Artful inspiration

They were about twenty-two pages long and the cover art was superb. The interior artwork was still pretty good, but it was the story that kept me coming back each month. I got some of my best inspiration from comic books.

There were changes over the years: more pages were added, the interior artwork was rendered crisply. Comic books grabbed the attention of my young mind and held it. Whenever I finished one, I would be anxious to read another.

At one point, I had a subscription to over thirty titles. I collected several entire series, and was always looking for more. I was so enamored that I would even buy comics introducing all the characters...

I had to get rid of most of them when I moved. Thankfully, I was now old enough to truly appreciate actual books. But I fondly recall those hours spent reading each issue.

The stories were many and varied, but they mainly told of heroes and the villains they faced. There were so many colorful characters, and the storylines were gritty and dramatic. People's lives were being affected, so it was not always easy to know the right thing to do.

I learned how to make compelling characters, and to build engaging plots. Fun is a priority, and the ending cannot be too predictable. After all, the best story is the one that leaves you wanting more.