Sometimes people ask us for tips and tricks on drawing comics. They mostly come from younger kids though. The answer in our heads is “learn to draw”. But you can’t say that these days because no one is supposed to be offended or upset. Especially kids with no talent.

There are some general tips that we can share in the interests of advancing and promoting the comics field. However, rather than provide a dry tutorial on page layout, pencilling techniques, inking or lettering, why not get a little more real?

Below is a screen shot of Tom Yeo‘s dinner, taken from his phone.

Tom Yeo secrets

There are many things we can learn about Tom and his approach to working that applies to artists in general.

  1. At the top left, it’s apparent that his provider (Koodo) is lying to him and giving him five bars. I have never gotten five bars in my life. Even on land lines. This shows that comic creators are dreamers. Keep your eyes on the stars, kids!
  2. It’s 9:17 PM. Why is Tom eating this late? Because comic creators have poor time management. That’s why we’re usually late on assignments. Well, I am. But I try and eat early… which is probably why my work is late… never mind.
  3. You can see he has his alarm on. Probably because he’s late on an assignment.
  4. 91% battery life at 9:17 PM? Tom Yeo needs more friends he can call and drain his battery on. From a comic perspective, it’s pretty typical to have few friends because you’re haunched over a table (or tablet for you Richie Riches of the comic world) working all the time.
  5. And what the heck is he eating? Cabbage roles? Listen, cabbage rolls aren’t really my thing. If I wanted to eat wet grass, I could just go outside after it rains. But comic artists need fuel. Often we push ourselves to extreme lengths to create the work that you all (better) enjoy.
  6. For those who don’t know, the word Schmenge refers to the polish accordion playing “The Schmenge Brothers“. They were characters on a comedy TV show in the early eighties. Tom often has TV playing in the background while drawing, like many comic artists. Why it’s like this, I don’t know. I can only assume that Tom also draws dressed in traditional polish costumes.

So, with that I hope you learned some tips and tricks of the comic pros. I also hope you enjoyed our first in a series of comic creation advice.*

And for the talentless kids out there, learn to draw.

By: Paul Marhue

*There won’t be any more.