# Comic Visual Styles

Pick ONE style per strip. All panels in a strip MUST use the same style suffix for visual coherence.

## 1. Graphic Novel — Bold Linework

Best for: dramatic takes, confrontational threads, high-energy arguments.

**Look:** Heavy outlines, high contrast, limited color palette (2-3 colors + black). Frank Miller meets editorial illustration. Dynamic angles, dramatic shadows.

**Prompt suffix:** `Bold graphic novel style. Heavy black outlines, high contrast, limited color palette with [COLOR] and [COLOR]. Dynamic composition, dramatic shadows. Clean linework, no crosshatching. No text, no watermarks, no logos.`

### When to use
- The thread is argumentative or confrontational
- You want visual IMPACT over subtlety
- The content is about power, conflict, or dominance

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## 2. Cinematic Storyboard — Film Still

Best for: narrative threads, storytelling, step-by-step breakdowns.

**Look:** Realistic, desaturated, cinematic aspect ratio feel. Like stills from a prestige film. Natural lighting, environmental storytelling. The thread reads like a movie.

**Prompt suffix:** `Cinematic film still. Realistic, slightly desaturated. [LIGHTING]. [COLOR PALETTE]. Shot on 35mm, shallow depth of field, natural grain. Widescreen composition. No text, no watermarks, no logos.`

### When to use
- The thread tells a story with progression
- You want immersive, realistic scenes
- The content involves real-world scenarios or human behavior

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## 3. Minimal Conceptual — Clean & Symbolic

Best for: intellectual threads, evo psych theory, abstract concepts.

**Look:** Sparse composition, lots of negative space, symbolic objects. One strong focal element per panel. Think New Yorker cover meets Muji advertising. Sophisticated, cerebral.

**Prompt suffix:** `Minimal conceptual illustration. Sparse composition, generous negative space. Single focal element. [COLOR — muted, sophisticated]. Clean, graphic quality, sharp edges. No text, no watermarks, no logos.`

### When to use
- The thread is about ideas, not events
- Each tweet introduces a distinct concept
- You want the images to make people THINK

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## 4. Raw Documentary — Photojournalistic

Best for: biology threads, nature references, real-world observations.

**Look:** National Geographic quality. Gritty, real, unstaged. Natural lighting. The visual equivalent of "I saw this in the wild."

**Prompt suffix:** `Documentary photograph. Raw, unstaged, authentic. [NATURAL LIGHTING]. Earth tones. Shot on telephoto, shallow depth of field. Photojournalistic quality. No text, no watermarks, no logos.`

### When to use
- The thread references animal behavior or biology
- You want credibility through realism
- The content is observational

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## Decision Tree — Picking the Style

Walk through in order. Use the FIRST match:

**A. Is the thread confrontational, high-energy, or about power dynamics?**
→ YES: **Graphic Novel** (Style 1)

**B. Does the thread tell a story with scene progression?**
→ YES: **Cinematic Storyboard** (Style 2)

**C. Is the thread about abstract ideas, theory, or concepts?**
→ YES: **Minimal Conceptual** (Style 3)

**D. Does the thread reference nature, biology, or real-world observation?**
→ YES: **Raw Documentary** (Style 4)

**E. None of the above?**
→ Default to **Cinematic Storyboard** (Style 2) — it's the most versatile.

## Consistency Rules

1. **Same style suffix** for every panel in a strip — never mix
2. **Same color palette** across panels — pick colors in panel 1, reuse them
3. **Same lighting direction** — if panel 1 has light from the left, maintain that
4. **Describe clothing explicitly** in every prompt — don't assume the model remembers
5. **Include character role descriptions** with every reference image, every time
