The Comics How To: FINDING THE CHARACTER - PART I

Now that I have secured the story’s main through-line/main plot/theme, I need to create a character. No easy task in the world of comic books, primarily because everything feels like it’s been done. It’s also very easy to fall into the typical commercial stereotypes of comic book characters. We all know what they are, so I’m not going to focus on that. Instead, I’m going to focus on the opposite of what we as comic book creators and fans are conditioned to.

Let’s eliminate some of the most typical character traits. I don’t want my character to be outfitted in a costume. That’s a big thing to scratch off of the list, because most creators want to strike the reader with that kind of formulaic imagery. The character design itself should be good enough to impose an image, anyway, it’s not about what they’re wearing, it’s about who they are. This was the first step of freeing myself from typical constraints.

Furthermore, I don’t want my character to be a brooding, vengeful vigilante. I don’t want my character to be a mutant or an alien. I don’t want my character to be irradiated or struck by lightning. I don’t want my character to be chosen by the Gods. See how this works? By not allowing ourselves to travel down familiar paths, we are forcing ourselves to explore other avenues.

A theme I will repeatedly mention in this column is the concept of getting out into the world and looking around. By doing so, you increase your odds of discovering a more unique identity for your character(s). This is something you have to have patience with. For instance, the main character in the BOB: NON-UNION PSYCHIC series came about because of a simple evening out to an independent theater.

A close friend of mine invited me to a play he was acting in. I wanted to support him, so I showed up with a few companions. Let me tell you, my friend was only on the stage for about ten minutes, but in my opinion, he stole the show. His character was an underpaid assistant psychic hired to perform an exorcism. After he left the stage, it hit me: a psychic! That“s interesting! I can do something with that.

Now I had the theme: Acceptance, and I knew that my character was going to be a psychic. So, what the heck was I going to do with this psychic and what’s a psychic all about? It was time to research. Time to read some books. Time to get out into the world and meet some psychics and go to psychic conventions. After I did, I had an understanding of the psychic community and their interesting world. I was really having fun with this.

I want to make a point about being interested and enjoying what you’re writing. I was interested in and having fun with what I was researching, which kept me focused and motivated. Not only was I learning something new, I felt I was creating something different. If you“re not interested what you’re creating, if it doesn’t feel right, stop what you’re doing and re-evaluate. As an independent writer, I’m writing what I want to write about, so I might as well enjoy it. I do believe the enjoyment of the process shows in the finished product versus something that’s cranked out commercially.

The research was progressing well and I was gaining a lot of knowledge. I hit a major turning point when I went to see a well-respected local psychic that I had read about in the newspaper. Although the psychic was inspiring, I found that what struck me the most about him was the organization he was affiliated with. He was part of a “Psychic Center,” where so-called “reputable” psychics gathered to provide credible services. When I left the establishment, I wondered what it took to be accepted into the Psychic Center. What was the criteria? What did a psychic have to prove?

Then the light bulb went off over my head! My psychic character wants to be accepted to a reputable psychic center. Instantly, I knew I would call this holy grail of acceptance the Psychic Union. I wanted the organization to sound old school, and I think a union is a concept people understand.

All right, I had started to define my psychic character and further develop the through-line/main plot of the story by taking an abstract theme: Acceptance and giving it a concrete form in the way of an establishment, the Psychic Union. But to truly develop and strengthen the through-line/main plot, I had to develop the character more; I had to make this character more dimensional.

To be continued!

For more information about the BOB: NON-UNION PSYCHIC world, visit the Warehouse 9 Productions site HERE