« Advance Panel | Main | It Was a Picked Wallet »
Creating A Pooch Strip
By Paul | April 5, 2009
From time to time I get asked for some details about how I create the strips. Here, then, is the process as it most often goes down.
Step #1: Pacing. I think up my strips while pacing. If I am not pacing, my mind wanders off into musings such as “Uh oh, did I pronounce “anthemia” correctly at last night’s dinner party?” or “I wonder if Judd Nelson is still getting any movie roles?” For some reason pacing keeps me focused.
Step #2 (Assuming Step #1 has produced results): Pencil layout. I now get to sit down. I use a technical pencil with .5 mm HB lead on a Strathmore 2 ply paper, thick enough to matter but thin enough to see through if put on a light-table. I don’t have a light-table, I use a window. So can only trace over something before sundown.
Step #3: Inking. I ink with Faber-Castell brush pens and Pilot DR drawing pens. I take a short break, ponder Judd Nelson, then it’s back to work.
Step #4: Lettering. For many years I hand-lettered the strips. I enjoyed the slight variations you could put into lettering, believing that it would shed additional subtle insights into the speaker’s mood. Then I realized that I only have a finite amount of time on this planet and the same results could be achieved with a typeface created from my lettering so it looked the same and could be altered at will when I misspelled words and misplaced commas. Oh, also, erase pencil lines here.
Step #5: Gray tones and details: For the first year or so I used good old fashioned Letratone which is the equivalent of using blocks of ice to keep your ‘fridge cold. In other words, outdated, and causes back problems. These days the grays are added in Photoshop and the file is then converted into halftone dots for printing.
Step #6: Colors added using color guides, also in Photoshop.
Every cartoonist has his own method of creating strips, these are by no means standard guidelines. As a matter of fact, whatever a cartoonist is most comfortable with is the right way for that cartoonist to cartoon. Unless the cartoonist is most comfortable drawing while supplying beer to minors. That’s illegal.
Topics: Main |
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
April 5th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Thank you so much, Paul. That was very interesting and I’m glad you went into so much detail, because those are all of the things we’re all curious about.
I know you’ve answered a question that I’ve wondered for quite a while.
Lulu
April 5th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Wow, thanks for the lesson Paul. I know I have bugged you a few times about some of these details. I still use Letratone on the occasional cartoons I draw. If anyone purchases one of your original strips, they should know that you do go back and hand-letter each panel. The great thing about you is step #1 produces very funny ideas and step #2 is pleasing to the eyes.
As someone who walks for a living, I can recommend some comfortable shoes for your pacing.
April 5th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that Paul! Interesting!
April 5th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Thanks for explaining this, Paul!
It’s interesting that you color your own strips. I think in most cases, the strips are colored by Chinese orphans working for the syndicate, which sometimes results in bizarre color choices….
April 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
This is fascinating stuff, Paul. “whatever a cartoonist is most comfortable with is the right way for that cartoonist to cartoon.” is also very true of developing and printing photographs. There are a million variables, and once you find a pleasant consistency, straying from that results in nothing but disaster.
April 5th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Thanks for this, Paul, it’s really interesting! Plus, I learned a new word: anthemia.
Supplying beer to minors is illegal? Oops.
April 6th, 2009 at 2:52 am
Anthemias are an anathema to me.
April 6th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Awesome education Paul… Now can you tell me how Poncho Perry does it????
Rogbo
April 6th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Is Judd Nelson still getting movie roles?
April 6th, 2009 at 11:32 am
I thought anathema was an anthem you didn’t know the words to.
I have seen Mel Lazarus (Momma) draw complete strips during a presentation. Of course he is not coloring them, but he does hand letter them and since it is a demonstration he always does the same ones. Even a strip as simple (by comparison) as Momma is obvously a lot of work, so the amount of effort Paul puts in isn’t a surprise to me . . . and it sure is impressive! It must be very satisfying when it’s finished and finally “alive” after just being an idea.
April 7th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Very insightful, neat pos.
April 7th, 2009 at 10:19 am
*post