conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about Comics, Batman, Punisher with the genre: Crafts, Hobbies & Home, Crafts & Hobbies?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first five paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics
  In this nicely designed cover for Heavy Liquid #3 (December 1999), Paul Pope incorporates the text and UPC box into the design.
  The hero in trouble is probably the most common type. The theory is that casual observers are more curious about the fate of the character when they see him in trouble than they are when they see him victorious and "safe." Potential threat is more interesting than certain victory.
  The pin-up cover is becoming more and more prevalent. It consists of either a full-body or half-body shot of the hero(es) in a pleasant composition. The emphasis is usually more on the drawing than anything else. The only real difference between this type of cover and the hero in victory shot is that the pin-up focuses on the hero alone whereas the victory image might include the defeated villain.
  Sometimes a cover is beautiful enough to justify the purchase of a comic, as in this Adam Hughes pin-up cover for Wonder Woman #166 (March 2001).
  The mystery cover is characterized by the presentation of a situation that might provoke curiosity within the reader. A lot of covers in the 1960s and 1970s were built around this premise.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me four more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: That is what the camera sees, so it is an objective shot. Our hero sees blood on the roof. The artist chooses to show the blood on the roof. Since that is what our hero is seeing, that is a subjective shot. The reader sees what our hero sees. This is a great way to throw the reader into the middle of the action. At least for the duration of the subjective shot, the reader becomes the character.
  It's important to consider a shot's impact on the reader. Using nothing but long shots or objective shots not only makes the visuals boring because of the lack of variety but keeps the reader at a "safe distance" from the story. As a storyteller I know that I do not want the reader to be distant, safe, or secure. I want the reader to be as close to the action as possible. I want the reader to be involved in the story as much as possible. The closer the camera moves in to the action, the more involved the reader feels. Using a subjective shot gets the viewer even more involved because he or she sees the scene through the eyes of the player in the story. It is almost as if the events that are unfolding are happening to the reader.
  One of the single most effective ways of holding the audience's attention is showing them something they have never seen before. Anything that is new or out of the realm of everyday experience has a greater chance of being interesting. We all become immune to our surroundings and our friends because we see them all the time in exactly the same way: at eye level. What we are used to seeing all the time loses its visual impact. Did you ever have the experience of lying on the floor in a familiar room and marveling at how different everything looked? Or climbing to the roof of your building and seeing your neighborhood from a different perspective?
  If camera shots are differentiated by the distance between the camera and the subject, then camera angles differ based on the position of the camera in relation to the horizontal and vertical lines of your panel. Here are some examples.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reverse the sentences.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Here are some examples.. Did you ever have the experience of lying on the floor in a familiar room and marveling at how different everything looked? Or climbing to the roof of your building and seeing your neighborhood from a different perspective?
  If camera shots are differentiated by the distance between the camera and the subject, then camera angles differ based on the position of the camera in relation to the horizontal and vertical lines of your panel. What we are used to seeing all the time loses its visual impact. We all become immune to our surroundings and our friends because we see them all the time in exactly the same way: at eye level. Anything that is new or out of the realm of everyday experience has a greater chance of being interesting.
  One of the single most effective ways of holding the audience's attention is showing them something they have never seen before. It is almost as if the events that are unfolding are happening to the reader. Using a subjective shot gets the viewer even more involved because he or she sees the scene through the eyes of the player in the story. The closer the camera moves in to the action, the more involved the reader feels. I want the reader to be involved in the story as much as possible. I want the reader to be as close to the action as possible. As a storyteller I know that I do not want the reader to be distant, safe, or secure. Using nothing but long shots or objective shots not only makes the visuals boring because of the lack of variety but keeps the reader at a "safe distance" from the story.
  It's important to consider a shot's impact on the reader. At least for the duration of the subjective shot, the reader becomes the character. This is a great way to throw the reader into the middle of the action. The reader sees what our hero sees. Since that is what our hero is seeing, that is a subjective shot. The artist chooses to show the blood on the roof. Our hero sees blood on the roof.That is what the camera sees, so it is an objective shot
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last three paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: One of the things that surprised me when I opened my files on this story was how extensive the photo reference was. It looked like I had shot pictures for almost every panel. I remember spending a Sunday morning taking pictures of the 59th Street Bridge here in New York, and another day taking pictures of a parked school bus in my neighborhood, but apparently I posed for pictures and snapped photos with my timer and Polaroid for most of the characters. The first panel on this page was based on a photo of me in my studio. I know the third panel was based on the face of Senator Bob Dole, so you truly never can tell what the source of an idea or reference will be.
  The fourth panel required some decision-making. I was really torn between two choices: Alfred keeps the letter or he destroys it. I thought for the sake of drama that it would be more impressive to burn it, and I think I was right. But I remember standing in the halls of DC and talking to editor Archie Goodwin about it. He thought that it made more sense for the character and the story if Alfred saves the letter. If Alfred truly was a father to Bruce and loved him like a son, he would do what was best for Bruce. It's a lesson I have learned many times in this industry: do what's right for the story and the characters. You may have a great idea for a scene or a character but it is not worth doing at the expense of the story's integrity.
  By the time Alfred puts the letter back, he is reminded of how much Thomas Wayne loved his only son. Whatever pique he might have felt at Bruce's sudden departure from the dinner table is now replaced by the love he has for this child he raised as if he were his own. He goes downstairs and pulls the birthday cake out of the fridge and puts it on the table. In a small gesture, the cake serves as a reminder to Bruce that someone cares and watches over him.