Breaking Into Comics Tip #1 – Convention Planning

As a former editor at Marvel Comics and a current editor at IDW Publishing, the question I get asked the most is how do writers and artists break into comics. Good question and the truth is there is no one right way. No one proven way to always break into comics.

But there are certainly strategies. I’ll be posting tips on the topic periodically on the blog and now seems like a good time to start. We had our last night of class for the online writing group tonight and it was awesome. We spent most of the night talking about exactly this topic. So, if you find this useful, you can thank the latest Intro to Comics Writing class for asking it.

CONVENTIONS!

When going to a convention to meet creators and publishers and/or have your work evaluated, do yourself a huge favor and do research before you go. Almost every convention has a map of the floor plan so you can know where the people and companies you want to meet with are located. Print it out. Mark a planned path. And mark a path for each day.

Don’t get too ambitious. You probably won’t be able to see everyone, especially at a larger convention. But mark your path. This will help you maximize your time on the floor so you’re not walking back and forward between places all day long. It also means you won’t in the thick of it all forget that there was a publisher or creator you wanted to meet and you just never saw them or him or her. It means you have a strategy.

Also review the lists of creators and publishers attending. If you’re interested in getting work at a publisher, look them up on the Internet and find out what kind of things they publish. If it looks at all interesting to you or you think what you write or illustrate might fit in their publishing plans, go get some of their books and get familiar with the work. It allows you to speak intelligently about their products so you can help ease any conversation you may have.

Conventions are a great place to network and make contacts and talk business—but little is more frustrating than meandering around aimlessly only to find out the people you really wanted to see were 10 feet away and you had no idea…

Hope this helps.

Andy

The Horror! The Horror!

I figure I’ll occasionally talk about what comics I’ve been reading lately. As noted on the November 5^th entry, I was recently reading “V for Vendetta”… yet again. But that’s not what I’ve been reading for the last week or so. On Halloween weekend last week I started reading the first “30 Days of Night” collection.

Now, one week later, I’ve read every collection save one—the last one published, “30 Days ‘Til Death” but I’m sure I’ll finish that by Wednesday. There were a couple of reasons I jumped onto these. #1, I haven’t read anything horror related in a while and it was Halloween after all. And #2, I have worked at IDW Publishing for over a year—it’s probably about time I got around to reading the book that put them on the map 10 years ago!

I’ve recently been working with “30 Days” co-creator and artist Ben Templesmith. He’s just completed the artwork on G.I. JOE: ORIGINS #12 (out this February!), an issue featuring the Baroness!

Anyway, to be fair, I don’t read a lot of horror. I don’t see a lot of horror movies. So, maybe it’s just not the genre for me. But that’s not really fair. I just don’t like horror that isn’t well done—where the craft isn’t there.

I recommend the first and third books: "30 Days of Night" and “Back to Barrow.” Not that the others are bad, but these two along with “Red Snow” seemed to be the best of the bunch.

The reason I enjoyed them more than the rest was because of the honesty. There were real characters in them. The situation flowed logically. But beyond logic, I got to know some of the people who lived in Barrow, Alaska. I started to care for them. Oh, and then the vampires showed up.

I spoke with Ben the other day about the books and I told him I got a feeling that reminded me of John Carpenter’s version of “The Thing From Another World” and that I loved that movie. He laughed and told me that was his intention. Turns out he loves that movie too. That was a nice little surprise.

My point is, horror--like any genre--comes down to the execution. How well are the world and its rules established--are they followed at all times? Do the characters behave in a logical and consistent way or are they separating themselves off from the group so they can be picked off one by one? "30 Days of Night" manages to create real characters who act in a way that makes sense if the proposed situation were real--and that MAKES it real for the reader.

If you like good horror comics that are well told and make sense in the world that they create, then there are some really great stories to read here. If you’re just not a fan of horror, never mind.

I was relieved to find out how good most of the “30 Days” stories really are. And made me just a bit happier to be working at IDW: a company that took a chance on a vampire property and watched it succeed because they let good creators do great work.

Up next: More Alan Moore! I just got his Superman work in a collected edition. Can't wait to dive in!

Andy

Transformers: Continuum out Wednesday!

One week before the big launch of the TRANSFORMERS ongoing series that I’m working on with writer Mike Costa and artist Don Figueroa, IDW is releasing TRANSFORMERS: CONTINUUM which is a book I wrote based on the work of the last three years worth of Transformers writers and artists. I’m not claiming to have done anything genius here as it essentially recaps the past events in all the books. That said, if you like Transformers and the new book interests you, then this is for you!

I will give you some insight into this project from the writer's perspective, if you're interested. This was an extraordinary challenge. Condensing three-plus years of complex and often unclear continuity into a special like this was incredibly difficult. Deciding what to leave out and what needs to stay and how to rephrase things so that the meaning is clear even if the events aren't exactly how they happened is tough.

This was perhaps the most difficult writing assignment I've had to date and I wish we'd had another week or two to massage out the kinks that are still visible.

One thing I try to impart to my students in the Comics Writing and Comics Art classes is to view learning as a success. And to view challenges that one overcomes as a success. So, I look at this project and I know it works. And I know that in reading 75 or so comics and trying to distill the events and characters of each issue into two or three captions was a task I had never attempted before. It's a whole different style of writing than I've done before. So, to my mind, I learned a lot and so, for me personally, there's a lot to be proud of.

But instead of dwelling on how challenging the project was for me, let me talk a bit about what I think really does work. I was able to pick up some of the themes and character traits that will be explored in the new ongoing series and moved some of those to the foreground in CONTINUUM giving just a subtle taste of what lies ahead for the Transformers in the ongoing. Nothing to overt, but it’s there. And ultimately, that’s why I wrote the book myself—no one else seemed to want to write it and I had access to what was coming up so, to whatever extent, I could tailor it to that end.

Additionally, it does boil down 75 issues into a single issue. Some events are glossed over more than others and some story elements are condensed into one for ease of reading. For example, there are two organizations that weave throughout several issues. They're called the Machination and Sky Watch. I made the decision just to reference Sky Watch because it worked for the narrative and a new reader (and that's who this is published for) really doesn't need to know anything about the Machination for a while. So, I just went with Sky Watch in the recap book. I'm sure die hard fans will notice and think I've deleted something from their continuity, when really, all I did was downplay it. This book doesn't rewrite events. It's a primer for the new series.

So, as much as I learned on this one, I think the project is a success. It accomplishes what it set out to do--but with every project--I just wish we had more time to smooth it out even more. This was one big step in my writing journey and I hope if you pick it up, that you enjoy it.

The previous creators, especially Simon Furman and Shane McCarthy have told some incredible stories and turned a lot of heads. I hope they feel I did their work justice. The book features a brand new cover by artist Ken Christensen and is 32-pages of content.

As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the book.

Andy

G.I. JOE: COBRA Named Book of the Month!”

Christos Gage, co-writer of G.I. JOE: COBRA along with Mike Costa and artist Antonio Fuso emailed me today to let me know that our little book that could just got named “Book of the Month” at iFanboy! This is the mini-series that just really turned heads in IDW’s recent G.I. JOE launch at the beginning of the year and now the collected edition is out with a pretty darn cool extra feature!

Here’s a link to the article itself!

http://ifanboy.com/content/botm/Book_of_the_Month_-_G_I__Joe__Cobra

All of the creators involved really out did themselves, culminating in the single most difficult comic book I think I ever edited. The G.I. JOE: COBRA SPECIAL was told entirely in mirror-image pages, much like WATCHMEN #5 was. I’m not taking anything away from WATCHMEN as it’s brilliant on every level, but the work on this book by the creators is just magnificent. Every panel’s composition mirror’s it’s opposite precisely (see the excerpt from the extras at the bottom of this article for examples). The same number and (mirrored) placement of word balloons and captions is meticulous.

And colorist Lovern Kindzerski deserves a special mention as he even used “mirrored” or opposite color hues in the corresponding panels. So a blue object on one page would have a corresponding orange object on the other. The level of thought and precision going into making that issue was something I’d not seen before.

While that final issue is spectacular (and yes, there’s a good reason for the mirrored-image device), I have to say that the whole mini-series took even me by surprise, and the initial concept was my idea! I thought it would be fun to have a member of G.I. Joe go undercover into Cobra before we really knew what Cobra was all about in the relaunch—and it was. But I never imagined it would be so poignant and subtle and entertaining and gripping.

It’s very rare that an entire creative team have the same vision, but this is one of those rare cases. If you’ve got the extra time and cash—heck, even if you don’t—give G.I. JOE: COBRA a read. Even if you don’t like G.I. Joe, you might want to give it try. It’s a great story that’s easy for any adult to enjoy.

Hope you dig it!

Andy

Reviewing Scripts Today

I spent the better part of my Saturday reading the current “Intro to Comics Writing” class scripts. Their first full draft of their scripts was due last week and I’ve been reading them one by one and giving feedback. And this is just one of the reasons why I love teaching these courses.

These scripts are great. I’m giving feedback and as I’m going I’m just more and more impressed with what these writers are capable of. They exceed my expectations every time and it reminds me why I love comics and teaching the classes. They’re experimenting and pushing boundaries. One of the reasons I have them do a first draft, then give comments, and have them do a rewrite, is so they’ve got a safety net, so to speak. They can try something out of the ordinary and get some feedback on how it works before the final draft—they can either change it, refine it, or let it ride as is.

Some of them experimented with layout design, others with the boundaries of word and picture associations. Some experimented with timing and even color. I love it. It reminds me to push boundaries in my own work as a writer and as an editor at IDW.

In this case, most of what this group has tried to do has worked. This was a really fantastic bunch of scripts I’ve been reading. And the more I read of their scripts the more excited I get to jump onto my own writing for myself. It never stops to amaze me how inspiring my students are to me.

So, if you’re reading this, guys, thanks for the inspiration!

Andy

Remember, Remember

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd (or by God's mercy*)
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring. (Holla*)
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!

It’s the 5th of November which has three significant points of note for me. First and foremost, it’s my grandmother’s birthday. She passed away just a few years ago but I remember it every year and think about all the things I loved about her. Most of those memories are from my early childhood.

We would stay at her place for a week or two at a time in the summers when I was a kid and I would play with my G.I. Joe, Transformers, Super Powers and Secret Wars toys in a large group of potted plants. It was jungle adventure all the time. I loved that. (I was a bit of a loner as a child)

Secondly, our family dog Max came home with us on the 5th of November. We loved that dog! He was awesome—the uber hunt! But yeah, he died too. I still love Max.

And lastly (and why it makes the blog) is that it’s significant to my favorite comics series I’ve ever read. “V for Vendetta” has a weird publishing history that you can read about on Wikipedia all you want.

I’ve only read it as a collected volume and it’s an odd read. I’ve never thought it was a gripping read from page 1. In fact, I can’t even tell you at what point I get sucked into it. What I do know, is that I start it, and I’m ready to put it down and then—somewhere in between page 1 and page 30—I can’t conceive of putting it down.

I’ll get into what I love about the book in another blog sometime. This one is about the day.

So every 5th of November I take time out to remember not just Guy Fawkes, but my grandmother and my favorite dog too. No matter what else is going on, I always end the day with good memories in my head and a great book in my lap.

Andy

TRANSFORMERS #1 preview and interview on CBR!

Yesterday, Comic Book Resources put up a big preview of the new TRANSFORMERS #1 I’m editing that comes out this month—on the 18^th. If you’re a fan, it’s got spoilers, so beware. If you’re undecided about it but are interested in TRANSFORMERS, check it out. Something big happens in the preview. But have no fear, that’s not the only surprise in the book! The preview is located here.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23587

Today, CBR put up an interview with me about the decision revealed in that preview. It’s all story driven—and more importantly—character driven. It may be shocking, but it all makes sense and is consistent with the characters, as they’re known. There’s a lot of talk on many message boards and that’s a good thing. The interview is located here.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23606

What’s really exciting about all of this is that people are talking. There’s a thread over on a major TRANSFORMERS website that was 16 pages long within 24 hours of the preview going up. Like it or not, they seem interested. Which is good news. Hopefully, they’ll read the book and judge it on its own merits.

I won’t say more now in case some would get spoiled, but I think another post about what goes into making big change decisions is maybe worthwhile.

I hope you enjoy the articles and pick up the book. It’s a pretty wild ride!

Andy