Choose the Format of Your Destructor : Design Choices for Comic Creators in Print and Digital Media

Abstract

Today, the form of comics is consumed and distributed in multiple formats across both print and digital media. For a comic creator, this variety of formats and media necessitates several important design decisions when creating a new comic. Choosing to focus on only a single format can allow a creator to exploit fully the specific qualities of that format, but it can also limit the potential readership of the resultant comic. Choosing to create a comic that operates well across multiple formats can lead to a wider potential readership, but it also places increased limits on the layout and design of that comic. This chapter seeks to unpack the design decisions facing comic creators in the digital age and examines the repercussions inherent in each choice. It will consider the important choices when creating a print comic that will allow it to adapt well to being read in digital formats. It will examine different approaches to creating digital comics and how these may favour or disadvantage their adaption to print media. As part of this examination, this chapter will also explore the range of additional choices offered by digital media for the incorporation of animation, audible sound, multicursality, and gameplay.