension or action, some kind of ups and downs, even if it's just someone walking in a field smelling flowers while remembering their childhood garden. But we are in a subject of someone asking if comic have to be action-filled, so I just meant that not only I don't need action in term of ka-boom, I also don't personally need build-up and climax.

edit: I also just thought of the fact that a lot of comics I stopped reading because the slow pacing and/or lack of action makes the comic too boring, could be great with the exact same plot if the author/artist had dealt with the slowness/inaction that characterize their work in a different way, because they actually wanted their work to have this pace. (and I often think that another artist could salvage the story). What I mean is that the issue with the lack of action in my opinion is mostly when there is an inadequacy between what the comic artist want to convey and what they actually do to convey it.

[ble]

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[baasinsimple]

Nah, though you'd honestly should take advantage of things like perspective or composition to make it seem worthwhile.