Read Comics

This may go without saying, but if you want to write good comics you have to understand the medium. One of the best ways to do that is to read other comics!

Without an understanding of what gets readers excited to go out and buy that next volume of their favourite comic, your stories won’t have the heart they need to be truly great.

Unfortunately, I can’t give you a magic list of comics that you’re going to love, simply because no one comic is adored by every single person who reads it. The comics I read may not be the ones you’d want to pick up.

So I leave it to you.

Do some research:

  • Ask your trusted friends what they like to read.
  • Get on the lookout for artists who you respect and see how they express themselves through their art.
  • Examine the history of comics by sorting through the top comics of all time. (As a side note, I don’t think you should be required to read a book just because it’s “one of the greats”. You’re allowed to have your own tastes and we’re allowed to grow past books that may have been important for their time, but are problematic or less relevant now. Still, it’s useful to know what books have had the biggest impact on the industry and why.)
  • Expand your tastes by checking out stories from genres you don’t typically read.
  • Browse your local comic shop or library for hidden gems.

Dive deep into the world of comics, and discover the stories that YOU love to read. Read, read and read some more because you will only truly be able to spark a passion for your story in someone else if you have first found that passion within yourself.

How’s THAT for a cheesy quote?