A quick post to outline how I create simple comic scripts using markdown and then render them to a PDF. This is loosely based off of the Comics Experience Example Script with some modifications for markdown specific syntax like page-breaks. I like to have each comic page on it’s own printed page for editing. This allows room to thumbnail ideas directly on the scripts to workout storytelling ideas.
Rendering PDFs using rmarkdown
library(knitr)
library(rmarkdown)
setwd("path/to/markdown/file/directory")
list.files()
render("comic-script.md")
rmarkdown formatted comic script example below
---
title: "Title with version number: v6.1.1"
author: Author Name
date: January 20, 2022
header-includes:
- \usepackage{fancyhdr}
- \pagestyle{fancy}
- \fancyhead[CO,CE]{STORY NAME -NAME NAMERSON}
- \fancyfoot[CO,CE]{Copyright 2022 - NAME NAMERSON - email@email.com}
- \fancyfoot[LE,RO]{\thepage}
output: pdf_document
---
# Background
STORY SENTENCE -One sentence summary.
CHARACTER 1 BIO - What do they want in the pages?
CHARACTER 2 BIO- What do they want in the pages?
# Story Synopsis
1 paragraph summary of the action/events of the story. Keep it dry and to the point. First sentence is the first page and the last sentence is the last page.
# Contact Info
**Your Name**
email@email.com
[www.codymarkelz.com](www.codymarkelz.com)
\pagebreak
# PAGE ONE- SIX PANELS
One sentence page summary.
## PANEL 1
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
## PANEL 2
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
1. **CHARACTER 1**: statement and dialogue.
## PANEL 3
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
1. **CHARACTER 1**: statement and dialogue.
## PANEL 4
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
## PANEL 5
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
1. **CHARACTER 1**: dialogue!
## PANEL 6
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
1. **CHARACTER 2**: **winded** dialogue!
**SFX** WHOOOMPF!
\pagebreak
# PAGE TWO- THREE PANELS
One sentence page summary.
## PANEL 1
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
## PANEL 2
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.
## PANEL 3
Panel description of single action, dialogue, sound effects SFX.