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Stylus - Automated Comic Book Design Workflow

CI Docs Python License

Stylus is an open-source Python library that streamlines the creation of comic books from news articles or custom prompts through AI-driven agents.

🎯 What is Stylus?

Stylus transforms text into polished comic books using a multi-agent AI pipeline. It integrates specialized agents for:

  • Character Creation - Generate consistent character profiles and visual attributes
  • Story Arc Generation - Convert text into structured narrative with dialogue
  • Panel Layout Planning - Design optimal comic page layouts
  • Art Generation - Create line art using AI models like Stable Diffusion
  • Coloring - Apply mood-based color schemes and shading
  • Final Composition - Assemble panels, text, and assets into publication-ready pages

🚀 Quick Start

# Install with Poetry (recommended)
poetry add stylus

# Or with pip
pip install stylus

from stylus import ComicGenerator

# Generate a comic from text
generator = ComicGenerator()
comic = generator.create_comic(
    title="The Rise of the Phoenix",
    source="Breaking news article about urban renewal",
    style="neo-noir"
)

# Export to various formats
comic.export("my_comic.pdf")
comic.export_pages("pages/")  # Individual PNG files

🏗️ Architecture

Stylus uses a sequential agent architecture where specialized AI agents handle distinct phases:

graph TD
    A[Input Text] --> B[Character Agent]
    B --> C[Story Arc Generator]
    C --> D[Panel Layout Planner]
    D --> E[Art Generation Module]
    E --> F[Coloring Agent]
    F --> G[Final Layout Composer]
    G --> H[Comic Pages]

Each agent maintains narrative coherence and visual consistency through shared context management.

🎨 Key Features

For Creators

  • Rapid Production: Generate 4-6 page comics in under 10 minutes
  • No Artistic Skills Required: Focus on storytelling, let AI handle visuals
  • Multiple Styles: Neo-noir, manga, superhero, indie comics, and more
  • Iterative Refinement: Easily modify and regenerate specific elements

For Developers

  • Modular Design: Replace or extend individual agents
  • Type-Safe: Full Pydantic schemas for data validation
  • Extensible: Plugin architecture for custom styles and models
  • Well-Tested: Comprehensive test suite with 85%+ coverage

🎯 Use Cases

Digital Journalism

Convert breaking news into engaging visual narratives for social media and online publications.

Independent Publishing

Transform written stories into illustrated comics without hiring professional artists.

Educational Content

Create educational comics to make complex topics more accessible and engaging.

Content Marketing

Generate unique visual content that stands out in crowded social media feeds.

🛠️ Technology Stack

  • Python 3.12 - Latest stable Python with enhanced performance
  • Pydantic v2 - Type-safe data validation and serialization
  • FastAPI - High-performance web API framework
  • OpenAI GPT-4 - Text generation for stories and dialogue
  • Stable Diffusion - AI-powered art generation
  • NetworkX - Graph-based story and panel relationship modeling

📚 Documentation

  • Getting Started - Installation and setup
  • Architecture - System design and patterns
  • API Reference - Complete API documentation
  • Tutorials - Interactive examples
  • Development - Contributing guidelines

🤝 Contributing

Stylus is designed for community collaboration with:

  • < 3k LOC - Approachable codebase for contributors
  • Clear Architecture - Well-documented patterns and interfaces
  • Quality Gates - Automated testing and code quality checks
  • Hackathon-Friendly - Perfect for AI/creative coding events

See our Contributing Guide to get started.

📄 License

Stylus is released under the MIT License, encouraging both open-source collaboration and commercial use.

Ready to create your first comic? Check out our Quick Start Guide or explore the Interactive Tutorials.