“The Cursed Mirror” is a captivating comic book that we created using AI generative tools like Midjourney, Chat GPT and Photoshop. The goal of this project was to design a 32-page comic book using artificial intelligence. In the story, readers will be taken on an adventure as they follow Emily, the main character, who must face the evil spirits trapped inside a cursed mirror. By using AI technology, We were able to bring this thrilling tale to life with unique visuals and engaging storytelling.

Role

  • Art Director
  • Storyboarder
  • AI Prompter
  • Layout planning

Tools

  • Midjourney
  • Open AI
  • Figma
  • Photoshop

Duration

10 weeks

Team

Giang Le
Rey Sivakumaran

Problem & Solution

How can we seamlessly integrate AI into our design processes to effectively convey our ideas and accelerate the design journey? This project grappled with this very question, exploring the realm of AI generative tools to create a 32-page comic book. By leveraging AI technologies like Midjourney, we sought to unlock new possibilities and leverage its capabilities as a tool to enhance our design process, amplifying our creativity and expediting the realization of our vision. We could generate thousands of consistent and high-quality images based on the hand-sketches and human role model we provided. This AI assistance accelerated the image creation process and ensured visual consistency throughout the comic book. Additionally, we utilized Photoshop to refine and enhance the generated images, ensuring they seamlessly fit into the narrative and maintained a consistent style.

Process

Research- During the research phase, we explored various comic styles to find the perfect fit for our project. We decided to go with the silver age comic style, known for its bold lines and vibrant colors, to give our comic a dynamic and energetic feel. To enhance the horror and fear, we researched the effective use of darker shades and tones. By incorporating these elements, we aim to create a visually engaging experience that immerses readers in our thrilling story.

Keyword: dark, moody, horror, silver age comic-style, evil, ghost, scary, moody lighting

Story- For the story of our comic, we engaged in a collaborative process. Each of us, the three team members, used Chat GPT to generate stories inspired by our favorite horror movies. After generating the stories, we took the time to read and analyze each other’s creations. Through thoughtful discussion and consideration, we collectively decided to move forward with Rey’s story, which was inspired by the movie “Malignant.” We were captivated by the intriguing plot, compelling characters, and the potential for suspense and horror. This collaborative approach allowed us to draw from our diverse inspirations and choose the most compelling story for our comic.

The story follows the main character Emily, who experiences strange occurrences and is eventually visited by a mysterious figure in their dreams. The figure tells Emily about the cursed mirror, a mirror crafted by a madman in the 1800s that is said to be inhabited by the spirits of his victims, and reveals that Emily is the only one who can stop the madman’s ghost from claiming more victims. Emily sets out on a journey to find the mirror and confront the spirits trapped within, facing the madman’s ghost and struggling to survive and find a way to defeat the ghost and free the spirits. Through journey, Emily discovers the true nature of the mirror and the madman’s motivations and ultimately uses the strength and courage to banish the spirits and destroy the mirror, breaking the curse and freeing the spirits.
Act 1
sets the stage for the play, introducing the characters and their relationships, as well as the central conflicts.
Act 2
the conflict deepens, tensions rise, and new challenges emerge. The characters face obstacles that push them to their limits.
Act 3

the climax, where the conflict reaches its height and the resolution is reached.

Act 4

the aftemath, where the consequences of the resolution play out and the characters reflect on what has happened.

Color and Style- Inspired by classic horror comics, we used a silver age comic style. We used darker shades and atmospheric colors to create a spooky and suspenseful mood. The colors were selected to give a haunting and eerie feeling to the comic. We also used dynamic panel layouts and special visual effects to make important moments more impactful and to intensify the emotions felt by the readers.

Storyboarding- During a collaborative meeting, Rey, Giang, and I discussed the story in detail and planned the layout and size of our comic book. Since our story was divided into four acts, we decided to start with storyboarding the first act. To distribute the workload evenly, we roughly estimated the number of pages needed for the first act. Each of us took responsibility for a specific number of pages and began sketching out the scenes and angles of shots for the dialogue in our assigned pages on paper. This process allowed us to visualize the narrative flow and determine the composition of each panel. We repeated the process for the remaining acts.
Generating Images- After completing the storyboarding phase, we needed to bring our main character, Emily, to life. To achieve this, we sought the assistance of our friend Robin, who graciously agreed to be our role model. We took numerous photographs of Robin in various poses and expressions that aligned with the character’s personality and emotions. These images were then fed into the AI generative tool, Midjourney, which used them as a reference to generate a consistent and stylized image of our main character. This approach allowed us to infuse the character with a realistic and relatable appearance, enhancing the overall visual appeal of the comic.
We encountered challenges during image generation due to limitations of the AI tool. To overcome them, we watched tutorials and adhered to the silver age comic style. After generating numerous images, we edited them in Photoshop to enhance quality and maintain consistency. The editing process involved adjusting colors, applying filters, and adding visual effects to align with our chosen style. This ensured that the images seamlessly fit the story and conveyed the intended emotions, resulting in a visually cohesive comic.

Finished Comic

Reflection

In this project, I learned that creating a comic with AI generators takes more time than expected. Planning ahead is crucial to save time later on. AI is a helpful tool to speed up the design process and convey ideas, but it doesn’t replace human skills. While the generated images didn’t always match my initial ideas, I had to be flexible and adapt. This project highlighted the importance of finding a balance between AI assistance and personal creativity. AI is powerful, but it still needs human input to achieve the best results.

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