Page Notes: Back in 1997, preparing the Dystopia Chronicles art for print involved a sequence of manual tasks including art corrections and reduction of the original art to print dimensions. One of the most laborious tasks associated with this process were completing the word balloons. I would take the script and input the text and balloons into PowerPoint adjusting the width of the text and balloons. Afterwards, I would print the balloons and check the size of each balloons and text boxes to the page, and re-size them to fit in the panels. Each balloon was cut from the paper with an razor-knife and were then secured to page of original art with rubber cement. The legs for each balloon were hand drawn over correction tape. And then Marc, would point out a spelling or punctuation error, and the process would be repeated as necessary.
We use Clip Studio Paint to create the art including the dialogue. The software integrates the creation and editing of the balloons and fonts. Using the tool has been very satisfying allowing me to integrate the story, art, and dialogue to a level that I've not experienced before.
Frazier and Bradson are delving deeper into an understanding of one another and how things work on the point. As such, there's a good amount of dialogue this time around - I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts on how it reads.
The free weekly webcomic updates on Monday. Dystopia offers unique takes on storytelling through genre-spanning arcs set in a richly imagined, multi-layered world. Across its towering levels and shadowed undercity, you’ll encounter cyberpunk conspiracies, gangland rivalries, corporate cults, digital ghosts, and the quiet struggles of those trying to survive between the cracks. With each story, Dystopia invites you deeper—into a world that feels both impossible and eerily familiar. The world expands as you read, revealing patterns, echoes, and secrets hiding just beneath the surface. It’s an evolving experience that rewards curiosity.
