HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS IMPACTED THE WAY COMIC BOOKS ARE MADE

Not so long ago, I asked a young lady who works at an IT Support Company in London what she enjoys doing when she's not in front of a computer. 'I like reading comic books', she said, 'Preferably, independent comic books, as they're normally fun to follow and created by small groups of free-thinking people, as opposed to larger and more corporate entities'.

Well, once upon a time, creating a comic book was a team effort because a variety of different people were needed to write, draw, color, edit, print, finance, and ultimately publish the final product. In fact, the overall process was so time-consuming, from start to finish, that certain publishers would work months in advance so they could successfully complete their deadlines.

But all of that started to change when technology became more affordable and a lot more user-friendly, which in turn, encouraged more and more people to create their own digital/regular comic books.

After all, there are currently many artists that prefer to sketch their illustrations with the use of an electronic graphics tablet (like a Cintiq 22HD interactive pen display, for instance), rather than going 'old school' with pens, inks, and paper. Whereas certain colorists, on the other hand, choose to color their comics with the use of specialized software (like Adobe Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint), instead of pastels, brushes, and normal... paints.

Now, to substantiate this point, I would like to draw your attention to something recently said by a specialist that provides Managed IT Support London. He said, 'Over the years, there has been a steep rise in the number of people using technology at home and in the workplace, both for administrative and creative purposes, and that's why we are now seeing more and more successful freelancers in the marketplace'. Or in other words, technology is allowing individuals to break free from a more conventional working environment, and in many ways, explains why we are currently seeing more stable digital comic book distribution platforms for creative people to join (such as ComiXology).

Having said that, though, we mustn't forget that some artists still prefer to stay true to their authentic roots by creating their comics with the ever so humble pencil and paper. Even independent comic books normally enjoyed by a young lady who works at a London IT Support Company, Ha! Here, check out the following video by Artology to see a freehand drawing come to life.

So, in conclusion, I'd like to say that the independent comic book world is more vibrant and lively than ever before, all thanks to the amalgamation of technology and creativity.