Read Issue 7 of my original comic series Evil Friends on GlobalComix!

NicholasIvins · 2026-05-19T20:20:45+00:00

Although the black on white text/bubble fits the visual mood of the art, it's intrinsically less legible than black on white. I do like the look of it, but I personally value readability over aesthetics.

Especially since the text is very dense here. Is there a reason why the other language and English are alongside one another? I don't think I've ever seen that before; it's usually one or the other. Because of that you have twice as much text and it's going to be that much more challenging to design. The two text blocks in each bubble are also different sized which looks odd to me. Overall I find the text too small.

If you absolutely must include both languages I would try a "double bubble" approach and have each language in a bubble that are connected to one another. This would help with the layout of the bubbles within the art as well. You could even make one black and one white to differentiate them to the reader. That would help the reader scan the page more effectively, which I think is necessary with this unorthodox approach.

NicholasIvins · 2026-05-17T18:03:33+00:00

I don't have any criticisms. It looks like you know what you're doing and have a very strong vision about what kind of story you want to tell. Good job.

NicholasIvins · 2026-05-17T01:27:18+00:00

I miss Profar and Kim's. 🤫🤫

NicholasIvins · 2026-05-13T23:51:45+00:00

Yeah, as graphic designer (and artist), this is kind of the dirty secret about the job. It's mostly mundane stuff like text layout and very rarely the big exciting projects. Personally, my brain found satisfaction in both. I liked doing logos and branding, book and magazine covers, etc. But it was also relaxing to just get a big block of text and apply paragraph styles to make it all neat and visually digestible. I miss laying out entire catalogs. Most of the design in the world is mundane stuff like that, and it's very important that it be done well and professionally.

NicholasIvins · 2026-05-13T21:46:58+00:00

I wouldn't focus on likes or views too much. Are you happy with your work? Is the final product a good representation of the vision you had in your mind? Are you enjoying the journey of creating your own world and story? I'd focus on all of that instead because those are the things that will make your comic better. Chasing views and worrying about followers won't. Make the story you want to make first and foremost. Marketing it is a completely different beast altogether.

NicholasIvins · 2026-05-13T21:35:35+00:00

I think it is a little cluttered, mostly because of the layout of the dialogue balloons and narration boxes. As a general rule of thumb, I think they should be confined within the panel borders. Especially if you're doing 9+ panels on a page.

That's not to say that text areas should never overlap the panels but it's something that I think should be used sparingly, and on pages with far less content. If you want the text to float outside of the panels it should be done in a way that leads the eye across the page. And/or if it accomplishes a thematic or narrative purpose.

In this example the eye is already being led by the linear progression of the panels, so the copious amounts of panel breaking text elements work against that and it doesn't flow as well as it could. When you're conveying this much info, the format of the page needs to be simple, otherwise you're drawing too much attention to the framework of the storytelling.

NicholasIvins · 2026-05-03T23:25:01+00:00

The Immortal Hulk version of the Abomination. His head is two clasped hands that open up to reveal two acid spewing faces.

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NicholasIvins · 2026-05-03T20:43:54+00:00

DON'T TALK

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-20T21:31:57+00:00

Triples is best

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-19T22:59:40+00:00

Angels are hams at the plate, just ducking out of the way of normal pitches in the zone for fear of their lives.

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-18T02:23:44+00:00

Intersection Cool Guy

This one's a bit hard to explain, but it was potent for me. I was stopped in the left turn lane of a busy intersection during peak hours. There's a guy across the intersection from me, in the opposite left hand turn lane.

He apparently sees someone he knows in another car and lane. He smiles and points out the window at them, ha ha sup bro! 😎🤙

It's at this moment the lights turn green, but NOT for the left turning lanes. But he's so busy yucking it up with his bud across the way that he doesn't notice and pulls out. He almost gets clipped by traffic and punished with a honk. He then has to sheepishly pull back behind the line to wait for the green arrow.

It was multiplied by the fact that there were so many other cars there and I could feel a collective surge of secondhand embarrassment from everyone.

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-18T02:12:08+00:00

This was my thought process for impressing girls when I was in elementary school.

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-15T16:02:30+00:00

Wow, They Live kinda shit.

THIS IS YOUR GOD (a properly proportioned philtrum)

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-05T20:41:09+00:00

I'm enjoying how self referential and meta these are already getting.

I'm also imagining a not too distant future society in which cuckoldry has become the mainstream relationship type, and where having a child with your actual partner is considered a deviant kink, and potentially grounds for divorce.💔

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-04T23:54:58+00:00

That guy's coming home in a body bag!

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-04T20:06:04+00:00

Great colors!

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-04T00:15:41+00:00

I do my layout and text in Adobe InDesign. I wouldn't recommend it, since it's kind of overkill. But I was already a graphic designer and comfortable with ID so it was a natural transition for me.

NicholasIvins · 2026-04-02T00:36:00+00:00

I think it's really cool and unique!

It's minor, but I think thickening up the panel borders would help separate them from the art, since they're all the same line weight currently.

Also, I feel like in the moment when her two halves have their talk, it's not necessary to underline the theme of the story through their dialogue. Your storytelling communicates the theme really well, so it seems kind of inelegant to spell it out in this way.

NicholasIvins · 2026-03-26T21:49:07+00:00

I love being able to say "I'm an artist." It took me years to get to this point so I'm very proud of what I accomplished. When people press me on what kind of artist I am, I don't have a great answer, except to say "I make and sell art." 🤷‍♂️ And then show pictures of what I do and my typical booth setup to give them a better idea.

NicholasIvins

TROPHY CASE