Okay, so I wanted to make a “local man” style comic, you know, the kind with the crazy newspaper headlines? I figured it’d be a fun little project. I’ve always liked those comics, and I thought, “Hey, I can probably do that!”
Getting Started
First, I needed a funny idea. I spent a good hour just brainstorming, writing down random phrases and silly situations. It’s tougher than it looks! I finally settled on a “Local Man Mistakes Raccoon for Cat, Chaos Ensues” kind of theme. Sounds dumb, right? But that’s the point!
Drawing the Thing
Next up, the actual drawing. I’m no artist, let me tell you. I grabbed my trusty old tablet and pen – thank goodness for digital art, the undo button is my best friend. I started by sketching out some basic panels. I went with a simple four-panel layout, nothing fancy.
- Panel 1: I drew a really goofy-looking guy, all smiles, reaching for a shadowy figure in a trash can. I made sure the guy looked super oblivious.
- Panel 2: I zoomed in on the trash can, showing the “shadowy figure” was clearly a raccoon, with those beady eyes and striped tail. I added some motion lines to make it look like it was rummaging around.
- Panel 3: This is where the action happens! I drew the raccoon leaping out, claws extended, and the guy looking totally shocked. More motion lines, of course. Lots of scribbly lines to show the chaos.
- Panel 4: I drew the aftermath – the guy covered in trash, looking dazed, and the raccoon waddling away with a half-eaten hotdog. Classic.
Adding the Text
After the art was (sort of) done, I added the text. I used a big, bold font for the headline – “LOCAL MAN MISTAKES RACCOON FOR CAT”. Underneath, in a smaller font, I wrote a short, ridiculous caption: “Says he ‘just wanted a cuddle’.”
I played around with the text placement a bit, making sure it was easy to read and didn’t cover up too much of the drawing. I also added some little speech bubbles in the panels, like the guy saying “Here, kitty kitty!” and the raccoon just making a “Hiss!” sound.
Finishing Touches
Finally, I added some color. I kept it pretty simple, mostly just shades of gray and black, with a little bit of brown for the raccoon and some bright colors for the trash. I’m not great with color, so I didn’t want to overdo it.
I exported the whole thing as a JPG, and there it was! My very own “local man” comic. It’s not perfect, but it made me laugh, and that’s all that matters. I might try another one soon, maybe with a squirrel this time…