4 Things I Learned Making a Webcomic with Midjourney

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The Stoner is a rambling, irreverent trans-media comic about a pot smoking werewolf and his best friend, a rogue FBI agent. It subverts the reader with anarchic storytelling and unsettling vulgarity.

Issue 1 started in my Moleskine sketchbook. For issue 2, I worked on larger paper and switched from colored pencils to watercolor paint. Issue 3 is a 40 page novella.

Then I jumped ahead to issue 13, which is an Instagram-native webcomic. Each page is a square and it is designed for a swipe experience instead of a page flip experience

While working on issue 13 in my little square sketchbook, I also started playing with AI. I quickly got hooked on Midjourney and a vision for another issue came into view.

But as I tried to bring my vision to life, I started to discover some of the challenges of creating AI art, particularly in comics.

Visual consistency is a challenge for AI. The AI can take your prompt and create a beautiful image, it is unlikely to re-create the same character or setting in the variety of shots you’ll need to tell a traditional comic book story.

Here are 4 big lessons I learned from trying to troubleshoot that issue.

1. Learn the language that the AI speaks.

There is a huge amount of amazing material to be found on YouTube. I love ______.

This video explains how to communicate with AI efficiently in order to get the most accurate expression of your prompt.

If you’re just getting started on midjourney (like I am) take a few minutes to watch some of these videos and learn the basics.

2. Use storytelling to your benefit.

When I realized visual consistency was going to be a challenge, I asked myself “what if I can use that to my benefit?”

I’ve had a few psychedelic stories rattling around in my brain. The variations from image to image in this story help to create a loose, trippy feeling.

It was a natural fit, so I leaned in to the concept.

3. Play with format

Asking Midjourney to draw a comic book page is currently a futile effort. It can’t sequence images on a page in a way that tells a coherent and compelling story. As an illustrator, that’s kind of reassuring for now, even if the machine will eventually inevitably master the art.

I’ve got an idea for how I’m going to deal with that. Depending how it goes, I’ll probably write another blog about it.

In this effort, I decided to continue my trend of creating Instagram native slide comics.

I thought of a few different ways to place the text on each slide (which I did with photoshop— Midjourney is also still incapable of text integrated into imags). I toyed with traditional text boxes, but then I saw another opportunity to lean into the trippy aesthetic of an acid trip.

4. No church in the wild

AI is a new frontier for artists. There are no traditional rules or boundaries in the medium that are currently dogma. One day, there will be old masters in AI art who tell you to follow the rules. But right now, it’s the Wild West.

Use that freedom to your advantage.

When I was working on issue 6, I realized that some of the slides looked like memes. Again, I leaned in. There is a wide open field to innovate in comics by adapting to the visual language of the moment.

5 tips for using AI to improve your comics

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly popular in the world of comics. AI can be used to create stunning visuals, automate tedious tasks, and even generate entire stories. Here are five tips for using AI to draw great comics:

1. Use AI to Generate Ideas: AI can be used to generate ideas for comics. By using AI-powered tools, you can quickly come up with new characters, settings, and storylines. This can help you come up with creative ideas that you may not have thought of on your own.

2. Automate Repetitive Tasks: AI can be used to automate tedious tasks such as coloring, shading, and inking. This can save you time and energy, allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of your comic.

3. Utilize AI-Powered Tools: There are a variety of AI-powered tools available that can help you create stunning visuals for your comic. These tools can help you create realistic backgrounds, characters, and objects quickly and easily.

4. Leverage AI for Storytelling: AI can be used to generate entire stories. By using AI-powered tools, you can quickly come up with interesting storylines and plot points. This can help you create a compelling story for your comic.

5. Experiment with AI: AI is constantly evolving, so don’t be afraid to experiment with it. Try out different AI-powered tools and see what works best for you. You may be surprised at the results!

By following these tips, you can use AI to draw great comics. AI can help you come up with creative ideas, automate tedious tasks, and create stunning visuals. So don’t be afraid to experiment with AI and see what you can create!

Donald Trump's NFT collection is a masterpiece of outsider art

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Donald Trump's NFT collection is a masterpiece of outsider art

Donald Trump's NFT collection, like the work of outsider artists Art Frahm, Beeple, and Henry Darger, stands as a testament to the power of self-taught and self-proclaimed artistic expression. While Trump may not have formal training in the art world, his collection of NFTs reveals a unique vision and style that resonates with a broad audience.

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All these Fantastic 4 leaks beg the question: Who cares?

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We’ve gotten 3 leaks on the upcoming Fantastic 4 recently.

First Howard Stern let it slip that he’s been cast in a Dr. Doom project, presumably a Disney+ show which will supplement the Fantastic 4 movie. Stern probably won’t play Doom, which is disappointing because I would love to see Dr. Doom screaming at Reed Richards about his tiny penis.

Then we got this concept art that allegedly shows Dr. Doom in the post-credits scene of Black Panther 2.

And now we’ve got a leak that says Penn Badgley is the top choice for Reed Richards and Simon Baker is up for Dr. Doom.

Badgley is best known for being on Gossip Girl and the Netflix show You, neither of which I’ve seen. He’s got the right look for Mr. Fantastic. John Krasinski has always been the fan favorite for Reed Richards but I never really saw it and I felt like his brief appearance really just seemed like Jim Halpert in a Halloween costume.

Simon Baker is also a TV star, best known for his roles on The Mentalist and The Guardian. I’ve never seen either of those shows either. But again— this guys got the right look, even if he’ll be under a mask for most of the performance.

The leak also says they’re looking at actors ranging from 20-30, including Logan Lerman, Freddy Carter, Melissa Benoist, Callan McAuliffe, Natalia Dyer and Jharrel Jerome.

Melissa Benoist played Supergirl on the CW and Marley on Glee, and Natalia Dyer just had a heck of a showing in the latest season of Stranger Things. Both seem like fine choices for Susan Storm.

All of these actors look like they could be a good fit for their characters. As I Googled each of them, I could see roughly what they’re going for. The other 3 dudes on that list are also generally CW types who look like they could play a competent Johnny Storm

But honestly, who gives a shit? Is anyone really all that excited for another Fantastic 4? It’s hard to imagine but it wasn’t that long ago when F4 was a vastly bigger property than Iron Man, but Robert Downey Jr. changed that in a major way, as did 2 generally lousy previous attempts at launching a Fantastic 4 franchise.

I think it’s safe to say that phase 4 has been mid at best. The movies and shows have been fun but lacking in “wow” factor other than a few cute easter eggs and cameos, so far. They’re also starting get very repetitive and it’s hard to buy into the stakes after all of the time-travel/multiverse fuckery we’ve seen already.

That first fight scene in Avengers when Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor squared up was amazing. It was a game changer. And they built on that moment with more massive moments, match ups, show downs, and unlikely partnerships.

But is anyone really jacked up for the first time we see Ms. Marvel team up with Ms. Hawkeye to fight some dude who was on The OC or whatever?

The MCU jumped the shark. I’m not sure when exactly, but I know it was sometime between Tony Stark’s funeral and the Illuminati massacre.

I guess we’ll see if the CW all-stars can bring some life back into the MCU, but odds are I’ll see it on an airplane a year after it comes out.





Souvenir Coffee Co has taken the place of Contraband on Nob Hill

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This place used to be Contraband Coffee, which was a super bougie coffee shop with a modern communist vibe. I don’t know if it’s still got the same owners or what. It looks mostly the same on the inside, except maybe a little bit friendlier. Contraband was the kind of coffee shop that would get really annoyed and condescending if you just asked for “coffee”.

Now they’ve got a menu of breakfast and lunch sandwiches which has got my attention. I’ve got The Hobbs and a Cheesy Bird with Bacon on my hit list.

A good selection of pastries is critical to my assessment of any coffee shop. If you’re selling coffee, you need to have a glass case with a donut, a croissant, a chocolate croissant (the Frisco donut), an almond croissant, and a couple of scones. At least. That’s the bare minimum. They don’t have to be baked in house, but they should be baked the same day and within 10 miles of where they’re sold.

I haven’t been into Souvenir Coffee Co yet, so I can’t speak on their coffee, sandwiches, or pastries. I’ll go in this weekend and post a review.

Stay tuned.

These Robots Are Going To Dance On Your Grave

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I’m a very reasonable guy, everybody know that. I like to stay in my lane— I don’t go around throwing out hot takes to stir up panic and sew discord.

So believe me when I tell you these robots are going to kill you. It won’t be long before you’re watching them dance through a periscope from an underground bunker. You’re going to have to eat your dog and shit in a bucket and they’re going to be up there doing the Cha Cha Slide on your neighbors’ bones.

We’ll see how cute you think these dancing robots are on Judgement Day, I guess. Don’t get mad at me about it, I’m just trying to be reasonable.