Paper Comic - Academic Paper to Comic Generator

Transform academic papers into coherent educational comics, making complex concepts easier to understand through visual storytelling.

Usage

/paper-comic /path/to/paper.pdf
/paper-comic /path/to/paper.pdf --style tech
/paper-comic  # Then paste the paper content

Art Style Options

Style	Features	Suitable Papers
classic	Clean-line style, simple and professional, easy to read	General purpose, most papers (default)
tech	Futuristic look, circuit and neon elements	AI/Computer/Engineering papers
warm	Gentle tone, nostalgic feeling, approachable	Psychology/Cognitive Science/Education
chalk	Blackboard effect, academic atmosphere	Math/Physics/Theoretical papers

Output Structure

[output-dir]/
├── outline.md           # Storyboard and scene outline
├── characters/
│   ├── characters.md    # Character definitions
│   └── characters.png   # Character reference image
├── prompts/
│   ├── 00-cover.md      # Cover prompt
│   └── XX-page.md       # Page prompts
├── 00-cover.png         # Cover page
└── XX-page.png          # Comic pages

Output Directory:

• If source files exist: [source-dir]/comic/
• If no source files: comic-outputs/YYYY-MM-DD/[topic-slug]/

Workflow

Step 1: Analyze the Paper

1. Read paper content (PDF or Markdown)
2. Extract key information:
   • Paper title and authors
   • Research background and motivation
   • Core innovations (1–3)
   • Key methods/algorithms
   • Main experimental results
3. Automatically recommend an art style based on the paper field (or use user-specified style)

Step 2: Design Narrative Structure

Four-part structure (suitable for 8–12 pages of comic):

Stage	Pages	Content
Introduction	1–2 pages	Problem background — why the research is needed
Exploration	2–3 pages	Limitations of existing methods, leading to innovation
Core	3–5 pages	Explain the innovation in detail, visualized with metaphors
Summary	1–2 pages	Experimental results, significance, and future outlook

Step 3: Define Characters

Create characters/characters.md:

Required characters:

• Mentor: The explainer, wise and approachable
• Student: Represents the reader, asks questions and learns
• Concept embodiment (optional): A personified version of an abstract concept

Character consistency rules:

• Mentor and student must appear in ≥60% of pages
• Each page should clearly list appearing characters
• Character design must remain consistent throughout all pages

Step 4: Create Storyboard

Create outline.md, containing:

• Metadata (title, art style, page count)
• Cover design
• Panel layout and content of each page

Storyboard rules:

• Each page has 3–5 panels
• Note which characters, scenes, and dialogue appear in each panel
• All dialogue must be written in Chinese
• Formulas should be represented visually, not as text formulas

Step 5: Generate Images

Use genimg-gemini-web to generate images (requires Google account authentication):

# Get skill installation path (assuming installed via npx skills add)
SKILL_DIR="$HOME/.claude/skills/genimg-gemini-web"
# Or if located elsewhere:
# SKILL_DIR="$HOME/.codex/skills/genimg-gemini-web"

# Generate character reference image
npx -y bun "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/main.ts" \
  --promptfiles references/base-prompt.md characters/characters.md \
  --image characters/characters.png \
  --sessionId comic-[topic]-[timestamp]

# Generate pages (use the same sessionId for consistency)
npx -y bun "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/main.ts" \
  --promptfiles references/base-prompt.md prompts/XX-page.md \
  --image XX-page.png \
  --sessionId comic-[topic]-[timestamp]

Important: Use the same --sessionId across all runs to ensure consistent character appearance.

First run: Chrome will open for Google account authentication; cookies will then be cached.

Step 6: Generate Final Document

Generate [topic]-paper-comic.md:

# [Paper Title] - Comic Interpretation

## Overview
- **Paper**: [Title]
- **Art Style**: [Selected Style]
- **Pages**: [N]
- **Generated on**: [YYYY-MM-DD]

## Comic Pages

### Cover


### Page 1

**Content**: [Brief summary of this page’s content]

...

## Core Knowledge Points
1. [Concept 1]
2. [Concept 2]
3. [Concept 3]

Key Principles

Text Requirements

• All dialogue and narration must be in Chinese
• Professional terms: Chinese + English, e.g., “梯度下降 (Gradient Descent)”
• Text must be clear and readable

Formula Handling

• Do not write formulas as text
• Use visual or metaphorical representations instead
• Example: Gradient descent → draw a small ball rolling down a hill

Visual Consistency

• Characters’ appearance must remain consistent
• Scene style should be uniform
• Narrative logic should flow clearly and progressively

Reference Files

• references/base-prompt.md - Base prompt template
• references/styles/classic.md - Clean-line style
• references/styles/tech.md - Tech style
• references/styles/warm.md - Warm style
• references/styles/chalk.md - Chalkboard style