Comics: Thinking for Mobile - Underfold Comics
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Comics: Thinking for Mobile

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The Problem

I’ve mentioned before about how I wanted to recreate the site with mobile users in mind, and while the site design has a lot to do with that process (being responsive so that when someone is on a phone or tablet, the website dynamically changes to fit the screen), one thing I wanted to keep in check was my comics.

I read a bunch of posts about how many of my contemporaries are solving this problem. I’ve seen all sorts of things from mobile apps to completely rethinking the graphic novel layout. Which are all awesome, but I didn’t want to do any of those things. Creating an app takes money, time and a development team. And I enjoy the format of graphic novels as they are.

Since getting a smartphone for the first time last July (I know, right?) I have fallen in love with reading comics on my phone. I love the fact that for the most part, every page is basically the size of my phone screen and I don’t have to flip it to see the whole page. However, I hate having to zoom in to read the dialogue and such. It’s such a hassle to have to zoom in, scroll over, slide back, slide down, then look for how to get to the next page. This is the problem I set out to remedy on my website.

My Solution

The photo at the top of this post is of my solution. We have two types of smartphones in our house. My wife has an iPhone and I have an Android phone, so I get to play with both quite often. One of the things about all smart phone screens is that they’re small. So, I actually went back to a bit of Underfold history, and found that 3×5 index cards are roughly the size of an average smartphone screen!

I have been using those index cards to map out my comics (or, thumbnailing as it’s referred to) because I figure, if I can read the dialogue in this small format, then I’ll be able to read it on a smartphone screen. Now, I can’t account for people with terrible eyesight… that’s just, well, you’ll just have to turn the screen and scroll. Sorry! I’m doing my best.

And do to the urging of an artist that I truly respect, I’ve been trying to plan out in a long term sense before starting. I’m not going to finish the whole project before beginning to post, but I am going to finish the first “chapter” before posting in June. But, after I do all of the planning for this chapter, I’ll scan it in and do a digital treatment of the whole thing so that it’s print-ready for a larger size, and crisp and clean for the web.

I’m excited about this, you guys. This is a new chapter for The Underfold, and hopefully we’re future-proofing as much as possible.

What’s been your experience trying to read comics on your phone or tablet? 

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4 thoughts on “Comics: Thinking for Mobile”

  1. I look forward to your progress in this regard… because it is part of my job, the prospect of applying RWD to my comic in my free time makes my brain almost explode.

    1. I have been on the verge of brain-splosion for a while now. And let me tell you, leaving ComicPress has been no easy feat. :S I’m still not done with the archives.

  2. I look forward to your progress in this regard… because it is part of my job, the prospect of applying RWD to my comic in my free time makes my brain almost explode.

    1. I have been on the verge of brain-splosion for a while now. And let me tell you, leaving ComicPress has been no easy feat. :S I’m still not done with the archives.

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