So you have always wanted to be a cartoonist, or a web cartoonist? Well, you've come to the right place. Here at ComicEarth, we will teach you everything you need to know about cartooning and what it takes to get published. First, let's talk about the difference in newspapers and the Internet as a home for your comic. Location is important, but it isn't everything when it comes to where you want to publish your cartoon. I would encourage you to look into newspapers and syndicates to get your feature published in newspapers across the country. It's important to note that the nature of the newspaper industry is changing and it is very hard to get syndicated. However, don't loose hope. With this shift in media outlets, publishing on the web can be the best way to go. Publishing an online comic is inexpensive, and in some cases it's free (see: ComicEarth.com). With an online publication, you essentially become your own boss; you have a lot of freedom in developing content and you can decide how often to publish. This will give you more work to do in addition to writing and drawing. You'll need to find people to advertise for your comic, and you'll have to promote your work, which can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. I'll go more in depth about publishing options and all that back-end business later in this series. Right now, let's focus on the tools you need to get started in creating and publishing your own web comics. - Pick your idea
Before you run out and buy anything, you need an idea of what you want to do. What type of comic are you looking to make? Do you want a one-panel comic like The Far Side, or a strip-style comic like Calvin and Hobbes? You don't need to have everything defined at first, because overtime you'll learn more about your comic than you ever thought you knew. Determine if your idea is simple or complex, if you are going to tell jokes, or if you are going to tell stories - it doesn't matter! When you have your idea, you have your first tool and are ready to begin. - Use the right utensils
Next you need paper, pens, and pencils. Simple enough, right? Well, here's what I've learned in my many years of cartooning: Paper can make all the difference in the world. I have used a lot of paper, but I found that Canson makes some of the best I have ever used. Before going completely digital, I used Canson Fanboy Comic strip Boards. The weight of the paper was at 250gsm (I would use anything at least 100gsm and up for drawing comics, it makes the ink look more rich) and the page setup was for strip-style comics. Now, this might not work for someone who wants to make a graphic-novel style cartoon, but it's a good recommendation for a brand of paper to use. As for pens, you have a lot of choices. I recommend going to your local art and supply store to try out a few art pens until you find the one that is perfect for your style. - Buy a scanner
A scanner is important, because you'll need a way to put your comic into the computer. You can find a good scanner for around $100 to $150. Make sure it will fit the length and width of the paper. If you can't find the right size, you can scan sections of your image and piece it together later on your computer. I still have my first scanner that I bought many years ago and it works like a champ. I did get a new one last year that is also a printer and it works really well, too. I prefer Canon scanners, but that's just my personal preference. If you are looking for specific functions, go online and read consumer reviews to help you make your choice. - Get editing software
The last tool you'll need is an image editing software. When I first started out, I used Paint Shop Pro 7 (that was a while ago) and now I use Adobe Photoshop. If you have Photoshop, I would recommend using that application, but that can be costly, so find an image editing software that works best on your system. This software, plus your scanner, will bring your comic to life. You'll be able to clean up any mistakes you've made, enter text and add color to the cartoon (if you choose), plus you can always add other nice touches to make your comic strip shine above the rest. In addition to image editing software, you have other software options that can help enhance your comic's look and feel. The best software I have found is a little program called ComicLife. This software works well for text bubbles and frames. I use this to add text into the comic before I export it back into Photoshop and get it ready for the web. That covers the tools you'll need to start drawing comics, next time we will talk about what you'll need to draw on the computer and some good practices to make your comic shine.
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