10/16/10 - Kentucky featured in Underground Comic and Trade Paperback

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is not to often depicted in comics and if so it is only in passing or referenced with none too flattering associations. Having traveled and lived from one end of the US to the other has taught me that there are rednecks and cowboys all over (and hopefully not to pre-judge people or places). So I was happy to see Kentucky portrayed with a broader lens in a recent comic series, now available as a trade paperback: "Underground" written by Jeff Parker and drawn by Steve Lieber. Centered around two Kentucky State park rangers and the fictional Stillwater Cave this enthralling adventure story has several exciting sections that really capture the thrills and dangers inherent to cave exploration. It was also fun to find the local references that the authors embedded into the storyline through some obvious research or knowledge of the region.

I had met Steve back in 2000 at Orlando Florida's MegaCon. His then current work on DC's Hawkman and the independently produced Whiteout (recently released as a major motion picture) caught my attention and admiration.

A recent Facebook prompt lead me to visit Steve's profile - this all cascaded into renewing contact and getting caught up on Underground, his website (old and new cartoonists will want to check out the great Advice section) and another of his projects: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating A Graphic Novel" - co-written with Nat Gertler.

This easy to read book covers areas that many other good texts on creating comics just don't address, namely: a simple but effective process for writing plots/scripts and tips on how to ensure good results as the artist visualizes the written script. This bridging of written word and drawn images really doesn't get explained adequately or often enough in most "how to" books - they tend to be focus on either the writers perspective or that of the artist.
To clarify this point I have excerpted from wikipedia's entry for "comics" in the section defining comics. Read below Will Eisner's (the man responsible for popularizing the terms "sequential art" and "graphic novel") informed opinion -  (also check out the variants by others: McCloud and Harvey):

In 1996, Will Eisner published Graphic Storytelling, in which he defined comics as "the printed arrangement of art and balloons in sequence, particularly in comic books."^[42] Eisner's earlier, more influential definition from Comics and Sequential Art (1985) described the technique and structure of comics as sequential art, "the arrangement of pictures or images and words to narrate a story or dramatize an idea."^[43]

This blending of word and picture - and this includes the unseen words from the writer that inspire the images created by the artist - is what makes comics unique! Nat and Steve really hit the target and fill this void of information - kudos to them for this service to all who want to learn the deceptively complex set of skills necessary for effective sequential narrative/cartooning.

11/22/07 - Advice For Freelance Artists

This post was on the Drawn blog a couple of days ago and I think is worth reading by anyone who wants to or is making part of the livelihood from freelance illustration or contract comic work. There is good advice here for those just starting out about internships and developing a portfolio (traditional and on-line).

Dave Roman the author of the post linked above is an artist himself and has worked for Nickelodeon Magazine for nine years so he has some credibility on this topic.

This just reiterates what you should already know: people (clients, editors, art directors) like to work with pleasant, professional people that they know can deliver the requested work with a minimum of hand holding. Target your portfolio to your own strengths and interests. Strive to be able to take revisions with good humor - this is a winning ability and will get you more work later down the road.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

7/23/07 - Newsarama's One Step Column 2007

Lots of books have been written about it and lots of web space is dedicated to it - HOW TO BREAK INTO COMICS (?) (Get a crow bar and flashlight - oh not how to break into a comics shop? Oops, Never mind!)

You may remember I have posted about the One Step column (15th installment and looks like only one for this year? Use the "One Step" label to link to the previous post) by Jim Zubkavich (project manager and illustrator for Udon Comics as well as a part-time animation instructor somewhere in Toronto) over at newsarama before...it was an ongoing Op/Ed column trying to give comic artist rookies some insider advice about how to get a professional gig.

Jim has written a lot about what should be in your portfolio in the past but this latest post is more about the old saying "...it's all about who you know...". The article makes a lot of sense, nobody wants to work with a social retard or an arrogant jerk - so remember to polish up on those people skills along with perfecting your page layout skills or your Photoshop coloring prowess. It's the networking and your skills that will get you that exclusive contract from Marvel or DC.

By the way, all the previous One Step columns are accessible as links at the bottom of the current post. Check them out!

Some useful portfolio tips

Okay, so this isn't PRECISELY comic related, but the same standards hold true for any portfolio and prospective employer. And to avoid John's chiding for my not blogging (as I generally e-mail him these things), I'll share what I found in my insomniac hours. Of course, views of Drawn! have already seen it, no doubt.

http://igallo.blogspot.com/2006/07/in-response-to-old-question-what-do-i.html

OniPress Talent Search

I got this e-mail yesterday and it psyched me up pretty badly. I'm not sure if I've the time to put something together, but I thought I should post it for you all to see. Best of luck to anyone who enters!
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More information and scripts at: http://www.onipress.com/talentsearch

Following the rousing success of 2005's Oni Press Talent Search, the boys and girls here at W.H.O.O.P.s (World Headquarters Of Oni Press) are at it again with an all-new storytelling challenge! With Comic-Con International just around the corner, Oni Press is pleased to announce that we are once again giving artists an opportunity to show off their skills. In order to have your portfolio reviewed by an Oni Press editor at Comic-Con you will need to illustrate one or more of the three scripts found on this page. Realizing that different artists are geared towards different subject matter, four different professional writers have developed three different five-page scripts, each one using a different genre and showcasing a different personal scripting style.

The genres and authors are:
"Noir" by Jen Van Meter (JSA Classified, Hopeless Savages)"Romance" by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir (Past Lies, New X-Men)"Comedy" by Jim Massey (Death Takes A Holiday)

Last year's Talent Search was a gi-normous success! With Oni Press examining hundreds of different artist samples, we were lucky to find several who were ready for a shot at comic book stardom. Joe Infurnari, resident of Brooklyn, NY and artist of the recently released graphic novella Borrowed Time, with writer Neal Shaffer, was one such artist who came to our attention through the talent search. Halifax, Nova Scotia's own Mike Holmes was another. He's collaborating with writer Ian Shaughnessy for a new graphic novel entitled Shenanigans, due out this Fall!

In order to have your portfolio reviewed, you must illustrate at least one of the above stories. In addition to presenting the original art at the review session, interested parties must also bring with them photocopies of both pencilled art and inked art for Oni Press to keep as reference. Each photocopied page should include the artist's name, phone number, and e-mail address and measure 8 ½"x11". The samples should be submitted in a manila envelope that also includes the artist's name and contact information. Illustrating one of these stories and following the above guidelines guarantees you an appointment time to meet with an Oni editor at Comic-Con during the convention's posted hours.

Not attending Comic-Con? While Oni Press does not usually accept unsolicited submissions, this is a special event and non-attending artists can submit their packet, following the guidelines above. If all guidelines are followed, submitters will get an e-mail response from Oni Press in three to six months. We realize this may seem like a long time frame, but after receiving hundreds, if not thousands of submissions last year, we feel that this is a realistic estimate given our editors\' already busy schedules. The written critique may not be as valuable as a good person-to-person critique at San Diego, but thems the breaks. Packets must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2006.

Packets must be sent to:
ONI PRESS TALENT SEARCH 20061305 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.Suite APortland, OR 97214

While Oni Press will not be reviewing portfolios for individuals who have not followed the above guidelines, we will be accepting project proposals at the convention (but due to legal and time restrictions, not by mail). Project proposals should include all pertinent contact info and include an overview of the project, sample script, and sample sequential art if it\'s available (writers can still submit without art). Proposals will not be reviewed on site, but will be taken back to the World Headquarters of Oni Press (W.H.O.O.P.s!) for review as time permits.

If you have any questions concerning your submission before you send it, you can mail thisbetterbegood@onipress.com and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.Thank you for your interest and good luck!

More information and scripts at: http://www.onipress.com/talentsearch
James Lucas JonesEditor in ChiefOni Press