I’m passionate about comics.

It’s a fantastic medium, with a deep, rich history across every corner of the globe. Comics have been a part of my life as far back as I can remember, my earliest memories around 4 years old.

Comics are simply stamped into my being.

As I’ve worked with countless indie comic writers over the years… throughout this entire time, the traditional production chain has been;

• writer
• editor
• penciller
• inker
• colorist
• letterer.

Newer comic writers almost always struggle with the same problems. Heck, even a lot of experienced writers still struggle with these areas.

When I write for other people, leveraging my experience and expertise comes at a premium. My $160/page rate is posted on my home page and in the sidebar throughout this site.

I have an article here, called Story Checklist… it lists, I think 16 different aspects of narrative. Juggling these 16 aspects and whatever ones I missed in the list, to create a genuine story and narrative is tremendously complex.

It’s difficult to approach a story and script at that level and not charge accordingly.

Stick with me here…

But it recently dawned on me, that the traditional comic production chain, may have room for an update.

That smaller production indie comics could take a nod from the film industry and hire on a specialist. Not a second writer to completely rewrite the script, but a writer to take a role more in line with a director. Someone who takes the current material and puts their spin on how to use or show it.

The indie comic production chain could benefit tremendously from this new approach.

In the Working Writers Guide to Comics, I break down the four essential panel elements to every comic panel:

• Emotion
• Comictography
• Mise-en-scene
• and Movement.

Most folks capture emotion and movement well enough. The comictography (and related mise-en-scene elements) are where so many folks stumble.

Hire me to Visually Direct your script for $15/page

Eight years ago, I coined the term “Comictography” on page 35 of the Writer’s Guide. Where the science and art of motion picture photography is Cinematography, the static visual direction of the comic is Comictography.

You simply CAN’T make a comic without SOMEBODY, the artist or writer, directing the camera and establishing the comictography.

Comictography is something newer writers often blunder.

• They make confusing descriptions,
• unnecessary direction,
• or simply don’t have the experience to direct narrative well.

After I wrote the Worker’s Guide, I realized so many newer writers were having so much trouble in this area, I made a sort of redaction in my article, “Newer Writer’s Ignore Comictography!”

I recently edited a new comic writer that had totally butchered their comictography. I found myself explaining concepts I have explained soooo many times before… and then it hit me.

Directors are a critical role in the movie production chain. Producers actively seek out specific Directors for their projects, because they know their skill and vision will elevate their movie.

Why isn’t this done in comics?

There could be a huge benefit for an experienced, dedicated visual director in the indie comic production chain.

There are only two reasons this isn’t done in comics.

#1) Budget. Most indie comic productions are trying to lower their budget, not inflate them.

#2) Ego. Whether it’s the illustrator or the writer, folks don’t always like the idea of delegating part of the material to someone else. They want ownership and pride over it.

While it’s certainly understandable that some writers and artists would want control and ownership over the artistic direction, the plain truth is comictography is a distinct skillset, like any other specific skillset in the comic (or movie) production chain.

In any collaborative medium, if you want the product to reach its full potential, you put the person best suited for a particular skillset in charge of that skill. Period.

Actors, Sound people, Costume people, etc. don’t complain when a director directs…

so why should the comic medium be any different?

Let The Artist Direct:

If you have an awesome artist who excels at comictography, my advice for the writer working with this illustrator, is to “ignore comictography!” Focus on the story and let the artist do the visual direction.

If this artist doesn’t mind taking direction, you could still bring in a specialist, but honestly, you probably don’t need it.

But there are some other situations, where you definitely want to consider hiring a Visual Director:

Maybe you don’t have an artist attached to your script yet.

Or frankly, your artist doesn’t really excel at (or doesn’t like conceptualizing) comictography. This does happen.

Maybe you have a specific vision of the script, but the current version just doesn’t live up to your expectations and you want them improved.

Or finally, maybe you just appreciate someone else’s comictography aesthetic and style, and want to include their skill and vision into your project.

Visually Directing your script, is NOT writing the script.

I’ll take your script and edit only the comictography elements.

I’m not gonna touch your dialogue (see below). How you’ve described your settings or characters. Your scene arrangement, etc…

You (or your writer) have defined WHAT is expressed in the script. Just like a movie director, my job would be to define HOW that material is presented.

Depending on the condition of the script, new visual direction may alter the panel counts. It may also require adjusting the mise-en-scene, another fundamental element in all comic panels. (Mise-en-scene in brief, being the staging of everything within the panel.)

I’ll give your artist visual direction that’s effective, engaging and brings your voice to its highest visual potential!

Instead of stressing yourself out, leverage my 30 years of writing comics to do it for you.

This is More than Editing!

Normally, when editing, an editor makes a deliberate effort to NOT impose their voice on the work.

Editors primarily deal with catching and fixing problems… but more so, when they see something wrong, editors don’t usually fix it themselves–again, distancing themselves a bit from the work. They merely point it out to the writer and tell them to fix it, maybe with some generalized suggestions.

As a visual director on your script, I would basically be doing the opposite.

I will be ADDING my voice to your work.

Imagine that you had a shooting script for a little movie and passed that script to Steven Spielberg asking him, “Hey, Steven, how would you shoot this?”

Spielberg would apply his personal skills, insights and vision in giving you a map on HOW TO SHOW, the material you’ve created and put together.

That’s what a visual director can do for your comic. 

TERMS

* You choose the level of creative freedom you give me. Tight to the script, or full-freedom.

* You choose the style. I’m a versatile writer, so I can direct the visuals under the umbrella of any specific tone, style, or mood. Obviously, I can judge the style of the script myself, but if there’s something specific you’re going for and specific existing influences, I’m happy to oblige you.