Most likely your idea already includes some characters, a setting and a context. We use a context rather than story in comic strips because most strips are not based on a single linear storyline from strip to strip. Even for those that do, the short format of a single strip breaks up a longer story into small segments, thus putting an emphasis on context.

The context is the circumstances of which define your characters, setting, theme, etc. and how it will be related to your readers. When you tell someone you have a comic about an alligator and bird who are documentarians of the human race, that is the context – the core of your idea.

Yeah, so now what? Read more »

Where do you begin? All creative endeavors start with an idea. But where do you get this idea? This new strip of yours has got to include characters, a setting, written and visual styles, but a comic strip can’t rely on any of those things alone. It’s got to have a reason for being and that reason is your own unique voice. You are more than just an artist who can draw funny cartoons, you have a viewpoint to share with the world. That is the core of your idea!

One of the biggest mistakes cartoonists make when starting a comic strip is… Read more »