---
name: digital-comic
description: Turn a finished StoryBook story into illustrated digital comic pages, optional cover, then save or publish.
---

# Create a digital comic

The person needs a saved story first. Create one with `create_story` if needed.

Digital comics spend creation credits (about 2 per page image, plus cover if requested). Lite users need Member, Creator, or a credit pack, unless a Keepsake unlock applies.

## Before illustrating

1. Confirm the `story_id`.
2. Ask about characters (optional):
   - Create a new character for this story (`create_character`, optional photo reference as base64), or
   - Reuse one from `list_characters` and `apply_character_to_story`, or
   - Skip characters and illustrate from the story text only.
3. Ask whether they want an optional cover (`generate_comic_cover`) now or after pages.

## Illustrate

1. After the character choice (or skip), call `create_digital_comic`. If they skipped characters, pass `proceedWithoutCharacter: true`.
2. That prepares pages and generates page 1. Remaining pages use `generate_comic_page`.
3. If any page image fails, tell the person the error clearly and ask whether to retry that page. Do not silently skip failures.
4. Share the Comic Studio URL. Never claim the whole book is done after page 1.

## Save and publish

1. After pages (and optional cover) look good, call `save_comic_progress`.
2. Ask whether to `publish_comic`. Only publish after they say yes.
3. Optionally offer audio (`list_narrator_voices`, `generate_page_audio`) or video (`start_page_video`, `poll_page_video`).

## Checkout

If credits are missing, call `list_plans`, then `start_checkout` or `start_credit_pack_checkout`. Return the Stripe URL. Do not say the purchase is complete until they finish Stripe.