Writing for Comics with Peter David (Writing for Comics & Graphic Novels) (Paperback)

by Peter David (Author)
Key Phrases: balloon placement, word balloons, thought balloons, Stan Lee, Fantastic Four, Reed Richards (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–Explaining that ideas are often not as important as their execution, David states, all stories can be boiled down to three fundamental conflicts: Man vs. Man; Man vs. Himself; and Man vs. Environment. He handles each aspect of the topic in a separate chapter that includes exercises. For example, Where Do They Get Those Crazy Ideas? has an exercise called What If? in which the author challenges budding writers to observe people in a public place and make up stories about them based on those observations. The exercise for Dialogue is Character Exploration, in which readers are invited to write diaries or correspondence in their characters' voices. The lessons are easy to digest and can be applied to any kind of writing. The book may not turn all readers into successful comic-book writers, but it will help them improve their work. Illustrations drawn from a variety of familiar comics maintain the mood and, for many readers, are the impetus for taking up the craft.–Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA
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Product Description
The ultimate guide for anyone who wants to write dynamic comics, Writing for Comics With Peter David teaches readers how to create comics from start to finish. This essential guide:

-Provides easy-to-understand guidance for beginners, as well as seasoned advice for intermediate comics writers

-Features the expert instruction of highly successful Marvel and DC writer Peter David, whose credits include Spider-Man, Wolverine and the Hulk

-Includes illustrations throughout from major comic publishers, showing readers the creation process from start to finish

With an eye-catching package and superior advice, this book is a must have for anyone who wants to write comics or graphic novels.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Impact (June 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581807309
• ISBN-13: 978-1581807301
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,629 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lively, bite-sized nuggets, October 20, 2006

By	Michael Kilgore "carloadbooks" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book, but I had a great time reading it. Although its short sections and chapters made it easy to find a stopping place, its lively presentation and accompanying graphics made it hard for me to put down.

If you want to start writing for comics, this book gives you the basics of theme, conflict, and characterization, as well as the limits of presenting them in a comic book format. Then it continues with practical advice about how to present your work to the industry professionals who would buy it. Finally, if you're just a Peter David fan, you get a bit of insight into his thought processes.

I wouldn't recommend this as your only book to understand comics. Scott McCloud and Will Eisner have books that dissect and explain the mechanisms of quality comics. But for its narrower focus of how to create a comic book story, Peter David's work is as good as anything I've seen.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected or hoped for, August 15, 2006

By	R. Swanson (Ocoee, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To be fair, this is what it's advertised as being: a guide for writing comics. Because it was Peter David, though, I was expecting more.

David is the William Goldman of comics. He is flat out one of the best there is, so I was expecting something akin to Adventures in Screenwriting. What you get is a fairly generic how to book. It's all there, but it's all there in several other books. I wanted wit (there was some), insider stories (there was, I think, one). I wanted some inside dirt on working with artists and editors. Maybe a little on handling bad press and vindictive rivals. In short, I wanted something that only Peter David could give, and I didn't get that. If his But I Digress collection is available, buy that (and to be fair again, David could say that all I wanted was in that collection and it wasn't the purpose of this book to do that. Okay, true, but when I buy a Peter David book, I want a Peter David book. It's about expectations.) If you find any other writing for comics books that are cheaper, go that route. This book reads like it was knocked out in his sleep.

It gets a 3 simply because it does what it sets out to do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spidey Meets Aristotle!, November 7, 2008

By	Ramsey (Simi Valley) - See all my reviews

One of my favorite comic book writers is Peter David. His work on comics such as Incredible Hulk: the end and the revival of X Factor are existential and hard boiled. His comics show situations with difficult questions and ambiguous answers. His sense of humor is grounded in heroes living difficult lives. His incredible hulk was the last man alive; his X Factor were living in a rat-hole apartment. If the heightened, philosophical features of some of the Vertigo writers don't suit you, I would definitely check him out.

His book on the writing of comics is a must have for people interested in story structure and in the concepts that are involved in the kind of Hero/Villain dichotomy in comics. His comparison of Dr. Doom and Mister Fantastic really blindsided me. And his take of Raiders of the Lost Ark is very amusing. I really knew he was on to something when he took some concepts from Aristotle's Poetics and applied them to comics.

It is pretty well established by theatre academics that the genesis of dramatic structure is Aristotle's Poetics. I have read the book on and off for several years and the book have yet to puncture my man-brain. My understanding of its concepts has always been second handed to me from a theatre professor. David's examples taken from comic books give a good running start in comprehending how a story is composed.

Kevin Smith is writing Batman comics. Frank Miller's new movie is due out this Christmas. Neil Gaiman's new novel was one of the largest pre-orders of the fall. With the cross pollination between comics, movies, and other genres, this book is a healthy companion to anyone with a desire for professional storytelling.