Comic on: Make your own cartoon strip, online, free and in minutes

Become a cartoonist using a range of DIY websites that offer readymade characters, backgrounds, customisable clothes and facial expressions

Are you an ardent fan of Batman, Superman, Thor or X-Men? Do you doodle and make comic strips in your notebook – between work or during free time, but don’t know how to find an audience for it? MakeBeliefComix, ComicMaster, ToonDo and WittyComics are some do-it-yourself (D-I-Y) web comic platforms that let you create and publish comic strips or even comic books online, with readymade characters, backgrounds, props and speech bubbles.

“Making a comic strip from scratch is a tiresome and time-taking process,” says Chai Gake Law, advertising professional and co-founder of Comic Strippers, where she and her husband create customised comic books for clients, out of their own pictures. “These DIY platforms are excellent medium for people who want immediate results, within a limited time period. One can use them for gifting or simply to publish online.”

In the recent times Indian web comics have become widely popular and works such as Abhijeet Kini’s Angry Maushi, Aarthi Parthasarthy’s Royal Existentials, Sahil Rizwan’s Vigil Idiot have mass following on social media platforms. “These days everybody has a say and they want others to listen to it,” says Aazar Anis, creator of Bombay Hectic, which is a sequence of stories told through pictures clicked with mobile camera. “If you are funny, witty and have something worthwhile to say, visual medium is the best way to do it. And if there is a readymade platform, what better than that?”

So, if you have a story in mind, get started. Apart from regular tools, platforms like ToonDo has a doodle option that allows you to draw free hand to create your own characters, upload your own picture, experiment with shapes and change colour of the clothes. Meera Sapra, a 32-year-old marketing professional from Delhi runs a web comic called Life’sAComicStrip. “I wanted to share funny instances of my everyday life and started my comic blog using ToonDo. It is a great platform for beginners as well as enthusiasts who want to seriously explore storytelling through comic characters.”

Although they are quite user-friendly, we give you hands down on some of the most popular DIY web comic platforms.

ToonDoo

USP: It has a pen tool, which lets you doodle and create your own characters. It also lets you cutomise colour of the clothes, intensity of a smile, shape of the nose and so on.

How it works: The page opens with an option to choose the format of your panel. Once you settle with your panel size and length, you can either choose from a list of characters, props, backgrounds, or upload pictures from the extreme right panel. Once done, it gives you an option to publish it in public.

“Creation of web comics, in recent times, has evolved towards appealing to adult audience, as many of them are based on a satirical or pointing-out-the-obvious take on life,” says Meera Sapra, whose comic blog Life’sAComicStrip is made using the ToonDo platform.

Witty Comics

USP: It has a wide range of backgrounds to choose from, including exotic locales and monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Greek islands, pagodas, pyramids and so on.

How it works: One of the simplest websites, it has three vertical categories – scene, characters and words – where you can weave in your story and create a funny situation. “Web comics are a super easy way for cynics like me to well, stick it to...whomsoever it may concern,” says Mumbai-based Penaaz Damania, 23, a copywriter at an ad agency and a fan of WittyComics. “You might think drawing is the first thing you need to know for a comic, but, if it’s pre-made you get to focus more on what to say, rather than, is my character’s nose a ‘L’ or a ‘C’. So, if you’re looking for a way to voice your thoughts, in a smart and creative way on sites susceptible to high trolling, go for a web comic, it’s your voice on top of a cartoon character. And if you’ve got a bunch of things to say, you could make your own series too. All you need is a thought and the spirit to share and enjoy it,”

Comic Master

USP: This website opens as a book and has papers clipped on to a book where you can choose characters, backgrounds and special effects. You need to drag the elements on the page on your right hand side. You can adjust the sizes, bring elements to the fore and undo changes, if needed.

“Much can be said in too little words through comics. At the same time and in most cases, cartoonists have the liberty to take on sensitive and controversial issues under the garb of humor and sarcasm,” says Anshul Maheshwari of web comic BrainStuck, which deals with everyday situations based on management and technology. “DIY platforms make the process of creating cartoons more approachable. People with ideas can immediately try it out in a template to and publish it.”

Strip Generator

USP: Unlike other DIY platforms, this involves minimal line cartoons in black and white. It also has video tutorials on how to use it and embed it in your blog or Youtube.

How it works: If you are one of those who are good with words and expressions and want that to be the point of focus, this website is for you. You can begin by choosing the frames, move on to choose characters, play with several speech bubbles and once done, can save your work or publish online. It also lets you embed your cartoon in your blog or publish it on YouTube. “These websites are good for beginners and people who want to try out web comics. It can help understanding sequence,” says Aarthi Parthasarthy of Royal Existential, a weekly webcomic series that uses Indian vintage art and imagery to tell stories of historical (and contemporary) angst.