How To Make Webcomics (book)

The guys who make up Halfpixel; Dave Kellett, Brad Guigar, Kris Straub, and Scott Kurtz, put out a book a few years ago called How To Make Webcomics. It is a thorough "how to" guide on how to take your comic idea and put it on the net for everyone to see in a professional manner.


Though my aspirations in life don't really lie in being a cartoonist for a living, I found this book to be a very interesting read. It gives very sound advice on everything from how to interact with readers to settings in Photoshop needed to have your strip look nice on your site and in print. The authors do not boast that they know everything there is to know about the medium. In fact it is quite the opposite. They tell the readers what has worked for them and it is up to each individual whether the advice is taken or not. The authors do their best to share what they feel is the best route of action and explain why they feel that way.


I really like the fact that the advice given in this book is practical. It is not something that can only be achieved by a handful and the masses are just left to figure it out for themselves. It is for anyone who aspires to be a web cartoonist. And in some cases, a cartoonist in general. I also like that they do not make astronomical promises similar to those late night infomercials where if you just follow all the steps in their book, you will be on the money train in no time. The book is very plain in saying that being were the authors are right now takes a good deal of effort, but it is not impossible. 


I was also very entertained by the tips that were given for the actual setting up of the strip. There were things that I had seen in comic strips, but didn't really pay attention to. Things such as: having gutters, spatial arrangement of characters, use of shadow to confer a point, etc. These were all things I had seen before and my subconscious mind had made sense of the set up. But I had no idea that the artists were making the conscious decision to place things on the page in a certain manner for readers to pick up subtle hints and clues in order to make the story more dynamic. I was quite impressed when I learned that fact. I gave comic and cartooning art another dimension


So, for those out there who wish to try your hand at making webcomics, this book should become your bible (or at least one of your bibles). For others, I think it is was pretty cool to get a peek into the inner workings of a webcomic. I definitely advise picking this up. It is a great read.

The Witch of Cologne (novel)

The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner has definitely made its way onto my favorites list. It features a very strong willed Jewess named Ruth bas Elazar Saul and a Catholic priest named Detlef von Tennen. Ruth is pressing against the constraints of being a woman by increasing her knowledge in science (specifically medicine) and practicing as a midwife. Detlef has given up his privileged position in order to be part of the Catholic Church, but questions the inner workings of his station.


Without giving too much away, there were a number of reasons why this book was a huge draw for me. One, Learner's use of language to paint the imagery of what was going on was very good. I like when authors are creative with word choice, but not so overly florid that it feels as if they are trying too hard. I also give bonus points to any book that makes me reach for a dictionary (more likely my iPod Touch now) and look up a word that I have never seen before.


I also give points to any book that can meld science, religion, and mysticism. I think it is easy to have science vs. religion and take a stance (or leave it open for the reader to take a stance). But I personally feel like a character is more identifiable with when they strongly stand on the scientific but have not let go of their religious beliefs entirely. Through the character of Ruth, Learner is able to put together this situation where medicine, Judaism, and mysticism all have to come together in a comprehensive and logical way in order to make the story that much more interesting. And Learner does a great job. 


The character of Detlef VonTennon was very interesting to read. How he changes from beginning to end is quite amazing. However, as a reader, I barely noticed it until I went back and thought about it. The change was so natural and organic, I did not pay attention to it until I realized how different his actions at the beginning were from how he acted at the end.


I do not read much historical fiction, but this one was a very good find. If you are looking for a good novel, I highly recommend this one.

What is this blog?

Growing up, I was definitely what you would term as a book worm. I read just about anything I could get my hands on. Well that has not really gone away for me (not that I want it to). And whenever I can get a free moment, I try and read something, whether it be comic books, traditional novels, short stories, what have now. 

Then I decided, why keep the good finds to myself? I should put out what I thought about what I read. It will give my blog some type of direction (where my personal blog is nothing but whatever topic of the day happens to enter my head that morning).

So that is what this blog is. My thoughts on written work that comes through my hands. Hope you readers enjoy.