Subtext

I tend to be a concept type of creator.  On that’s a cool idea, or concept I could make a comic about that.  But I have realized that I need to get better a character development.  I  am mid way through my Comics Experience class on “Writing the perfect one shot”.

We are to write a complete story in 20 pages.  So far we have created a one page synopsis, character bio’s,  one complete scene (with dialogue), and a complete outline.  This week we are fill in the rest of the script out with panel descriptions/actions.

My complete scene was the first two pages, and I really wanted to work on subtext.  I have a story about an older astronaut.  He is greeted by a younger fan who calls him “sir” to which my astronaut charter says “please stop with that sir stuff, you are making me feel old”. Part of my character bio for the astronaut is that he misses the limelight and the attention he got when he was on the space shuttle.  My hope was to imply this with a bit of subtext in the dialogue.

Also I have added descriptions in the panels like slumped shoulders and looking down to show a character is depressed, that same character posture changes when things appear to change for the better for him.  I hope that adds to the subtext/character development.  I want the reader to feel the way that character does at that moment in the story.  Got to keep working on this and finding different ways to build the story just beyond this cool concept.

Thanks for checking out the blog.

Go out and make some comics, with subtext in time.

I will be back with a blog about contrast in panels to aid story telling.