WatchmenComicMovie.com Forum

Exactly what the title says. What would the public or the comic book fans like to see more of other than what's already out? It seems that certain stories keep going and very few new topics have arisen that are worth reading. I'm currently in the process of finishing Y: The Last Man and it's got a fantastic storyline, great characters, etc. but there's only 10 books altogether. I haven't read anything vastly different in so long and I feel like the industry needs something altogether new and unheard of. I used to dream of becoming a comic book artist and writer, and it's still something I wish to accomplish, but it just feels like everything's been done. Opinions? Ideas? Suggestions?

I think we need more latino supeheroes. The only one I know of is Blue Beetle.
That's not really a subject, though...

_________________
Mexicano Al Grito De Guerra

I'm a huge fan of Cosmic War between opposing sides of heroes i.e. war of kings! never enough of that

_________________
"That is not dead which can eternal lie / And with strange aeons even death may die."

H.P. Lovecraft

Quoting the Necronomicon, in "The Nameless City"

Some ideas:

-When you make a comic, try to do it like no one has done before, or like few do. Play around with panel layout. Really try and push the boundaries of the medium.

-3D comics. I used to see them once in a while when I was a kid. Seeing how 3D is making a comeback in movies, how about a 3D comic? Keep in mind this is not something I necessarily want to see myself, but at least it could offer up some cool possibilities.

-As far as stories go, maybe shy away from superheroes. How about something realistic? A comic about real people's lives. Imagine something along the lines of The Wire. Realistic comics aren't new of course but I think there it offers more leeway than super hero ones.

-I once wanted to write a story where the meaning would change when you read it. Like, after reading it you would see it in a whole different light. Or imagine something where it would change how you saw the characters. Like after reading it you would then see it through the eyes of another character. I remember reading the Lord of the Rings and in one of the books, I think Frodo asks Sam if Gollum sees himself as the hero or the villain in his own tale. So, something where after reading it a second time you would pick up on subtle details that would make you question your viewpoint on the characters. Stuff like that.

_________________


"Heard them Walthers like to jump some" "As will you, with one in your elbow."

Awesome replies and great tips. I think one aspect of art that I really struggle on is perspective and differential paneling. I took a course for it at college but was terrible at it! Perhaps that's the queue for me to give it another go, especially since, for myself perhaps, it's one of the things that really grabs me when I read a GN/Comic. Crazy angles and perspectives...

And yes, realistic themes seem to really hit home with myself as well. It's [for me at least] so much easier to get in touch with a character when you can well relate to them.

And yes, latino characters should definitely have their light, I agree!

Keep the ideas coming!

I have a great title for you... Watchmen

_________________
@RealSlimCAvery

Some of these may be obvious, some not:

Bear in mind that quite often (in fact, most of the time) the authors and artists are different people. If you're having trouble with the art side, try writing the script first and, if you find that you are having artists' block (or just have trouble drawing stick figures, like me), consider just being the writer. Of course, if you're able to do both, it's an extra selling point for whatever publisher you want to approach.

Whether superhero, reality-based, or otherwise, I'd suggest you create your own characters. Not only will this stretch you more as an author, it will avoid issues with copyrights or plans for their characters which the publisher might have that don't jibe with your story(ies).

Always be sure to protect your work before you shop it to anyone. It's a hard world out there, and you never know what greedy person might be willing to steal your ideas. At the very least, this will give you some recourse should it happen. Check out http://www.copyright.gov and find out all you can about copyrighting original work. Getting an agent might be a good idea as well, but that may be down the road some.

Historical fiction is another avenue you might consider, similar to 300 (but obviously with a different topic). If you want to do latino characters, how about the Aztecs, Mayan Indians, Olmecs, Toltecs, Incas? Having been out of touch with the comics industry for some years, I'm not sure what's been done along that line. Even if it has been done, I'm sure you could come up with some original thoughts on the subject.

Are we talking 3-D as in pop-out stuff? Or 3-D as in the drawings look all 3-Dish? If so, I read a Batman 3-D comic a year ago and it was very badly drawn. I think it was called Batman in Cyberspace. Rubbish.

_________________

Pirates.

Seriously, in terms of genre, I would dearly love to see American comics follow the lead of their Japanese cousins, manga. There is at least one manga for literally every genre. There are sports manga, mystery manga, romance manga, sci-fi, fantasy, superhero and yes, even porn manga. To my mind, this is the variety that comic books need to truly evolve as a medium. The Japanese figured that out a long time ago, so why haven't we figured that out yet?

_________________
This is truly a madhouse. And I'm the lunatic running it. I've spent three years wondering if I should be proud or ashamed.

Yeah, I guess that's what I'm talking about. Did you have to wear red and blue glasses?

I was never a big fan of them. I thought they were kind of neat when I was a kid. I guess they haven't come along any farther huh?

_________________


"Heard them Walthers like to jump some" "As will you, with one in your elbow."

Pirates should always be mentioned in comics haha.

Here's a random question...do you prefer male main characters as opposed to females?

yeah, i think the glasses were required but the library copy didn't have any.

_________________

People will have been saying the same thing before Watchmen came out. Look what a little thought did to the medium. Adding 3D or Characters from different backgrounds or strange panels layouts just to be different are not the way forward in my opinion. They can all help, no doubt about that, but its the story (along with the use of the medium to tell that story) that needs refreshing.

If Watchmen was just text it would still work, not as well, but the ideas and dialogue would work. It even works as a film without much tinkering. So art styles and panel fiddling will not make one bit of difference unless the story is immersive and stimulating to the reader.

Buru have you read Alan Moores Writing for Comics ???

It discusses how to be fresh and look at things differently and where ideas come from. It is not though, a how to write like Alan Moore.

I'm trying to write a GN now and whenever i'm stuck with plot or have writers block i read it and it unblocks my mind...

Actually I haven't yet. And you're absolutely right; medium is a great partner to art however if the story's ace, then it's ace despite what you use to create it. I will definitely take a look at Writing for Comics; thanks for the input

I prefer strong, interesting characters of either sex. That said, a lot of people still fail utterly at writing strong female characters (though there are of course exceptions).

On the original thread topic: I think comics have already gone down just about every possible avenue, if you count all the indie/underground stuff and webcomics. Many comics are based on similar ideas or even similar plot points, but are wholly different and enjoyable on their own merits. I'd like to see more people just writing the stories they'd like to do and not worrying about the commercial appeal or even about being "original." Write what you want, and if it's good (and often even if it's not), it'll speak to someone.

_________________


"Under no circumstances should anyone encourage the ordinary person to be funny."
--Bob Mackey

It's sad but true. I've come across very few strong, independent women in the American comic book world. Japanese manga [I know, it's redundant] have a handful but the majority that poise women as huge titted, blatantly innocent yet slutty characters, far outweigh them.

pirates

_________________
"Never set up a company selling posters and diet books and toy soldiers based on himself. Never became a prostitute"

Hurm

Agreed, too bad the best pirate writer, Max Shea, is dead

_________________
@RealSlimCAvery

You know what I really want to read? That story that Max Shea wrote where the guy is drowning. The way it was described was awesome.

I know, does anyone think Moore could ever be coerced to write that?

_________________
@RealSlimCAvery