Panel 4: So Says the Bible...

Happy New Year to you all! Welcome to the first post of 2013! Let me apologize as I totally forgot to mention that I had planned on delaying this week's post due to the holiday like last week with next week's post being on Monday as per the usual schedule. So here we are...

This week I'm going to discuss the importance of characterization and character bibles, particularly in regards to mini-series and long running series. I've read so many comics where either someone else writing a character or even the creator writes something that just seems so out of place that essentially makes the character no longer the character we know and love. A recent example I can think of was during the Avengers vs. X-Men story arc when Captain America kicked Wolverine out of the Quinjet. Seriously? Cap is easily one of the most honorable and honest characters in comics. Does anyone really think he would betray a long time friend out of the blue like that? It's not like he has a history of shady behavior or backstabbing. That moment was so out of character that it essentially breaks the character.

So how do we avoid stupidity like this? It's actually pretty simple... albeit time consuming. Create a character bible. What is a character bible, you ask? Simple it's a document that you write out (type out) that contains imperative information regarding your characters. It can contain everything from
height, weight, and age to powers, weapons, defining personality traits, likes and dislikes. Creating a bible is actually one of my favorite parts of starting a new comic. Here's an example for you from Igor: Occult Detective. Here's the entry for Mr. Frank...

Mr. Frank 

Likes: Elsa Von Tod, Bourbon, Stout Beer, Steak, Sushi, Newspapers, Boxing, Fighting, Guns, Comic Strips, Movies, Animals

Dislikes: Fire, Zombies, Ghouls, Elder Gods, Things with Tentacles, Lightning, The Sea

Notes: Generally, pretty buttoned up, neat, for the most part pretty reserved, though he can lose his temper from time to time. Builds appallingly colored bird houses and hangs them in their backyard. Feeds the squirrels Igor’s less successful baked goods. They have the only squirrels in the country to suffer from heart disease.

I've omitted a bit of info that would certainly qualify as spoilers but you get the gist of it. I also left out his weapon, purely because the file just has an image of his pistol. But I digress, you should do this for every single one of your major players: heroes, villains, and even frequently recurring secondary characters. And here's the key, you need to actually use it. When you're writing your characters, constantly remind yourself of your bible. It will help you from having your characters not act like themselves. Sometimes, as writers we write ourselves into corners and it seems like our hero has break character to get out of it... but trust me, that's rarely the case, there's usually another way around it. If there absolutely isn't, then you need to rewrite your story. Sorry, but if you can't get your character out of a situation without ignoring your bible then you're story isn't good enough and needs to be reworked.

Well, that's about it for this week. See you next week with some more ornery advice!