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It is difficult to break into the world of comics. There are far more eager
comic illustrators than audiences for their comics, so many people who try
their hand at this industry meet with disappointment. It's the reality of
the business.
But there are a number of ways to improve your odds. With a balance of
talent, ambition, business savvy and an informed strategy, your chances of
becoming the next star of the comic world are much better.
"If you're good enough and you have stamina and it's really what you want
to do, you will get there," says Superman illustrator Jon Bogdanove.
If you're the kind of person who likes to do things for yourself, publishing
your own comics might be the way to go.
"I like working on my own -- being in charge from start to finish. It's
a great feeling looking at a comic book in a shop and knowing you have been
responsible for it from beginning to end," says illustrator Jenny Frank.
Frank says there are basically three steps to self-publishing. First, complete
two comic books in a series and make clean photocopies of them to send to
distributors. Send the photocopies to the distributors and ask them to include
an advertisement of your work in the next catalogue they send to retailers.
If the distributor decides to showcase your comics, retailers will order
the comic. Take the originals of your comic book and the retailer's orders
to a printer and order the appropriate number.
It sounds pretty straightforward, but every step requires money. Th is
can complicate matters. If you have savings or someone to help you out, money
won't be a problem -- otherwise, you have work to do.
The first step to success in the comics industry is developing your art
skills. This can mean anything from working with other comic artists to going
to art school or simply spending a lot of time drawing and trying different
styles.
"Draw like crazy, and especially draw from real life," says illustrator
Mike Cherkas. "Take life drawing courses and, if possible, anatomy for artists
classes.
"And if they want to be a superhero artist, look at superhero comics only
for inspiration. But don't copy the current crop of superhero artists for
technical know-how, since it looks like a huge number of these guys working
today have never looked at a human anatomy book."
It's not essential to be formally educated, says Bogdanove. "But if you're
not formally educated, it is somewhat essential to be educated by life." He
agrees that learning to draw from a variety of artistic styles (not just comics)
is a good way to go.
Once you feel comfortable with your style and the quality of comics you
can produce, your next step is to create a portfolio.
"A portfolio is an artist's version of a resume," says Frank. "It shows
the best of what you've done and what you're capable of doing."
A comic illustrator's portfolio should be anywhere from eight to 12 pages
long and should contain a range of your best work. Of course, you won't want
to chance sending your original portfolio to anyone, so it's a good idea to
keep very good photocopies around.
After your portfolio is ready, you're ready for business. Be prepared to
be business-like by this point, because competition is stiff.
"If you want to have fun and just put out a few comics for your friends
to see, it's fine to be as casual as you want. If you want to make a living
at this, you've got to be professional," says Jeff Mason. He is the editor
of Indy Magazine.
Most people who get into the comics business set working for a big-name
label like Marvel or DC Comics as their ultimate goal. However, there are
also a number of mid-sized and smaller publishers to consider.
Be prepared to make a lot of submissions. If at first you don't succeed,
try, try again. There are hundreds of comics publishers out there, and experts
say even the best comics illustrators get overlooked from time to time, so
keep trying.
Utah illustrator Steve Addlesee says comic book conventions are another
way to get noticed by publishers. They're also a great opportunity to meet
other illustrators and see what kind of comic books have become successful
over the past year.