Post by Pacmanite on Dec 1, 2012 9:22:30 GMT -5
It's been a long time since I've last made comics, and blah blah, life has been busy and interesting in the meantime. I've had an amazing time at uni studying the ancient world, translating Latin and Ancient Greek. But I realise that this summer I will probably have quite a large chunk of spare time, and well, maybe this is a good opportunity to relight that old passion I had for making comics? 
Just maybe?
For a long time already, I've been itching to make a whole bunch of comics themed around the Ancient Romans and Greeks. In fact a couple years ago, I had about 20 scripts ready to start an Ancient Roman humor-based comic series. But only three were actually drawn. And, in retrospect, most of the remaining scripts were duds.
I think the main reason it failed was because I had a lack of inspiration. Trying to find ideas for comics is my greatest bane, and not having enough ideas makes me not want to work on a series.
But in the last few months, I think I stumbled on a solution. I can steal joke ideas from the ancients themselves!
No, really.
There's an ancient jokebook titled the Philogelos, literally "the Lover of Laughs". It was written in the fourth century AD, and contains 250+ jokes, most of which are basically little potted scenarios of idiots doing idiotic things. In other words, nearly perfect for re-translating into a humourous comic strip format.
Take a look at a couple of them:
It's true, some of them do seem a little laboured in the delivery. But I don't think it'll be too hard to rework them, especially since putting it in comic form cuts out a lot of dreary narrative text. There are quite a lot of good little funny ideas in there. And that's what matters to me. Plus, the fact that I'm stealing jokes off the ancients makes it feel more authentic, in a way.
Inspiration problem, solved. I only have two more major problems to sort out: Community, and commitment.
So, community. I have always found that I am way more motivated to get work done when I see people comment on and like what I do. When I feel like people are watching me do this, waiting for me to upload more content, I really tend to push myself harder and get more done, and better quality work too. So this is where I need some help and advice. I won't just be posting the comics here and on DeviantArt. I would like to ask if there are any good forums for web comic creators, especially for short humour strip-format type comics. And I should also do a search and see if there are good active forums for lovers of Classical literature. I could probably also email some of my work to my uni lecturers and friends who did ancient subjects with me. It feels a bit vain, I guess, but I know having my stuff seen is a big factor in getting this thing done.
And lastly, I've got to work out how much I'm willing to commit. I don't think this will be a forever-ongoing kind of thing, like every week for the rest of my life. I can't do that when uni starts up again. To me, this really does feel like a summer project. I think what might be best is to set a goal, like 30 strips completed before such-and-such a date, and then try and get that done by the deadline. And if I do, I'll have something nice to show for it.
So what do you guys think of that? Think it sounds like a worthwhile undertaking? Think it can work?
Just maybe?For a long time already, I've been itching to make a whole bunch of comics themed around the Ancient Romans and Greeks. In fact a couple years ago, I had about 20 scripts ready to start an Ancient Roman humor-based comic series. But only three were actually drawn. And, in retrospect, most of the remaining scripts were duds.
I think the main reason it failed was because I had a lack of inspiration. Trying to find ideas for comics is my greatest bane, and not having enough ideas makes me not want to work on a series.
But in the last few months, I think I stumbled on a solution. I can steal joke ideas from the ancients themselves!
No, really.
There's an ancient jokebook titled the Philogelos, literally "the Lover of Laughs". It was written in the fourth century AD, and contains 250+ jokes, most of which are basically little potted scenarios of idiots doing idiotic things. In other words, nearly perfect for re-translating into a humourous comic strip format.
Take a look at a couple of them:
---
A man goes up to a student dunce and says, ‘The slave you sold me died.’ ‘By the gods,’ counters the dunce, ‘when he was with me, he never did any such thing!’
---
His friend back home writes to a student dunce in Greece to buy some books for him. The dunce neglects the request, and when after some time he again runs into his friend, he says, ‘You know that letter you sent me about the books? I never got it.’
---
It's true, some of them do seem a little laboured in the delivery. But I don't think it'll be too hard to rework them, especially since putting it in comic form cuts out a lot of dreary narrative text. There are quite a lot of good little funny ideas in there. And that's what matters to me. Plus, the fact that I'm stealing jokes off the ancients makes it feel more authentic, in a way.
Inspiration problem, solved. I only have two more major problems to sort out: Community, and commitment.
So, community. I have always found that I am way more motivated to get work done when I see people comment on and like what I do. When I feel like people are watching me do this, waiting for me to upload more content, I really tend to push myself harder and get more done, and better quality work too. So this is where I need some help and advice. I won't just be posting the comics here and on DeviantArt. I would like to ask if there are any good forums for web comic creators, especially for short humour strip-format type comics. And I should also do a search and see if there are good active forums for lovers of Classical literature. I could probably also email some of my work to my uni lecturers and friends who did ancient subjects with me. It feels a bit vain, I guess, but I know having my stuff seen is a big factor in getting this thing done.
And lastly, I've got to work out how much I'm willing to commit. I don't think this will be a forever-ongoing kind of thing, like every week for the rest of my life. I can't do that when uni starts up again. To me, this really does feel like a summer project. I think what might be best is to set a goal, like 30 strips completed before such-and-such a date, and then try and get that done by the deadline. And if I do, I'll have something nice to show for it.
So what do you guys think of that? Think it sounds like a worthwhile undertaking? Think it can work?
And having eyes larger than my stomach... or... whatever organ it is that processes comics and spits them out finished.
