Received an email from a struggling would-be screenwriter looking at comics as a way to get their story out (and, of course, have it turned into a movie).
Comics are not the dumping ground for your unpublished novel/screenplay/TV show pitch.
Honest.
Comics are not the dumping ground for your unpublished novel/screenplay/TV show pitch.
Honest.
I know you mean well, but it's demeaning to think you can just momentarily cling to comics long enough to get your story out there and then dump the corpse once "real" media comes calling to reward you for your brilliance.
Just stop.
Just stop.
Comics are not the lifeline to make a bad story good.
A graphic novel is not a sure-fire route to success.
Comic artists are collaborators and storytellers, not just mindless picture robots visualizing the storyboards for your movie idea.
A graphic novel is not a sure-fire route to success.
Comic artists are collaborators and storytellers, not just mindless picture robots visualizing the storyboards for your movie idea.
In any medium, there's a learning period involved. That learning period is more than just emailing people to ask them to do the work for you.
When the first impression you give is "I'm here for the quick buck and you are my stepping stone", no one is going to help you.
When the first impression you give is "I'm here for the quick buck and you are my stepping stone", no one is going to help you.
If you think comics are your rocket ride to success, you are in for a rude awakening.
I've written well over 200 comic scripts after previously working as a webcomic creator, colorist, letterer, illustrator, background artist, animator, project manager, and editor.
I've worked very hard and been very lucky.
17 years and I'm still figuring this medium out.
I've worked very hard and been very lucky.
17 years and I'm still figuring this medium out.
It's like walking into a high-end restaurant and asking the chef if they can cook the meals you came up with because you love watching the Food Network and the restaurant business looks easy and fun.
If you're a successful writer in one medium, you definitely have an edge when moving into another: You know story, characters, and entertainment. Maybe you also have an audience. Great. Now you have to get up to speed on what makes this medium different and build a story to match
If you haven't figured out a medium you're still struggling with that core.
You don't know story or character or entertainment. Not yet.
Switching mediums doesn't magically fix that.
You don't know story or character or entertainment. Not yet.
Switching mediums doesn't magically fix that.
If you think @RobertKirkman or @mrmarkmillar or @robertliefeld or @goraina or @radiomaru or any other wildly successful creator made comics as a get-rich-quick thing, then you know N O T H I N G.
Okay, got that out of my system.
Thanks for listening.
Thanks for listening.
Apparently this thread struck a chord with you fine folks, even on a Sunday afternoon.
Wow.
Wow.
