Creating a comic requires a blend of two very different disciplines — visual art and writing. Some people may be good artists, but they’re not so good at writing. Others may be good writers, but their art is standing in the way of their storytelling. And still others simply haven’t admitted to themselves that they fall into one of those two categories.

Which is why a collaboration is such an attractive proposition. A good writer teams with a skillful artist, and the two cooperate to make an amazing comic. When it works, Penny Arcade being a shining example, it works tremendously. But when it doesn’t work, things get dark quick.

So how do you establish a successful collaboration?

It’s the same as any relationship you might have in real life: Honesty, communication and fairness.

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