Comic Design Guide Basics
The Script
Dialogue
Indicate the text that characters in the comic say by writing the character's name followed by a colon then writing what they should say.
Example
John: I need my super powers!
Directions on Drawings
Place directions to the artist about the scene and characters in parentheses or brackets.
Example
[John, dressed in street clothes and surrounded by passers-by, should be waving his fist in the air, his pointer finger extended as he exclaims with a look of excitement and urgency]John: I need my super powers!
Directions on Story Layout
Indicate what should go on each page and panel in the script by labeling the action with page and panel numbers.
Examples
Page 1
Panel 3
John: I need my super powers!
Narratory Blocks
Label narratory blocks and follow the label with a colon. Next, enclose details on where the narratory block should be placed in brackets. Follow the bracket with text that the block should contain.
Example
Narratory block: [In lower left corner] Meanwhile, across town...
Complete Example Passage
Page 1
Panel 3[A closed, rectangular panel that runs the width of the page. John, dressed in street clothes and surrounded by passers-by, should be waving his fist in the air, his pointer finder extended as he exclaims with a look of excitement]
John: I need my super powers!
Narratory block: [In lower left corner] Meanwhile, across town...
Note: Only the writer, artist, and editor see the script of a comic book. It is the rough draft of the comic itself. It is used to communicate the storyline, dialogue, and ideas for visuals to the artist.
The Comic
- The artist uses the writer’s script to create the comic.
- The artist must consider how to layout the panels on a page, how to present the settings and characters using various camera shots and camera angles, and how to incorporate text like dialogue, thoughts, narrative blocks, captions, and sound effects.
Layout and Design
Camera Shots and Angles
Text
