Breaking into comics

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phantom000

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It is said that breaking into comics is like breaking out of jail. Once one person does it one way that way is closed and the next person has to find another way to do it.

Here is my thought. I want to make graphic novels the same way they make movies. In the old days movie companies controlled every step in the process but anti-trust laws forced them to break up and out source most of the production, i.e. the part where you actually go out and shoot the footage.

Today the big studios like Disney, Warner Brothers, New Line and Paramount are basically just a source of funding and distribution. Other companies like Pixar and Bad Robot do the actual filming then take it to a studio to print it and ship it.

So here is what i want to do. I want to work with an artist to develop a script. We would do as much work on it as we could so that when we take it to Marvel or DC or who ever all they have to do is print it and ship it.
 

Bicyclefish

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It is said that breaking into comics is like breaking out of jail. Once one person does it one way that way is closed and the next person has to find another way to do it.
This paints a picture of the comic industry trying to shut out new creators, which is far from the truth in my experience. Although one person's path to success will rarely be the exact same as another's, more or less it's a process of creation, networking, and submission.

Here is my thought. I want to make graphic novels the same way they make movies. In the old days movie companies controlled every step in the process but anti-trust laws forced them to break up and out source most of the production, i.e. the part where you actually go out and shoot the footage. [...]

So here is what i want to do. I want to work with an artist to develop a script. We would do as much work on it as we could so that when we take it to Marvel or DC or who ever all they have to do is print it and ship it.
Do you have much knowledge of the comics industry through direct experience or interaction with experienced creators? I ask because your plan isn't really new or unique and what a lot of people try.
 

snafu1056

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Basically you have to make comics until someone notices you. That's your resume in comics--the comics that youve actually made. If you want to do your own original stuff then dont even bother with Marvel or DC. They have their own properties. They dont accept outside ideas. Find an indie publisher or self-publish either in print or digitally. If you have talent (and luck, and ambition) you will eventually start getting opportunities based on your output.

Making the comics is the hard part.
 

EMaree

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Bicyclefish is right, the method you describe is quite a common way to break in (some other paths for writer/artist combo teams: sending that script and pages to an agent who reps graphic novels, or publishing webcomics online and building a fanbase). It's worth diving into research about how people are currently breaking in to the industry...
 

veinglory

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The few people I know who have regular work in this area got into a big company by doing their own comics and having them become pretty successful, or at least highly respected by aficionados.
 

SampleGuy

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I think the best way to break into comics is writing a novel and getting publish. After your readers become familiar with your book, you adapt it into a comic book series or a graphic novel. Many bestselling authors are doing it like Stephen King and James Patterson.
 

Bartholomew

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Dark Horse comics actively reads scripts from aspiring writers. I imagine they're not alone.
 

meangene01

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I'm not a big comic book reader so I am a little curious about this. Are new comic book ideas still being produced or is it mostly a continuation of all the classics?
 

Marta

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There are new ideas all the time. That said, there are ongoing stories with the same main characters in the better-known superhero comics, assuming that's what you're referring to by "all the classics." There are also new stories with new characters, both in and out of the superhero genre.

To get an idea of what's most popular now, check out the current sales of comics reported here:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/28865.html

Comics like the Batman and Spiderman titles are self-explanatory. Star Wars comics also tend to be popular. Watchmen is still selling. Titles like The Walking Dead, Saga, and East of West are relatively recent and are based on entirely new story worlds.

Definitely a huge range of fiction represented here, well worth reading more of.
 

snafu1056

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I'm not a big comic book reader so I am a little curious about this. Are new comic book ideas still being produced or is it mostly a continuation of all the classics?

The big publishers still crank out stories for their iconic characters, but theres also a few prominent indie publishers that offer up new stuff. Thats where stuff like the Walking Dead comes from. The field is more diverse than its ever been.
 

Bartholomew

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I think the best way to break into comics is to make them, frankly. At least, that's what I'm trying.
 

SampleGuy

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You can also make web comics on your own blog by wordpress or other methods. There are teams doing that to get notice.
 

PBJbooks

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There is a Kickstarter going on right now for aspiring comic writers to write a 5 - 8 page script and story for a project. You're paying for the creator and writer of the comic book to work with you and have your story be published. The link is here:
http://kck.st/1oV8O3d
 

Bicyclefish

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There is a Kickstarter going on right now for aspiring comic writers to write a 5 - 8 page script and story for a project. You're paying for the creator and writer of the comic book to work with you and have your story be published. The link is here:
http://kck.st/1oV8O3d
How about a little full disclosure? You're the writer of that comic book, aren't you? In other words, one of the backer rewards is to write a x page script for your character to be included in the annual.
 

PBJbooks

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How about a little full disclosure? You're the writer of that comic book, aren't you? In other words, one of the backer rewards is to write a x page script for your character to be included in the annual.
Hi Bicyclefish,
Yes. I am the writer and publisher of the comic and yes - the backer reward is to work with me and create and write a 5 - 8 page story that will be published in the 2016 book. The backer gets full credit as the writer of the story they created. I'm just there to help, give some tips about your script of what might work and might not. As the backer, you'll also get a copy of the 2015 publication to read the stories and get more of an idea on what kind of story to write. You'll also get just about every other reward there is in the Kickstarter as a backer also.
I know how hard it can be for some writers to get their story going, find an aritist to draw and ink their story and then published their story. By providing this backer reward, someone has a chance to get some practice and see their story come to life by seeing the artwork as it happens and the whole process. It may not be their story with their characters, but just like the big 2, comic script writers don't get to stick their own characters in any Marvel or DC story they want to. They have to work with the characters they are given and then create an exciting or dramatic story with that character. Which is what this is.
Let me know if you have anymore questions. I'm more than happy to answer them.
Thanks Bicyclefish.
 

snowpea

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So do you illustrate or do you just write? Here's the thing, my bro does comics. He's an artist and writes his own stuff. He's got two self-pubbed books out. That's how artists do it, they self-pub a lot and it doesn't have such a stigma as it is in the writing industry. Because of my bro, I'm considering doing self-pub when I'm done with my novel, but I won't rule out agents.

My bro has worked doing spongebob illustrations and comics for (now defunct) nickelodeon magazine. Probably more that I don't know of.

Basically what snafu said. You gotta just keep drawing until you get recognized. Do a web-comic, gain an audience, then you do a kickstarter and create a book. It's hard work, and it's not sudden. But that's what you have to do.
 
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zblock

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I'm not a big comic book reader so I am a little curious about this. Are new comic book ideas still being produced or is it mostly a continuation of all the classics?

A little new and a lot of established. Just like Hollywood.
 
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