Hi there, Schlock fans (and hi to everyone else, too). If you are here, it's because you clicked on a link to find out how I create Schlock Mercenary, the online comic strip.

I developed my process after reading Bill Amend's tutorial, and refined it after realizing that there are some things I just don't have time to do. The strip is hand-drawn, but I do take an occasional shortcut (I don't hand-letter), for instance. Here's my process:

1. I script the strip as a Microsoft Word document, using outlined text boxes for the panels, and no-line text boxes for the dialog text. I built an MS Word 2000 template for this, so that the logo, URL, and copyright information are always there. I use several different fonts (I use to use MS Comic Sans exclusively, but no more!) for that "hand-lettered" feel, and occasionally use the word-art tool to do big effect-type words (e.g. "BOOM").

2. I print the document on 8 1/2" x 14" laser-printer paper (legal size), and haul it upstairs to the kitchen table. So far I've probably spent 15 minutes on the strip. More if the text needed some serious word-smithing.

3. Now I begin pencilling up at the kitchen table. Most of my lines are free-handed, but I do use a circle template for architecting the heads. I use .5mm HB leads in a mechanical pencil that I brought home from work one day ("better living through stealing office supplies"--Scott Adams). This process takes about 20-30 minutes for the average daily strip, and can take an hour or more for a 3-row Sunday. Click here to see a scan of a pencil-only Schlock Mercenary strip.

4. Once I'm happy with the pencil sketch, I start inking. If I were a "real" cartoonist, I'd use a brush. Instead, I use architect pens. They have great nibs, and lay down archive-quality ink. I got the Staedtler set with four sizes of black pens. I ink over the pencil lines, usually with the #3 pen, and draw the dialog bubbles with the #7.

5. Time for the eraser. I use a kneaded eraser to get rid of the pencil lines. Because I used good ink, the ink stays on the page when I erase.

6. When I'm done, I scrawl my extended initials (that's "HoTay," for those of you who care) in a convenient bit of white space. Steps 4, 5, and 6 usually take me 25 to 35 minutes. If I make mistakes in the ink (hey, man--it happens to the best of us. Just ask Bill Amend) I use some white-out to cover them, and then ink over that to repair the damage (always white-out AFTER erasing--I've made smeary white messes more than once). Click here to see a scan of the final, inked strip.

7. Once I have a few strips ready to go, I head back downstairs to my computer and start scanning. The scanning (about 250dpi, or 333% original size) and file massage (rotate, change color depth, crop) takes less than 5 minutes per strip, and I usually do it while reading my email.

8. Finally, I color. I use a 256 color palette in LViewPro (which I paid a whole $30 for), and mostly do simple area fills, No gradients (LView won't let you do them with a small palette), nothing fancy. Just area fills. Then I boost the color depth to True Color and resize the image (the depth boost ensures that the resize will include a resample, for smoother edges). Finally, I save it out as a GIF and upload it. Where possible, I reduce the palette to 128 colors (for an additional 10% shave off the byte-size).