13. Planetwide Media Comic Book Creator

by Ed Tittel

Comic Book Creator (CBC) has become something of a global franchise for those who like to put their imaginations to work, creating worlds of their own fashioning and then populating them with characters of their own making. It comes in many forms: in addition to the base version, there are special Marvel Heroes, pets, Speed Racer, and even Manga versions available. In addition, there are content packs, including free versions of those for basic characters, penguins, comic strips, Risk Your Life, and extreme sports, as well as a for-a-fee version for holiday occasions. Depending on the version used and content packs applied, artists can turn their fancies loose with as much or as little support for their work as they like.

Whatever version of the software you pick, the basic premise is the same: you grab characters and scenery and drop them into comic frames, then add action and scenery as you like.

The appeal of CBC is that is makes it easy for anybody to create and customize their own comics, within whatever available framework they might like to work. Those with more graphics skill and energy can import their own graphics and characters and work within the layout and storyboarding environment provided. In contrast, those who may not be as talented or energetic can draw from stock libraries of figures, scenery and action to put frame sequences together. Dialog is up to the author, no matter where the supporting artwork originates.

The appeal of Comic Book Creator (or CBC, as we'll call it henceforth), is that is makes it easy for anybody to create and customize their own comics, within whatever available framework they might like to work. Those with more graphics skill and energy can import their own graphics and characters and work within the layout and storyboarding environment provided, while those who may not be as talented or energetic can draw from stock libraries of figures, scenery, and action to put frame sequences together. Dialog is up to the author, no matter where the supporting artwork originates.

The results that CBC can produce are visually interesting and professional looking. Anybody with pretensions to comic book artistry, or just an interest in the genre, can build nice materials from what this software brings to the screen. There also storybook versions of this software available, designed to fit literary or imaginary worlds as varied as Charlotte's Web, Nacho Libre, or a typical barnyard.

Any grad or dad with an artistic streak, and imaginative powers to match, is likely to be enthralled by what the various CBC packages have to offer. You need only match the recipient's interests with a resonant product, and plunk down $20 to $30 to acquire the necessary software. While imagination is a gift that keeps on giving, the investment required to turn on its tap is pretty modest in this case. Both you and the recipient are likely to enjoy the results, too!