So You Think You Have What it Takes To Be a Comic Creator

[Brian Germain]

Ok first of all let me start out by saying i am not the one who should be starting a thread like this, but in what little time I have had on the comics scene I have learned so much that I can't help it so here goes.... This thread is not for specific tips and tricks on how to create comics but maybe it should be moved to the tips and tricks section anyway... regardless here is my advice to any of you out there who are thinking about making comics.

(1.) Make Them!- If you are sitting around waiting to be the next marvel or Image mega artist, then keep sitting and waiting cause likely that is all you will end up doing. However if you actually want to become something you have to prove your mettle. and what better way to prove that you can make a comic then by making a comic!? There are literally hundreds of ads on place like www.penciljack.com or www.digitalwebbing.com and many more from people who are all about making comics and yet they aren;'t actually making any. but there is an upside with those hundreds of ads comes hundreds of writers and hundreds of artists who could and should be working togetherto make a full comic book themselves.

(2.) Raise your Goals but Lower your Expectations.- I see tons of people wanting this style or that style of artist to do their artwork for them with the comment no pay involved unless property sells or something similar... guess what if you are lucky you get what you pay for, and if you are rreally lucky you get much better. but don't expect to be working with Todd McFarlane right out the door unless you've got big bucks to blow.

(3.) Be Realistic.- so you spent a buttload of money to get a comic printed and now Diamond won't sell it? Well there are other distribution companies besides diamond but perhaps not as well connected... burt if you were realistic you spent as little money as possible on a quality product, in a low print quantity. 2000 comics is alot when you are trying to sell them yourself at cons, but not unachievable, but anything more would be a bit ridiculous for your fist issue out. and beyond that stay low for awhile with those print runs it's cost effective and creates wonderfult things for you in the future with the law of supply and demand. If you haven't sold them all in a month well then maybe you expected too much... give yourself a year and hif you haven't sold them all within a year then maybe start to kick yourself. meanwhile get the second issue ready.

(4.) Plan Ahead- When at all possible get a backlog of about 3 issues before you go to print with the first one.

(5.) Commitment, Drive, Dedication - if you wanna make it in the comics world these are traits to have, you may be makeing plenty of money off comics but your determination should be focused so much as to say you would still be workiong toward your goals even if you are making nothing. (some of us aren't making anything yet, or again)

(6.) Learn to Deal with Criticism - were you criticized and you feel it was wrongly? Well don't respond with retaliation just stay professional nod and move on with your day. Perhaps if you calm down and rethink what they said it was constructive criticism, so maybe they were trying to help you. this goes along with almost all rules but espescially with criticism, "The greater your talent, the more likely you are to lean on it" remember if you aren't making a living at doing what you love and only what you love then there has to be room for improvement somewhere. If you can't take criticism perhaps comics aren't the world for you.

(7.) Learn the Trade.- get as many helpful hints and tips as you can from anyone who will give them. use what you want discard the rest. Be yourself but at least learn what needs to be done. if you are submitting for the first time to a big company don't send them a 48 page graphic novel, read their submission guidelines and send the five pages they asked for! I see all kinds of people who want to put together submissions for other companies with like one company in mind! ie; they wrote a 36 page DareDevil story and whant to submit it to marvel so they get an artist who is willing to pencil it, and an inker who inks it, and complete a whole comic book to send into a company that only wanted you to submit a 5 page story to begin with. (What a waste of time you just spent) you could have made a 36 page book of your own and self published at least then you'd be published!

(8.) Give yourself a break! - I mean this one in all ways... after my second year of working on Moonshadow#0 (my pride and joy) I was nearly nuts, I was almost in tears I had just completely drawn half way through the book for the fifth timeand was working on finishing the book all the way through for the fifth time when I went intoi my living room and said aloud "I think this is going to drive me insane, I think I am going f8$%ing nuts!" at which point my younger brother in all his wisdom said "why don't you just take a break?" you know right then i felt really stupid it just never dawned on me that I could take a break. i was so focused on getting it done and getting it done ruight that i was consumed by it... whenever I hada moment of spare time i was working on it... but when that light clicked on it was like "wow i really can Take a Break!"

(9.) Get Experienced!- no this doesn't mean taking mind altering drugs and listening to Jimi Hendrix but hey if that works for your creativity then I say so be it... this is in regards to everything else you need to do... keep drawing comics, keep writing, inking or whatever it is you do to create and you'll get better at it, go to cons talk to the pros check out the web learn everything you can and experience everything you can with what you have about the creation process, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

and Last but not least... for now...

(10.) Be you, and Be your best.- Most Artists/writers are their own worst critics, but even if ou set out and do fall flat on your face just do your best work and be yourself, then at the end of the day if nothing else you know you did your best. and don't worry there will be more chances and oppurtunities down the road. and if you feel like giving up then maybe you didn't read rule number 5. Never give up, giving up is the only way you'll fail.


Well Like I said someone else should have been the one posting this but it looks like it waqs lil ol' me... most of this comes from just 4 years of comic experience (I have been taking the crash course though believe me) but I have had over fifteen years of semi-pro and pro art experience and alot of the same rules apply, but no where can i stress them more than in the comic book arena...

Til Next Time....


-Brian Germain

[Tommy]

Well said! I think point #1 is the most important. I sat on my concept of a comic for 10 years because I didn't know how I could get it out there. That's 10 years I could have been just making my comics and worrying about the hows & wheres later. So I just started making them & selling online and in local places, shows, whatever.

Also, (someone here has this quote in their sig) if you're getting into comics for potential money & not art, get the heck out, because there's not much money here! Do it for the love of your craft & no other reason!

rant over.

[Brian Germain]

Originally posted by Tommy
Well said! I think point #1 is the most important. I sat on my concept of a comic for 10 years because I didn't know how I could get it out there. That's 10 years I could have been just making my comics and worrying about the hows & wheres later. So I just started making them & selling online and in local places, shows, whatever.

Also, (someone here has this quote in their sig) if you're getting into comics for potential money & not art, get the heck out, because there's not much money here! Do it for the love of your craft & no other reason!

rant over.

Definitely I can't agree with you more! There are several pictures on my site of my artwork from as far back as 91 and I have several more that are nice pieces from 92 etc. I packagesd up my best twelve comicpinups pictures and I sent a copy to every comic book companyi could get an address for... which in 92 there was alot! anyway about 100 dolars worth of copies and postage later i wasready to go I even had a professional do my cover letter for me... well I waited... And waited... And waited... and... Suddenly! I waited some more... five years went by never a reply never a sorry you suck, never a screw-off and quit sending us this crap... nothing... needless to say I stopped doing that kind of stuff (comic art) for a long time... Until about five years ago something magical happened I went to my very first comic convention. and I thought man why haven't I been doing this all along... nearly every table that I stopped and showed my work at said why don't you have a table here. or your stuff is very good etc. point it when you here your stuff is great from your friends and family umteen million times but you still work at McDonald's because nmo one will actually hire you to do art, then it gets old, but when other artists appreciate your artwork as well as writers and publishers it puts a new perspective on things. so I Ran into a few peopel that told me some advice and the next comic convention that happened later that year I was at and attempting to sell artwork at... I lost my a$$ but I had the time of my life it was one of the most fun things I have ever done.. and when a kid came up and asked for my autograph I almost laughed, but then, there was another paradigm shift. I always go to the cons so that hopefully someday i will make money and be able to draw for a living but realistically I only want to make the money so I "can" draw for a living... kinda quirky I know... anyway so I just go to meet people learn and show off my stuff if i make money enough to pay for my table that is great, if I don't that isn't as great but even if I sell one thing that is one more person who is seeing my work and looking at the passion I put into it. that is also one fo the biggest things I say to creators when joining my company is check your ego at the door because this busines has enough egos in it without theirs. or mine for that matter.

-Brian

[Tommy]

I had a table at my 1st show this year. It was a small show, most of it boring, but what made my day was as soon as the show opened, this kid, about 12, came up with his dad. He had bought nothing else yet, and almost made a beeline to my table and bought 2 comics. Not Marvel, not DC, but mine! Just starting out, having someone appreciate what you do like that is worth more than a fat paycheck from Marvel.

Take that, X-Men!

[Brian Germain]

Originally posted by Tommy
I had a table at my 1st show this year. It was a small show, most of it boring, but what made my day was as soon as the show opened, this kid, about 12, came up with his dad. He had bought nothing else yet, and almost made a beeline to my table and bought 2 comics. Not Marvel, not DC, but mine! Just starting out, having someone appreciate what you do like that is worth more than a fat paycheck from Marvel.

Take that, X-Men!

Yeah that is awesome... one of the other things that i think is awesome is how much people who have boughtmy first book are aching for my second one... unfortunately I have to explain to them how since I am such a small publisher and I am working on so many other things it may take awhile ugh! but it cewrtainly is a great feeling to knmow that people want your comics... your site is nicely done BTW... couple things here and thee that make it unique and there are couple things that I myself might would change but I am sure to you it is like my site a growing ever -changing entity... and so far it looks great..

-Brian

[Tommy]

Thanks!

[guerilla mosh]

u guys are so right do it for the love of comics not the money. u mentioned people putting in adds and offering no pay . what i don't get is why these people don't help each other. i mean a writer wants an artist but can't pay. an artist wants a writer but can't pay. why not hook up, u write for me i draw for u and call it even. instead of money exchange services then u get double the exposure. u still get your project done and u also get something else to put in your portfolio.u might not make money right away but you've just doubled your chances of both making money and getting noticed. what do u guys think?

[Brian Germain]

Originally posted by guerilla mosh
u guys are so right do it for the love of comics not the money. u mentioned people putting in adds and offering no pay . what i don't get is why these people don't help each other. i mean a writer wants an artist but can't pay. an artist wants a writer but can't pay. why not hook up, u write for me i draw for u and call it even. instead of money exchange services then u get double the exposure. u still get your project done and u also get something else to put in your portfolio.u might not make money right away but you've just doubled your chances of both making money and getting noticed. what do u guys think?

I agree... models trade TFP all the time and so should artists and writers... it when artists and wroiters start thinking they are all that and can only do stuff for money that it gets stupid... now mind you I agreee with charging too, but not all the time and for god's sake if your not a household comic name than you can afford to do some freebie promo work... espescially if it is for a good cause... like ACTOR or just for the heck of it even...

-Brian

[guerilla mosh]

exactly if i found a story i believed in i'd have no problem maybe puttin together a free submission pack or more if time allowed. as long as they maybe wrote a little somthing for me in return or heck just gave me a few pointers.i mean we're spending money on paper and pencils any way might as well help some one out and think of the connections u could make. if some one hit it big becouse u cut them a break and did some free work may be they'll be able to cut u a break as well and recommend u for an assignment. who knows the guy you help out could be the next stan lee.

[Brian Germain]

The way My website/ company currently works is if someone wants to get something published through me they get a percentage of the gross profits usually 65% they maintain creator control of their own characters and mostly everything is done on the barter system.. there are all kinds of artists out there who have never been published or are getting published once in awhile and so they won't accept a TFP type position.. Sad really... in a company like mine people that are jumping on the band wagon i believe are smarter and more ambitious than most... first there is power in numbers... second there is a high probability of being published, third getting in on ground floor means as the company grows so does your position within that company... people who come in after the company is already a nice size will be low man on the pole obviously, but at ground floor your already a top person in the business... in a well formed group creators will help out the other creators in their group , with the knowledge that helping those other creators will help them in the long run... say what people might about Todd McFarlane, there would be no Image without him (whether that is good or bad is up to you) but Todd helped a bunch of professional artists do what they originally thought was impossible. every thing that Image has donefor comics is possible with the right group of dedicated determined creators with the patiewnce to see something through... so many people give up right away.. but you know that is good for us guys who are working two jobs and still drawing comics whenever we can find time, just because it's something that we'll do whether we are getting published or selling or not... of course selling would ultimately mean you could maybe quit those other two jobs just to do more comics more often...

-Brian Germain