Turn Your Pictures Into A Whimsical Story With Comic Life
Comic Life ($7.99) by plasq LLC is a fun way to arrange and enjoy your photos. This app does just what it says it will and that is to create comics from your favorite photos. This is a unique way to display or even add to a scrapbook for a little extra character in your photo story.
There is a wonderful book-like tutorial at the beginning of Comic Life that will walk you through how to use the app and all its features. This is very detailed, and stored within the app for future reference.
Once you are ready to go, you select a template and you are on your way. The templates are customizable so you can really add your own personal touch. It is very easy to select photos for your creation in each comic box, you tap the photo icon and all the albums on your iPad appear for you to scroll through and select.
Once you have your photos in place, it is time to create the story. On the bottom of the screen there are bubbles to choose from that allow you to add text. You can move, rotate and customize your bubbles. There is also the option of adding text without the bubble, to give your creation a little more impact.
I love the flexibility in this app. Every time I thought I could not do something, I figured out how I could. You are able to add more boxes, change the background of your page, adjust fonts, and even build from a completely blank template.
There are amazing sharing features in the app, including posting on Facebook, as well as printing or sending through email. You can also share with another iPad nearby, which is a neat option not found in other applications.
There is also a Mac App Store version, Comic Life 2, that provides several more tools and features. it also has the ability to use photos that are already on your computer. I found this app a little nicer to use, mostly because becasue the standard keyboard and mouse features make it easier to use. Overall it has a very nice user interface.
If you like simple and serious photos for your photo album, this app may not be for you. However, if you enjoy adding some clever and whimsical components, Comic Life is worth checking out. Either one of these apps will not disappoint the creative photographer. Whether your camera of choice is a simple point and shoot, or a high end DSLR, you will enjoy the unique and creative ways you can build a story with your photos. The iPad app is about half the price of the Mac App Store version, so that may be a good way to see if you enjoy all the silly and fun features.
