Pat Jankiewicz on Creating Indie Comics

 

Pat Jankiewicz on Creating Indie Comics

 

Perhaps you remember his name from Starlog Magazine. Maybe you've seen his byline in Fangoria Magazine. Or perhaps you've read his book, Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion. Pat Jankiewicz is an experienced writer and journalist. But what does he have to say about creating indie comics?

 

Pat suggests that you find a comic series you like and study what makes it work for you. For Pat, that was writer Al Ewing's Immortal Hulk series. Pat believes that no scene should last more than 2-3 pages. He also suggests ending each scene and issue with a hook. To organize an issue, Pat uses index cards to sort the scenes to determine the best order. And to avoid taxing the reader or consuming too much panel space, Pat limits dialog balloons to 25 words.

 

 

 

While you’ve likely got favorite monsters you’d like to include in a comic series, Pat advises selecting well-known monsters with care. For example, writers will always write zombie stories. Still, readers will inevitably compare any zombie story with Robert Kirkman's Walking Dead series. So, if you’re struggling to create an original monster, try putting a unique twist on a lesser-known species.

 

Finally, Pat Jankiewicz suggests finding a publisher that will do its best to help your book sell. While that may seem obvious, consider his recent experience with Antarctic Press. Pat poured his love of Jaws into his original comic, Cosplayer Versus Shark #1. When Antarctic realized that their original release schedule would conflict with a guaranteed best-seller, they delayed their release to ensure Pat’s pride and joy got its best chance to attract comic buyers.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Pat Jankiewicz for sharing his experiences, David Lucarelli for organizing the panel, and WonderCon 2026 for sharing this story with us.

 

To attend next year's event, see my post WonderCon 2027 Discounted Badges On Sale Now. 

 

For David Lucarelli's thoughts, see David Lucarelli: Indie Creator Spotlight 

For an artist-turned-writer's thoughts, see Mary Zorilita Bellamy: Indie Creator Spotlight.

To meet a former comic shop owner who also writes comics, see Mike Wellman on Creating Indie Comics  

 

Find Pat's JAWS book at Amazon.  

Find Pat's comic Cosplayer Versus Shark #1 at Antarctic Press (or your local comic shop).