Well, as I noted on the front page, Issue #1 has been written. That's a major step in making this thing, which is really a big long process, with many little steps along the way. Since this is a "Making Of..." page, let me explain how I'm approaching some of those steps:
Plotting It:
"Ed's Dark Chicken Empire" has had something like seven different plots. Six and a half of them sucked. This version of it is running on the characters. It's a cliche of writing, but it's how it works sometimes, dammit. I've let these characters loose in my head, and now, whether or not I like it, they're making the damn thing up. I'm just their bitch. "Stop futzing with the Internet and DRAW ME!," bellows Ed; "I'm gonna go drink the secret sauce until I see aliens," says Katie; "We need more duct tape," notes Angus.
But I'm...err...NOT crazy.
Writing It:
I have a spiral notebook that goes with me everywhere. (In fact, I do a lot of writing on Manatee and Sarasota County buses.) Even if you stole it from me, there's a one in a zillion chance you'd be able to read it, cause my handwriting sucks ass. Ha. Anyway, ideas, sketches, random notes to myself; all of these things inhabit the notebook. When I actually "write" a page, I sometimes write dialogue, but most often I write descriptions of what's going on. This makes life WAY easier when it comes down to the next step, which is...
Roughing It:
Bristol Board (the tough-ass paper lots of folks draw comics on) costs money. Since both of those are scarce commodities in my world, I have a whole bunch of computer paper that I use to "test-draw" the pages (AKA, "roughing", as in a rough draft). These roughs are, for me, the hardest part. They're where I get to see if the garbage in my notebook can be translated into picture form and still make any sense. (Although, in a book called "Ed's Dark Chicken Empire," sense is kind of loosely defined.)
Also, this is the stage where I usually realize that I have to throw out most of my pre-written dialogue. While I am planning on where speech balloons will go, I'm trying to make sure that the panels move the story along just as well without words. Note that I said "TRYING." (Issue 1, page 1 will be a perfect example of the OPPOSITE of this philosophy, by the way...)
SO, that's the Writing end of things. Stay tuned, and I'll get this crazy ship off the dock SOME damn way...
(Click on pic to see it bigger!)