Translating your comic

This piece was generously submitted by Armando Valenzuela, whose comic, Atomic Landromat, is published in English and Spanish.

There are many good reasons for creating a version of your comic in a different language, which Brad covered in a previous article.  This article covers some thoughts and pointers to consider if you have the skills to carry out this translation yourself, because you have, over the course of your life, picked up a second (or third or fourth) language.

Speaking in general terms, it is somewhat easier to do translations of long-form or story-driven comics than humor or gag-based comics. This article covers important points for both, although it does lean towards comic strips due to my personal experiences.

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Wizard Magazine folds

Wizard Magazine and ToyFare, both published by Wizard Entertainment, have been closed down. Gareb Shamus has announced the launching of a new, public company, Wizard World, Inc., which will front a digital magazine, "Wizard World," and a 12-city comic-convention tour. The press release is below.

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Insurance

Insurance, the saying goes, is making a bet that something bad is going to happen... and hoping you lose.

Nonetheless, if you're going to move forward in your role as an independent businessperson, it's worth a quick call to your insurance agent to discuss coverage where it pertains to your comic.

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Friday Archive Dive: Chris Eliopoulos' Guide to Lettering

Today's Archive Dive is from January 26, 2010, when Chris Eliopoulos -- who has notable credits as a webcartoonist (Misery Loves Sherman) and as a letterer for Marvel Comics -- shared a detailed guide to hand-lettering.

Hand-Lettering

With the advent of computer-lettering and the comic-style free and pay fonts, it’s become easier to letter comics quickly and with greater ability to edit. One of the skills that has slowly been pushed to the side is hand-lettering.

For years, almost all comics were hand lettered. Two examples that are obvious exceptions were MAD magazine and the delightful and uniqueBarnaby by Crocket Johnson. But one of the things about hand-lettering and even the choices made by Crocket Johnson or MAD magazine is that the lettering contributes to the overall look of a strip. If you look at strips like Peanuts or Pogo or even Cerebus, the lettering became an important part of the overall look. A font was created of Charles Schulz’s lettering and even if there is no art and you saw that lettering, you’d know who the author was.

There are many good reasons to use computer fonts and there are equally good reasons to hand-letter; with hand-lettering, your lettering will be unique. With these readily available fonts, you see them on every strip and there is no individuality. You can also better integrate the lettering and art. Sometimes it looks like computer fonts are just pasted on top of a strip. And, of course, when done, you have a whole strip on a board to frame or sell.

But, how does one get good at hand-lettering? Well, like most things, it takes time and practice to get good at. Just like you practice drawing hands or using a certain pen or brush, hand-lettering takes time.

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Lost in translations

One of the strengths of webcomics is the ability to transcend geographic limitations. Add in the fact that Asia is booming with new Internet users (most of whom use smartphones as their primary interface, incidentally), and you have the globalization of comics.

So when you're approached about a version of your comic translated into another language, it's a no-brainer, right?

Nyet.

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