Frequently Asked Questions… (or “FAQ You Too…”)

So what’s the deal, is this a comic or something?

You’re a quick one, aren’t you? Trouble Ticket is a web comic about retail, bromance, science fiction, and general shenanigans. As of now it updates Mondays and Thursdays.

When did the comic start?

That’s a tough question. I actually started a comic called Trouble Ticket back in October 2008 and it ran until about November 2009, with like two strips in January and February 2010. During that time I changed formats about three times and unintentionally ran the comic into the ground until I took an indefinite hiatus. In November 2010 I came back, using the same title and characters, but with a fresh idea. I know that sounds weird, but since practically no one was reading it at the time it seemed like the thing to do.

So how do you make the comic?

That’s a good question. First, I panic because it’s either Sunday or Wednesday and I don’t have the comic finished. Then, I try to figure out where I am in the storyline and come up with a funny joke that also includes some basic continuation of the plot. After that I tend to get lost in the internet for about two hours or so. Eventually I’ll come up with an idea for a setting or storyline and then it’s time to draw!

Next I fire up good ol’ photoshop and break out the wacom tablet. I’m currently using an old Bamboo Fun model which is a piece of junk but it works for the time being. As my finished product 950 pixels wide at 72dpi, I started with that size and then increased it to 600 dpi on a blank canvas and created my template. I go a little larger than that actually just to have as much working room as possible. From there I do a rough sketch layer with a gray 20px brush, and once I’ve got the characters blocked off and basic details done I finish it off with a black 20px brush and spend about an hour to an hour and a half drawing the actual comic.

Next, I do the text and word bubbles, because the text is kind of important in a comic strip. One of the best tips I ever received was to use twitter, every day. First off, it helps you talk to the comic community and build your own fan base and interact with eventual fans, and second, it gets you in the habit of making short, funny comments and not getting wrapped up in walls of text. I follow a lot of webcomic legends, some video game community managers, my friends, and some random people and celebrities whom I find hilarious. It’s great inspiration.

Once the comic is inked, cleaned up, and the word bubbles are in place, it’s time to color it. (sort of…)

I use black layers at 75%, 50%, and 25% opacity for the colors of the characters. I just use a simple fill for this, no brushes. Then I make a background at 10%. I go back in after this and use a 15% layer for the shading to give it that dark look, but I’m always playing with new styles to try and get a better finished product.

Once that’s done I copy the layer, and then use the eraser tool to make the background light circle over the characters. It’s a cheap and easy way to add a little background and lighting to your comics if you prefer a more spartan panel like I do.

Once that is all done, I save the master file. (Actually, I do this several times over the course of the comic creation just to be sure that I don’t lose any progress. ALWAYS SAVE YOUR WORK FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!) Then I shrink it back down to 72dpi at 950 pixels wide which gives me a strip that’s web ready. I save that as a jpeg file and post it online for the world to see.

It typically takes me about four hours from start to finish to make a comic, but sometimes it’s longer if I can’t get away with a “good ol’ cut and paste” or I need to draw a new profile or character.

That sounds really complicated…

No shit…

Where did you learn to draw?

Well, as seen by the pretty shoddy nature of the comic, I taught myself. I drew a LOT in grade school, and then kind of stopped completely for most of college, and got back into it around 2006 and just practiced and practiced until I had a core set of faces and characters I was familiar with. I like to get inspiration from other strips in the newspaper and online when I need help with a post or shape I’m not too familiar with.

If you’re looking for good reference, there’s the entire universe of great comics on the web, and I think most of the Andrew Loomis art books are open source now if you can find them.

What other comics do you read?

There’s a big list of “other stuff I like” on the home page. You’ll find an answer there. I will say though that I think PvP is the comic that influenced me the most and made me want to become a web cartoonist.

Are you going to be at [con name] con?

I just started the convention thing this year (2011) so I’m still working out the budget for getting out there. If the con is in the Southeast USA there’s a good chance I can make it. If it’s one of the other 99.9% of cons not in the Southeast USA, there’s a good chance I can’t make it.  I’m working on that though.

I’ve got a comic/blog/podcast, will you link it?

Send me a link, if I like it, I’ll probably give it a spot on my blog and tell my friends about it.

So, I play video games, do you?

Yes, I’ve got X-Box live… Shoot me an e-mail and we’ll talk.

Alright, I’m sold, how do I give you money so you can be rich while I starve?

For now, don’t worry about that. I’m just trying to get the word out about the comic. If you like a strip, put it on Digg or Reddit (preferably) or plug it on your facebook page (there’s facebook “like” buttons on every comic), come out to see me at a con and buy something if you happen to be in the area, or just tell your friends. Helping me spread the word and get more people reading is the best thing you can do to help me right now.

I’ve got another question that’s not here.

Well, you’re special. You can e-mail me at chuck [at] troubleticketcomic [dot] com and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.