"How the hell is that gonna work?"

It was the first question my dad had for me when I explained Page Or Panel to him. (Of course this is the same man that, until a few years ago, needed written instructions for using the DVD player that I had bought him.) The idea is simple but profound: Apply the collaboration model to a graphic novel. Or, put more casually, Page Or Panel applies the Wikipedia approach to comic books. Curious about how it’ll work? Allow me to explain…

Page Or Panel will post the script for a graphic novel. Users can come, read the script, and—if so inclined—draw as little or as much of the comic as they want. If two or more artists draw the same panel, readers will be given an opportunity to vote on the panel they like the most—thus the most important panels will have the highest level of quality.

The graphic novel will be broken down into three volumes. As contributors draw near completion of the first installment, Page Or Panel will post the second volume of the script. Tapering the release of the script installments insures that artists will submit enough coverage for every panel. (After all, set-ups and transitions are just as important as punches and punch lines!)

Obviously the artwork is going to vary significantly from page to page and panel to panel, which is why it’s so important for each character to have an iconic look. If you’re planning on submitting artwork, be sure to read the character descriptions carefully. No one would ever mistake Steve Ditko’s art work with Todd McFarlane’s, yet both were able to draw Spider-Man without confusing the reader. Of course if one of them had sporadically clad Peter Parker in Superman’s cape and tights…well for the reader it would have been problematic to say the least.

Curious? Check out how it works.