How to Become a Comic Book Genius

Get a significant historical background of comic books starting with the "funnies" of the late 1920s and progressing through the advent of the conventional comic as it appears in the late 1930s with the introduction of Superman.

Begin building a collection of Silver Age comic books including what are now considered the classics. Dive into the universes of the different comic book publishers such as DC and Marvel and branch out from there to the lesser known (or more forgotten) and independent publishers.

Develop a specialty in a few different kinds of comic books or comic book characters. Choose between the "naturalistic" type characters such as Spider-Man, the super characters like Superman and the bizarre and mysterious characters such as Silver Surfer or from the indie world, The Maxx.

Start to draw comic book characters so you can deepen your understanding of the process of comics creation. With lots of work and some luck, eventually you can begin to build your own books. While you might not be immediately hailed as genius remember that even bona fide geniuses like Stan Lee had their obscure days.

Create shadow plots or alternate plot decisions than the ones made by comic book writers after critical junctures in the story. Make your alternate plots complete with dialog and, if you or someone you know is able to draw, the appropriate art.