The Underrated Roles in Comics
By Terrio Jenkins June 1st, 2021
When most people think of comics, they think one person does everything. Now, we all know that in some cases, that is the truth. In the industry with Marvel and DC comics, different creators have a role to complete a comic book. The most important role is the penciler and inker. The writer is often considered as important because the artist draws from a script. There are three roles that are underrated.
The inker. Yes, the inker traces over the line, but why are they unappreciated? Well, for starters, people may think their job is to trace over the penciled lines. In other words, the penciler does the heavy lifting. Yet, the inker provides clarity and depth to the comic pages. They prep the pages for coloring and lettering. The inker is like the catcher in baseball. Nobody wants to do it, but it’s an important job. A bad inking job could mess up the colorist and make the linework look unappealing. The inker is like the other roles, an unsung hero. Nowadays, most artists are working digitally. So inking and penciling are one with programs like Photoshop. Understanding inking techniques is still essential even with digital comics.
The Colorist is another red-haired stepchild. The colorist’s role is to provide color, but they must do it in a way that does not take away from the art. Colorists must have a good foundation in color theory. Good colorists also can help enhance the mood of a piece with their color choices. Experience colorists can even dictate. Colorists can work from home, but some may work in studios at bigger companies. A bad colorist might try to “paint” the next Mona Lisa which could distract from the story. Worse, you could have great artwork ruined by a bad colorist. There is a fine line and the great colorist knows when to push and when to stay.
The Letterer is our third musketeer that feels unappreciated. Letterers add all the text elements to a comic book page. This includes word balloons, caption boxes, and sound effects. This also includes logo design and credits. Much like the colorist, they havehavesess a good eye for graphic design. In this case, typography, layout, and color. A good letterer goes unnoticed. Bad lettering will take away from the experience of reading. The letterer’s job is to help guide the narrative.
The three roles all share a common un-appreciation when it comes to deadlines. The penciler may take longer to finish a book, which puts these three roles under more distress. Despite this, though, professionals always finish their duties. Keeping the book on schedule. Most independent creators may own all these skills. Even if you are a writer, having knowledge of these areas will help find the right freelancers to help you. So, the next time you read a great comic, try to remember EVERYONE who put their skills to make it.
