Comics have been around since nearly the dawn of time. Everyone knows the thrill of receiving the comic section of the newspaper or picking up his or her favorite comic book at the store. For years, people have used comics as a way to bring a smile to an otherwise bad day. In order to give us the comics that we all know and love, comic artists must undergo a lot of work and specific tasks.

Comic artists typically sketch a drawing in pencil and then trace over their drawing again in ink. To do this they will use either a dip pen or a brush. They will also use a light box when they are creating their final ink image of their drawings. Some comic artists are beginning to really see the benefits of using digital means to create their artwork.

The actual finished product of comics being created will determine the number of people who must work on the project. Many successful comic strips and comic books are created through a studio system in which an artist assembles a team of assistants to aid in the creation process. Works from independent companies or individuals as well as those who self-publish their works often tend to have a more personal nature and can typically be created using just one artist.

The studio system has become the main method for creating comics, particularly in the United States where the comic book industry is a very large and popular business. Roles in the creation of comics have become coded and managing the studio has become the main responsibility of the company, with the editor being the one who assigns the management duties. The editor assembles a certain number of artists and creators and supervises the creation process from the beginning works through to publication. Some tasks typically assigned include a plotter, a breakdown artist, an inker, a penciller, a letterer, a colorist and a scripter. The same artist or individual may perform many of these roles, although for larger publications these roles take on different individuals.

In order to create comics, artists will use a wide range of pencils, paper and inks. Brushes, dip pens, markers, poster paints, acrylics, watercolors and mechanical tints are also used, as are erasers, rulers, knives and scalpels to a certain degree.

With the dawning of the computer age came an increasing number of comic books and comic strips that are digitally created. Mixing digital images with hand drawings or completely creating comics through the digital method is now a widespread practice in the comics industry.