This document describes the development of ComicGen, a programming library for automating comic creation with JavaScript. It starts in 1990 when the creator wanted to draw comics for Disney but couldn't draw. It then details how they typed out every Calvin and Hobbes comic strip by hand over 6 years. By 2011 they had co-founded Gramener to create data stories and comics. ComicGen allows generating comics from data to create magic and expressions. It has since been used by many users and websites to create comics in a copy-paste fashion.

1. GENERATING COMICS
WITH JAVASCRIPT
#COMICGEN @SANAND0

2. AMMA, WHO IS THE MOST FAMOUS MAN?
1984

3. I WANT TO DRAW COMICS FOR DISNEY
1990

4. I CAN’T DRAW ANYTHING
1992

5. But, others can
So I just use them
(That’s my motto, BTW)
1999

6. My
life’s
work
I typed out
every single
Calvin & Hobbes
strip by hand.
Took six years.
2001 - 2007
2007

7. Soon, my Calvin
site was on the
front page of
Reddit, Slashdot,
and Hacker News.
… until I got a legal
copyright notice from
UComics citing DMCA
(Digital Millenium Copyright Act)
2009

8. BY 2011, I HAD
CO-FOUNDED GRAMENER
2014

9. As Gramener grew, our design
team was growing crazy too
2015

10. Our content was
often illustrated with
comics – typically
two characters
named Dee & Dey

11. Comicgen is a
programming
library that lets
you automate
comic creation
GRAMENER.COM / COMICGEN /

12. https://codepen.io/richielionell/pen/jRmjOY
COMICGEN CAN BE USED IN PROGRAMS
… AND THIS CAN CREATE MAGIC

13. WE FED IT INTO OUR DATA STORIES
State Constituency Candidate Party #
CG Mahasamund Chandu Lal Sahu BJP 11
CG Bilaspur Lakhan Lal Sahu BJP 5
DL West Delhi Jarnail Singh AAP 3
MP Rewa Janardan Mishra BJP 2
UP Mathura Hema Malini BJP 2
HR Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini BJP 2
MP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh BJP 2
MH Osmanabad GR Vishwanath SS 2
HR Sonipat Padam Singh INLD 2
TN Salem Umarani S DMDK 2
UP Unnao Anil Kumar SPI 2
Eleven
“Chandu Lal
Sahu”s!?
Two “Hema
Malini”s
No MPs of
Congress…

14. https://gramener.com/playground/datacomics/wbl

15. Let’s create a
comic strip now
Dee at jsFoo
GRAMENER.COM / COMICGEN /

16. EMBED USING JS IN POWER BI, PPT, ETC
https://github.com/gramener/comicgen-powerbi

17. DATA-DRIVEN EXPRESSIONS
https://gramener.com/faces/

18. MOST HAIR
MOST CASES
LEAST WINS

19. BANGALORECENTRAL
WON: MONEY & LOANS
#2. MONEY, LOANS, EDU#3. MONEY, LOANS, CRIME
POOR GUY

20. Animatable characters
are the next step
Using Vivus Instant

21. Hacker News, several Japanese & Chinese sites…
USERS ARE CREATING COMICS.
YOU CAN TOO #COMICGEN

22. DESIGNERS ARE CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS.
YOU CAN TOO. GRAMENER.COM/COMICGEN/
Donald Trump is on the way

23. STAR TV VIEWERSHIP
IS DIPPING IN THE SOUTH
EXCEPT AP/TL.
MY COMICS ARE USED BY DISNEY
2019

24. COMICS ARE JUST
ONE COPY-PASTE AWAY
WHY DON’T YOU
CREATE COMIC STORIES?
THANK YOU