Those poor forgotten comic borders

Rocknjosie · Post by **Rocknjosie** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:07 pm

I went boarderless my last comic, I don't think it was recieved too well...

http://waisthigh.comicgenesis.com
[/url]

The Neko · Post by **The Neko** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:56 pm

I find that panel borders work best for gag-style strips, while different border styles lend themselves more to dramatic and action series, or perhaps the weird experimental set of comics.

The restriction of panels is sometimes a useful stylistic element for both writing and visuals. It really depends on what the author intends and how well it is in overall execution.

Jim North · Post by **Jim North** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 7:36 pm

I started off with all my panels stuck together in a line with a single border surrounding them.

Like so.

But I've recently changed to where the panels are seperated, putting the border around each of them individually.

Like so.

Except for the little bit of information at the top and bottom, I have kept the border completely white. This is 'cause I feel that this (along with the de-separation of panels) helps each panel stand out, catching the eye better.

But that's just me. I only did the panel change for my own edification . . . I like 'em that way, and if anyone else doesn't, they can piss off.

Keffria · Post by **Keffria** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 7:40 pm

I think I'd like to go back to doing mostly boring box-ish borders for my next comicking project; somtimes, I get really sick of the confused "manga" look, which few people (and I'm not among this elite few) can do properly. Also, it makes fancy panel shapes that much more special when you normally use a more plain look.

As for fancy borders, I think they often detract from the actual art.

Tim · Post by **Tim** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:31 pm

cjburgandy wrote:I use the same border template....

all the time....

everyday......

4 equal sized boxes......

maybe in the future I'll do something different, on a differnt comic.....

but for now.....

4 equal sized boxes....

Sincerely · Post by **Sincerely** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:55 pm

I use a template for the outside edge of each of my strips. I draw each panel without borders and then put the borders in inside the template, so that each panel is a unique horizontal size. All my borders are 3 pixels thick. Occasionally I do things with border orientation and whatnot and I almost always have my word bubbles move outside of the borders, but otherwise I'm really boring that way.

I've got a few ideas for manipulating borders in later strips and storylines, but I'm mostly just too lazy to impliment anything really interesting.

Webkilla · Post by **Webkilla** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:48 pm

I do borders...

I use em to... uhm... makes boxes n stuff?

go see:

http://psitech.keenspace.com

In the begining I used pre-sketched pages that I'd already done paper&pencil style, but when I ran out of those I just started making 'em with the box-tool in me PSP9

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:48 pm

I may be oldfashioned, but I tend to think that if the thing the panel is static and dull, no fancy borders are going to help. I do LWK with hand-drawn borders that are supposed to be damaged on corners by time, but it wouldn't make much difference if they were classic, straight borders, really.

Sput · Post by **Sput** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:37 pm

there's a very distinct border style i possess, which is -usually- white with 2px black stroke, but in lycans: http://lycans.stripspace.com/ it changes colour with the person.

(god i need to update)

i want to do fun borders. i think maybe i should try them sometimes, but i am a lazy hobag.

Laemkral · Post by **Laemkral** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:53 pm

I've kept the same design for every comic. I'll probably narrow down the background border eventually, redo the template, but I'll most likely keep the same style background. I like the metalish look because it gives a slight theme to it, we are geeks and love our technology, and gives a neutral tone so that the comic takes center stage.

http://alwaysright.comicgenesis.com

For a great example of background borders, http://www.queenofwands.net. Aerie does an amazing job with that, using images and colors to accent the comic and enhance it. It's one thing to use a neutral color so it doesn't distract, but using the background to enhance the comic is amazing artistically.[/url]

Jackhass · Post by **Jackhass** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 3:18 am

I spend long enough filling the inside of my borders...I don't have the time or energy to stick fill the outside of them with stuff.

Nutcracker · Post by **Nutcracker** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:11 am

I draw my borders by hand and make better ones after I color the strip. I also leave some white space around it, cause my site background is dark and dark space between panels wouldn't fit.

Mr.Bob · Post by **Mr.Bob** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:27 am

Borders are lines. The go swish swish from point A to point B. They are sometimes broken for speech bubbles. End of my story.

Nutcracker · Post by **Nutcracker** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:50 am

You mind? We're discussing something unimportant here!

MrEff · Post by **MrEff** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:48 am

I've decided that for Strip'ers I'm gonna go border-less, whilst Ded End will still be set up much like a Newspaper Comic strip...

-MrEff-

[AOD] · Post by **[AOD]** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 12:59 pm

This comic actually turns the borders into a regular CHARACTER.

@~AOD

[geoduck] · Post by **[geoduck]** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:25 pm

Depending on your point of view, I either have no borders or very thick blue ones. Since my strip is entirely CG, it's sooo much easier to draw each panel with slopover, and then "paste" the pre-cut borders down into place over the top of the panels, instantly cleaning them up. (Except in the occasional case where I leave some deliberate slopover..) I have a whole bunch of template-files I use, depending on how many panels a day's strip requires. Again, speeds things up immensely.

TBAC · Post by **TBAC** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 4:36 am

there's no excuse for your borders to be less than interesting, unless you're getting published in the newspaper which is all one big bore anyway

especially on the limitless space of the internet

I get the runes might have been too distracting, but the borders should reflect your comic and possibly its content

my mind flipped open when I read Mcloud's Understanding Comics and he showed how just the size of the border could reflect the emotional state of the character

you should see what it takes to get my ass to flip

if it's too distracting, sure, get rid of it, but saying borders are just there to hold stuff in.....makes my head hurt and my sphincter tighten, but that might be just the sparse lunch of crackers and anchovies

tbac

Snackbot · Post by **Snackbot** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:14 am

The size and design of the borders are best decided in relation to the page around them. Problem is, if you change the layout and schemes of your webpage too often, a more basic and bare set of borders might be best.

Some people like to keep the webpages simple, which is essentially what museums do. Some people integrate the borders AND comic INTO the webpage, which is what modern art museums do. I just try to not make anything on the page clash, not make sense, or generally look ugly.

Warofwinds · Post by **Warofwinds** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:12 pm

I was taught never to have things floating in blank space. Most of the borders in my comic are either the continuance of one panel, the sky (so the reader is aware of the passage of time), and rarely black (when I'm lazy.) But never white. To me, white is ultra lazy.

continuance of panel:
http://warofwinds.comicgenesis.com/d/20051001.html

sky:
http://warofwinds.comicgenesis.com/d/20050904.html
http://warofwinds.comicgenesis.com/d/20051008.html

black: http://warofwinds.comicgenesis.com/d/20051009.html

Comic Genesis Forums

Those poor forgotten comic borders

border patrol