This panel is from American cartoonist Joe Matt, taken from his collection of comic strips Peepshow. As a cartoonist/practitioner in autobio comics, there is a constant tension between the story/the written word and the representation of the story world/the image. The character doesn’t look the same from panel to panel? Use reference photos. The referenced image looks too lifelike? Simplify it. What elements are required for this panel, for this page, for this chapter, for this moment in the character’s journey? As an artist, the tendency is to overindulge in detail. The writer within must maintain a delicate balance with the artist, in the same way, each page requires a harmonious balance of image and text. The overall story must always remain in focus; unnecessary detail pruned back, the flow of the reader’s eye accounted for, and the overall pacing of the story of prime importance.
