Trader Don's Comic Strip Development Blog!

So I'm developing a new comic strip that will revolve around Polynesian Pop Culture. I thought it might be fun for fans and aspiring cartoonists to see how it's done.

Check out entry #1 "What's in a Name" at http://www.djcoffman.com/2011/08/22/trader-dons-development/

So I've written two more blog posts about developing the new comic strip...

Part 2 focuses on "The Pitch" and hook of my comic http://www.djcoffman.com/2011/08/25/trader-dons-2-the-pitch-the-hook/

Part 3 Discusses how to populate a pool of characters and situations and see what floats http://www.djcoffman.com/2011/08/26/trader-dons-character-design-population/

Thanks for reading!

Sounds like a fun comic to me, very Twilight Zone-ish, or maybe more properly "Wonderfalls" if you know of that short lived show. I am in the middle of putting together a comic myself, but mine is more along the lines of the Hardy Boys meets Twilight Zone. The "coming to life" tiki bar concept holds a lot of promise, especially with the flashback adventures explaining where things came from. I will look forwards to reading it. :wink:

By the way if you don't know about webcomics.com, it's worth your while to take a look: a lot of helpful tips for web cartoonists (you have to pay to join the full site, but it is well worth it).

Tres cool. Best wishes for vast success in your literary-artistic endeavours!

Quick update and I thought I'd share some more of the development art from the articles....

Part Four "World Building" - discuses "tiki springs" :http://www.djcoffman.com/2011/08/29/trader-dons-4-where-in-the-world-are-we/

Part Five - Fleshing things out: http://www.djcoffman.com/2011/09/05/trader-dons-5-more-characters-and-fleshing-things-out/

Part Six - Discusses website development "a place to hang the hat": http://www.djcoffman.com/2011/09/23/trader-dons-6/

Here's some of the development art from those articles in case you don't want to visit all the links :)

There's also a cool e-mail newsletter I set up at http://tinyletter.com/comics - (or sign up at traderdons.com) - I'll be sharing a tad more sketches from the moleskine and fun things for fans of this. Sign up! I just shared the following doodles with them today:

Aloha!

Very interesting Don, nice insight into the inner workings. I have to say Betsey is my favorite :D But the Samoan fire dancer is well sketched too.

Looking pretty awesome! I just found and went through the entire archive of your other comic "The Bigfoot and Tiki Show" very entertaining stuff, can't wait to see the tiki bar comic. :)

Loving it!