writing

Thunder Punch Daily 116 – “It Doesn’t Hold Up”

Today I let myself get a little angry as I talk about a common misconception concerning cartoons and stories aimed at young people. Too often I hear a criticism leveled at these materials that runs along the lines of “it doesn’t hold up” after experiencing them as an adult. I share a few thoughts on how we need to consider the intended audience before jumping to conclusions on the quality of a work. And also why these people are dead wrong.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 116 – “It Doesn’t Hold Up” Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 114 – Emotional Honesty

Today I share some thoughts inspired by a conversation I had with Dan Mishkin about writing characters and keeping their emotional arcs “honest”. Believe it or not, I manage to tie my points into a common argument amongst cartoonists over “how much is too much backstory?”

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 114 – Emotional Honesty Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 110 – Categorizing the Process

Today I revisit a topic I don’t think I’ve touched on in a while (maybe not since the Your Comic From the Ground Up series!): namely, whether or not an artist should finish each page of a project in its entirety before moving on to the next one, or whether breaking the process into several “passes” might help a project get finished. I share a few thoughts on the matter and how the conditions of the project will affect the ultimate answer.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 110 – Categorizing the Process Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 108 – In Defense of Commercial Storytelling

Today I make my case for how serving as a freelance storyteller has equipped me with terrific tools to create my own projects. I then spiral out into some more pontificating on how much I dislike the notion of “perfection”.

Mentioned my Boulder & Fleet mini-comic again, which you can read here and listen to my process wrap-up here.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 108 – In Defense of Commercial Storytelling Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 107 – Aboutness

Today I revisit some thoughts on writing, and a go-to technique I use to write stories for clients and for myself: starting with a takeaway, or finding the story’s “aboutness”. It’s a slippery topic, and I’d love to hear from other writers as to what tricks they use to drum up story ideas. I refer to my episode on the Boulder & Fleet mini-comic during today’s essay.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 107 – Aboutness Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 98 – One Week Later Observations

Sharing a few thoughts on what I learned and what I fought against in making a mini-comic in a week! Surprises, sadness, and finding my courage to press on.

By the way, the mini-comic is complete! You can read it here.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 98 – One Week Later Observations Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 97 – It Was There All Along

Today I share some observations and experiences I’ve had in my attempt to create an 8-page mini-comic in a week. The most interesting development was discovering a new theme that was there the whole time.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 97 – It Was There All Along Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 95 – Short-Term Overextension

Today I explain why I took on making a mini-comic to be completed in the same week that I have a trillion other things going on. Does this fly in the face of my 2011 goal not to overcommit to projects? If not, how?

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 95 – Short-Term Overextension Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 93 – Story Recipes

Today I share some thoughts that occurred to me after listening to the latest Spark podcast and witnessing Matt Feazell’s workshop at the Ann Arbor District Library. Can a story have a recipe? If we think about the recipe as something to play with and modify to our own tastes, I don’t think it’s terribly harmful to think of it that way.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 93 – Story Recipes Read More »

Thunder Punch Daily 91 – Cooperative Storytelling

I recently tweeted a bit about my disappointment with the new Transformers TV show, and my specific problems with the show, reminded me of a distinct advantage that comics has over moving visual storytelling. I use the fantastic Manga Twin Spica to round out my point.

Subscribe through iTunes
RSS

Thunder Punch Daily 91 – Cooperative Storytelling Read More »