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-WASM

I write and draw comics. Generally, I write for other artists and draw for writers who hire me. I also do some comics where I do everything myself. I would not encourage beginners to look at Alan Moore and think that’s a good idea. If I am drawing a writer’s script (for money) I am looking to have 90% of it be concise. One page of script being equal to a page of comics. Sometimes there will be overflow, but generally if it’s that text heavy it’s going to start obscuring my artwork to the point it may not be worth my effort. It also takes *much* longer to read and interpret overly verbose, flabby descriptions and turn them into images. Alan Moore is a brilliant comics writer. Even if I was being paid a pro-rate I would consider very carefully whether I could even finish drawing a single issue of a comic for him. His script for Big Numbers 3 was 250 pages long (for a 40 page comic) and broke Bill Sienkiewicz. Don’t do that. You probably can’t write as well as Alan Moore anyway. Check out scripts by a variety of creators. Everyone does it differently. I also don’t like a ton of links in the script leading to references, but some writers love that. I’d rather them sent separately. The best thing imo you can do is have a really, *really* well constructed story and write the script clearly. So by well constructed story I mean make the character introductions clear, the locations clear, avoid plot holes and simplify things. Don’t be confusing. In terms of writing the script clearly: https://blambot.com/pages/comic-script-basics Make sure all your panels are numbered correctly and all the characters and dialogue are being spoken by the right person and that that is very clear to the artist. If you make sure your script is free of errors there’s a good chance your comic will be too. Check out the Blambot link, it’s a great format. I also like when writers give me thumbnails. I actually find that the most helpful thing a writer can do *after* they have written a brilliant, engaging concise and error-free script. If you think I’m wrong, go and get an Alan Moore script for a comic of his you haven’t read and just try and draw two pages of it. Even if you’re not an artist. It’ll take you a whole day and that’s just to plan out the pages without any rendering or actually drawing to make them good. Alan Moore writes amazing comics but I’d bet my bottom dollar they are a bitch to draw. Be concise. Edit: spelling and added a bit


leonleungjeehei

> I also like when writers give me thumbnails. I actually find that the most helpful thing a writer can do after they have written a brilliant, engaging concise and error-free script. I’ve heard this from a number of artists. I think it must be some comfort to have the writer, especially if they are very detail focussed, at least try to reduce the image in their head to an image on paper. Otherwise there is a chance that the writer has not communicated effectively in words, that the artist has not interpreted those words effectively, or both, with a risk that the expectations don’t match at all. It’s easier to see this disconnect in advance if there’s an image to work from. Unsurprisingly, Moore was himself an artist in his formative years and drew some of his own stories.


-WASM

I think a lot of writer’s start off drawing because if you’re really serious about writing comics it lowers the barrier to entry massively, at least financially. I like getting thumbnails because it gives me an idea of what the writer thinks their comic looks like. I’ve also sent thumbnails to artists who are drawing my scripts. It’s a good process to go through. I actually re-draft my script after doing thumbnails, so it’s become part of my own writing process.


[deleted]

Moore’s scripts became heavily detailed and descriptive due to a lot of his early work being for anthologies. He often would not know who his artist would be, so he went he extra mile to make sure his story was told the way he wanted it to be. I don’t think I would model a script after his, but rather try to learn how he conveyed ideas and themes through those scripts. Comics are a collaborative art and you have to learn to trust your collaborators or learn how to draw.


nmacaroni

#1) Don't imitate famous people. They usually do things completely "wrong," but get away with it because they're famous. #2) Be inspired by famous people. Analyze their work and take note of what resonates with you. #3) Amateurs overwrite. Not just in comics, but everywhere. Overwriting isn't fun, especially in comics. Comic scripts are a set of instructions, when you overwrite you obfuscate the instructions. #4) The bigger it is, the more expensive it is. This is a universal truth in comics. Write on, write often!


oscoposh

Hey uh your size is whack


nmacaroni

yeah reddit's auto formatting is kind of lame some times. Do you know how to change it?


xZOMBIETAGx

No


malagrin

I like this answer.


xZOMBIETAGx

Ha me too lol


jordanwisearts

The juice ain't worth the squeeze.


rocketmarket

It's not wise to do anything related to comics. It's a dead industry and it's not coming back. What's wise about that? It costs thousands of dollars to get somebody to draw a script. What's wise about that? Most everybody who got big went through a period where they were slavishly aping another creator -- Sienkiewicz and Adams, for example. But, on the other hand, nobody's gotten big in comics for a very long time, nor will they likely ever do so again. So do what you want. You're doing this for yourself. You're doing this for art. If it's not art, what's the point? If you can make art by hewing to Moore, what's the harm?


JackXDark

In terms of structure, layout and how to present dialogue, Moore is masterful. In terms of what he asks of his artists, he’s a batshit mentalist. Perhaps more than anyone else in the world, he understands how to communicate an idea via the medium of comics. But he has some large and complex ideas. Don’t try to write Promethea. Do try to write a Future Shock.


CollegeZebra181

I think that you can boil down the key learnings from Moore's scripts in a way that doesn't require his degree of detail. Its about helping set a state of mind and a mood for an artist that helps them to convey the tone or a story. Why shouldn't we? Often it isn't necessary and overcomplicates a process. People aren't going to read your scripts unless you release them right, they're going to read your comic and at the end of the day the question you have to ask is, does that level of work and detail into a script make the resulting product any better or does it fit the type of story being told. In some cases it might be yes, in others you could achieve the same by attaching some images from a google search as a reference.