Editing Megatokyo (section)

=== Production ===
[[File:Fred gallagher 2004 MIT.jpg|thumb|right|Creator Fred Gallagher in 2004]]
''Megatokyo'' is usually hand-drawn in pencil by Fred Gallagher, without any digital or physical "inking". Inking was originally planned, but dropped as Gallagher decided it was unfeasible.<ref name=megatokyobook>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 11</ref> ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} first strips were created by roughly sketching on large sheets of paper, followed by [[tracing paper|tracing]], [[Image scanner|scanning]], digital clean-up of the traced comics with [[Adobe Photoshop]], and final touches in [[Adobe Illustrator]] to achieve a finished product.<ref name=megatokyobook2>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 148</ref> Gallagher has stated that tracing was necessary because his sketches were not neat enough to use before tracing.<ref name=megatokyobook3>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 18</ref> Because of the tracing necessary, these comics regularly took six to eight hours to complete.<ref name="megatokyobook3" /> As the comic progressed, Gallagher became able to draw "cleaner" comics without rough lines and tracing lines, and was able to abandon the tracing step. Gallagher believes "that this eventually led to better looking and more expressive comics".<ref name=megatokyobook4>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 42</ref>

''Megatokyo''{{'s}} early strips were laid out in four square panels per strip, in a two-by-two square array – a formatting choice made as a compromise between the horizontal layout of American comic strips and the vertical layout of Japanese comic strips.<ref name="reasonforformat">{{cite web | date=April 18, 2001 | work=Megatokyo | title=Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston's reasoning for the square panel layout | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=109 | access-date=May 21, 2006 | archive-date=July 1, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060701221322/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=109 | url-status=live }}</ref> The limitations of this format became apparent during the first year of ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} publication, and in the spring of 2001, the comic switched to a [[manga]]-style, free-form panel layout. This format allowed for both large, detailed drawings and small, abstract progressions, as based on the needs of the script.<ref name="formatchange">{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=Fred | date=April 23, 2001 | work=Megatokyo | title=1:1.5 | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=110 | access-date=May 9, 2006 | archive-date=July 1, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060701221331/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=110 | url-status=live }} Fred Gallagher details the change of panel layout.</ref> Gallagher has commented that his drawing speed had increased since the comic's beginning, and with four panel comics taking much less time to produce, it "made sense in some sort of twisted, masochistic way, that [he] could use that extra time to draw more for each comic".<ref name=megatokyobook5>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 105</ref>

''Megatokyo''{{'s}} earliest strips were drawn entirely on single sheets of paper. Following these, Gallagher began drawing the comic's panels separately and assembling them in Adobe Illustrator, allowing him to draw more detailed frames. This changed during ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} eighth chapter, with Gallagher returning to drawing entire comics on single sheets of paper.<ref name=fullpage2>{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=Fred | date=October 3, 2006 | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=913 | title=full page, part 2 | access-date=November 3, 2006 | archive-date=October 18, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018222842/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=913 | url-status=live }}</ref> Gallagher stated that this change allowed for more differentiated layouts,<ref name=fullpage>{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=Fred | date=October 1, 2006 | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=912 | title=full page | access-date=November 3, 2006 | archive-date=November 7, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107062025/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=912 | url-status=live }}</ref> in addition to allowing him a better sense of momentum during comic creation.<ref name="fullpage2" />

The strip is currently drawn on inkjet paper in pencil, the text and speech being added later with Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. In March 2009, he began Fredarting, a streaming live video feed of the comic being drawn.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://megatokyo.com/fredarting_faq |title=Fredarting FAQ |publisher=Megatokyo.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

Gallagher occasionally has guest artists participate in the production of the comic.<ref>{{cite web |author=Piro |url=http://megatokyo.com/rant/836 |title=Off to other side of the world |work=MegaTokyo |date=May 27, 2007 |access-date=2009-07-03 |archive-date=August 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827234338/http://www.megatokyo.com/rant/836 |url-status=live }}</ref>