Comic Dub

Using Kdenlive to create comic dubs

Comic dubs are a very simple and accessible artform. But it also seems to be a dying artform, whose zenith has passed with time. As one of the Intangible Cultural Treasures of the Internet, it's important to preserve such that artists can keep making them far into the future.

Since I'm on Linux, I use Kdenlive to create my comic dubs. But the process is similar for any timeline-based video editor... hell, even Windows Movie Maker. iMovie and Final Cut Pro would probably be the best pic, though they are only for macs (so build a Hackintosh)

Here's a simple example from when I recreated a GeneralIvan comic dub (when I only had the audio): The Truth Revealed:

YouTube

Step 0: Create a storyboard

[[File:|frame|none|alt=|caption storyboard]]

1. Print out the comics, cut out all the panels, and paste them together on cardstock to create a storyboard strip. Number each panel as you paste them on, and draw the transitions you will use.

• It's better to use a large posterboard, but a stapled stack of storyboards is fine too.
• Type out a transcript for each person who will be speaking a part, numbered by panel.

2. One of the most important components of a good comic dub is to show

Finally, the best way to show

Not only is this a good way to organize the idea for a comic dub, but it also makes a great pitch to your friends, or just a tangible output of your work (which might be... well, collectible mementos?)

Step 1: Prepare the images

If your comic was published as a PNG bitmap, you're ready to go, it's lossless. If your comic was published as a JPEG image, this can complicting t

Step 2: Record your Audio

The next step is to create an audio track. Just follow the storyboard, record each audio segment, combine/refine them in Audacity (and export to lossless FLAC), and you're done.

Dump in Media

A reconstruction of GeneralIvan's original classic comic dub.

Thanks to ConnorJLysaght for preserving the audio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaIjew_OPjk

Reconstructing this video taught us a lot about how to make comic dubs. It's a dying art, and one of the Intangible Cultural Treasures of the Internet. We'll post a guide on how to do it soon.