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.