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Good time to rework an old #protip thread: Some advice for showing your comics portfolio at conventions. First thing: Lots of people today build great careers without ever showing a portfolio or being published by anyone else.
How much should I bring? 6-10 pages of your best sequential storytelling. Show you understand narrative, and that you can keep characters, situations, & settings consistent and recognizable. Show what you can do with acting and staging, and with character, prop, and set design.
Put the art in a clean presentation binder. Have 8½ by 11" (a4) copies you can leave behind, with your URL and email on every page. Have a business card too. I’d show printouts rather than originals. They're lighter and less trouble.
Get rid of everything but your very best work. If you feel inclined to apologize for any particular piece, take it out. Is it unfinished? Don't show it.
“But I only had a couple of days to do these pages!”
No, you had your entire life up til this moment.
“But I only had a couple of days to do these pages!”
No, you had your entire life up til this moment.
Are there pages in your portfolio that were there the last time you came to this con? Stay home & draw new samples.
Who can you show stuff to? What should you expect? It'll vary considerably from one viewer to another. Editors & art directors at big publishers can get you work! They're also stressed & busy. If they're brusque, it isn't personal.
Staffers’ critiques may be more about making your work marketable by them than making it "better." They're at the con to rep their employer, not to teach you to find your voice. Some *will* go above & beyond. These folks are treasures.
Small & mid-size publishers: Some only want to look at projects, not portfolios. Others are willing to help assemble teams. Some truly care about art and artists. Others are just hunting for kids who don't know how to read a contract.
Established working artists: When they’re not busy (ask!) you can get advice from someone who has fought thru the same problems as you. Also, they might be looking for an assistant, which is a great way to get paid while learning more about the craft and the business.
Tell those artists your goals for the work. I've had times when what I think will make an emerging artist's work “better” could actually make it less marketable at a given publisher. It's better if they can match their advice to your goals.
When you show your work you're hoping for raves, but the feedback you get may be discouraging. It seems like a long list of one problem after another. Don't feel bad. This is *A Good Thing*. The more thorough the critique, the more seriously they're taking you!
It takes effort & energy to diagnose the problems in a page. It takes none whatsoever to say, “nice job" or offer some neutral non-compliment.
That said, if they're just being a dick, say thanks, gather your stuff, & walk. It's rare, but it does happen.
That said, if they're just being a dick, say thanks, gather your stuff, & walk. It's rare, but it does happen.
Whatever problems they point out, don’t make excuses. Say “Hmm.” Nod sagely. Maybe ask for clarification. Don’t say “I had to rush through that page,” or “Well, this is just a first pass,” or “I’d fix that in the inks." or… or… or…
Offer your leave-behinds. Follow up with a BRIEF email a week after the con, thanking them for their time & input. Your 1st few won't get you work. You’ll get feedback and you get on their radar. Hang in there. Keep making new comics.
Thanks for listening. Any questions? Ask!
