Comic Genesis Forums

Handwritting is common place with newspaper strips. And I generally am not against it per se.

Back when I had my first web comic in 2001 I hand wrote EVERYTHING.

Using "fonts" though allows certain freedom. (which is what I do now)

Fonts allow you to make quick simple changes that don't take a great deal of time to alter. So if you make a spelling mistake or want to reword something etc. you don't have to fool around with white out. You can also mess with size and what not more freely with concerns of having to alter the original artwork.

As has been mentioned, scanning words can be really sketchy. Sometimes it just looks funky and it's not always easy to correct. Then again hand writting it gives the comic a more personal feel as it becomes an exension from the artwork.

As I've done it both ways I am partial to fonts just because I like the way the writing looks since I have HORRID hand writing and in order to write it legibly it takes me way too long and doesn't look half as good as a font.

Also, Blambot fonts are just soooooooo tempting to use.

In any case those are just a few thoughts on the matter.

Have fun with it and good luck.

I agree with the castle guy. Blambot are just brilliant. Their fonts make the difference between an amateur and a professional comic, if it fits in with what you're going for. But handwriting is good, too. It depends on the look you're trying to achieve, doesn't it? I'm aiming for a clean, efficient look, so fonts fit in with that image.

A comic with heart would look odd with fonts, though.

God, clean and efficient? I sound like a freakin' Nazi...

Fourth Floor wrote:God, clean and efficient? I sound like a freakin' Nazi...

I must be ready to invade Poland then. Another fan of Blambot here. I get most of the fonts I use from there. For this particular comic I think the handwritten words are a better fit and it also doesn't hurt that rocknjosie's handwriting is already pretty clean and legible.

As for the writing beyond the technical process itself: It's cute for what it is. The strip wears its influences upon it's sleeve proudly. However, given my own taste for adventure material, it's only so long until "kids being cute" wears thin as a concept by itself . This is why Calvin and Hobbes entertained me so much. You were seeing the kid's imagination from the inside out. There was just more going on visually, both in terms of movement and conceptually.

I can't precisely put my finger on why, but the little commentaries on life expressed through the kids strike me as a little more political than philosophical, but it's still a cute little strip.

I'm not big on blambot fonts, but they don't fit with my comics, mainly. I write a horror/noir and I am adamant about different fonts for different people. Absolutely adamant.


Anyway, cute comic, got it on my to read list to dig through more extensievly :)