The Stargazer Episode Zero comic is fully illustrated with AI-generated imagery. Its creator, Adam Rodriguez, said he felt he had access to "the most talented graphics department ever" without budget constraints.
Stargazer Episode Zero tells the story of American soldiers in Vietnam as they encounter a cosmic anomaly that will forever change their lives and the future of our world.
How Rodriguez solved the consistency issue
All 17-page panels were illustrated with Midjourney. Unlike the recent graphic novel, Star Maker, artist Adam Rodríguez extensively reworked many of the images, especially to ensure consistency between the characters.
After all, consistency is a weakness of current image AI systems, which can produce wildly different images even within the same post. But for a cohesive story that leans heavily on the characters, consistency is essential.
Besides post-production, Rodriguez used a trick to make Midjourney's results more consistent: in his prompts, he mentioned famous people he wanted his cartoon characters to look like.
"When I wasn't referencing a famous person and getting a result that I liked, I would render a series of variations and iterations to build a small library. Plus, I did more than a few takes of sight for the story with the character turned away from the camera," Rodríguez reveals of another creative move.
For example, in the future you might want to store a face as a variable and be able to recall it over and over again in versions. It would make the storytelling a lot easier. This would already work in a rudimentary way, for example using a SEED number or image weights. The artist expects rapid progress in this area.
Midjourney needs human guidance
Originally, Rodriguez wanted to produce the entire comic with only halfway through if possible. He was excited about his first attempts and the positive feedback he received on social media. But he quickly reached the limits of the system.
“Nowhere did I want the quality and consistency I wanted when rendering in one take. MidJourney produces great images, but there are so many variations that I had to mix the images and mix the elements that I liked,” says Rodríguez.
Artists on the path to new workflows
Rodríguez says he can't draw himself, although he would like to. That's why you would go to AI imaging systems like Midjourney. Still, he doesn't think AI could replace artists, but the workflow would change.
"I think the best creative outcome comes from using AI to inspire and guide an artist to push the boundaries of what was previously possible," says Rodríguez.
Plus, he says, Midjourney and Co. has the potential to save time and money in the process. For a previous issue of the Stargazer comic, Rodriguez first worked with an illustrator. But it took too long to conceptualize and validate alien worlds and characters, he says.
"For a freelance writer and creator, it's really amazing to come up with these ideas for the first time using MidJourney. It obviously saves time and money, but if the artist takes the idea and adds something to it thing, I think we can really tell amazing stories,” Rodríguez says.
He sees that human artists have an advantage when it comes to depicting actions and emotions. Capturing them with AI is difficult and often random, he says. That's why he tweaked and improvised Stargazer's plot in small increments to go along with the artwork.
"I want to use AI to express my ideas as a writer and tell stories with art. I feel like I have access to the most talented art department ever and an unlimited budget Of course, we're spoiled by the power of all this technology, but you still need a bit of human touch, at least for now,” says Rodríguez.
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The Stargazer Episode Zero comic is fully illustrated with AI-generated imagery. Its creator, Adam Rodriguez, said he felt he had access to "the most talented graphics department ever" without budget constraints.
Stargazer Episode Zero tells the story of American soldiers in Vietnam as they encounter a cosmic anomaly that will forever change their lives and the future of our world.
How Rodriguez solved the consistency issue
All 17-page panels were illustrated with Midjourney. Unlike the recent graphic novel, Star Maker, artist Adam Rodríguez extensively reworked many of the images, especially to ensure consistency between the characters.
After all, consistency is a weakness of current image AI systems, which can produce wildly different images even within the same post. But for a cohesive story that leans heavily on the characters, consistency is essential.
Besides post-production, Rodriguez used a trick to make Midjourney's results more consistent: in his prompts, he mentioned famous people he wanted his cartoon characters to look like.
"When I wasn't referencing a famous person and getting a result that I liked, I would render a series of variations and iterations to build a small library. Plus, I did more than a few takes of sight for the story with the character turned away from the camera," Rodríguez reveals of another creative move.
For example, in the future you might want to store a face as a variable and be able to recall it over and over again in versions. It would make the storytelling a lot easier. This would already work in a rudimentary way, for example using a SEED number or image weights. The artist expects rapid progress in this area.
Midjourney needs human guidance
Originally, Rodriguez wanted to produce the entire comic with only halfway through if possible. He was excited about his first attempts and the positive feedback he received on social media. But he quickly reached the limits of the system.
“Nowhere did I want the quality and consistency I wanted when rendering in one take. MidJourney produces great images, but there are so many variations that I had to mix the images and mix the elements that I liked,” says Rodríguez.
Artists on the path to new workflows
Rodríguez says he can't draw himself, although he would like to. That's why you would go to AI imaging systems like Midjourney. Still, he doesn't think AI could replace artists, but the workflow would change.
"I think the best creative outcome comes from using AI to inspire and guide an artist to push the boundaries of what was previously possible," says Rodríguez.
Read Also : How do I make a successful SaaS app?Plus, he says, Midjourney and Co. has the potential to save time and money in the process. For a previous issue of the Stargazer comic, Rodriguez first worked with an illustrator. But it took too long to conceptualize and validate alien worlds and characters, he says.
"For a freelance writer and creator, it's really amazing to come up with these ideas for the first time using MidJourney. It obviously saves time and money, but if the artist takes the idea and adds something to it thing, I think we can really tell amazing stories,” Rodríguez says.
He sees that human artists have an advantage when it comes to depicting actions and emotions. Capturing them with AI is difficult and often random, he says. That's why he tweaked and improvised Stargazer's plot in small increments to go along with the artwork.
"I want to use AI to express my ideas as a writer and tell stories with art. I feel like I have access to the most talented art department ever and an unlimited budget Of course, we're spoiled by the power of all this technology, but you still need a bit of human touch, at least for now,” says Rodríguez.