Graphic Novel Production

Definition

The production of graphic novels has evolved significantly over the decades. Nonetheless, it remains a process involving numerous steps and, in most cases, the work of many individuals. Writers, artists, and editors all play an essential role in graphic novel production.

Introduction

The production of graphic novels is a collaborative endeavor entailing the division of writing, design, layout, penciling, inking, coloring, lettering, and editing amongst numerous individuals or entities. Unlike novels or paintings, which are generally the work of individual creators, graphic novels are typically produced via a process involving several individuals, and it is often the case that throughout a series' run, multiple individuals will fill each role. The method of formal production of graphic novels is typically a group endeavor carried out by four categoriesthe creative teams and editorial staff, the writers, the interior and cover artists, and the colorists and letterers. However, there is often a great deal of overlap between these categories.

The Creative Team and the Editorial Staff

Writers of graphic novels generate scripts, the basis of graphic novels' verbal narratives. Within these scripts, writers usually include ideas and recommendations regarding how artists might illustrate the graphic novels' visual narratives. Artists vary significantly in function, and the order of their work on a comic is predefined; pencils precede inks, which precede color, and letters are almost invariably the final element to be added. Together, artists and writers make up what is known as the creative team. This team works closely with the editorial staff, coordinating the various production aspects. Editors review the work of artists and writers at every stage, frequently requesting revisions and determining limits to ensure that neither a text's verbal nor its visual narrative infringes upon the other.

Before a script's illustration, it is necessary to identify the right artists for the project, a decision ultimately made by the editors. Their selections consider writers' recommendations and preferences but are based primarily on style and versatility, and, at times, availability. The continuity and consistency of visual and verbal narrative tracks throughout a graphic novel are of the utmost importancevariations in style, color, or language can disrupt the reading experience and may cause readers to lose interest. For this reason, an artist or writer who joins a creative team after a project's commencement may be instructed to mimic a previous artist's or writer's style to the best of their ability. Indeed, there are even artists who specialize in stylistic mimicry.

Writers

The first step in producing a graphic novel is writing, but the extent of a writer's role varies greatly depending on the project. Though a writer's primary responsibility is creating or continuing a graphic novel's verbal narrative, they also play a role in the text's design and layout and in identifying artists whose styles complement their narrative objectives. Writers often submit scripts detailing every aspect of design, layout, and even colorAlan Moore, author of Watchmen (1986-1987), generally includes such detailed instructions in scripts that the task of the artists becomes something akin to transcription. At other times, artists might work from rough outlines that develop alongside the art. This mode of productioncommonly referred to as the Marvel methodallows writers to reflect on artists' work and negotiate the relationship between the verbal and visual narrative tracks.

Sometimes, editors ask writers to assume writing responsibility for a title already in print or assign writers projects that tie into or cross over with the narrative of another title. Writing a crossover requires writers to fulfill the stipulations of the assignment in a manner that furthers the plot of the storyline to which their primary title is subordinate yet maintains the primary title's narrative integrity—which may prove difficult, given that a crossover may include characters with whom writers are unfamiliar or even characters owned by other publishers. On the other hand, it is often the case that writers, even those who have assumed authorship of a title from another, are at the helm of a storyline's progress and exercise a wealth of narrative license. Perhaps the most prominent example is Chris Claremont, who scripted Marvel Comics' Uncanny X-Men (1963- ) for almost seventeen years, creating numerous characters who have secured prominence in the Marvel Universe.

Sometimes, a single person writes and illustrates mainstream comics, as in the case of writer-artist Frank Miller. In the case of alternative comics, writer-artists such as Marjane Satrapi and Joe Sacco frequently exercise total artistic control. Such writer-artists are often referred to as auteurs.

Interior and Cover Artists

Pencillers are the artists who work most closely with writers and editors, helping to determine page layouts and designs, and they are usually credited more prominently than other artists. Pencillers' ideas are vital to a project's success, but depending on the publisher, editorial office, or script, they may be asked to follow specific instructions. When pencillers are asked to work from a rough script outline, they play a far more influential role in the project's development. Pencillers usually record their ideas in sketchbooks and then refer to these sketches when they commence illustration. Illustrations for most comics are done on sheets of bristol board, which is often proprietary and provided by editors. Preliminary drawings are frequently done in blue pencil, followed by heavy lines of black.

Inkers are the second variety of specialist artists to work on a graphic novel. The inker's job is to trace and embellish the penciller's drawings to define lines and enhance visual impact. Inkers typically work directly on the same sheet of paper illustrated by pencillers. After an inker has finished inking a page, it is reviewed by editors, scanned, and forwarded to a colorist.

Cover artists are often distinct from interior artists. However, the cover art is similar to interior splash pages and splash panels in that it dominates the page, frequently articulating dramatic, pivotal moments in a text. Cover art is intended to be eye-catching and often deviates from the interior artwork's prescribed consistency formula. Cover art is frequently derived from interior art but is usually unique. It is not uncommon for cover art to be submitted by artists and retained by publishers or editorial offices for use in a future series issue. Given cover art's incredible attention to detail and composition, artists sometimes control multiple aspects of its design, but more often than not, it proceeds through the same line of production as interior art.

Color and Letters

In the comics industry, it is rare for colorists to be provided with original art; rather, they work with high-resolution scans, either digitally or by hand, although the latter is becoming less frequent. Colorists consult with editors and writers to determine the appropriate color palette for a graphic novel. The decision to use a particular palette is informed by factors such as the script's tone, its illustrators' style, and even the demographic to which it is intended to appeal.

Though writer-artists of alternative comics often refrain from including color, this decision is generally a matter of stylistic intent. Art Spiegelman is an example of a writer-artist who has at times followed unconventional production rules; when writing Maus(1986, 1991), he drew the pages at the same size they would be printed—rather than drawing them larger and shrinking them down, as is typical—and used a fountain pen to ink and letter each page. The absence of color from the interior art of Maus and the lettering of the text exert a strong influence on the story's tone and narration.

The final stage of production involves the addition of word balloons, thought bubbles, and captions. Editors typically determine where these should appear on the pages, coordinating them with numbered items in the script for the letterer's reference. In-house technicians often add balloons, bubbles, and caption boxes before scans of the pages are sent to the letterers, who add text either by hand or digitally. In the case of the latter, a general practice in mainstream comics is that letterers may use proprietary texts or even fonts created for a specific title.

Impact

Owing to the debate surrounding the origin and definition of the term "graphic novel," it is difficult to isolate how production has played a role in graphic novels' history. There is, however, a case to be made that the emergence of graphic novels had a greater impact on production than vice versa. With a few exceptions, the earliest examples of what might be referred to as graphic novels were bound collections of reissued serial comic books that appeared in the late 1970s. Even though most did not contain a single, unified narrative thread, these reissues met with great success, at least in the eyes of publishers; since the industry then operated under the work-for-hire system, publishers were not required to pay creators any additional compensation for the sale of collected series, thus earning a more significant profit.

By the early 1980s, a backlash by creators mandated concessions on the part of publishers. The "limited series" formatwhich lends itself readily to compilation and resalesoon emerged, as did modest contractual guarantees regarding creators' rights. The latter encouraged creators to take a greater interest in the quality of their work, and this, coupled with the advent of the limited series, soon led to the term "graphic novel" becoming an industry standard. Around this time, the publication of alternative comics in graphic novel form also became more common, with some, such as Harvey Pekar's American Splendor (1976-2008) and Spiegelman's Maus, gaining widespread attention. The publication of alternative comics in graphic novel form has become an industry, and few mainstream comics fail to lend themselves to compilation.

In the 2020s, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was projected to revolutionize most aspects of the graphic novel production process. For example, AI could produce a digital image in seconds. AI was also projected to create other content, such as writing. Thus, AI promised the elimination of many barriers to entry for prospective creators. Conversely, a negative implication is that AI could result in significant job displacement. AI could also be employed to mimic or plagiarize the artistry of human creators. Thus, like all new technologies, AI stands to have both its beneficial and harmful aspects.

Bibliography

Chute, Hillary L., and Marianne DeKoven, eds. MFS Modern Fiction Studies 52, no. 4 (Winter, 2006).

Hatfield, Charles. Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2005.

"Creating Comic Books with “AI Comic Factory." Medium, 29 Jan 2024, medium.com/@joshleeave/creating-comic-books-with-ai-comic-factory-53c58ad127dc Accessed 12 Jul. 2024.

Hornik, Susan. "Animators Say ’AI Isn’t Going to Get You an Oscar." BBC, 10 Jan. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/business-67922588. Accessed 12 July 2024.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper Perennial, 1993.

Reed, Isabella. "The Creative Process Behind Creating a Comic Book." ToonsMag, www.toonsmag.com/creative-process-behind-creating-a-comic-book. Accessed 12 July 2024.