Hey all...

You know, I've been reading comics for a good long while...And these web comics are just great too! The most humorous of all of it is how we as creators struggle to find the right onomatopoeia effect for the right occasion (or maybe that's just me). Can anyone recommend a library? Or should Drunk Duck start one in a wiki?

I read that Marvel actually trademarked (BAMF and SKINT - Nightcrawler and Wolverine, respectively). Yet some interesting ones I've seen around the Duck are garden variety verbs or nouns to substitute as sounds (Cry, tear, blood...I once saw...um...CUT).

Anyone else struggle or have fun with these um...ideophones?

EDIT - This could easily wind up in the TIPS & TRICKS folder.

I have a couple of methods for figuring out which onomatopoeia to use. The first method is probably the easiest, and that's just to look at other comics and note what sounds they use for similar actions. For example, if you wanted to know what onomatopoeia would work for a machine gun you could look through, say, The Punisher, and note what sound effects are used and see if any of them strike you as appropriate for your own comic.

The second method (which I find to be more fun, personally) involves making noises and then trying to figure out how that would become a word. So if I want to know what sound to use for a machine gun I start making machine gun noises then try to figure out how to form it into spellable words.

It's also fun to just describe what's happening once in a while. Such as "SHOOTING!" or "PUNCHED!".

When I interned at valiant comics, I got to create the sound effect THAM for an issue of Psi-Lords.

I felt so 'big-time' that day. Like I had arrived. I think I still have a clip of the b/w pre-production art of the panel kicking around in my basement.

:)

When I create sound effects for Superchum, I tend to use what's available, and what I can make in illustrator. When I want to feel completely sucky and amateur I grab old Walt Simonson Thor comics and gaze in wonder at his sound effects. His page-long sound effects that were an artform all by themselves.

I usually just make mine
"Punched'd" You gotta make it end in d, and add "'d" on the end! It's hilarious!
Well, it was the first 5 million times...D:

I kind of try to be consistent with the sound effects that go with individual characters' powers. When Shockwire uses her electricity powers, it's always "BAKKZZ", for example. You know, like the way Spider-Man's webshooters always go "THWIPP". Otherwise, most of mine come from comics I've read. People getting punched is usually "KRAK" because that's what Frank Miller tends to use. Yeah, it's that simple.

spacehamster
You know, like the way Spider-Man's webshooters always go "THWIPP". Otherwise

Oh yes, Marvel has THWIPP trademarked too. WOW.

I love the responses here - I think DD can have their very own onomatopoeias!

I actually very, very rarely use onomatopoeia. It's strange - it's just not something I think about. In the old version of my comic AF, I think I used a grand total of two - a good old-fashioned "boom!" for an explosion and "tap tap tap" for footsteps. It seems like whenever I actually do think to use onomatopoeia, I can't think of anything good... So I end up with stuff like "boom" lol!

...You can copyright onomatopoeias?... What next? -_-;;

korosu
...You can copyright onomatopoeias?... What next? -_-;;

Yeah, didn't they copyright the "snikt" noise Wolverine's claws make? Silly, but there you have it.

Is the copyrighted word only for an identical situation, as in, only applies for when any character has claws coming out?

Or is it just the word, period? Because that's ridiculous, and seriously shouldn't be legal to do.

I suspect that copyrighting sound effects would not hold up in the litigation because we are not talking brand names we are talking sounds. Hommer Simpsom's Doh!, for instance is now included in some dictionaries.

But then again, we are discussing a company that can retain very pricey attorneys and so the most intelligent thing for an independent to do would be to agree to any cease and desist warning from the same.

Similarly I believe that few people indeed beat Disney on anything that this company wants to claim as proprietary creative material.

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I spent quite a few years working in a machine shop many decades ago and paid attention to the noises. Similarly I tried to keep such things in mind when I spent some time in military service. Now I have never heard anything making the precise sound of Ka-Chunkk!!! and yet I find myself using this whenever a piece of aperatus rapidly slams open. For rapid shutting I use the traditional Klang!!!

If the noises are more gentle I might go with something like Shuuunk!

So I roll my own and have fun with them. I'm not too inclined, though, to make certain that it is always the precise spelling for each application of sound to even the same piece of machinery. I probably should, but I don't always want to run through my files and review prior usage.

You know, I also rather like the idea of this thread becoming a sticky. Although it probably does belong in the Tips and Tricks forum.

mlai
Is the copyrighted word only for an identical situation, as in, only applies for when any character has claws coming out?

Or is it just the word, period? Because that's ridiculous, and seriously shouldn't be legal to do.

I'm not sure. I just heard the word "snikt" is copyrighted - after that, I just let my mind be boggled by the sheer silliness of it.

I heard about - is it Marvel who has Wolverine, or is it DC? - whichever company pressing charges against someone who used the onomatopoeia. Of course, I can't remember if it was in a similar situation (i.e: the emergence of claws) or not.

I'm a fan of onomatopoeias that kinda make sense, but manage to be slightly off kilter. Like a slap makes a "TWAP!" noise or a bolt of magical lightning goes "G'ZORT!" It sorta makes sense, but it makes your brain itch in a funny way.

Sometimes I'll cop out though. Like, I briefly had a siryn character whose sonic screams made the ever so clever "Sonic Blast'd!" sound. I could've done an "EEEEEEEEEE!" or something, but it seemed pretty overdone.

I try to spell the sounds.

The toughest was the monster "horn" sound that is made when something large emerges from the water.

"GAWWOAR" was the best I could come up with. Godzilla fans may be able to hear the right noise =P

If you're looking for really creative sounds, watch an episode or two of the old 1960s Batman, with Adam West. There's a lifetime supply of slightly goofy-sounding but very unusual onomatopeia effects.

if we could copy write the sound "fap" or "Fap, fap, fap" weed make money form masterbators everywhere.

I don't go for "goofy" so much in Nadya , but something that's kind of realistic and exaggerated.

"Shlllk" "Kzzzkt" and "Brrrkt" Are my kind of onomatopoeias. :-)

...I NEVER use onomatopoeias. Well, there are times when I do... Overall, I avoid them when possible.

apparently my artist really likes to write "DOOOOOM" a lot, which is cool. then he uses a lot of japanese sfx which no one can understand...which is also cool.

EvilJared
apparently my artist really likes to write "DOOOOOM" a lot, which is cool. then he uses a lot of japanese sfx which no one can understand...which is also cool.

Ugh, that's the probably the worst onomatopoeia ever... I think I feel that way because Shonen Jump has used it to death in its manga.

hehe funny you ask that about onomatopoeias, I had to hunt them down. Now every time I see one on a comic I'm reading I immediately save the page on my comp. When I need one, I browse those pages and usually find one that suits what I need. There should be a site with them, I found a couple of pages but they were kind of incomplete.

We could make a database of them in here :D (I mean make a huge list here somewhere)

this was one of the pages I found
http://www.errthum.com/eric/Works/InterpLit/OnomatopoeiaWords.html

Locoma
this was one of the pages I found
http://www.errthum.com/eric/Works/InterpLit/OnomatopoeiaWords.html

Now this one is pretty good! Thanks! I even liked many of the ones here that people came up with for their comics! It would be so could to get an onomatopoeia list going here on the duck - DOOOOOOOOOOM could be added...or even copyrighted LOL

if you want to see great onomatopoeias in use ( or overuse) you should check out any comic by the kings of comic book sound effects: Howard Chaykin and Walter Simonson.

timethief
Walter Simonson.

KRAKKAKAWHAKKTHRAKKABAKKATHRAKKAKKAKAKAKKAKA-
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Just kidding, I love Simonson.