The podcast by indie comics creators for indie comics creators!
Listen to Sequential Underground #75 right now:
Nick Marino and Shawn Atkins share their thoughts about the most overlooked aspect of comics creation: lettering.
Nick Marino’s awkward lettering from Zombie Palin (2008) vs. his more refined lettering from Super Haters (2013, art by Brandon Williams)
Both Shawn and Nick agree that it’s fine to break the rules of lettering if it looks good and reads clearly. But it still helps to understand the rules before you break them! Check out some of these awesome comics lettering resources:
- Comic Book Grammar and Tradition by Blambot’s Nate Piekos
- Jim Campbell’s six-part guide to lettering in Adobe Illustrator
- Digital Webbing’s star-studded lettering message board
Shawn Atkins uses hand-drawn word balloons with both digital and hand-lettering for this Cathy parody sequence in Gello Apocalypse (2012)
We discuss Shawn’s experimental blend of lettering techniques in Phoenix 9. Plus, shoutouts to Ed Piskor for meticulously lettering his pages by hand and Ross Campbell for blending digital techniques with hand-drawn personality.
ALSO. . .
Make sure to visit our friends from the Comic Book Pitt podcast at Booth AA6 in Artist Alley at NYCC this weekend!
And check out Nick’s “The Top 9 Things I Wish Somebody Told Me Before I Exhibited At New York Comic Con” if you’ll be exhibiting at NYCC for the first time.