It is time to prepare for Dialogue Free Comics Day 5!

If you know the drill, the next Dialogue Free Comics day is Monday, December 1st, 2014. I, Sanjay Kulkaček (Cowbirds in Love), am taking over the primary responsibility for running the show from Noel Curry (Milton’s Life, DJ Bogtrotter) because he’s busy with other stuff! Email me at sanjay@cowbirdsinlove.com or comment on this blog if you want to get involved. I’ll need your comic’s name, when you plan on updating, a link to your comic, and a way to contact you.

If you’ve never heard of it before, or want more details, read on…

One of the most recognizable components of comics is the juxtaposition of words and text. Consider, for instance, how easily a speech bubble is used as a symbol of the medium. Pretty easily! However, though recognizable, this juxtaposition is UNESSENTIAL! Comics don’t need dialogue. Comics don’t even need words. But lots of cartoonists feel powerless without them.

Noel Curry invented Dialogue Free Comic Day to challenge himself. The rules are as follows:

Post a comic utterly without dialogue on Dialogue Free Comic Day (in this case, December 1st, a Monday). If you don’t update on Dialogue Free Comic Day and don’t feel like making an exception, update on the closest day BEFORE Dialogue Free Comic Day. Your comic doesn’t have to be utterly without words, just dialogue. Though this is encouraged especially if you want to challenge yourself more.

On the day of, I will display all the participant comics here with links back to their home sites, and we’ll all get a chance to enjoy people’s fine work. If you’d rather your comic not be posted here and I just post a link, let me know.

When I make my comics, I find I am usually not thinking visually. I use dialogue as training wheels. For me, Dialogue Free Comic Day is wonderful because it challenges me and helps me grow a little as an artist. But there are other great reasons to participate, including the joy of doing something together with your fellow artists, and getting a few eyes on your work that wouldn’t have seen it otherwise (please, draw a dialogueless comic for me for the exposure!)

If that appeals to you, come join me on December 1st.

P.S. December 1st is my nephew’s birthday. He is turning 4 and doesn’t know how to read, so keeping your comic dialogue free will be especially useful for him.

P.P.S. Your comic absolutely does not need to be appropriate for a 4-year-old.

P.P.P.S. But if you DO want to write him a comic, he likes dinosaurs, trains, cars, and the color pink.

P.P.P.P.S. Who doesn’t?