However, if you are making a comic book in a traditional form, and you have to perform inking…we all have a specific need in common, and that’s the right ink.

There are as many brands of inks that you can use, as there are pens and brushes. However, getting the right consistency is something we all strive for. Why?

Well, if you have ink that’s too thin, you’ll get splotch marks throughout your work—and when scanning, you’ll be doing a great deal of cover-up work. I had that problem myself during he first year of WANTED:HERO, and let me tell you—the last thing you want to do, is spend double the amount of time, inking—because you have to go over everything twice!

If you have ink too thick, you’ll find your pen nibs or brushes gumming up, which can not only be a pain—but it can ruin some brushes if left too long to dry.

So, the question is….how do we get an ink that is black as midnight, pliable, and consistent? Many message boards on the web pose that very dilemma.

Well, I have an answer for you—so grab a pen and paper.

If you have never heard of Dick Blick art supplies…these guys are huge (largest in the USA) and they have the thickest ink I have ever seen in 20 years of cartooning. Go to dickblick.com, and look up “inks”. There you will find the gold in a jar, called “Black Cat”…and they Do mean BLACK. Not only is this stuff as dark as you can get, it’s also very inexpensive. Only $14.99 for a full QUART! However, they run sales most of the time, and I buy the same amount for only $10.98. This ink has been around since 1911.

Now, you can experiment with this ink, by thinning it with water…or you can add one more step, which is what I do. I use “Higgins” water proof India Ink, and simply mix ¼ Higgins, to ¾ Black Cat. When I open the container, before working with the ink—I simply take the back end of a brush, and stir the ink for about 30 seconds, wipe off the handle of the brush, and stat working. The consistency stays the same for over an hour, at which time I simply stir the ink solution again.

…and there you have it—a good, consistent black ink you can rely on, day after day.

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Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars on paper alone, and I’m here to tell you, if you want to create a good work of art—comic book or not, you need the right paper and you should get it from the right source. Many claim to have the paper you need, but most still contain acid in the fibers, which will turn your creations yellow after a time or even from simple exposure to sunlight.

I have found the very best paper source and at the most remarkable price too.

I buy all my paper at Comic Art Supplies.

Just to prove how popular these folks are, we found an old religious revival in Clockworks City, preaching about paper to the congregation of artists!

Have a listen…

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Adobe Illustrator? Nope.

Adobe Photoshop? Not on yer life.

Adobe InDesign? Hehe…not even close.

In fact, it’s not even an Adobe product at all.

This is a program that’s considered the workhorse in my arsenal when it comes to eComic production.

It assists in the creation of the eComic, the development of promotional material, web content, optimizes all artwork, and can perform all the needed functions many artist rely on Photoshop for.

What is it?

PhotoImpact Pro

This single program is a lifesaver when it came to the creation of WANTED:HERO. It performs effect art, such as beveled edges, visual effect, word manipulation, panting effects….not with layers (though it has that as well), all with the click of a button. No more working with Photoshop for 20 minutes on an effect, when you can click a button to get the same results and move on. The current version as of this article is version 13;

PhotoImpact® Pro 13 is the ideal choice for digital photography, creative design and web graphics – all in one powerful suite. You’ll get everything you need to organize, edit, manage, and share digital photos – and so much more!

Whether you’re new to digital photography or a seasoned professional, you’ll appreciate the award-winning power and flexibility of PhotoImpact Pro. It not only delivers state-of-the-art image editing and high-end photo filters for enthusiasts, but it also caters to first-time users with an improved Basic Mode plus more than 1,500 photorealistic scrapbook embellishments. PhotoImpact Pro offers dozens of other new features including RAW File Support, White Balance Correction, and the revolutionary SmartRemove Scene Compositor to create a perfect image by combining the best elements of several photos.

Yes, I have Photoshop as well and yes I use it. I get plenty of people wanting to go rounds about the power of the program and how it’s the best on the planet for…whatever. I’m not arguing the validity of any program. I love Photoshop. I just found PhotoImpact far easier to learn, easier to follow, cheaper to buy and it did everything I needed in less than 1/3 the time without having to know the tricks of the trade. It’s just my opinion, and well worth investigating.

Take a moment and check out this remarkable program. Not only is it amazing, it’s very affordable.

So now you know.

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When we were producing Wanted Hero bi-monthly, a series of podcasts were created to help kids understand what they needed to created their own eComics (or other art project they were working on). I was out of town at the time and the Gnomes from Clockworks City were kind enough to fill in when we discussed the ‘Tools of the Trade’.

A heads up: digital information deteriorates over time when it’s not saved regularly. After 2-3 years the quality begins to falter. The actual podcast is old, pulled from our ‘vintage vault’, but the information is still good. Also keep in mind that computer information advances every 6 months…so some of the information in this podcast is good, but better is available, such as the graphics card and WHRN switched to use BLUEHOST Servers (far superior and better service than Ferdiworks.com).

Hope you enjoy and feedback is always appreciated.

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Do you have an idea for your eComic?

Sure, Brit-Boy is a Superhero from the UK, who has the phenomenal power of mind-over-cheese. He can also flip nunchakus of Leafield at deadly speeds, and slide under doors by transforming into liquid Lincolnshire Poacher…but will that be enough?

‘Enough?’ you ask, flinging your body over your sketches of Cheese-boy, like a protective parent.

What I mean is: ‘Will your storyline hold the interest of your readers?’

Yes Melanie, this even applies to your project, because anyone who draws a cartoon to entertain or convey an idea needs to consider what needs to be conveyed. From a simple one frame comic to a full blown comic book, will it be of interest to your readers. Now that you’ve decided to plug into the electronic center of the Universe (the web), what is it about your story that will set it apart? What have you created which will grab a readers attention…and KEEP it?

This is not a subject to take lightly. This question can actually help make or break your success. Simply being able to draw dynamic heroes, who can shatter meteors in a single blow, will only get you so far. Ok, you can also draw the bodacious babes wearing liquid clothes, but that won’t solve your problem, either.

Wendell soon learns no everyone is interested in "peaceful" negotiations.

In WANTED:HERO, many of the characters were developed over a period of nine years, some even longer. Now, you certainly don’t need that much time…but how well do you know your characters? How detailed is their background? Could you do genealogy on the people in your story? Yes, your Hero can rip apart the world with his bare hands…but what would he say in a normal conversation? Or, how would he react when he finds out his widowed mother, now has cancer and can’t taker care of herself??

In your case Melanie, what is the story about? Do you want people to laugh, cry, or send the author hate mail? Is there a main character that can be used as the center of attention with supporting characters as the ‘landscape’?

That might sound silly to you—but knowing the past of your characters, help you shape a believable future.

Another point to consider–is creating a storyline people can relate to.

Wendell P. Dipmier, the lead character in WANTED:HERO is just an average kid, fresh out of high school, who finds himself mistaken as the last in a royal line of heroes. Many readers write to me and tell me they actually relate to the simple guy who used to live with his mom and was a complete outcast of ‘normal’ social structures (read Wendell’s journal to get an insight into the character). The guy who had an opinion, but was never in a set of circumstances which allowed him to share those views. The guy who loves the band Keane…just like millions of other youth in the US and UK. They watch Wendell’s development through each issue (or reading his personal blog) and see how becoming a ‘hero’ may actually be possible for people like us, after all.

…and yet, all I was doing was telling the tale of my buddy, Wendell.

Asking this question may be a simple matter….but it’s an essential one.

Do you have an idea for your eComic?

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Cover #8 of Wanted Hero eComic.

“eComic” stands for ‘electronic comic’ (or comic book), and usually refers to the internet. However, eComics can be placed into two general categories, even though technology and innovation continue to progress:

The first is a purely electronic experience, which means the comic is viewed and enjoyed exclusively on the computer screen. Most are made to fit the parameters of the screen itself (the various resolutions) and are viewed page by page. Depending upon the company and comic, ‘creative’ navigation features are included—one of the most complicated (and fun) is used by Marvel—which lets you read not only page by page, but by each single frame.

This class of eComic can be viewed online, some may be downloaded from online…and a few are even available on disc or DVD, which you can purchase. Regardless, this class of eComic is based upon “on screen viewing”.

The second category of eComics combines both worlds of the growing comic field: digital AND print, of which WANTED:HERO is an example.

The latest title logo used by Wanted Hero.

WANTED:HERO is a traditional comic book in every sense of the word…written, drawn by hand with pencil/pen and ink, and then it was simply scanned into a computer, formatted for print, and then a copy was placed online for purchase. What made WANTED:HERO unique, is that the reader could purchase the eComic, download it immediately to their computer and then print out a high quality copy to hold, sit back, read and share with others.

Can WANTED:HERO be viewed on your computer? Sure. In fact, there were also live ‘links’ in issues, which allowed the reader further opportunities to expand on the storyline experience, by visiting sites connected to the storyline (sites which unfortunately no longer exist—which is a risk you run when working with others). Because the printing cost is non-existent (being electronic), WANTED:HERO was able to keep the price of each individual comic to .99 cents or less—even AFTER PayPal took a major chunk! The price eventually settled at $.97 an issue, and with Paypal’s cut, the house got $.63 each, the whole process once uploaded became automated.

What set WANTED:HERO apart from other eComics in the same category at the time? Once a comic was purchased, there was no limit to the copies which could be made and the publisher actually encouraged the readers to share copies with others! In fact, i even told people to steal them from me!! As long as you did not change the content in any way, or attempt to sell the eComic, your copy could be freely shared with others.

Another aspect which made WANTED:HERO fun and unique was it’s involvement of real-life people in the storyline. People of deep and noble character, which brought aspects of the story to life, as well as making further research a joy to do. The ‘Universe’ of the storyline ended up expanding into other aspects of life and to other sites not normally associated with comics, giving the backgrounds real ‘flair’.

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Some of you know I write books, have been a cartoonist for 25+ years and still work on the Wanted Hero story. There’s some interesting and fun background stories, such as earning the money to start the company by a single pull of a slot-machine in Nevada and having such a clear vision of aspects of the story that people who entered the room with me writing actually heard the characters talking (hmmm, not sure I want to get into that one).  The focus was always kids. Make them laugh, show them hope, tell them the truth and most of all, entertain them. That included teaching them how to make their own dreams of creation come true.

Writersoup's Lafe Langford

I had a very delightful talk with a lovely young lady, a daughter of a friend of mine: Lafe Langford. He lives in Mexico and is an extremely talented writer (I recommend you stop by and check out his blog, especially “The Abyss”). His daughter, Melanie is an artist.

Oh, she says it’s just a hobby, but she’s got talent. That’s right Melanie, cats out of the bag.  Self taught. Does it for fun. IMO, the best motivations out there. Melanie is one of my favorite types of people: she asked for pointers. (goody-goody I get to help somebody!!)

Well back in the day, WantedHero.com had a message board with 29,000+ registered users and over 12,000 of those kids got lessons from me each week on “eComics”. It got hacked by the evil pornosquad (may you all burn in the hottest hell), so I deleted 2 years of work and progression rather than letting kids see that crap (I didn’t know how to fix it–and I was the only techy).

I would like to post some lessons I shared back then (dug them up for Melanie) and give them to anyone interested, updated with new insights and comments. If you have something to say, please leave a comment for all to learn from and I will respond promptly during the week.

So, you can all thank Melanie Langford for the following posts…

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