There is something about opening a comic that can pull memories from the deepest part of your mind and help inspire you to create your own worlds and characters. Whether it’s a small Peanuts comic strip in the newspaper, to your friend’s DC comic collection of Batman and Green Lantern, or the manga that you race to at your local book store (or LCS) before they run out and you have to wait months for the next time you visit. I remember this all fondly. The smell of the paper, ink, and… grass.
Whether it was at the soccer fields, I would always bring something to read or draw with while waiting for my team’s match to start. Even when I was hanging with friends, listening to the clicks and clacks from a game controller. I would get lost in the stories or a character I was creating. The stories always followed me around and helped instill my love for art, right next to animation and videogames. You would be surprised how often they interlink with one another, especially in the classrooms that are filled with the smell of paper and graphite.
Comics are a great source of inspiration, whether that be in writing or drawing. We see a character on the page, their story unfolds, and can’t help but feel a connection to them in some way. Sometimes I can’t help but look at them and go, “Man… I’ve been there, I know how that feels.” There are times when it is not a reflection we see of us, but wanting to cheer the character on and for them to get past the obstacle they are facing. It makes great storytelling, and character development and don’t forget a gorgeous character design. That always helps too.
Some artists are writers as well or it’s a really great duo. To me it is really cool to see any of their older works to the new ones because you see their development. The determination and the heart they put into their work overall is really motivating. At the end of it all (this will sound very cheesy), comics help encourage people to be their best.
These are some comics that have been inspiring me and giving me new ideas lately. Some are current and some are older, but still really good.
Who doesn’t like robots and ramen in a dystopian wasteland combined with high-octane violent action? Ludo Lullabi and Adriano Lucas made really solid character choices that I find very fun. The color combos, to the dynamic poses, smuggling, and sweeping shots. I can geek out all day about why it is so appealing to the eye.
NEVER would I think I would love this series so much, but when I finally was able to sit and read it, it is hard not to relate to the characters in some way. Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung are a fantastic duo and absolutely love the character development and designs. It hits a little close to home from time to time, but I keep going back to it.
I’m a sucker for art that draws inspiration from any mythos. The art is fantastic and reminiscent of Ancient Greek pottery, but with modern panel storytelling. I do enjoy the paneling. Some comics are hard to read because of the panel layouts. What got me is how Hayden Sherman had kept the panels clean to read while breaking out of the still frames. It shows restraint while breaking away from the mold it is put into. Pairing that with Kelly Thompson’s writing and we have a solid new take on Wonder Woman.
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW series)
I’m very late to the party on this one… and Sonic has run circles around me. I grew up playing the Sonic the Hedgehog videogames and thanks to the IDW collection books I can start somewhere with this comic franchise. It’s a fun read for any Sonic fan new and old. The characters are very relatable and you want to cheer them on. I love the new look and I grew up with rubber hose Saturday morning cartoon Sonic (which lives rent free in my head to this day). The new style is crisp, saturated, and has beautiful shade work. The story is more refined and leads into more details on background characters that typically get left behind.
This is only a small bit of what is currently inspiring me, but I can nerd out all day to the artwork alone. Thank you for sticking around and reading this far. Remember, practice builds confidence.