You Can't Find It!

A nine panel comic

I finally made a finished comic. I love comic art, but I have found that it is much more difficult that it looks to actually make one. What I’ve learned about making comics, both from this and other attempts, is that it is true what seasoned comic artists say: the biggest challenge is to just accept the drawing that comes out of your hand.

And as this comic reveals, self judgement is a big challenge for me—as I think it is for many creative people. It’s not just facing down a blank page for me, but when I create ANYTHING, that judging voice itself never stops questioning and criticizing.

It’s taken years to keep on going anyway.

As for process, wow, creating a finished comic takes many steps. First, write the script. Edit it. Thumbnail it. Edit the script more. Tape off the grid, pencil it in, ink over the pencil add color (a whole choosing process in its own right), and then add the words. More judgement about my handwriting. Do it anyway.

As often happens with finished work, I’m more pleased than I expected while making it. All through the process the Judge told me it was terrible. Maybe not perfect, but it isn’t terrible.

Not only that, but when I finished this comic I suddenly had more ideas for other art than I could do.

Imagine that.