The Infinite Comics Glitch

Write, Post, Repeat.

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We often think of creativity as getting out of the box, but the box can be pretty useful too.

This week I randomly stumbled on a old powerpoint with the drawings above (without the text). It was something I created 2-3 years ago while exploring “Talking heads” style of comics, and it reminded me how fun it can be to reuse a standard set of images.

‘Talking heads” in comics can be a pejorative term; having only people talking with not much happening visually is generally a bad idea. but if you embrace it as a style, it can be extremely effective.

So you would like to try it yourself?

1. Constraints are your friend

The fewer options the better. This style can work even if you fully lock the box and have a static page that never changes (except for the writing).

e.g. - the daily Dinosaur Comics from Ryan North:

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2. Simplicity and flexibility

No need for fancy drawings or complex tools, the images aren’t the point; they’re mostly there to signal that a conversation is happening.
My example was made entirely in PowerPoint using the built-in drawing tools.

That said, it usually helps to include small changes between panels, such as:

• A head tilt

• A subtle hand movement

• A shift in facial expression (though I prefer keeping faces ambiguous and letting the viewer imagine the emotion)

It’s also effective to have at least one frame with a more dramatic change for emphasis - for example, the “BOOOM” in my comic.

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3. Dialogue is everything

As you might have guessed, this is the key.
This style works especially well with absurd or surreal conversations.
The usual writing advices apply: hook the reader early, add surprises, and take them on a little emotional rollercoaster!

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That’s it for today, hope you enjoyed it!

If you have tried this style (or want to), I would be love to hear about your experience in the comments.

I’m also happy to share my powerpoint template with you, just send me a message or drop a comment :)

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Next time, we will be back to visual book summaries with “The Coaching Habit” by Michael Bungay Stanier. See you there!