The Minotaur

Script by Tom Davies, art by Bren.

WIP Comics are a group of independent comics creators based in the UK. The group is focussed on giving support and opportunities to new creators learning thier craft, and is a very diverse community of writers and artists.

WIP Comics organises and publishes an anthology every year to showcase the diverse range of comics talent in the UK, and is funded via a kickstarter campaign. Each year the group picks a theme and a brief is given on format.

For the 2024 anthology the theme was "Tall Tales", and the brief was for an 8 page comic, on one or two pages, in a square page format.

Black and white comic page, The Minotaur. A Minotaur walks into a Tailors shop

Black and white comic page, The Minotaur. A minotaur asks a tailor for a new suit

Interior Artwork

The Minotaur, black and white comic page. The tailor measures the minotaur up for a suit

The Minotaur, black and white comic page. A minotaur gets a fitted suit in a tailors shop

Character designs and research

I received a script from Tom Davies for a comedy fantasy comic about a Minotaur walking into a Tailors shop. This was my third comic and my second collaboration with a writer. I had identified at this point that design and research was a weakness of mine, so the first thing I did was do some research.

I wasn't sure how best to represent a Tailors shop so I went to Saville Row in London to take a look at some Tailors shops and get an idea of what a Tailors shop may look like.

Photos of Tailors shops from Saville Row London

I also wasn't sure how best to draw a Minotaur, so I did some sketches of bulls before working on some character designs. I also put some thought into how the Minotaur and the Tailor may move, and what kind of postures they would adopt and how this would communicate their character.

Tom's script didn't give much detail on these characters however the his style of writing dialogue presented clearly defined character voices.

I sent the character designs to Tom who quickly approved them and shared them with the rest of the group for inclusion in the Kickstarter campaign.

Character sketches for a tailor and a minotaur

Thumbnails

I sent Tom some well defined thumbnail sketches for The Minotaur story, making sure he was happy with my storytelling. Tom's sript had a lot of dialogue, so I also lettered these thumbnails so I could make sure there was enough room for the lettering in each panel.

Inked artwork

I usually work traditionally, however I was in the middle of moving home at the time of drawing this alongside doing some other work. To ensure I could meet deadlines to a high standard I made the decision to work digitally. I also made sure I shared all artwork with Tom as I made progress, so I could get early feedback.

Tom was great to work with. Thanks Tom for passing me this script! It was a lot of fun!

The Minotaur, black and white comic page. A minotaur asks for a suit in a Tailors shop

The Minotaur, black and white comic page. A minotaur gets measured up for a suit in a Tailors shop

Logo design

I finished the project ahead of time, and got some great feedback from Tom and the WIP Community. I used the extra time to design a simple logo for the comic to give it a clear identity. I grew up reading 2000ad, and used to love seeing each comic have it's own logo.

I picked a thick muscular with some large spikey serifs that fit the fantasy theme. I then added some vector horns to the "M" in minotaur using Affinity Designer.