How a comic is written! (one way, at least) Plus, reflection on my own process

At the end of Saga: Book One, one of my favourite comics, the writer, Brian K Vaughn, and the illustrator, Fiona Staples, discuss in length how an issue of Saga is created. This also includes the letterer (Steven Finch) and the editor (Eric Stephenson).

Intro and cover:

• Discussion of how the writer and artist work together: interesting to learn how the two must collaborate and communicate constantly about what they both want to portray in the comic, as well as how it is not just the writer (at least in this case) dictating the story and the illustrator conforming to the words, but a back-and-forth between them, suggestions and adjustments made on both sides.
• The cover must be done in advance so the retailer can market it! The cover may be done before the illustrator has read the script.
• Action shots on the cover may give away too much of the plot; stills may be best to set the tone.
• In this particular comic, the story is very much about the characters, so the cover must portray that aspect.
• Technical discussion of approach to cover - thumbnails! Photo references! Roughs! Etc etc
• Letterer relies on placement and palette of artist's cover.

Plot and script:

KV: I lock myself in my Wi-Fi-less flophouse writing studio for a few days and just pace around thinking about the story - key point here: WIF-FI-LESS! I need to learn to ignore distractions too. Ideally, when I'm older, I too will have a dedicated, distraction-free space to work in.

Validating and reassuring to know that Vaughn is also quite disorganised in his planning of comics - his plot points and script also start quite messy, scribbled into notebooks, before they become more organised into something he can actually give the artist.

I, personally, am still learning how to format a comic in the best way. I may be able to identify how a certain description or piece of dialogue translates into a panel, but I struggle with how many panels to have on a page, and what shape/size each panel should be on the page. I know that most comic artists work at a bigger size than the comic will be in print, so it is easier to draw and then be shrunk down. I struggle with drawing at a larger size because it throws me off! I end up making more mistakes in formatting than when I attempt to draw at print size and spend hours poring over tiny details and being a perfectionist. I'm still learning! Practice makes perfect!!

I also struggle with size of elements within a frame, particularly speech bubbles. I tend to think primarily about the other elements, such as character and background, so I'll draw those first and then realise I haven't left enough space for the speech bubbles! I should try to do the speech bubbles first and then draw in the other elements, maybe. Better thumbnailing too! I often skip thumbnailing because I'm lazy, but I CAN'T! IT'S IMPORTANT!