I once boycotted newspaper comic strips because they had become so lame, formulaic, and repetitive. But I realized that you don’t find gems without digging through dirt, so I returned to the newsprint and indeed was rewarded by the occasional inspiring thought and rare laugh.

The problem with general circulation newspapers is that they try to offer something for everyone in their comics. “Family Circus” fans may not understand “The Far Side” at all, and if you don’t work in an office, does “Dilbert” have any meaning for you? And what does “Cathy” do for anybody? (Really, I want to know!) There are kid’s strips, married couple strips, adventure strips, sight gags, serials, fringe humor strips… it’s like having all the TV channels on at the same time.

If you’ve ever had the presumptuous thought that you could do better, then now is the time to put up or shut up. I found the coolest free program this week. It’s a Flash program that helps you create your own comic strip. MakeBeliefsComix.com offers a tool created by Bill Zimmerman, author of many thought-provoking and imagination-spurring books. The artwork is actually by Tom Bloom, but the rest is up to you.

The opening page of the website is the working area, with plenty of support material on additional pages. You may want to see the support material first, because if you click away from your comic strip in progress while you check out the additional pages, you’ll lose whatever you’ve created so far.

Delbert v Catherine

The background material reveals all, from “How to Play” to biographies to practical uses of your comic strip results. The look and much of the direction is geared for children’s use, but believe me when I say this program is great for all ages and walks of life.

The home page Flash tool is your palette. You are the writer and director, and can even type in your name and the comic strip title. Choose a 2-, 3- or 4-panel format, and choose from between 5 different background colors for each panel. If you get stuck on dialog or action ideas, each panel has a drop-down box that prompts you along.

Now choose any number of actors from the 15 pre-drawn characters, each with 4 different poses to cover a range of emotions. You have full control of where to place the characters, which direction they face, how large or small they appear, and who is in the foreground or background. Add dialog or thought balloons, and write your own lines in any of seven different languages. You can even add stock or customized panel prompts like “To Be Continued” or “Meanwhile, Back At the Ranch…”

Once your customized comic strip is ready, you can save it as a screen shot, a printout, or better yet an emailed attachment to yourself or others. Come back whenever you’re inspired, or whenever the next chapter of your story needs to be created.

The resulting comic strips are free to distribute among family and friends, but any larger distribution must seek Mr. Zimmerman’s permission, as we did.

Now go to MakeBeliefsComix.com and show us what you got!

Hodgepodge Grumblebeak
Graphics Editor

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