Creating Comics from Start to Finish

by Buddy Scalera

You Can Work Professionally in Comics! Jump-start your comic book career! Creating Comics From Start to Finish tells you everything about how today's mainstream comic books are produced and published. Top working professionals detail how comics are created from concept to completion.

Dig deep into every step of the process including writing, editing, penciling, inking, coloring, lettering and even publishing. Working professionals talk candidly about breaking into (and staying in) this exciting industry.

Interviews and advice


Mike Marts - Editor - Batman
Mark Waid - Writer - Kingdom Come, Flash, Irredeemable
Darick Robertson - Penciler - Wolverine, The Boys, Transmetropolitan
Rodney Ramos - Inker - Green Lantern, Punisher
Brian Haberlin - Colorist - Witchblade, Spawn
Chris Eliopoulos - Letterer - Pet Avengers, Spider-Man, X-Men
Joe Quesada - Chief Creative Officer - Marvel Comics
Stan Lee - Former President, Chairman - Marvel Comics

Genres: Art, Comics, Nonfiction, Writing, Reference, Drawing, Design

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2011

About the author

Hey, it's me.

http://www.buddyscalera.com
http://www.comicbookschool.com

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes readers step by step through comic publishing. Not only that, but through professionals who reflect on their experiences in the field. Readers learn how those people became established and the history of the processes. Scalera also examines how those processes have changed because of technology. While Scalera does most of the talking, he has quite a lot of info that comes directly from the other pros in interviews. At the very end, he even covers some basic stuff like how to get your foot in the door with a publisher and self-publishing.
I definitely got a very clear picture of what comic book publishing involves. He provided plenty of detail, but not too much to overload me with new information. It made for a very informative and interesting read. Contrary to what he warns in the introduction, he has not ruined my enjoyment of comics. In fact, I think understanding the creation process helps me better appreciate the end product as a reader.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I would not recommend it to everyone. Those simply interested in reading comics might find it boring. However, those wanting to pursue a career in the field will find it invaluable. If you are looking to better understand comic publishing and where you might fit in, this is the best book I have come across for you.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stars for enjoyability of reading, with a full bonus fourth star for existing at all. The comics industry isn't really covered very well in books for adults. This reads like a low-level college textbook (and I would know, I went to public business school in Louisiana). Not great, but a great find! And I started writing a comic while I was reading it, so massive points for inspiration.

[Ellowyn Beimler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with lots of theory, not quite what I thought it was going into it, as this is not so much of a "how to make comics" as a "how to get into the industry." Lot of good information and resources, though some of the links no longer work or the websites no longer exist.

[Dan Maltbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice and informative

Good for any creator looking to improve their knowledge of comics. Has some slow parts but is worth it yeet

[Michael Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've recently started reading about creative processes in different media, comics and graphic novels included. Among them, I bumped into Buddy Scalera's Creating Comics from Start to Finish Top Pros Reveal the Complete Creative Process rather by mistake. Buddy's is an accessible book about the comics industry in the US. Overall, an interesting and accessible read, with new information about the editor and editor-in-chief positions in the comics creation organigram.

The book is structured as a series of interviews of one representative per key position in the production of comics: editor-in-chief, editor, writer, penciller (drawer), inker, and letterer. Each chapter begins with the author's own analysis of the creative job's challenges and approaches, then proceeds with summaries of the said interviews. Among the key persons interviewed in this book there are Mike Marts (editor at DC Comics, Batman and X-Men); Mark Waid (writer at Marvel and DC, chief creative officer at BOOM! Studios, Flash and Captain America); Joe Quesada (chief creative officer at Marvel Comics); and Stan Lee (the father of them all).

I find that this book holds a good spot among others about creating comics, among them Scott McCloud's Making Comics Storytelling Secrets of Comics Manga and Graphic Novels; Stan Lee's numerous books on creating comics (including Stan Lee's How to Write Comics From the Legendary Co-Creator of Spider-Man the Incredible Hulk Fantastic Four X-Men and Iron Man); and Nat Gertler's Panel One Comic Book Scripts by Top Writers (examples of comics writing). This book adds much needed information about the job of editor and editor-in-chief, says more on the current (digital) technology of creating comics, and is the only comprehensive overview of the whole creative industry around making comics. This is also the first book I've found to include info about self-publishing comics. On the negative side, the parts on writing, drawing, inking, and lettering are better covered elsewhere.

[john Fields · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not so good

I found this book to be long on theory and short on substance. Most of this information can be gleaned from the internet with little effort.

[Julie Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful tips

Just pack with lots of solid, sound advice for the comic book artist. Read it if this is your desired field.