It’s funny because when people think about becoming a comic book artist, no one ever thinks about lettering. Everyone wants to be a penciller, a digital artist, a writer, a colorist, or even an inker. Who ever thinks about being the unglamorous letterer?
I remember a skit on a now-defunct Marvel Comics parody book called “What The…?!” where Wolverine (Wolverweenie) and the Punisher (the Pulverizer) had to settle some sort of dispute at Marvel HQ in New York. Of course mayhem ensued and one Marvel staffer bit the dust. When someone asked if the diseased was someone important, the reply was: “Nah! Just a letterer.”
The truth of the matter is that once I got around to doing my lettering I discovered it's not as easy as I thought it was. The issues are not only functional such as legibility and composition, but artistic as well. Lettering can convey mood, a certain speech pattern, and even affect your writing. Make a speech too verbose and that word balloon will be cutting some character’s head off. I definitely gained a new found appreciation for lettering and its artistic value. I hope to explore it more in future projects.
Oh well, where would art be without learning and development? Live and learn. I’ll see you in the page.
Oddman Out
