How much time to make a comic?

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Mon Oct 29, 2001 4:33 pm

Fred "Piro" Gallagher of Megatokyo reports that: "So, lessee... on average thats about 1 hour for scripting, 5 hours for drawing, 1.5 hours for scanning and cleaning up, 1.5 hours for illustrator work, and a half hour for exporting and uploading. Thats about 9.5 hours per comic. Three times a week. So, that makes it about 28.5 hours a week on top of my day job to do the comic. Not too bad."

This got me thinking (and I've thought before) about how much time I spend working on my own comic. I don't spend nearly as much time per comic as Fred does, but the average comic takes about 2 hours to draw (pencils, letters, inks). This is an average, not a mean, as comics can take between 90 minutes and 3-1/2 hours to draw, but I usually expect somewhere about 2 hours. Post work takes about an additional 20-40 minutes to scan, clean, format and upload. This used to be longer, but I dropped shading (and almost never color) and moved lettering from the digital phase to the hand phase because I think it's quicker for me (though I could be wrong). Writing is harder to quantify, as I can easily spend an hour or two not knowing what a comic should be, but other times I just know right away how several comics should go. I think that I work slowly, but compared to Fred, I'm a speed-demon. On the other hand, his panel-count is generally higher than mine. On the other-other hand, he doesn't ink his work.

I often wish I had more time to work on my comics, but that doesn't really seem to be the issue- the problem is how I use the time I do have. I don't really know that I could put in as much time as Fred does for MT, but perhaps that's just because I'm not putting in that much time?

Now, my format is relatively straight-forward strip-style, so I'm sure that figures into it as well, but how about everybody else? How much of that time do you spend on your comics? How does it break down?

Max Leibman · Post by **Max Leibman** » Mon Oct 29, 2001 5:13 pm

I'll break mine down in the order I take the steps:

1). Writing

I spend about 45 minutes per week writing, and I go from a full script. Which I usually mostly ignore, but hey, I make the effort.

2). Art (Drawing)

Pencils and inks takes a wildly varrying amount of time, but I would guess about two hours. The comic for this Tuesday was one of the most ambitious I've yet attempted in many ways (not the least of which is panel count -- 8!), but it only took about 2.5 hours to draw. Then again, I've broken 4 hours before, too.

3). Art (Computer)

This stage is probably the hardest to quantify, as it is continuously getting shorter. I literally spent five hour editing, lettering and doing web-prep on my (rather simple) <a href="http://www.geocities.com/comicmetaphysi ... tml">first strip</a>, but more recent efforts are down to about an hour or an hour-and-half.

So, all told, probably an average of 3 to 3.5 hours per strip, and falling.

Zubkavich · Post by **Zubkavich** » Mon Oct 29, 2001 9:28 pm

Here's my process, for the curious:

Writing: I've got a broad idea of where the story is headed, so I usually get brainstorms of the actual page order while I'm on the train to or from work. I don't know if this even counts. I'll just opt it out.

Thumbnail: I draw a half size page to set up composition, storytelling and perspective. These usually take 15 minutes.

Drawn art: Another 30-45 minutes to draw out the line art for a page on average.

Scan/Color: Most pages have taken me about an hour to an hour and a half to color, letter and output ready for uploading.

So, all told, it adds about 8 or so hours to my week for the 3 pages I put up. It's enough to keep me busy, but not enough to destroy my evenings.

I've been able to stay a month ahead (10-12 pages) so that the site will update on time without fail. So far, I haven't missed an update yet (knock on wood).

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 30, 2001 2:41 am

heh. i'm just really SLOW.

even drawing my stylized minimalist comic takes me about two hours to three hours to write, draw and ink, if i'm feelng fast, then add another 15-45 minutes to GIMP, depending on whether i need effects or not...

and if i try to do something elaborate? well, i remember the viking helmet strip taking me 9.5 hours, i think?

too much time, and too little to show for it... :eek:

rcar · Post by **rcar** » Tue Oct 30, 2001 9:33 am

I usuall spend an hour plus a night. Writing the comic I do when I am commuting or delivering to a client. So I use time that is normally wasted. I spend a couple of nights pencilingand inking. Another night to scan. Then I color and add copy. Then I put it together in flash.
Wallah, a ten to fifteen page comic. I never keep tract but I would guess 7 - 8 hours a week.

Tailsteak · Post by **Tailsteak** » Tue Oct 30, 2001 10:49 am

It varies quite a bit for me. I can't ever really carve out time for my comic, I have to do bits and pieces whenever I can find the time. I never really keep track of how long it takes, but I can usually get a set of ten strips done in about 6-10 hours.

Sean Frost · Post by **Sean Frost** » Fri Nov 02, 2001 8:13 am

Doing one per month, I really don't have to be quick. It doesn't take too long, though. Maybe 10-15 minutes to do an initial sketch (I never sketch unless I have an idea, so I don't count the thinking stage). 20-30 to cut the bristol and do the pencils. 30-40 minutes to ink. Scanning and associated computer time, 10-15 minutes total. Not bad, really.

It'd take longer if I could draw...

Tailsteak · Post by **Tailsteak** » Fri Nov 02, 2001 2:27 pm

"It'd take longer if I could draw... "

Heh. I know the feeling.

Jason Alderman · Post by **Jason Alderman** » Sat Nov 03, 2001 6:01 am

I don't draw nearly as much as most of the people here, but it took roughly an hour to an hour-and-a-half to draw each "page" of <a href="http://clango.org/">rstevens</a>' Indie Rock Pete comic (shameless plug: starts Monday at indierockpete.com).

I'm usually a meticulous, excruciatingly slow artist when I draw by hand (as in, a week or two for each page), but since starting to draw with a wacom tablet directly into Macromedia Flash or Photoshop layers, I can draw much more quickly. It's a different, sloppier art style, but it works.

Each page of the four-page <a href="http://huah.net/jason/comics/expo/">catsitting noir</a> took about 3-4 hours if I remember correctly, plus probably another half-hour or so of plotting, writing and storyboarding.

Speaking of which, when's POTLATCH coming out, Randy? I finally read EXPO 2001 and with the exception of a few gems (like Thomas Ott's spellbinding "THE MILLIONAIRS" [sic])...I think our submissions could have made the cut.

<a href="http://huah.net/jason/comics/">jason</a>
rambling and sleep-deprived (as usual)

[ This Message was edited by: Jason Alderman on 2001-11-03 05:05 ]

Tim Mallos · Post by **Tim Mallos** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 6:19 pm

For <A Target="new" HREF="http://www.fifthdigit.com/comics/test1.html">This is a Test</A> : After the first couple, it takes about an hour to pencil, 10 minutes to ink, 2 minutes to scan, 40 minutes to letter (and re-arrange my bubbles), 30 seconds to compress, 2 minutes to update HTML, one minute to upload, and apparently, a veeeery long time to do the 11th strip.
Getting layed-off disrupted my routine mockery of my workplace. I may still be bitter enough to continue. Maybe not.

Tim

Edit:Fixed link

[ This Message was edited by: Tim Mallos on 2001-11-08 17:21 ]

Sean Frost · Post by **Sean Frost** » Fri Nov 09, 2001 8:21 am

I could lend you some bitter, Tim. I've got more than I need for my comics.

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 4:31 am

ya'll are all pretty fast. I can spend an entire 8 hour day on one or maybe two squares.... I view them as paintings, though, so its ok. I know I could never "make it" as a comic book artist with that kind of schedule, but I just do it for the pure fun of it anyhow... On another note, how many out there have "made it" in that doing comics supports you entirely (plus a family if you have one), and haw many out there dream of "making it"? Any other ideas on what to do if you can't "make it"? I have thought of becoming an art teacher because I really appreciated my art teachers and love to teach as well. Actually, it seems like a dream job, but that is another story. I figure I can always make online comics as a hobby while teaching, which would be like being in heaven except I would be alive, which would mean that I would also be able to enjoy things like food and breathing, so it seems like a great life! But what about other people out there... what do you want to do "when you grow up"?

Tailsteak · Post by **Tailsteak** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 1:42 pm

Make it? I don't think so.

I love cartooning and all, it's a big part of my life, but, for whatever reason, I just can't see myself living off my art. Not that there's any chance of that occurring.

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 2:23 pm

Well, not with that attitude there isn't.

_________________
Greg

Edited because I can't even spell the short words.

[ This Message was edited by: Greg Stephens on 2001-11-13 13:24 ]

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 3:45 pm

Your characters could easily be made into highly saleable plush toys though.

Sean Frost · Post by **Sean Frost** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 4:10 pm

No more faking it? Like that?

While it would be fun to make a living off of comics, that's really not why I'm doing them. I enjoy my job, if not my company, and it pays perfectly well. Someday, maybe the comics will just demand more out of me, and then I'll have to reevaluate my priorities, but until then I'll just consider myself to have made it already. I'm exactly where I want to be.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 4:44 pm

Personally, Happy Herbert takes not very much time at all, since he is sort of like Mr. Potatohead in Illustrator. I write the story on the fly as I'm assembling it. I working on another story at the moment that is in the preliminary stage, and will be awesome. As for Potlatch, contact Noppie@aol.com. I sent him the files late, but that was a long time ago. I think that Feb previews is going to have it. Anyway, if anyone wants to see what's the new project that I'm working on you can check out my personal site (is anything on the web personal, really?) at http://www.randyoest.com. Click the comics button and scroll down.

Later,
Randy
http://www.subatomiccafe.com, closed for remodeling...

Tim Mallos · Post by **Tim Mallos** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 3:06 pm

It's a tough call for me. I'm afraid cartooning and comic creating would lose it's magic if I really tried to make it pay. A big part of why I enjoy drawing is that I draw whatever I want to draw. Unlike my real job (when I get one again) I'm not meeting the needs and desires of a client, an employer, or an audience much beyond me. On the other hand, getting paid to do what I want would rock.

I'm kind of an idea guy with a short attention span. Ideally, I'd like to work with a real artist and stick to story / conceptualization and then license my creations for films, novelizations, and ubiquitous merchandising with an eye toward eventual world domination.

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 3:34 pm

A noble goal, indeed. I approve.

And Randy- Good to see you back in the thick of things!

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Thu Nov 15, 2001 8:13 am

I've been out of it for a while, true...I've been dealing with work and love. But I'm glad to be back into the thick of things!

Hello Everyone!