Taking Risks in Comics

[keii4ii]

My whole comic is a massive venture for me because I have no idea what I'm doing with most aspects of comic making. The only thing I've become reasonably confident at is visual flow (in terms of layout).

All of the more specific risk-taking is a result of the above. For example, I had nearly 20 chapters finished, but I scrapped all of that and started from scratch in order to fix some pretty serious problems with the writing. That wouldn't have happened if I knew what I was doing. :'D

[dojo]

Okay i was writing a really well thought response to this when my computer exploded before my very eyes (it was spectacular), but now that it's all back together like nothing ever happened I'll try my best to remember what I wrote.

Basically, during my final quarter in school I almost had a job lined up as a colorist at Boom Studios. I had one of the hiring dudes e-mails, he wanted me to send some more stuff, and I used that final quarter doing nothing but coloring page after page in preparation for this job. I basically dedicated a good couple months for this thing. I was so ready to just do it. So what happened? Well, to keep things simple, one of my professors did something questionable and I ended up reporting him for it. It wasn't anything huge, but it was something pretty uncomfortable at the time. I doubt he even knew I was the one who reported him because confidentiality and all that, and I don't know if he'd even remember it happened at all. Well, he worked for Boom at the time on top of being a professor (not unusual for art professors). I was so convinced he'd figure out I was the one who tattled and that my life would end and I'd be blacklisted from working in comics that I ended up running away and not doing the thing I had poured blood sweat and tears into trying to get. I've regretted running like that for a long time, but that's not the risk I wanna mention, it just kinda gives some context in that basically I'm a massive fucking coward.

SO, even though it wasn't until a few months ago that I finally started REALLY getting my act together, I did try applying to a few comic, animation, and gaming studios a year ago. My portfolio was super weak and I'm not surprised at all I didn't get hired by any (got close for two but no cigar), but I'm still mega proud of myself for trying anyway because as illustrated before, I've RUINED CAREERS with how big of a chicken I can be.

So basically the moral of the story is you should really try anyway regardless of what reasons you tell yourself not to do it. Giving into fear can lead to a lot of regret, while trying anyway in spite of it is something to really be proud of.

[Tieback]

Oh dojo, please be kinder to yourself. We all do things we regret. I wish I made many different turns while I was still in school as well. It sounds like you understand regret from a very personal and painful place. Maybe this is something you can use in your work?

There is something I did, years back, that I still have great guilt and regret over. Although it still hurts, I am grateful that I can understand these emotions from such a deep place. After my current comic, there are two other stories I want to tell, and I know my painful experiences will help me tell these stories better. Use your pain as a tool.

Hugs,
Tieback

[AnnaLandin]

What’s a risk you took in your comic?

I like to experiment a lot, and give myself challenges. Saying "you can do anything" is nice, but sometimes, you make better things when you give yourself some limitations to push against.

For example: I read a bunch of Tintin growing up, and Hergé's storytelling style is very word-dependent. Even when he does draw perfectly clear pictures of what happens, it's like he can't help himself and needs to explain the whole thing in words as well. Even as a child, that used to bother me.

... But I wrote novels long before I ever made a serious attempt at a comic, and I love words - so there's always a very real risk that I'll just let my characters blather on forever and ever in dialogue.

So over the years I've set myself challenges regarding visual storytelling. I've done several comics that are entirely silent, with no words at all, telling fairly complex narratives. It places the burden of storytelling on the visuals, which forces me to always strive for clarity and a fair bit of thinking outside the box.

And when it came time to make Grassblades, I decided to make Akane semi-mute, and not give her any magical means to get around it - or indeed any mundane one. She doesn't speak any kind of sign-language, and she doesn't have telepathy. When she interacts with the world around her - and when other people attempt to communicate with her - I have only body language and actions to rely on. It's made me pay more attention to body language, not only with her but with other characters as well.

I've also thrown out pages, redrawn entire panels that were already finished just hours before they were supposed to go live online, written and rewritten chapter-outlines multiple times and still changed things on the fly, etc., etc.

My creative style is very much DIY, whatever-works-right-now.

[Jabbage]

I had a comic which I started in colour and after getting three or four pages in it just didn't feel right so I switched to doing it in greyscale. I immediately felt happier with the look and tone of it, but taking away the clarity and eyecatching properties of colour felt like a big risk.

[timinabox24]

I don't know really
maybe the one comic I am working on now because the main idea of it is stuff as many unrelated stories into one comics as you can and then somehow keep track of them and have them make sense and still be all connected into one story
but how much risk is there really when you already know you will fail on way or the other :'D

[edmourabarbosa]

I think I'm constantly risking too much in my comic. The main characters are cats, which can atract young readers, but it has very mature content like nudity, gore, violence and horror. I don't think any serious comic business would accept this idea, it could be very hard to find the correct audience. Many pages are NSFW. To be honest, I think it's a bad idea now. But I love it so muuuuuch!!! I do it because it's so hard to find this kind of story... I really hope this works alright in the end.

[punkarsenic]

i think my art in my comic was a risk - i simplified a lot, possibly sacrificing elements of a style i previously really liked, to make it easier and faster to create pages. i also made the colouring simpler too - essentially, my goal was to be able to get a page done in an hour (lets ignore the fact i can still spend days on some pages) i think i pulled it off, though, because people often compliment the art.

[shaneoid77]

My whole comic is a massive venture for me because I have no idea what I'm doing with most aspects of comic making

Pretty much this. As much as it may look like I'm chucking out a finished product, it's still all a new adventure for me. As I am finding a rather lacklustre reaction to my superhero comic, I have taken a bit of a risk doing a story with a gay theme, and taking it down a darker route than my other work, and most other gay comics out there.

[efdvorsky]

Aside from the fact I experiment a lot in my comics (chapter 4 is almost entirely on grayscale minus some selective colors because it's a flashback) or the style will change depending on who the narrative focuses on. I mean those things I think work pretty well. I enjoy the experimentatio and my readers seem to do too buuuuut

Recently I decided to axe off a whole chapter and only deliver those important bits when necessary during the future storylines.
So basically the big moment of plot will happen sooner and I haha...need to get my butt in gear /)-- v -- ;

But I think, in general, making a comic about personal healing, growth, and self-acceptance is difficult when it's also things you're learning about at your own pace

[indagold]

Making a new comic in a really weird surreal style based off dreams. I felt that type of work was too weird for me but I risked it anyway. It seemed to work though I got stoners and weirdos pestering me about what drugs I use. You know because you make anything weird it must mean you're on drugs.

[Marton]

I took a risk jumping from colors to greytones, I was afraid my readers who liked the colors would unsubscribe. I think I lost a few subs, but in the end it was worth it.

Before that, I rebooted my old comic which was a big risk, I lost all the progress I made in that story just to start all over with a better story. I always learn new things so I think it was good that I rebooted, but I won't do it again. I can't start over and over again forever.

[Kamikaze]

The biggest risk I felt like we've taken is that I did a Kickstarter a few months ago to get the first graphic novel published! It was terrifying putting my work out there, and I was scared ppl would do nothing but hate on it. But I was surprised that we literally only had ONE hater, and not only made our goal but exceeded it by some $4,000!

I have been TOLD by publishers that the biggest risk I've taken with my comic, and really all my writing is that I focus too much on writing PoC and women leads. They're in the mindset that a lot of the work I do won't sell because I write predominately PoC characters. It's...kinda frustrating to hear that, but then I look at all these books and how they're selling so well and I'm all like "Yeah, Publisher Person, you can stand there in your wrong opinion, while I count the money you're not getting any cut of."

[Tieback]

I looked at your comic the other day edmourabarbosa. My first reaction was, YES a comic about kitties. Yay! I love cats, cats, cats cats. I hope it's like the musical Cats!

Then I read more.... and thought, aww those kitties are being a little mean. Poor kitty. And then read more and saw it got a little bloody... and read more and saw tentacle stuff... and then I made the conclusion that it was a cool comic, but a bit dark for me. (I don't emotionally handle: horror, gore, violence, etc well.) Then I saw the comment you wrote and had to laugh: you are well aware of how your comic might give people one impression initially, and then surprise them by going in a completely different direction! Keep drawing what you love edmourabarbosa. If you like it, statistically there is definitely a group out there that will love it too!

[Down_the_Rabbithole]

Well, I'm glad you're doing as well as you are independently! I'd like to officially publish physical copies myself one day once I go back and improve some linework in earlier pages and whatnot. I don't have the pages or guts yet, so this gives me some hope. Especially since I also write female leads.

As for the publisher's perspective, I think I know where they're coming from, but I could be wrong. I think it has a lot to do with the people who write female or non-white leads that are trying to push an agenda over writing a good story. I've seen a few independent comics that do this and they are unbearable! Basically, the creators take a moral high-ground and preach 'til the cows come home.

I know that's a minority of comics, but it's a loud minority and it's awful to be lumped in with them. Then again, I could be wrong. I really don't know.

[Shanny8]

I'd probably agree with one of the posts above, and say starting a webcomic- especially when I didnt have a clue how large the process and stakes would be.

@Down_the_Rabbithole printing physical books is a joy! I LOVE seeing the actual books when they arrive to me...I feel like I've accomplished something!

@Kamikaze I'm still leary about doing a Kickstarter anytime soon. The part that gets me is because I see SO MANY professional artists do kickstarters on their projects, and I'm like, "Why would anyone want to see my project come to life? I'm not a name artist". I know that there have been many successful kickstarters done by independent artists, but I've also heard that there are tons of unsuccessful ones...add that maintaining a kickstarter is an arduous task all to itself, and yeah- I'll wait.

[nketchen]

Risk-taking in comics: my strip isn't gay or anime, so that's pretty risky.

[Down_the_Rabbithole]

Ya hit the nail on the head there! It's also risky to not do the red-nosed Tumblr style. Hee hee!

[Vikiro_Hop]

I decided to make a comic trying to poke fun at the self defeating behaviors that kept me from making a comic in the first place. I think a premise that flimsy is a risk unto itself especially since I don't particularly stick to it.

Idk I decided the current comic I made in and of itself was so I could experiment fail and find out what I liked, and then it became a bit more as people started liking it. I think the biggest risk and the most self defeating thing I could do was to take it seriously which is something I'm trying to unlearn.

[briadawson2014]

My biggest risk was not having, as my boss called it, having 6 issues done in advance. And two putting too much out there at a time that caused a month long hiatus.

I also take a risk with representation and showing and defining it right. Especially since my serious deals with different sexualities and genders and I would hate to portray them wrong. With a trans character in the works, I don't want to go too stereotypical with trans experience but I feel I would have to. I don't know...though luckily I have trans friends but asking stuff can be uncomfortable for them...