There is no such thing as total originality. There is no chance that your comic (or whatever you create) will be original in every element or that any of what you use hasn’t been used somewhere already.

Also, there’s no total unoriginality. The personality of a creator affects their work in such a way that, even if two people make the same story, it would still be different (no matter how slightly).

These two examples are just two extremes on the scale toward which we can diverge, but never reach - and we don’t need or want to. A comic has to retain a number of familiar elements to work, as overwhelming a reader with new things isn’t a good idea. On the other hand, nobody wants to be unoriginal, right?

Here I have to point out that sometimes people rely on the fact that their personality affects the work, thereby granting originality to their comic. The popular opinion is that their comic is who they are, and as they are unique individuals (like everybody), their comic will be unique too. But their comic is also a reflection of their artistic influences, and those are deeply built in their work if not their personality itself. So if you are practically redrawing another comic, whether because it’s an object of your fascination or for some other reason, your personality is not enough to make it a new or somewhat original work. Also, artist’s personality is built from basic, general characteristics as well as from subtle, barely noticeable elements... is an artist sure that those subtle elements are visible throughout his work? Is what makes an artist’s person differ from other artists really affecting his comic enough to be different from other comics? And is it enough of a difference? Usually not, and it doesn’t matter much to a reader.

Now, let’s rewind two paragraphs: I said that total originality and total unoriginality are two extremes on a scale; But it is important to stress that this scale is not two-dimensional: it spans in every possible direction.

For instance let’s check one dualism that can occur on that scale: a comic can be original in story, or it can be original in form, or both, or neither). Some say that being original in story is impossible nowadays as there are so many archetypal stories written in history that no matter how far back you go, you’ll still fit into one of those archetypes. However, if it is possible to sum up all variations of characters and relations between characters, then perhaps it is possible to sum up all basic plots that could ever be written. But it’s not.

Truth to tell, it depends on how far we simplify the story to get its basic plot. If we go too far in simplification (like retelling an entire novel in two sentences) then perhaps, just perhaps, we can say that all possible plots were already written. But it is not right to go this far into simplifying things: what makes a novel is not just that plot that you put in two sentences. If you, for instance, try to simplify pictures of a man and a chair; if you bring both to their main skeletons, at some moment, you will get the same shape, both for man and a chair. But this does not make man a chair. The plot of Disney's “The Lion king” does not make it a “Hamlet.” Sure, they both have to avenge a father who was killed by their uncle, but while Hamlet has to resolve his inner doubts (among which is whether he is sane or crazy), Simba’s only problem was survival.

So it’s not futile to try to come up with new, original plots. And it’s not ok to rely on old plots that have been retold hundreds of times, if you’re not sure that you have something original to give in return.

Of course, plot isn’t everything, as even the best idea can be badly told; so keep in mind that it is not where the job for your brain cells ends.

The other side of the coin is, as I said, originality in form. Sometimes, formalism is considered bad; it’s often considered just an artistic exercise. As critics say, form cannot be content, and content is the only thing that matters. This line of thinking trips us up in an unexpected place: namely, form can be content. Form can be telling the reader something, instead of just helping the artist to tell something.

Take for example American experimental postmodern writers: they often used well-known, common plots and, by using collage, satire and deconstruction, wrote something much more effective than conventionally told stories would be. Example of this is Raymond Coover’s novel “Babysitter” where one everyday story is deconstructed through uncontrolled multiple universes, flashbacks, and by mixing reality with fantasizing and TV programs until at the end where it sums up every lingering thread in a few paragraphs. The chaotic effect that this has on reader is far more effective than a pure exercise could have been. But the reason Coover used such archetypal story to build up on, was because the element of known parts helped him set up the initial story easier, saving him from a lot of explaining so he could go straight to the point. Also his contrast with normal, everyday content made for an even stronger effect. Remember, the reader still needs something familiar to get a grip on it.

In similar manner, if one of your supporting characters is archetypal, that saves you from having to characterize him or her. However, that shouldn’t be used for more important characters, unless the comic is some sort of satire.

As opposed to originality in story, we can also consider originality in details. You shouldn’t mix this with originality in form, as even if the comic has original details, it can still be told in a conventional way. Take, for instance, a person who is waiting for someone. This person can be just standing with her arms crossed, checking her watch, or playing a game boy. In crime stories, the main character is usually a policeman, detective or newspaper journalist. Make the main character, say, a garbage man and you score one originality point. Care for details can make your story a lot more alive.

When writing, don’t save on ideas. You can’t make a good comic based on one idea. You’ll need a plenty of them, and wherever you have a hole in a plot, a time gap between two events, or just a simple scene that needs more work on it, it’s an opportunity to add something interesting, funny, even perhaps original. For instance, if you have a plot, but you don’t have a real resolution to it, isn’t it better to take some time in thinking about a new idea for it instead of offering some half-arsed resolution that first came to your mind? Make your comic a nice carpet of evenly distributed ideas, that will grant it being funny all through.

Sure, not all ideas have to be original, there’s really no harm in taking an idea for some little detail from somewhere else – but a certain level of originality has to be retained.

Now, the part you’ve all been waiting for: How to be original?

Beats me.

I guess it has something to do with “thinking outside of the box”.

That brings me to the psychological term of “direction”. Whenever you are resolving some problem (for instance, some sort of riddle), you’re usually sticking to one direction to a possible solution (probably the one that first came to your mind or the one that is according your character) and trying out variations of that direction. It takes a lot to change the direction. Once you change it, the solution can turn out to be very simple. Sometimes, when someone tells you the solution to the problem that you’ve been trying to solve for a long time, it can seem unfair that the solution was very easy. You just had a wrong direction and stuck to it.

Originality is not sticking to the most obvious directions. As with solving the riddle, it is not always easy to find alternative directions. As with riddles, again, someone else can help you find the solution. So, it’s good to look at the world around you, to look for original ideas in other people, in passers-by, even in dreams. Sometimes, when ideas seem silly or useless, perhaps it’s just the idea you needed. Perhaps it’s just that you aren’t used to it. Don’t be afraid to use it.

Be original. When you read a comic that inspires you, let it inspire you to do something totally different. As I said, you can’t be totally unoriginal, but it’s not the reason to settle with the next worst thing.

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