Thread "If Your Comic Had a Theme Song?" in forum "Comic Talk and General Discussion *"

Posted at 9:09PM, Sep. 2, 2022

So this was a fun and interesting discussion thread that came up on ComicFury, and I thought it could be something we could discuss here too.

Since it was Jonathan Richman's "Vampire Girl" song that got so stuck in my head that it lead to me doodling and drawing samples of vampire girls until I drew a design that eventually became Levana, who eventually got her comic, I suppose his would be the theme song for my comic bearing the same name, even though the plot of the comic has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of his song anyway!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNTqLSSeC9w

As it turns out though, there's dozens of "Vampire Girl" songs out there (none as fun or memorable as Jonathan's), however, one in particular by a little indie artist known as Anna Robinson caught my attention, as I feel this particular song sums up Levana (as a character) quite fittingly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkBEiKd2CTw

Posted at 4:09PM, Sep. 3, 2022

Yes, the longer you search, the more varied but also ambiguous the results.
My comic didn't start with a piece of music, but with a rather whacky Mars base model. But I like the idea with the theme song. - After a longer decision process, something quite old and familiar comes out for Birdmentimes' Hero: https://youtu.be/J2pOoqDzEh8.

Posted at 5:09AM, Sep. 5, 2022

I uh, kinda went the wrong way around,
and made a song that was largely inspired by my comic, and
I can't help but feel that it fits the mood that I'm going for with it eventually.

My comic actually started with a design for a ghost monk that I had created based on my balding pattern and my bathrobe.

I was going to use it for Vtubing, which might still happen, but then I had the genius idea - Why couldn't I just make a comic around that?
A monk helping ghosts, spirits and youkai with their problems in the way that a monk would.

Anyways, this song, Mind Palace, is a xenharmonic/microtonal track in 15EDO (I.E. 15 equal divisions of the octave (rather than 12 which is the standard(Think of it as a tuning))) which I think has sort of a spiritual quality to it.

I wanted the track to be full of hope but still have an underbelly, not unlike our own minds, where it's not all tranquil even if we want it to be.

Mind Palace

Posted at 5:09AM, Sep. 5, 2022

I have a lot of songs that I associate with my comics. I like to make playlists for driving so I can think about the comics stories as I travel…

…but I have bad taste in music, so I'm not sharing. I already have to work on labor day, not subjecting myself to more.

Posted at 8:09AM, Sep. 5, 2022

I think Abba Zaba, as performed by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band would just about hit the right mood.

Posted at 10:09AM, Sep. 5, 2022

GeekyGami wrote:
I uh, kinda went the wrong way around,
and made a song that was largely inspired by my comic, and
I can't help but feel that it fits the mood that I'm going for with it eventually.

My comic actually started with a design for a ghost monk that I had created based on my balding pattern and my bathrobe.

I was going to use it for Vtubing, which might still happen, but then I had the genius idea - Why couldn't I just make a comic around that?
A monk helping ghosts, spirits and youkai with their problems in the way that a monk would.

Anyways, this song, Mind Palace, is a xenharmonic/microtonal track in 15EDO (I.E. 15 equal divisions of the octave (rather than 12 which is the standard(Think of it as a tuning))) which I think has sort of a spiritual quality to it.

I wanted the track to be full of hope but still have an underbelly, not unlike our own minds, where it's not all tranquil even if we want it to be.

Mind Palace

Wow, I'm really impressed, you did a nice job composing this track; I have to say that hopeful, yet still somewhat doubtful feel you were going for was achieved very well, that was definitely the vibe I got listening to it.

Ironscarf wrote:
I think Abba Zaba, as performed by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band would just about hit the right mood.

If nothing else, it does sort of sound like the theme song from some low-budget, B-grade monster movie from the 50s or 60s.

Posted at 8:09PM, Sep. 5, 2022

@GeekyGami - nice job! that really creates a mood and atmosphere. When it starts modulating it becomes quite unusual but still quite listenable.

One nice thing about posting comics on the Duck is that Gunwallace might choose your comic and create a theme song for it! He does one every week and it's released on the Tuesday Quackcast.

Posted at 3:09AM, Sep. 6, 2022

Wow, I'm really impressed, you did a nice job composing this track; I have to say that hopeful, yet still somewhat doubtful feel you were going for was achieved very well, that was definitely the vibe I got listening to it.

Thanks!

dragonsong12 wrote:
I have a lot of songs that I associate with my comics. I like to make playlists for driving so I can think about the comics stories as I travel…

…but I have bad taste in music, so I'm not sharing. I already have to work on labor day, not subjecting myself to more.

Tastes in music vary greatly between individuals.
Don't worry too much about people calling your music tastes tasteless.

Banes wrote:
@GeekyGami - nice job! that really creates a mood and atmosphere. When it starts modulating it becomes quite unusual but still quite listenable.

One nice thing about posting comics on the Duck is that Gunwallace might choose your comic and create a theme song for it! He does one every week and it's released on the Tuesday Quackcast.

Thank you!
My, that's nice of him.

Yes, the key modulation uses a 7th that I'm aware.
In most tunings it would not be viable as it is often the most dissonant interval, especially in 12EDO.
In this case it was the only solution I could find to get back to my original key fairly seamlessly.

Ironscarf wrote:
I think Abba Zaba, as performed by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band would just about hit the right mood.

I've never heard of this group.
How did you stumble upon it?

Posted at 1:09PM, Sep. 6, 2022

All my comics have had very clear musical themes associated with them. I would often listen to songs within those themes while drawing them, specifically to keep me focused on the right mood. So, below are some quintessential songs that would be associated with each of my comics:

Girlsquad X would be vinyl countdown, by animal republic

Rimjob would be Oh bondage! Up yours! by x ray specs

Mindfold would be Equinoxe part 1 by Jean Michel Jarre

And Tusk would be Sweething, by Crisis

Posted at 3:09PM, Sep. 6, 2022

GeekyGami wrote:
I've never heard of this group.
How did you stumble upon it?

I first heard them in the late 70s as late night UK radio dj John Peel was a big fan. Their most acclaimed (and most challenging) work is Trout Mask Replica, an album that on first listening sound like it was jammed out in one drunken late night session, with the band struggling to keep in time. In reality it was composed and rehearsed intensely over the course of a year to sound exactly as it does. (It usually requires three listens to make any kind of sense).

Posted at 12:09AM, Sep. 7, 2022

Gunwallace came up with a super theme tune for Space Pirates of the Black Quarter! in Quackcast 501 (Ocean intros it about 8 minutes in) which I play regularly as I'm fiddling about with new panels, it really matches the comic.

Posted at 6:09AM, Sep. 7, 2022

dpat57 wrote:
Gunwallace came up with a super theme tune for Space Pirates of the Black Quarter! in Quackcast 501 (Ocean intros it about 8 minutes in) which I play regularly as I'm fiddling about with new panels, it really matches the comic.

Gunwallace did a theme for Conscripted too, which I loved! But I wish I could get access to it outside of the Quackcast. I keep checking his site to see if he's posted it so I can snag a clean version, but it doesn't look like he updates it anymore. :(

…but I also recognize that it's greedy to ask that. I'm just so pleased that someone did something like that in the first place that I probably shouldn't want more. His themes are great!