I have a dog cartoon strip. Very silly and fun. I started out just writing an animal related comic strip for my customers, starting with a real life story of the cats who inhabited my backyard. When that series completed (with the kitties getting new homes) I needed a new topic, which eventually became Whiz Bang the Wonder Dog cartoon! I’ve had a lot of fun with this comic dog.
You may ask, “Doesn’t she have enough to do designing all that jewelry?
Yes, I am a very busy lady. I not only design and make jewelry; I maintain 2 separate blogs, have a FB page, do jewelry shows, market my jewelry and ship orders. So I am very busy, that’s true. But life is too serious. I thought a little humor would be appropriate! Hence a Dog Cartoon series!
And interestingly, my customers have become fans of my little dog comic. In fact, much to my chagrin (but amusement) my comic dog emails are opened with greater frequency than my sale emails! I do find this humorous.
It is entertaining to me, but of course like anything creative, it’s a lot of work. But who says work is a bad thing? When you’re an artist, work and play are sometimes one and the same. I do try to keep up week to week, but once in a while find myself working a bit overtime with my dog cartoons.
I have a few pointers in case you’d like to try your hand at inventing a comic strip yourself!
How to get started writing your own dog cartoon, cat comic, etc.
1. You must do your own research and purchase the comic software that will work best for you. I use comic life, and find it very intuitive and easy to use. They have a Mac and a PC version.
2. Once you have your software, just play with it for a while. Follow the directions on how to do stuff, and have fun! Enter some photos into a panel.
3. Add those thought and talk bubbles.
4. Once you get the hang of it, sketch some ideas for your own cartoons. You can do this even if you only want to entertain your family or friends. I am a big fan of putting everyday occurrences into comic form. It helps you see the funny side of life.
5. I find it helpful to use 3 panels for my comics, but you can decide what is best for you.
Where do I get ideas?
Oh, life is full of comic ideas. All you have to do is open up your eyes and ears! But here are a few tips that may help:
• Jot down occurrences in a notebook. Like I said, life is full of comic moments!
• Daydream. If you can find some time to just daydream about funny stuff, you might happen upon some great comic ideas.
• Doodle! When you have some time (on a plane, waiting for your dinner in a restaurant, etc.) draw and doodle some possible characters and situations
Here we go!
Now that you have a sketch (or sketches) of ideas, it’s time to make your first comic!
First draw it in pencil, then go over it with a darker pin. Make it bright and fun with some colored markers.
Scan it, then clean it up with whatever eraser tool you use. You are kind of on your own here, but this part isn’t too hard. If I can do it, just about anyone can. If you have trouble, get your 10 year old child or grandchild to help. (No kidding!)
After you fix it up and crop it, save it on your desktop.
Follow the directions included with your comic software, and go to town!
Would you like to see my dog cartoons? Just click here to my website, then enter your name and email under the “cartoon Merry and cartoon dog” on the left side of my site. You’ll not only get my comics, but a free necklace if you purchase something from me!
However, the comics are completely free!
-Merry