Why I Write For Comics

Andrew Mcqueen  
I felt that everybody's got a reason for writing for the genres they represent as I struggled to find mine. Then I realized they've been a part of me from the very beginning.

I didn't choose comics; comics chose me.

A blog from a Writing Challenge compadre gave out a clear definite reason why she writes the genre she loves had got me to thinking about the reasons I'm writing for comics. I've asked myself why for a while and let me tell you there's no easy answer. I felt that everybody's got a reason for writing for the genres they represent as I struggled to find mine. Then I realized they've been a part of me from the very beginning.


I didn't choose comics; comics chose me.

Comics & graphic novels were an instrumental part of my growth as a person. They showed me the fantastical world of fantasy like any book I've read growing up. Granted it was the artwork of some best names out in the industry like Mark Bagley or Ming Doyle. Recalling The Death of Superman being my "first" comic, I was mostly excited because of the art by Dan Jurgens. Not only that my mom would read it to me whenever I asked her to.


As a boy I even tried to draw like the artists in the comics.


Going into my early teens, I had Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives collected as a TPB (trade paperback) and Spider-Man/Kingpin: To the Death before going my lone quest to find any comics store in my area. From middle school to almost throughout high school I collected what came out at the time and back issues until my retirement at nineteen.


 Sometime in my twenties, I decided to expand my writing to novels and that didn't work out so great because I don't have a handle on prose despite how much I've read it. Basically I didn't have the patience to write 300 pages worth of words to save my life. Once I wrote a graphic novel just out of nowhere, I saw where I can expand myself creatively by writing for comics. Of course it was hard. But nonetheless I had fun creating something of my own imaginative mind. It's all clear that comic books have never left me at all.


Comics are my definition of who I am.

19+ Comments

Alhambra

I discovered comics much later in life and they were Webtoon stories, not Marvell and suchlike characters.
Nonetheless, the mix of visual art and story appealed to me. I guess, it’s because of my perception - it’s harder for me to develop images just from words.
In a way, I have the opposite experience - my WIP started as a story for a graphic novel, but I ended up with a 300-page book.

Oct-14 2022

Glitterpen

I grew up with comics too. I liked the X-Men a lot—Rogue, Storm, and Jean Grey were my favourite characters. The 1990s animated show was super fun. Spider-Man was another one of my favourites. Lately, I’ve been watching The Flash, seasons one to six (I still have to get hold of seven and eight).

I might write and illustrate a graphic novel one of these days. But I’d like to become a better writer before I try to make one.

Oct-14 2022

Wendyg

I didn’t choose comics; comics chose me

A great concept! Maybe none of us are truly happy until we find our writing niche.

Basically I didn’t have the patience to write 300 pages worth of words to save my life. Once I wrote a graphic novel just out of nowhere

Now that e-books are getting more established, I can see full length graphic novels growing in popularity (because the publishing costs are cheaper than print). I too read comics when younger, and liked them, but I got annoyed at having to wait a whole week for the next episode in a story so I preferred books.

Oct-14 2022

Imjustdru

Those were my jams back then. I used get excited about Batman: The Animated Series when coming home from school.

Check out my blog Tools for Writing Comics. :grinning:

Oct-14 2022

Imjustdru

When you’re a fan of a certain series, it’s worth the wait. :slightly_smiling_face:

Oct-14 2022

Imjustdru

It’s all good, friend.

Oct-14 2022

Wendyg

Sometimes. But if the option is there to binge-read or binge-watch, many of us can’t resist the temptation!

Oct-14 2022

1910orange

I still read manga.

I can understand the allure of comics and graphic novels. They are great mediums to tell great stories.

Oct-14 2022

Miked

I grew up on the old Batman and Superman and Captain America stuff. Even better were classic comics like The Last of the Mohicans and Moby Dick. A little later came Spidey and The Fantastic Four and stuff like that. I ate comics for breakfast, like most boy-kids. Literally- they were on some of the cereal boxes and sometimes you’d get a little leaflet inside.

Later on, I gleefully consumed underground animation like Fritz the Cat, the first x-rated cartoon and Fantastic Planet, a moody little French SF flick. They were great. Weird and graphic R. Crumb was the King of underground comics.

But a funny thing happened along the way. Sometime between 15 and 30 y.o. comics and animation lost their appeal. I don’t usually relate well to animation, and the comics make me feel claustrophobic what with thought-bubbles everywhere and no White Space left to rest in.

Graphic novels are still a little more relatable. Watchmen and anything Alan Moore are exceptional. Sandman is pretty good, and so on. There’s a whole omnibus of Dirty Alice graphic novels and I was a big Heavy Metal fan back in the day. Everybody was. But I’d still rather read text than try to follow all those bubbly things on the page.

So I don’t write for comics, but my blood is still red like yours.

Oct-14 2022

Imjustdru

Dig it, patna.

Oct-14 2022

Miked

If you haven’t already, check out the Dirty Alice and Heavy Metal stuff. And R. Crumb. IMO there’s nothing else like it around today.

Original, hardcore O.G.

image


Oct-14 2022

Dabellwrit

Comics greatest strength is continuity (hilarious considering the current state of DC/Marvel). Where a novel, movie, video game, and TV show will take years to tell a character arc/storyline/story, comics can take only months to do that. Even with a serialized TV show and novel, you tell a story in less words and time compared to latter two. That’s just my observation.

Nov-07 2022

Paulpowell

R. Crumb and Will Eisner are all the evidence one needs to advocate for the value of earnest, forthright, unafraid comics. Really, the merit of cartoon travels all the way back to Francisco Goya and Honoré Daumier.

Nov-07 2022

Miked

Nov-08 2022

Jacksavage

Nice blog.

Nov-08 2022

Paulpowell

‘Crumb’ is a wonderful film. What I recall most is the fate of his brother.

Nov-16 2022

Goldilox

In my opinion, writers would be doing themselves a favor if they read comics.

Nov-16 2022

Paulpowell

I’d agree that in today’s imagery-tilted media, it doesn’t hurt one’s career.

Nov-16 2022

Miked

The whole family was screwed up, tragically so. But that’s the juice that made R. Crumb what he was.

I remember seeing Fritz the Cattogether with Allegro non Troppo and Fantastic Planet. The triple feature at the Uniondale Mini-Cinema c.1973 or so blew my mind. I was hooked forever after.

Nov-16 2022
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