Badminton in Paris 2024 is going to be epic! With 173 competitors from 49 nations battling it out, it’s a whole different game than the one you play at the summer BBQ. These athletes are lightning-fast and super-skilled. Get ready to be amazed!
Rhythmic Gymnastics: a women-only sport that has 4 different disciplines: ball, ribbon, hoop, and clubs.
Fun fact: The Equestrian event is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete directly against each other.
Yes, I do think Outman would go diving in with his cape on, and I don’t think he would know why you thought that would be strange.
Here’s a fascinating track and field fact for this year’s Olympics: the Women’s Olympic marathon route will actually follow the historic path of the Women’s March from the French Revolution. How cool is that?
From Olympics.com:
“The historic event recognised with the Olympic marathon route is a key moment from the French Revolution: the Women’s March on Versailles, on 5 October 1789.
On 5 and 6 October 1789, market women, shopkeepers and workers from the popular quarters gathered in front of the Hôtel de Ville in Paris to demand bread and arms. Between 6,000 and 7,000 Parisian women, joined by men, marched through Paris to Versailles to bring the King back to the Tuileries. That day, Louis XVI finally agreed to ratify the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens.”
This is not just a race; it’s a tribute to a pivotal moment in history.
So, I’m a total Olympics nerd, and you can bet I’ll be glued to all the sports and spectacle in Paris for the next couple of weeks.
I had this fun idea to shake things up a bit for this year’s ceremony. You know those little pictographs that show each sport? Well, I thought, what if they were designed by a comic artist? So, I’m diving into two of my favorite things—comics and the Olympics—and giving those pictographs a fun little revamp. I’ll be sharing a new one each day during the games, featuring my two favorite subjects and some of my favorite and most interesting sports.
In case you’re wondering, pictographs are those tiny sports icons you see on TV and apps. They make it easy to spot the different sports at the event. Every Olympics has its own set, along with the logo, typeface, and mascot, which all together create the unique vibe of the games.
Laying out a comic page that works in three different formats has its challenges. Today, I thought I’d walk you through my process for this week’s page.
I keep a consistent title panel for the Prologue comics, which leaves me a little over half a row to set up the comic. This week, I used a medium shot to show Maddie in her environment, finishing up recording her first episode.
Row 3 is where the fun happens, showcasing Outman’s different celebration suggestions. So, row 2 is for exposition. I used a close-up to a two-shot to keep the story moving and set up the celebration panels in the next row.
Thinking about the overall page, I wanted the celebration panels to split the comic’s setup from its conclusion. I made all three panels the same size to create a staccato rhythm for Outman’s suggestions.
In the fourth row, I led into the finish with an isolated shot of Outman looking ridiculous, combining elements from his suggestions. I wanted the panels themselves to help suggest how different Maddie’s idea of celebration was from Outman’s. Outman’s ideas were three smaller panels in a row, while Maddie’s idea of celebration comes across in one long panel. Finally, there’s a little tag at the end with a final line for one last joke.
If you find this interesting, let me know! I’m new to comics and learning as I go, but I’m happy to share my thought process along the way.
From pencils to final image: here’s a look at one of my favorite panels from Episode 9! This one was a blast to put together, capturing how these two characters celebrate in their own unique ways. It was a fun challenge to visually express their different styles of celebration. Check out the panel and let me know what you think!
Working on my first comic solo has been a whirlwind of figuring out what’s a good use of time and what might be a waste. One big question I had was whether to write a full script for each episode. From what I gather, many comic artists who write and illustrate their work don’t always do this.
I started scripting for a couple of reasons. As a newbie, I thought it would help me fully flesh out my ideas before diving into the time-consuming drawing phase. This way, any changes could be made during writing, saving time and effort later. It also allowed me to get feedback on the episode’s storyline before committing to the artwork.
Since I write and draw each episode, you’ll notice the panel descriptions are more sparse than if another artist were involved. Additionally, I sometimes tweak the dialogue on the fly to fit the space better once the word balloons are laid out.
As I dive into writing the first chapter, I’m still deciding whether to stick to this full scripting process or try something quicker. What do you think?