The three F's of action-oriented comics
The three Fs of action-oriented comic book writing:
1. It's funny.
2. It has fights.
3. It's fucking well drawn.
Discuss.
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Comments
Funny: Not necessarily joke a minute. Can be gallows humor.
Fights: Needs to be visual, physical conflict.
Well drawn: Competent enough to match or exceed the best books on the shelf.
Now I do have humor in...well, everything...but I don't think it's essential. Helpful yes.
You might want to rephrase the third 'F'.
The opposite of that, you get John McClain in Die Hard who's trying to make the best of a terrible (and from his perspective, impossible) situation. He's a sarcastic jackass, and he's purposefully pissing off the bad guys.
Now, if you were to do that with Batman, for example, I don't think it would work as well. That's not Batman's personality. That said, even in the movies they gave him a few funny lines ("I'm not wearing hockey pants") - but they were usually after the action had ended.
equates to "Competent enough to match or exceed the best books on the shelf."
I'll grant you that writing genuinely funny material is a real talent; as is inventing novel, engaging "visual, physical conflict." But you didn't ask for that and there is a qualitative difference in these simple requirements for writing (as you've stated them) as opposed to those for the drawing (as you've stated them).
But rather than harp on the point, lets see if we get get to the gist, and re-state in a better way.
Essentially, you want engaging, inventive humor, fights, and art, true? Does it have to be as good or better then the best that's out there? That's a worthy aspiration, we should all aspire to that. But might not an action comic be note-worthy if it is merely average at two of these things, but excels at one? Brilliant humor, but stock fights, and competent art might still make for a hit. Inspiring art can bring sales and attention to a so-so story with typical fights and a few yuks. Original, inventive conflict might overcome pedestrian art, and a few wince-worthy jokes.
Or how about simple competence in all three areas?
I leave the argument currently raging over the importance of humor to others for the moment
Good Thread.