August 24, 2009 at 12:41 Hypertext Web Comics: Practice
Creating web comics based on hypertext is a completely new approach to comic building, which can turn your whole idea about web comics as such. Now each issue is not a static picture, but an HTML document that you are free to handle as you want, and your imagination is no longer limited to the working canvas of a graphic editor.
But first things first. Since I made HTWC (which stands for Hypertext webcomics), in order not to be unfounded, but to reinforce the concept with a living example, many appreciated the idea, considered it at least curious, but few people spotted a whole revolution of the genre in it. I’ve already written an article in the Author’s Comic blog titled “Hypertext Web Comics: Theory”In order not to repeat myself, I’ll devote a habtopopic to the technical side of the issue.
The web comic seems to be as usual: But if we look at the source code of the page, we will not find the usual IMG tag with the address of the image, instead of it there will be HTML code:
To better understand the structure, you can highlight all the tags:
As you can see, for each frame of the comic strip you have your own block element, inside which characters (in the form of images) and blocks with texts (in the form of text) are absolutely positioned.
A modest CSS file that manages all this can be viewed here .
You may ask why all this is necessary if it is easier to make comics the old fashioned way with simple pictures? Many why: the possibilities are truly inexhaustible. I’m probably starting to make a list without the certainty that I can list at least half of the new features:
The main drawback is only one: you need to know HTML and CSS. Moreover, if you are already a seasoned typesetter, you don’t have to smile enough - when creating a comic strip, this does not relieve you of the obligation to draw well and be creative. Be that as it may, more interesting than any sophisticated technologies in a web comic will always be an interesting plot, vivid characters and funny dialogues. A hypertext web comic is a kind of synthesis of a classic comic and Internet technologies, and the presence of the second will never hide the flaw of the first.
But first things first. Since I made HTWC (which stands for Hypertext webcomics), in order not to be unfounded, but to reinforce the concept with a living example, many appreciated the idea, considered it at least curious, but few people spotted a whole revolution of the genre in it. I’ve already written an article in the Author’s Comic blog titled “Hypertext Web Comics: Theory”In order not to repeat myself, I’ll devote a habtopopic to the technical side of the issue.
Look inside
The web comic seems to be as usual: But if we look at the source code of the page, we will not find the usual IMG tag with the address of the image, instead of it there will be HTML code:
HTWC
The world's first web comic in HTML and CSS# 07 - Perceptual FeaturesHere, the first frame occupies a third of the area, the second - the other two....© 2009, Gravedigger , http://kaa.a-comics.ru/htcomics/
To better understand the structure, you can highlight all the tags:
As you can see, for each frame of the comic strip you have your own block element, inside which characters (in the form of images) and blocks with texts (in the form of text) are absolutely positioned.
A modest CSS file that manages all this can be viewed here .
What is the essence
You may ask why all this is necessary if it is easier to make comics the old fashioned way with simple pictures? Many why: the possibilities are truly inexhaustible. I’m probably starting to make a list without the certainty that I can list at least half of the new features:
- Now you can embed links directly into cylinders with text (speech bubbles)
- Links can be imposed in general on any element of the comic
- This makes it possible to implement a non-linear structure of releases: different links lead to different plot forks
- Javascript Can Add More Interactive To The Comic
- Hypertext web comics are 100% indexed by search engines (optimizers, hello!)
- HTML comics weigh less than pictures, so they load faster and save traffic
- Reusing images saves even more (caching)
- It’s much easier to fix an error in an HTML document than in an image.
- Translating a hypertext comic into other languages is easier than ever: just use an automatic translator, and live translators will thank you very much.
The main drawback is only one: you need to know HTML and CSS. Moreover, if you are already a seasoned typesetter, you don’t have to smile enough - when creating a comic strip, this does not relieve you of the obligation to draw well and be creative. Be that as it may, more interesting than any sophisticated technologies in a web comic will always be an interesting plot, vivid characters and funny dialogues. A hypertext web comic is a kind of synthesis of a classic comic and Internet technologies, and the presence of the second will never hide the flaw of the first.
References:
- HTWC (Hypertext webcomics) -, in fact, a subject.
- "Hypertext Web Comics: Theory" - for a complete immersion in the topic