What are good resources for storytelling and comedy writing for animation and comics?

Other than the multiple PDFs of writing books I sent you via email, there is also "Words for Pictures: The Art and Business of Writing Comics and Graphic Novels" by Brian Michael Bendis (credits include Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers, Daredevil, Superman).

I recently read it. The book doesn't exactly teaches you how to write nor the basics of storytelling. It provides guides on what to expect when working with editors, writers, and artists, as well as giving knowledge of the business side of the comic industry.

Bendis does have tips on writing, such as:
*I love doing research. It lets me know whether I’m on the right path. So much of my research doesn’t make it to the page, but it makes me feel more confident about my pseudoscience silliness. If the research is boring me, then I know the subject bores me and I should probably move on to something else.
*Ultimately as a creator, there is no off switch. You are taking in things that you experience in your life, and your story and art becomes that laboratory for you to make sense of it. You are processing things that you are interested in and passionate about—childhood traumas, family ordeals, things that make you happy and give you joy, things that make you sad or hurt you. Those are your influences.
*The world is there for you to listen to, observe, and take in. You have to train your brain to not only listen to the conversations in your life, but to recognize how those conversations sound. You need to listen to the music of the world all around you.
*There is a quote from Peter Gabriel that I carry around with me: “Success is a fickle mistress. If you go chasing her, she will ignore you. If you leave her alone and just go about your business, she might come looking for you.”

Hello Rebel. How are you? I'm interested in self-publishing my own comics. I'd rather be my own boss. Whatever comics I am going to produce will be my own.

I am also interested in producing my own animation.

Did you ever send me PDFs about writing comedy for comics? Did you ever send me PDFS on writing kids' comics, or cartoon comics? I don't recall.

I will look for the PDFs you emailed me when I have the time.

I know you don't know too much about the particulars of animation production. Hopefully someone here will provide insight on resources on storytelling and comedy writing for animation.

I am hoping Blatham can help me with this thread.

I know about your career goals. You have been saying the same thing to me for years.

I emailed you months ago. You even responded with this:
"I'm going to look at the PDFs you sent me. I will do some digging on my own and look for PDFs and ebooks on writing comics and animation. I'm interested in learning how to properly write comedy for animation and comics, and in learning how to properly work on good character and story development."

Apparently you have forgot all about it.

Bendis' book also details what to expect when planning to self-publish, as Bendis was an independent writer/artist before working for Marvel.

Okay. I found the PDFs you sent me in an email a few months ago.

I just found this:

https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/humor-writing-filled-novel
https://www.awn.com/animationworld/animation-comedy-and-gag-writing
https://www.standoutbooks.com/writing-funny-characters/

So, you now have multiple books by respected writers and reputable websites to get help from.

Why are you still asking for more resources? Why not use the books and sites you have accumulated?

Personally, "Words for Pictures" and "The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction" by Philip Athans are all I need to write my stories. The books I emailed you should be more than enough to help you.

This was advertised in Viz, looks like someone started their own character world like you're trying to.

https://lotzisland.com/

What kind of stories are you writing?

I am trying to find books and other resources pros in the animation and comics industry use, or put out. Official, definitive resources.

You said yourself those PDFs you emailed me weren't specifically about comedy writing for animation and comics. I know there's handfuls of resources about storytelling for animation and comics out there.

I'm looking for resources specifically about comedy writing for animation and comics.

I think the issue is I'm not looking in the right places, or I don't know specifically what terms to use when searching for this stuff.

I'm not doing GAY stuff.

Maybe I should look up "gag writing for animation" and "gag writing for comics".

Maybe Blatham knows what I should look up.

I appreciate your help, I am just not totally satisfied.

I just found this:

https://tandfbis.s3.amazonaws.com/fp-usermedia/uploadedFiles/Writeyourwayintoanimationandgamesch5.pdf

One of the books I emailed you is "The Everything Guide To Writing Comedy". It is very possible that you can still use that book to as a guide for animation comedy. The book even has tips on writing for children and for animation.

As for my writings, I have a couple ideas in the works:
*A musical based on the music on Jim Steinman. It is unrelated to his recent Bat Out of Hell musical or his long in development Neverland project
*A dark romance novel influenced by a rock album
*A superhero story that I have been working on for years.
*A Batman comic script, though no art.

Also


You already have official books by DC Comics and comic legends. What more do you need?

In addition to the writing guides, I have also read many books. That is a common tip I have noticed in many of these guides: if you want to write, you have to read a lot.

I read Wuthering Heights, which has been influential in my musical.

I have read Wild Cards and Vicious to help me how to write superhero stories as novels.

Bendis's book suggested that I pick a random comic issue and write its script, as a form of reverse engineering.

The speculative works of Richard Matheson has given me ideas on how to write short stories and plot twists.

A single page of a Batgirl comic has given me an idea on what kind of Green Lantern story I want to write.

There ought to be definitive resources out there for writing simple cartoon comic books or strips or regular cartoons. That's what I mean.

Things like how to write humor in Disney or Warner Bros. cartoons, or comics based on them.

I am not talking about realistic comics and cartoons.

I assume most people think about "realistic" comics when they think of superhero comics, or comics in other genres- action/adventure, sci-fi, spy/espionage, western, fantasy, etc.

Have you considered reading comic strips and watching Looney Tunes shorts, and studying how it is done?

I could probably write a children's comic after reading DC's Tiny Titans kids comic and going through several Dr. Seuss and Disney cartoon books with my nephew. The other writing guides taught me about plot structure, so for a children's book, I just need it to be more simple and age appropriate.

I also am aware of animator Don Bluth's advise on writing for Children's media: the characters need to go though a rough journey that may be scary and sad, in order to earn their happy endings.

Watch toons and read comics and do an in-depth study on them? No.

As you already know, I tried pitching an original comic book series to DC Comics. I wanted DC to publish an action/adventure comic series for kids that I wanted to develop. At the time they were accepting unsolicited submissions. I submitted pencils and scripts of my OWN material.

One of the reasons they didn't accept it was they felt it was "too serious". Considering the fact I was pitching a comic book series for kids about "furries" or "funny animals" they were probably correct. I wanted it to be serious, but in hindsight, there should have been a lot more comedy in it.

I have to be good at storytelling, and I have to know how to be funny, if I am am planning on showcasing toons and comics online and capitalizing off of them.

How often does Mr. Bluth produce comedic cartoons for kids?

His animated films are popular with children, though they are not always humorous.

Honestly, just exposing yourself to other works can help improve your own writing, as well as using the writing books you already have. It is already clear to me that Richard Matheson's books and Scott Snyder's works influenced my writing style.

You don't have to accumulate 3 dozen writing books. You already admitted that you didn't go through the PDFs I sent you.

One of the issues my mother had with the material I wanted to develop was that it was too violent.

One time I drew a bunch of cartoon fight scenes. Professional-level drawings just to show off my cartooning skills. I drew a bunch of pics of a bunch of cartoon characters I created engaging in street brawls, and they were well-done. They came out just the way I envisioned them. This is part of the material I was trying to develop.

I don't recall how, but my mother got wind of what I was doing. I don't recall if she came into the room where I was and saw my work, but she saw it.

Not everything I wanted to do was violent. I had ideas for a bunch of different series, but I wanted everything I did to be comedic. That includes the comic series I tried to pitch to DC Comics.

I have been trying my hand at vocal characterizations lately, and I think I have the potential to be a good voice actor. I've been experimenting with what I think is funny.

I have been trying to create and write funny stuff but I think my material is lacking.