This Comic is Alfie Approved
Editing Cosmic Journeys
Any comic that is posted under Panelsmith Comics, has to be critiqued and edited. After going through this review process, a comic can finally be deemed Alfie Approved.
Below our current co-editor-in-chiefs, Gabbie Mihm and James Brown IV, go through their editing process for Cosmic Journeys.
How did you know that you wanted to be an editor?
Gabbie Mihm: I’ve always loved reading, and getting to read other people’s work and help them in their creative journeys is a huge driving factor for me. I don’t remember a time where being an editor wasn’t at the forefront. I studied fiction editing in college, and then learned how to write comics from Comics Experience. I took what I learned, and became a comics editor!
James Brown IV: I didn’t… I actually didn’t even know I was going to write a story for Cosmic Journeys. What started as assisting eventually snowballed into co-editing and approving each story you’ve been able to read!
I’ve been editing scripts for a little over a decade, mainly film scripts, which translates pretty well to comics.
All I want to do is make each story the best it could possibly be. I firmly believe that’s what editing is.
How has editing other scripts helped with your own writing?
James: Every time I get past the grammatical and structural edits, I basically get to play “what if?” with the writers.
“What if the POV was from your victim instead of the perpetrator?” as an example.
Gabbie: I ask a lot of questions when editing other people’s work to try to bring out as much of their vision as possible. I make sure what they are going for translates to the reader. I bring this line of questioning to my own work, and it allows me to add details and dialogue needed for the optimal reading experience.
What is the process for making a comic Alfie Approved?
James: Does the story meet the theme?
Does it make sense to most readers automatically?
Does it show, not tell?
Is it fun?
Those are the main criteria that I have always relied upon.
I don’t read the story sentence, the bios, or the summary of a story I’m editing. If the story is good, it should be legible without any outside information.
Of course, after my initial edit, I go back through the worlds each writer has created and try to find a place where I can live in it for a while. A few weeks later and the story comes out either approved or DOA.
Gabbie: For me, being Alfie Approved means you check all the boxes. By that, I mean it matches the correct genre, has common themes with the other works, and is basically edited to the max! It’s the final stamp on a work before publishing.
What was it like to co-edit a project?
Gabbie: James rules, so it was a very easy process. There were a lot of pieces in the anthology and it helped to have support. We both brought different views to each piece and that was really cool. Combining ideas and helping the writers bring their visions to life was super fun and rewarding. I wouldn’t have done the anthology any other way!
James: AMAZING.
A lot of creatives get… sensitive when you critique their work. Even if it is made very clear we’re just here to push out the best story you could write, sometimes you have to get across the finish line kicking and screaming.
I can say that this was so much fun that I’d like to announce that Panelsmiths and Alfie Comics will be moving forwards with a NEW HORROR ANTHOLOGY!
I hope you’ve enjoyed Cosmic Journey’s because, in 2023, Alfie Goes to Hell.
Aaaannnnd That’s that!
We’ve seen Alfie flung across the galaxy, have visited strange worlds and realities, pondered on relatable characters, and maybe even learned a little about some creators along the way.
Thanks to everyone who supported us along the way. As for now….
See you across the Cosmos!
