Powers

Not all comics have to be a superhero comic, and not all superheroes need powers.  With that said, they are some of my favorite types of comics.  But it seems that in such a creative field, the creativity toward thinking up powers is lacking.  I usually see the elements, strength, speed, psychic abilities, teleportation, beams, or something with the senses.  Not a whole lot else has been coming out as of late.  I'm a very amateur scientist.  I study and hypothesis by watching the show Universe on the History Channel.  But by watching that, I've created fresh spins (at least I think so) on some old stuff.  I'm not saying create something that's never been done or seen before and use it as a gimmick.  I'm saying think outside the box, or the atmosphere while you're at it.  Moral of the story: don't be generic. 

Thoughts on Character Development

What kind of comic do you want?  Not the story or the genre, but the focus.  Plot or character?  I love many of the superstar superheroes.  I grew up watching them on Saturday morning with a bowl of Frosted Flakes.  In fact, I had to get up first every morning to get to the remote.  The rule in our house (with four other brothers trying to do the same) was whoever gets to the remote first, gets to watch what they want for the morning.  I rarely missed my cartoons.  But with that said, not much has changed.  What does change is scrubbed old again not too long after.  I think the most interesting comics are character studies.  The problem is fans (can’t change with them, can’t drive a Porsche without ‘em) often weigh heavy on the decisions of the creators, editors, and writers.  Wonder Woman can't even change her costume without fans taking sides.  There are many great characters that are static and there are many more that grow in some way.  The big guys seemed to be picking up on this.  More of the heroes seem to be placed in “real” harm with “real” consequences.  But then they usually reboot or say it was a clone/imposter/robot/cyborg/alternate universe.

Writing

Most of the other posts have been on the collaborative efforts.  Artists are the "superstars" and receive all the attention anyway, so this one will be for us; the writers.  We do a very important job.  One that shouldn't be overlooked so easily.  So...how do you write a script?  My accumulated knowledge from classes, conferences, conventions, books, and the "internets" tells me that you just write it well.  The formatting will depend on what you're going to do with it.  Is it just for show?  For and illustrator?  Or will you be doing it yourself (you could get away with thumbnails)?  Points to consider: make sure it's easy to follow, provide any reference material that's applicable, write it and then see it (if it's clunky or action-packed with words, it may be too much visually), work and rework the dialogue, and don't be redundant in images or dialogue.  Moral of the story: Just tell a good story that you would buy and the rest will work itself out.

Dealing with Artists: The Awful

Unfortunately, there will be bad eggs out there.  The advice I can give to avoid or reduce the pain is to thoroughly vet and to protect yourself (kind of like dating).  Copyrighting is not very expensive.  Look into it when you're close to the collaboration point.  The real thing, not the poor man's version.  Also, like I said before, give clear upfront directives.  This should include scheduling, deadlines, formatting, revision and editing thoughts, style, compensation (milestone, frontend, backend, percentage, royalties), and anything else you can possibly think of.  Find or create some type of contract for the freelance work you're hiring them to do.  It could address nondisclosure or any of the other legal mumbo-jumbo (not a lawyer, not even close so get that part from one of those guys).  And finally, remember whose project it is.  If it's yours, be the director.  If you're not satisfied, speak up.  I like to get the first few pages as soon as they're done.  That way if there is an issue with the tone, style, characters, environment, etc, I can address it early and not have to have something on every page redrawn.  I also ask for character sketches or model sheets.  I try to get detailed ones of my main characters and at least one location done before any work is started.  Moral of the story: Be clear.  If you work out as much as you can up front, there will be less surprises or complications (which can ruin a professional relationship or set the project back months) as you go. 

Dealing with Artists: The Better

Artists are an essential part of the team.  To be more specific, the penciler.  Art draws you in; the story will keep you coming back.  Ultimately, the project is collaboration between the "parents".  I see myself, the writer, as the father.  I create this thing, provide all of the essential ingredients, and as any good father does, I'm there as head of household from birth to maturity.  I see the penciler as the mother.  They must shape and mold what I've provided and go through the actual labor.  I say all this to say that it should be an equal partnership, in the forming and ideas part at least.  I find myself getting great ideas from the artist and then working it in to the flavor of the story and characters.  I also find myself rejecting others.  The moral of the story is: Listen.  Be open to hearing other ideas out and if you can add it or meet them halfway, do it.  If not, at least let them know you are open to hearing more even if you don't accept that one.

Dealing with Artists: The Bad

Okay, so you've got the script and you're deciding on which artist to contract with.  Here's a few helpful tips to consider as you look at the artist.  I'll start with the bad.  I'm working on four to five comics right now (the fifth will be drawn by me and it's in a suspended state of animation at any given moment) and I've had to recruit an artist for each one (my thesis as well).  I've been fortunate enough to have selected some really strong people to help out on the comics.  But there has been a dud and I've bumped my head a time or two.  On the dud, just make sure you thoroughly research the artist you want to bring on.  I did, but it wasn't good enough.  This guy had multiple degrees, relevant samples, comfortably fit my price range, and had a lot of good customer reviews on the site I used.  We communicated very well early on, but he was a BIG procrastinator.  A job that was slated for a few months stretched into 10.  There was always a reason why he didn't have pages for the week.  Not even one.  I let him go and I've had no issues with the replacement.  Moral of the story: communication.  If you need to, lay out a schedule you both can agree upon.  They are freelancers, so it is understandable if they must prioritize another project over yours for the week, but progress should be made. 

The Writer and the Artist

Writing a comic can be both exciting and challenging.  Since there are many ways to actually write a script, the best advice I can give on that (in this post anyway) is to make sure it is clear and thorough enough for an artist to have an understanding of what's going on.  How do you do that, you ask?  Just follow a few pointers I'll give you here and then modify it as you go along.  First thing is to know what you want.  To do this, you have to have everything to the furthest point possible and be ready to answer the visual or story questions you may not have addressed.  The story, the characters, the setting, and the world should all be developed BEFORE you seek out an artist.  If it’s someone you know it’ll probably work differently.  Also, make sure you are far enough along in the story arc to avoid any major changes.  The last thing you want to do is upset the artist with an avoidable error and delay the production, bloat the budget, or lose the “talent”.  Finally, know what you want.  Research, research, research.  Get visual examples for the artist, they are visual beings, and learn what it takes to complete each part of the comic.  If you know what you want and you know what it takes, your needs will be clear, realistic, and you should have fewer chances at miscommunication (at least in the process).

All of the Above

Before I started my first comic, I had to think about what I would do when I finished it.  I considered the advantages and drawbacks of print versus a webcomic.  Print would be more of a financial investment, but would make it seem more real.  It would provide me with a hardcopy I could take and show to others (eg family, friends, comic stores, etc.) and sell at cons.  Webcomics have the potential to reach a greater audience, but it would be limited to those that seek it or stumble upon it.  Webcomics also have a greater risk for piracy.  There are many other positives and negatives I weighed, but you get the idea.  I chose to do both.  I'll do print so that I can take advantage of all of the positives, but I'll limit my financial burden by using a print ondemand service provider.  I'll put it on the web because that's were things are heading and I have a limited area I can get to physically.  There are many social networks specifically for webcomics.  Joining in with them will increase my chances for exposure.  For me, both work well, at least on paper.  I'm sure once all the first issues are completed and I switch from creative to business, right to left, then things might change.

Trying to Make Comics

Creating an original comic can be a daunting task.  There's the characters, the story, the world, etc., etc., etc.  After I finally realized that I wanted to join in on the comic making biz, I found myself lost and confused about where to start.  I'd always read comics as a kid and kind of lost touch with them as I got into high school and college.  I discovered the art of writing while I was in college, but didn't connect the dots to writing comics until I read Marvel's Civil War arc.  I thought to myself, I'm going to do this.  And I thought about it and thought about it.  Then I searched for a place to call home.  Somewhere that would teach me how to make them.  Naturally, I went to Marvel and DC fully expecting to get an off site writing position.  There were none for me.  A few revelations and a few cons later, I realized I should be doing my own thing.  I started what is now called New Myth Comics and laid the foundation for the New Myth Universe and all its inhabitants.  It's hard work.  Harder than I expected.  As a writer, I had complete control over the characters and world, but I couldn't produce the visuals.  Collaborations and leadership became important factors in helping me realize my dream.  But that's for another day.