In continuing my rant from the week prior, I have again gone out in a conscious effort to expose myself to something new and outside of my comfort zone. This is the simple request I have made of everyone out there, yourself included, and as I am unwilling to ask anyone to do that which I myself am unwilling to do, this is where we find ourselves.
The point with this little exercise is to give something new a chance with the hope that you get off your couch and buy a new CD or pick up a new book.
My complaint is we find ourselves setting our 'tastes' and it takes an act of Congress to get us to deviate from them. Here's your Act of Congress then.
Just this week, while at work on break sketching out a page from The Portland Express, a coworker approached me to talk comics. I will never turn away one of these convos if it gives me the dual opportunity of shilling my shit or making a convert to comics in general, so I indulged. He gave me his story, I listened patiently. Bought since the 90's...collected titles...got burned by the collector war of the same decade...still reads X-Men.
I sat patiently and when he was done I asked my 2 questions.
1) What was the last comic you bought that you liked?
2) Why did you stop buying comics?
These are questions you need to ask EVERYONE you meet. The answers will amaze you.
The last one ghe bought was an X-Men title he couldn't even remember details about....and he stopped buying comics because they got too repetitive. There wasn't anything new out there. I showed him Nails and he liked it...so let's hope I sent another fan down the chute of Creator Owned comics.
On to the goods for the week.
The Comic
Comfortably Dumb by Loyd Gant
Kind of hard to get a gauge on this but I am talking about it anyway for a very specific reason. First the points, then the reason.
The comic is only one page so far. That one page is done in a pop-art inspired cartoonish fashion. It is also very well done. The panels are clear, the lettering is readable and there is a point that flows through it from one panel to the next. I want to see more. Now the reason I included this one pager as a new comic. It isn't really a new comic in the biblical sense. It's only one page. The artist has nothing more than that up. Either he ran out of time (which happens) or he got zero support and simply stopped. I'm leaning on the latter here. That is in my opinion the worst aspect of this artform. We hate each otehr. Well...not hate...that's the wrong word, but it's pretty damn close. It's probably better to say we're scared to death of each other. This business has us all climbing up a pole. The same pole. And it's covered in grease. We're so insular in focusing on our technique that we don't make the time to say to someone else, "Hey...nice pole climbing." Well Lloyd is climbing quite well.
It really bothers me at times when I look at the dynamics of comic making from the outside and see everyone shoving their way over each other to say "Hey! Look at my shit, dude!" There is a fear built into us from jump that someone will steal our idea...or that someone will accuse us of that themselves. That fear is the driving force, I think, in preventing comics like Lloyd's from getting the feedback it needs. Hell...it's the same with MY webcomic. People seem afraid to say "Well done, man" when they come across something that was indeed, well done. The fear stops em cold. Am I worried someone will steal my ideas? Of course. It has happened 3 times so far...each time by Marvel. I look at that as a sign that I was on the right track with that particular idea, but not ready to implement in their eyes. A backhanded compliment, if you will.. Do I want vengance? No. I want us to accept that there are creators who need support and I want us to give it to them. I do NOT want, however, for us to fall over ourselves calling crap great. Friends do that all the time. If you are a friend of a comic artist...spare him the misery of your compliments if all you're doing is being a good friend. You are NOT helping him. If he drew crap, you need to tell him. You are his friend. It's better he hears it from you than get his head inflated and eventually popped down to earth by someone who actually doesn't care about his feelings. Those who are being read almost flat-out refuse to look at someone's new work for fear that person will sue. It's insane. Without the feedback from working professionals, many talents simply die on the vine.
Honesty.
Fearlessness.
Integrity.
These are ALL traits we want to be known as having, and they only take a moment of actualy listening to our consciences.
Your friend will thank you in the end.
But read Lloyd's comic when he gets more than one page up. I think it's gonna be fun.
The Band
N.E.R.D.
This one will seem like 'duhr' moment for anyone who actually has listened to this band. It's been my brother's favorite for a while now. But I always said, "Not Interrested." when he said you oughta listen to these guys. I thought his tastes were garbage and these guys must be as well. It was this movement that I am pushing here that changed t his. I am willing now to GIVE something a chance rather than dismiss it out of hand and in this case in particular, I have NO shame admitting I was wrong here. These guys are good.
This is the song that did it for me. Help Me I listened to this one about 30 times during a drive home recently. Stuck in traffic affords you that opportunity. Everything here made my like button go off. The 70's retro horn funk...the lyrics
"No, I won't kill you, but I'll watch you die."
"Cool can only be killed, never absorbed."
If this experiment has shown me anything it is that my last 39 years on this planet have been wasted. The simple act of deciding I will give that a try paid off. Is that always going to be the case? Hell no. I know I'm going to get my ears raped or my eyes assaulted on this trip of mine. But the fear of that is gone now. I KNOW that I was wrong in keeping myself comfortable. And I can only pray you decide to take action here. Don't read my comic just because I ask you to. Read it because it's something new and you decide to give it a shot.
Showing posts with label comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comics. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
TRY SOMETHING NEW! 2/8/2011
OK Folks. I'm putting my money where my enormous mouth is here.
I have been on a tear since Mssrs Niles and Powell kicked this bear in the balls last week preaching the cause of trying out Creator Owned Comics. It all comes down to one simple thing, really. Before you try something new you have to take yourself out of your comfort zone. We all have one. It guides all aspects of our life, from our daily TV watching habits, to our dining habits to our musical tastes (or lack thereof) and our literary pleasures. Since it's the latter rather than the former I am preaching, I think it only fair that I include a few of the others as well because, and I'll be honest here, if you already READ comics, odds are this isn't meant for you.
It's you. Yes...YOU. The one over by the twizzlers at the checkout line that I am talking to here. You never read a comic, well, there was that one time in detention when Jeff had a copy of X-Men 300 that you borrowed. You read about 10 pages of it before you got bored. Not bad, since comics really aren't your thing right? But here's my point, if I may. You read The DaVinci Code twice. You read and reread ALL 7 Harry Potter books last week during the snow storm. You have read almost every book written by Stephen King. But still, the XMEN wasn't your thing. Fair enough. But the point I want to stress here is you are missing out. You like adventure stories. But Super Heroes bore you. I get it. Try reading MY webcomic The Portland Express. There aren't any superheroes in that at all. If that isn't your bag, try The Walking Dead. You know...that TV show? Yes it was a comic. Or maybe you liked Red? Read THAT comic too. I promise you if you try enough of them you'll find one that speaks to you. It's so simple. The only thing is it'll cost you. That five minutes of your time where you put yourself completely at the mercy of the creators will seem like an eternity if you don't dig what they are selling, but if it strikes your fancy, a 100 page graphic novel will seem like a Super Bowl commercial. Over too fast and leaving you wanting more. The point is you will never HAVE that experience if you don't gamble. And it is a gam,ble, man. Never doubt that. You will get some comics that just aren't for you. I still get those daily. But if you read 20....and hate 19 of those...that 1 will be a doosey. I know this.
But it doesn't mean shit if you just hear me tell you this...so I am going to put it to practice. I'm going to try a new comic that I never saw before and tell you what I think....good or bad. I'll do the same with music. I'll listen to a new band and is I like it...I'll tell you why. If I didn't...then no loss. The point is I am doing what I am asking YOU to do. Get your asses OUT there and SEE what is available. There are some KICKASS comics out there just like there are bands you never heard of that will make you soil your drawers and love it.
The Comic
Fubar (http://zombiefubar.wordpress.com/)
This is a zombie comic....consisting of over a dozen black and white short comic stories featuring WWII Nazis and Zombies. I haven't bought the actual comic yet. But I plan to. I was able to read one of the short stories though and that sold me. The story is titled "And the crowd goes wild" by Jeff McComsey and it's fairly straightforward. Man with baseball bat tees off on zombies. It's not War and Peace....more like War and Pieces. The art is finished by Steve Becker. I never heard of him, but I dig his style. It mirrors the quirkiness of Will Eisner and makes killing Nazi Zombies look like a load of fun. In Jeff's own words, "Steve Becker and I were sitting around the studio talking about FUBAR, and we came to the conclusion that the first volume needs just a little bit more brains and baseball bats. We decided to do a collaboration for this story. These are my layouts/pencils, inked by Steve. It’s also worth noting that Steve did hand drawn sound effects, which I think really set this short off. Enjoy." The story was a full 4 pages long. Perfect bathroom reading in my opinion. I say Check it out in comic shops all across the world. 15 stories, 184 pages of World War II zombie pulp fiction available for $11.99.
The Band
Mumford and Sons.
This one is simple and if you follow me on teh FaceBook, you probably heard me squee about this band.
It's a brit folk rock band that does songs with footstompin melodies and brain raping lyrics. The Cave is one such song. It haunts me. I heard their song Little Lion Man and was willing to leave it there with these guys. I was ready to write them off as a one-hit wonder. Then This week happened. I decided to listen to another song by them and see if I liked it. This was that song. It combines heartfelt moments of solitary self-imposed confinement and adds a sprinkle of Ulysses (the Greek, not the Irishman) to make a song that actually hit me with a physicality I haven't felt in a long time. I'm in a dark place right now as those of you who know me can attest. The death of both my parents days before my birthday hit me like a ton of bricks. THIS song told me that was ok. It gave me permission to feel better. I can't suggest this band more strongly....and the sad component to this story is that had Niles and Powell not started this and had I not decided to try new things...I would NEVER have listened to this song.
If THAT isn't reason enough for you to just get off your ass...take yourself out of your comfort zone for 5 minutes and see what is on the next island, I dunno if I can help you, man. Just go on and buy those twizzlers and I'll see you in about a week or so with another try. But I'm not going to give up on you. I think we're sitting in the eye of a strengthening hurricane. It's going to gain momentum but only if WE power it. If we let it fall limp on the sand...it's just a rainstorm and the status quo remains. Where is the fun in that?
I have been on a tear since Mssrs Niles and Powell kicked this bear in the balls last week preaching the cause of trying out Creator Owned Comics. It all comes down to one simple thing, really. Before you try something new you have to take yourself out of your comfort zone. We all have one. It guides all aspects of our life, from our daily TV watching habits, to our dining habits to our musical tastes (or lack thereof) and our literary pleasures. Since it's the latter rather than the former I am preaching, I think it only fair that I include a few of the others as well because, and I'll be honest here, if you already READ comics, odds are this isn't meant for you.
It's you. Yes...YOU. The one over by the twizzlers at the checkout line that I am talking to here. You never read a comic, well, there was that one time in detention when Jeff had a copy of X-Men 300 that you borrowed. You read about 10 pages of it before you got bored. Not bad, since comics really aren't your thing right? But here's my point, if I may. You read The DaVinci Code twice. You read and reread ALL 7 Harry Potter books last week during the snow storm. You have read almost every book written by Stephen King. But still, the XMEN wasn't your thing. Fair enough. But the point I want to stress here is you are missing out. You like adventure stories. But Super Heroes bore you. I get it. Try reading MY webcomic The Portland Express. There aren't any superheroes in that at all. If that isn't your bag, try The Walking Dead. You know...that TV show? Yes it was a comic. Or maybe you liked Red? Read THAT comic too. I promise you if you try enough of them you'll find one that speaks to you. It's so simple. The only thing is it'll cost you. That five minutes of your time where you put yourself completely at the mercy of the creators will seem like an eternity if you don't dig what they are selling, but if it strikes your fancy, a 100 page graphic novel will seem like a Super Bowl commercial. Over too fast and leaving you wanting more. The point is you will never HAVE that experience if you don't gamble. And it is a gam,ble, man. Never doubt that. You will get some comics that just aren't for you. I still get those daily. But if you read 20....and hate 19 of those...that 1 will be a doosey. I know this.
But it doesn't mean shit if you just hear me tell you this...so I am going to put it to practice. I'm going to try a new comic that I never saw before and tell you what I think....good or bad. I'll do the same with music. I'll listen to a new band and is I like it...I'll tell you why. If I didn't...then no loss. The point is I am doing what I am asking YOU to do. Get your asses OUT there and SEE what is available. There are some KICKASS comics out there just like there are bands you never heard of that will make you soil your drawers and love it.
The Comic
Fubar (http://zombiefubar.wordpress.com/)
This is a zombie comic....consisting of over a dozen black and white short comic stories featuring WWII Nazis and Zombies. I haven't bought the actual comic yet. But I plan to. I was able to read one of the short stories though and that sold me. The story is titled "And the crowd goes wild" by Jeff McComsey and it's fairly straightforward. Man with baseball bat tees off on zombies. It's not War and Peace....more like War and Pieces. The art is finished by Steve Becker. I never heard of him, but I dig his style. It mirrors the quirkiness of Will Eisner and makes killing Nazi Zombies look like a load of fun. In Jeff's own words, "Steve Becker and I were sitting around the studio talking about FUBAR, and we came to the conclusion that the first volume needs just a little bit more brains and baseball bats. We decided to do a collaboration for this story. These are my layouts/pencils, inked by Steve. It’s also worth noting that Steve did hand drawn sound effects, which I think really set this short off. Enjoy." The story was a full 4 pages long. Perfect bathroom reading in my opinion. I say Check it out in comic shops all across the world. 15 stories, 184 pages of World War II zombie pulp fiction available for $11.99.
The Band
Mumford and Sons.
This one is simple and if you follow me on teh FaceBook, you probably heard me squee about this band.
It's a brit folk rock band that does songs with footstompin melodies and brain raping lyrics. The Cave is one such song. It haunts me. I heard their song Little Lion Man and was willing to leave it there with these guys. I was ready to write them off as a one-hit wonder. Then This week happened. I decided to listen to another song by them and see if I liked it. This was that song. It combines heartfelt moments of solitary self-imposed confinement and adds a sprinkle of Ulysses (the Greek, not the Irishman) to make a song that actually hit me with a physicality I haven't felt in a long time. I'm in a dark place right now as those of you who know me can attest. The death of both my parents days before my birthday hit me like a ton of bricks. THIS song told me that was ok. It gave me permission to feel better. I can't suggest this band more strongly....and the sad component to this story is that had Niles and Powell not started this and had I not decided to try new things...I would NEVER have listened to this song.
If THAT isn't reason enough for you to just get off your ass...take yourself out of your comfort zone for 5 minutes and see what is on the next island, I dunno if I can help you, man. Just go on and buy those twizzlers and I'll see you in about a week or so with another try. But I'm not going to give up on you. I think we're sitting in the eye of a strengthening hurricane. It's going to gain momentum but only if WE power it. If we let it fall limp on the sand...it's just a rainstorm and the status quo remains. Where is the fun in that?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Creator Owned. My .02
Over the span of the last few days, there has been a shift in the comics world. Being that I am still on the outside looking in, I see this shift in terms of a spectator, but somehow I still feel involved because it affects me personally and will continue to do so long after I am inside that glass house.
The point of the shift...the epicenter, if you will... is that Creator Owned Comics need your support. This seems like it makes sense on just about every single level, but still it gained almost zero traction up till this weekend with a word from Steve Niles and a video by Eric Powell.
The word was simple. Support Creator Owned Comics.
Without support, the industry suffers. Chained to the corporate desks of Warner Brothers and Disney, owners of DC and Marvel Comics respectively, the landscape of comics will become watered down and filtered to the point where all diversity that DOESN'T stalk the night with a utility belt or SNIKT out adamantium claws when danger is near dies on the vine.
A lot of people on either side of this cultural divide have opined regarding this. Those working FOR the industry giants feel somehow targeted and attacked. Those on the outside of the wall feel empowered and like they are being heard for the first time. My simple view on this falls in the middle of the road. Hardly the voice of a revolutionary, you may say but hear me out.
This industry needs it's rock stars. I think I have uttered that phrase at least a hundred times this weekend to the point where even I tire of it, but it is true. The giants move the mountain here. The world of comics rests upon some pretty large shoulderd today, creatively speaking. We have some of the greatest talents to see print working their craft today obn either side of that divide. Alex Ross, Mark Millar, Mark Waid, Brian Michael Bendis, Frank Miller, Steve Niles and anyone else I fail to mention simply because their name escapes me at the moment are doing a fine fill-in role as our own Atlas and their shoulders support the rest of us as we run this marathon aimed at finally making that breakthrough that Comics are a truly viable form of entertainment.
You and I already know this. It's the rest of the folks who seem to still have their inbred biases. I'm not here now to make that case though. I'm preaching to the converted so that would be a waste of time. Those of you who know me already ARE reading my comics and realize I'm far closer to Stephen King than I am to Steve Rogers. I have taken the tack that comics are literature....just as much as they are art and you folks have jumped on board with this. I thank each and every one of you for that.
Now comes the hard part. The Call to Arms has been sounded. There is a groundswell flying through creative persons all over that could literally change the entire landscape of the industry. Folks are talking about all the ills the medium faces (monotony, pricing, distribution) with the goal of CORRECTING them for the first time rather than bemoaning their existance. In short, we comic book folk are in the process of growing a spine.
For too long we have simply accepted two not so noble truths about our industry. Truth 1, if you aren't working for Marvel or DC, you haven't made it. Truth 2, your comic has a small sliver of a very small demographic and will gain nothing more in the way of readership...ever.
Truth 1 was blown out of the water by the success of indy comic giants like Mignola, Niles and Kirkman. The fact that their comics were interesting enough to create a movie, let alone successful ones, dispells the fanciful notion that if your comic isn't 50 yrs old or older and has a easilly recognizable costume you ought not even bother. Granted Zombies are a fad and will fall by the waside sooner or later, but they are here now and they have hit that Truth in the face with a hammer.
The second truth is that your audience is only going to be the smallest slice of an finitely small pie. Hogwash. For every ticket sale of movies like Road to Perdition, Hellboy, Red and every ad sale on The Walking Dead, there is someone finding out that story was a comic book and saying "Hrm." That may not seem like a lot but put yourself in t heir shoes for just a second. Their whole life was a static field. They only read magazines or newspapers with an occasional bestseller thrown in. To them, reading equated boring. Great Expectations. Get through that in one sitting and I'll wash your dirty undies for a month.
But you put the notion in that person's mind that your idea is interesting by getting him in the theater or tuned into the broadcast. That doesn't translate into a sale. In fact, for every 1,000 people who go Hrm, maybe 1 buys the book. But that's not the point. The point is your story just made a convert. When your NEXT one comes out....it won't be greeted at the airport with blowing tumbleweeds. Maybe it will be just a small group with a banner...maybe it will be a big brass band and a throng of screaming fans. Who knows? Who cares? The point is with the success of every individual one of us, the stigma that our audience is small and shrinking faces extinction.
Those two 'truths' have guided the accepted wisdom in this field since its inception. Well, as is the case in most revolutions, with their shattering, the void is created. By supporting creator owned comics, you do not doom Marvel and DC to the slag heap. Hell with that. In fact, they are a necessary evil. Their culture, content and commerce is the engine driving the industry. We creator owned comics are the cool extras like power windows and hands free GPS. But it's the extras that upsell the engine.
This leaves a few questions.
Question 1...What Next?
Simple. Go out on a limb. Next time you go to a comic shop, take a second to actually LOOK at the creator owned section. It's not just the x-rated comics, tho often, shops lump the two together due to space constraints. See if there is something in that rack that piques your interest and take a gamble. I won't promise you will love it, but think of the last time you bought a crap one off from Marvel touting the 5,000th fight between Wolverine and Deadpool. Did THAT give you goosebumps?
Question 2....How can we generate interest in the best creator owned comics out there?
We need a Sundance for Indy Comics. It sounds simple on its face, but this is a necessary void that has existed for a LONG time but no one's noticed. True there are the Eisner Awards, but what I am proposing is not an awards show, though that will also be a feature. In my mind, it is a submittal based convention where everyone makes a date to meet, similar to San Diego, but minus that marketing arm. This isn't to sell a movie, so much as it is for someone who never read The Goon to see it presented and meet Eric in person. It sounds silly, but that's only because I haven't really put a LOT into this. The implications exist that we could create a single day show/award with the ability to show the cream of teh crop and have it be indpendant from publisher influence, while still maintaining the feel of a convention. Since ours is not a time based medium and there are no Showings, the constraints of scheduling fall to the wayside. Tables and booths come to mind, but we're smart people. We can do better than that. We need to broaden our tent and innovate.
Question 3....Who will this INDEPENDANT body consist of?
HellifIknow. We'll need to cross that bridge though.
Question 4.....How will we implement this?
Well, I see the body creating a website. Through that website, they can keep the community posted on ALL works by ALL creators. Being that we comic folk are notoriously niche, this will fragment, but fragmentation is natural. horror guys to this part, action folks over here, super heroes that a-way. But all contained under teh same tent with the ability for cross promotion. We own our own characters so if The Goon wants to have a chat with Nails from my comic The Portland Express, Eric and I could make that happen.
The point is we have crossed the threshold here. We now need to take stock of the new landscape our mini revolution has provided. We must never lose sight of the ultimate goal in making the best comics we are able. Those that can help should be encouraged to do do. There is room for the reclusive genius here, but we will only get as far as we are willing to allow ourselves. If we maintain the every man for him/herself mentality we've built up over the last 40 yrs, well...all this talk is bullshit and you've all wasted my time as much as I'm wasting yours.
--rog--
The point of the shift...the epicenter, if you will... is that Creator Owned Comics need your support. This seems like it makes sense on just about every single level, but still it gained almost zero traction up till this weekend with a word from Steve Niles and a video by Eric Powell.
The word was simple. Support Creator Owned Comics.
Without support, the industry suffers. Chained to the corporate desks of Warner Brothers and Disney, owners of DC and Marvel Comics respectively, the landscape of comics will become watered down and filtered to the point where all diversity that DOESN'T stalk the night with a utility belt or SNIKT out adamantium claws when danger is near dies on the vine.
A lot of people on either side of this cultural divide have opined regarding this. Those working FOR the industry giants feel somehow targeted and attacked. Those on the outside of the wall feel empowered and like they are being heard for the first time. My simple view on this falls in the middle of the road. Hardly the voice of a revolutionary, you may say but hear me out.
This industry needs it's rock stars. I think I have uttered that phrase at least a hundred times this weekend to the point where even I tire of it, but it is true. The giants move the mountain here. The world of comics rests upon some pretty large shoulderd today, creatively speaking. We have some of the greatest talents to see print working their craft today obn either side of that divide. Alex Ross, Mark Millar, Mark Waid, Brian Michael Bendis, Frank Miller, Steve Niles and anyone else I fail to mention simply because their name escapes me at the moment are doing a fine fill-in role as our own Atlas and their shoulders support the rest of us as we run this marathon aimed at finally making that breakthrough that Comics are a truly viable form of entertainment.
You and I already know this. It's the rest of the folks who seem to still have their inbred biases. I'm not here now to make that case though. I'm preaching to the converted so that would be a waste of time. Those of you who know me already ARE reading my comics and realize I'm far closer to Stephen King than I am to Steve Rogers. I have taken the tack that comics are literature....just as much as they are art and you folks have jumped on board with this. I thank each and every one of you for that.
Now comes the hard part. The Call to Arms has been sounded. There is a groundswell flying through creative persons all over that could literally change the entire landscape of the industry. Folks are talking about all the ills the medium faces (monotony, pricing, distribution) with the goal of CORRECTING them for the first time rather than bemoaning their existance. In short, we comic book folk are in the process of growing a spine.
For too long we have simply accepted two not so noble truths about our industry. Truth 1, if you aren't working for Marvel or DC, you haven't made it. Truth 2, your comic has a small sliver of a very small demographic and will gain nothing more in the way of readership...ever.
Truth 1 was blown out of the water by the success of indy comic giants like Mignola, Niles and Kirkman. The fact that their comics were interesting enough to create a movie, let alone successful ones, dispells the fanciful notion that if your comic isn't 50 yrs old or older and has a easilly recognizable costume you ought not even bother. Granted Zombies are a fad and will fall by the waside sooner or later, but they are here now and they have hit that Truth in the face with a hammer.
The second truth is that your audience is only going to be the smallest slice of an finitely small pie. Hogwash. For every ticket sale of movies like Road to Perdition, Hellboy, Red and every ad sale on The Walking Dead, there is someone finding out that story was a comic book and saying "Hrm." That may not seem like a lot but put yourself in t heir shoes for just a second. Their whole life was a static field. They only read magazines or newspapers with an occasional bestseller thrown in. To them, reading equated boring. Great Expectations. Get through that in one sitting and I'll wash your dirty undies for a month.
But you put the notion in that person's mind that your idea is interesting by getting him in the theater or tuned into the broadcast. That doesn't translate into a sale. In fact, for every 1,000 people who go Hrm, maybe 1 buys the book. But that's not the point. The point is your story just made a convert. When your NEXT one comes out....it won't be greeted at the airport with blowing tumbleweeds. Maybe it will be just a small group with a banner...maybe it will be a big brass band and a throng of screaming fans. Who knows? Who cares? The point is with the success of every individual one of us, the stigma that our audience is small and shrinking faces extinction.
Those two 'truths' have guided the accepted wisdom in this field since its inception. Well, as is the case in most revolutions, with their shattering, the void is created. By supporting creator owned comics, you do not doom Marvel and DC to the slag heap. Hell with that. In fact, they are a necessary evil. Their culture, content and commerce is the engine driving the industry. We creator owned comics are the cool extras like power windows and hands free GPS. But it's the extras that upsell the engine.
This leaves a few questions.
Question 1...What Next?
Simple. Go out on a limb. Next time you go to a comic shop, take a second to actually LOOK at the creator owned section. It's not just the x-rated comics, tho often, shops lump the two together due to space constraints. See if there is something in that rack that piques your interest and take a gamble. I won't promise you will love it, but think of the last time you bought a crap one off from Marvel touting the 5,000th fight between Wolverine and Deadpool. Did THAT give you goosebumps?
Question 2....How can we generate interest in the best creator owned comics out there?
We need a Sundance for Indy Comics. It sounds simple on its face, but this is a necessary void that has existed for a LONG time but no one's noticed. True there are the Eisner Awards, but what I am proposing is not an awards show, though that will also be a feature. In my mind, it is a submittal based convention where everyone makes a date to meet, similar to San Diego, but minus that marketing arm. This isn't to sell a movie, so much as it is for someone who never read The Goon to see it presented and meet Eric in person. It sounds silly, but that's only because I haven't really put a LOT into this. The implications exist that we could create a single day show/award with the ability to show the cream of teh crop and have it be indpendant from publisher influence, while still maintaining the feel of a convention. Since ours is not a time based medium and there are no Showings, the constraints of scheduling fall to the wayside. Tables and booths come to mind, but we're smart people. We can do better than that. We need to broaden our tent and innovate.
Question 3....Who will this INDEPENDANT body consist of?
HellifIknow. We'll need to cross that bridge though.
Question 4.....How will we implement this?
Well, I see the body creating a website. Through that website, they can keep the community posted on ALL works by ALL creators. Being that we comic folk are notoriously niche, this will fragment, but fragmentation is natural. horror guys to this part, action folks over here, super heroes that a-way. But all contained under teh same tent with the ability for cross promotion. We own our own characters so if The Goon wants to have a chat with Nails from my comic The Portland Express, Eric and I could make that happen.
The point is we have crossed the threshold here. We now need to take stock of the new landscape our mini revolution has provided. We must never lose sight of the ultimate goal in making the best comics we are able. Those that can help should be encouraged to do do. There is room for the reclusive genius here, but we will only get as far as we are willing to allow ourselves. If we maintain the every man for him/herself mentality we've built up over the last 40 yrs, well...all this talk is bullshit and you've all wasted my time as much as I'm wasting yours.
--rog--
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Zombies!!!!!
I like working by myself. I just do it so often that it is second nature to me. It's a rare moment when I collaborate. It's EVEN Rarer when I draw something someone else wrote. I love seeing a good story and being able to add to it in any way I can. That said, when my buddy Erik Hendrix The Last Bard emailed me asking if I would be willing to work on a story with him, I was a bit reticent to do so. That was untill he told me the story. We comic guys are super protective of our pets. We are so afraid others will take our efforts and make the dollar we were unable to squeeze out of it that we often keep these stories in a folder and let no other human see them. I'm not that way. I share (some would say too much) almost all I do. When Erik shared this with me, I jumped on it. I was supposed to be published last year, but that fell through.
Here are a few pages. I promised Erik I wouldn't share them all, but the comic is so good I had to give you a taste.
Here are a few pages. I promised Erik I wouldn't share them all, but the comic is so good I had to give you a taste.
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Vaudeville
I've Always been facinated with the turn of the century. With our nation's gradual shift from agrarian to industrial. From our weaning from gaslight to suckling on the teet of mother electricity. That era is an untapped trove of story and drama. The characters that actually LIVED in this time are more colorful than those created by almost any writer since. That old saying truth is stranger than fiction holds true. THAT SAID...I took that era and held my peculiar magnifying glass to it and THIS comic was the result.
There is more to this than meets the surface. I only jotted down the first 5 pages of a story that easilly will number in the 80-100 page range. There are characters and events that I'll hit with this that will truly make you stand up for a minute and ask yourself if I just did that. I'll answer that now. Yes. Yes I just did that.
There is more to this than meets the surface. I only jotted down the first 5 pages of a story that easilly will number in the 80-100 page range. There are characters and events that I'll hit with this that will truly make you stand up for a minute and ask yourself if I just did that. I'll answer that now. Yes. Yes I just did that.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Bring on the Legal Teams!
Not for real, and hopefully never.
The subject of this particular blog is more or less to put down my limited understanding of some of the legalities involved in comics with specific regards to particular re-invisioning of certain characters.
I am a fan of the Lone Ranger. I always have been. I spent many a day in my youth watching a crappy 9" black and white television every weekend when the westerns came on to catch the exploits of that western badass and his friend (not sidekick) Tonto. I loved the lore of the character and for as long as I can remember I have asked myself "What next?"
I have a tendency to see things on timelines. I do this with people I just met as well as with fictional characters. I have even been known to do this with inanimate objects like cars and buildings. I like creating stories. This trait, I am told, is a side effect of having that sort of inclination.
But back to the Ranger. I watched the episodes loyally yet with a moderate amount of skepticism. That would never fly in the modern world, I told myself. And that got the gears to spinning. What would the Lone Ranger be like were he riding today? What about him in the future? What about him in the past? What would he be like fighting prohibition era gangsters? He couldn't do it on horseback, if he did...that would be untennable. He'd have to have something more mobile and faster. Like a motorcycle. That would make one hell of a story. The Lone Ranger on a motorcycle fighting gangsters. Only problem with that is that never happened. The Lone Ranger fought in the Wild West and died before the gangsters time. Or did he?
I had this idea back in college and did countless hours of research and drawing to get it right. I wrote several issues of a comic that bridged the gap between the Horseback Knight and MY modern one. I put him smack in the middle of Chicago during the Gangster-era and had the makings of one HELL of a story.
Then I left it. I put it in a book and shelved it because I was afraid. I was mortally afraid that the people who owned the legal rights to the Lone Ranger would snatch all my hard work and my imaginations and pocket them, leaving me with empty pockets and possibly a lawsuit.
I have gotten over this fear with the recent realization that there is such a thing as Public Domain. As long as the character I create is NOT the Lone Ranger...has no ties to the Lone Ranger and I never mention the Lone Ranger, or show him in any fashion, my creation will remain mine. he will be 'inspired by' (How I loathe that term) him, true...but the character himself will be a living, breathing embodiment of my own subconscious imagination.
The story I wrote for him has been shelved for now. I will tell a different one. Eventually I may share that original generational bridge with the public. Who he is and how he came to be, and whatnot...but for now, I will not even refer to him as The Ranger. At least not in print. That's his name in my mind, and there it will stay till I have had a chance to actually speak with the proper rights holders and sell them on my idea.
I think they'll like it, as it will bring the character I love so much into a more modern time and give me so many opportunities to write awesome stories. Stories with the action and heart that I saw way back in my childhood in the face of a masked man with a silver bullet.
The subject of this particular blog is more or less to put down my limited understanding of some of the legalities involved in comics with specific regards to particular re-invisioning of certain characters.
I am a fan of the Lone Ranger. I always have been. I spent many a day in my youth watching a crappy 9" black and white television every weekend when the westerns came on to catch the exploits of that western badass and his friend (not sidekick) Tonto. I loved the lore of the character and for as long as I can remember I have asked myself "What next?"
I have a tendency to see things on timelines. I do this with people I just met as well as with fictional characters. I have even been known to do this with inanimate objects like cars and buildings. I like creating stories. This trait, I am told, is a side effect of having that sort of inclination.
But back to the Ranger. I watched the episodes loyally yet with a moderate amount of skepticism. That would never fly in the modern world, I told myself. And that got the gears to spinning. What would the Lone Ranger be like were he riding today? What about him in the future? What about him in the past? What would he be like fighting prohibition era gangsters? He couldn't do it on horseback, if he did...that would be untennable. He'd have to have something more mobile and faster. Like a motorcycle. That would make one hell of a story. The Lone Ranger on a motorcycle fighting gangsters. Only problem with that is that never happened. The Lone Ranger fought in the Wild West and died before the gangsters time. Or did he?
I had this idea back in college and did countless hours of research and drawing to get it right. I wrote several issues of a comic that bridged the gap between the Horseback Knight and MY modern one. I put him smack in the middle of Chicago during the Gangster-era and had the makings of one HELL of a story.
Then I left it. I put it in a book and shelved it because I was afraid. I was mortally afraid that the people who owned the legal rights to the Lone Ranger would snatch all my hard work and my imaginations and pocket them, leaving me with empty pockets and possibly a lawsuit.
I have gotten over this fear with the recent realization that there is such a thing as Public Domain. As long as the character I create is NOT the Lone Ranger...has no ties to the Lone Ranger and I never mention the Lone Ranger, or show him in any fashion, my creation will remain mine. he will be 'inspired by' (How I loathe that term) him, true...but the character himself will be a living, breathing embodiment of my own subconscious imagination.
The story I wrote for him has been shelved for now. I will tell a different one. Eventually I may share that original generational bridge with the public. Who he is and how he came to be, and whatnot...but for now, I will not even refer to him as The Ranger. At least not in print. That's his name in my mind, and there it will stay till I have had a chance to actually speak with the proper rights holders and sell them on my idea.
I think they'll like it, as it will bring the character I love so much into a more modern time and give me so many opportunities to write awesome stories. Stories with the action and heart that I saw way back in my childhood in the face of a masked man with a silver bullet.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
What I Have Learned (so far...)
I'll be the first to admit that it ain't much. I am mainly self taught in this, with a few rare exceptions. But the things I have picked up along the way guide not just my art but my life as well.
1) Be honest - Always.
This is especially true for the artist. The viewer will always know when you are faking it. Your comfort level increases when you feel what you are doing to be right. Forcing the issue, either throgh a gimmick or trick may mask your shortcomings, but you will know the difference and it will show. It is a badge of honor that a person once described me to someone else as "A man with no secrets." The way I see it, I am my own canvas, and I will only draw on myself what I know to be right.
2) Never stop learning.
This cannot be stressed enough, ever. The second you think you know it all is the second you die inside. I strive to learn something new every day, whether it's a new author, a new artist, a piece of history I haven't read yet or even a newspaper article about fondue. (I hate fondue, btw) My mind is a sponge. Sublime sang "The day that I die will be the day that I shut my mouth and put down my guitar." With me, the day that I die will be the day that I don't care anymore and drop my pencil.
3) Give everyone a second chance at least once.
You are your own best judge and jury when it comes to friends and people you meet, but you really rob yourself when you adopt a 1 strike policy. Granted the wise men say that to allow a man to fool you twice makes YOU the fool, but to rip a chapter from your book that isn't completed will leave you always asking yourself "How will this end?" Better to find out than live with the question unanswered. I'm not a happy-positive person, but I know this to be true from a lifetime of doing it.
4) Practice every day the task you want to do.
This is for all those people out there who say that they need a day off. Screw you and the horse you rode in on. Seriously. You are faced with this choice daily. Be the best there is or just be. There is nothing wrong with the people who just want to be. The world NEEDS them. But to elevate yourself into the upper layer requires a lot more than hoping an wishing. You have to do it. Daily. Be you a doctor, a lawyer, an artist, writer or handyman, the moment you put down your tool is a moment you lose when your life comes to an end. How many of you have been in love? How many of you have said "Why couldn't I have met you a year ago, a month ago, yesterday?" It's the same with your chosen profession. I carry in me the image of myself on my death bed. I have no regrets and I have lived a full life. I have achieved all I wanted to achieve and can die happy. This image is a lie. It is a struggle to become the best, and if you aren't prepared to fight for it evey day of your life, you aren't worthy of seeking greatness. In my heart of hearts, I know that the day I die I will be angry because I still had so far left to go.
5) Eliminate the things in your life that are negative.
WHile this sounds like common sense, how man of us have a daily scab that we pick? How many of us stub our toe on the same piece of furniture at the same time and in the same manner? I learned while I was younger that we all have crap in our lives. This will never change. What we can do is eliminate the unnecessary crap. This opens us up to having to deal with the Necessary crap. It's a daily choice you make.
"I am fat." (I want to eat the cake) [Don't eat the cake] You are not fat anymore.
"My heart hurts." (He/She doesn't treat me right) [Find someone who will] Your heart doesn't hurt anymore.
It's not easy, but nothing in life worth doing IS. You have to fight, sometimes with your own self, to make you happy. The ones who are happy with misery are the ones I haven't the time for.
6) Nothing worth having in life comes easily.
Everything has a price, even a man's soul. The trick I learned here is that you pay the pice regardless of reciept of the goods. If you want to be slim, you have to work out and eat right. If you want to draw like Neal Adams, you better get a sharp pencil and start practicing right now. The fact that we feel joy when we get something that we had to struggle for should be enough to convince everyone that the struggle is necesary, but all too ofen we come across what I call the Jabbas. These are the folk that sit on the couch and expect the world to come to them. We all know one. A lot of people Homer Simpson their way through the world make it with a minimal effort, but these people are rare. And No. Hard work and dedication will not always be rewarded. But the odds tilt dramatically in your favor if you put in the sweat equity. More Olympians fail than they succeed. But they are always Olympians...even the guys that come in last.
There are a lot more.
The one good art teacher I had watched me draw for a full week without saying a word to me, then one day he said "Do you have to outline everything?" It was a simple question but it hit me like a sock full of bolts.
The trick is to be receptive. Keep an open mind. The saying "You never know..." is as old as the spoken language itself. Early man got it, and after 37 years I think I am on my way to getting it too.
--rog--
1) Be honest - Always.
This is especially true for the artist. The viewer will always know when you are faking it. Your comfort level increases when you feel what you are doing to be right. Forcing the issue, either throgh a gimmick or trick may mask your shortcomings, but you will know the difference and it will show. It is a badge of honor that a person once described me to someone else as "A man with no secrets." The way I see it, I am my own canvas, and I will only draw on myself what I know to be right.
2) Never stop learning.
This cannot be stressed enough, ever. The second you think you know it all is the second you die inside. I strive to learn something new every day, whether it's a new author, a new artist, a piece of history I haven't read yet or even a newspaper article about fondue. (I hate fondue, btw) My mind is a sponge. Sublime sang "The day that I die will be the day that I shut my mouth and put down my guitar." With me, the day that I die will be the day that I don't care anymore and drop my pencil.
3) Give everyone a second chance at least once.
You are your own best judge and jury when it comes to friends and people you meet, but you really rob yourself when you adopt a 1 strike policy. Granted the wise men say that to allow a man to fool you twice makes YOU the fool, but to rip a chapter from your book that isn't completed will leave you always asking yourself "How will this end?" Better to find out than live with the question unanswered. I'm not a happy-positive person, but I know this to be true from a lifetime of doing it.
4) Practice every day the task you want to do.
This is for all those people out there who say that they need a day off. Screw you and the horse you rode in on. Seriously. You are faced with this choice daily. Be the best there is or just be. There is nothing wrong with the people who just want to be. The world NEEDS them. But to elevate yourself into the upper layer requires a lot more than hoping an wishing. You have to do it. Daily. Be you a doctor, a lawyer, an artist, writer or handyman, the moment you put down your tool is a moment you lose when your life comes to an end. How many of you have been in love? How many of you have said "Why couldn't I have met you a year ago, a month ago, yesterday?" It's the same with your chosen profession. I carry in me the image of myself on my death bed. I have no regrets and I have lived a full life. I have achieved all I wanted to achieve and can die happy. This image is a lie. It is a struggle to become the best, and if you aren't prepared to fight for it evey day of your life, you aren't worthy of seeking greatness. In my heart of hearts, I know that the day I die I will be angry because I still had so far left to go.
5) Eliminate the things in your life that are negative.
WHile this sounds like common sense, how man of us have a daily scab that we pick? How many of us stub our toe on the same piece of furniture at the same time and in the same manner? I learned while I was younger that we all have crap in our lives. This will never change. What we can do is eliminate the unnecessary crap. This opens us up to having to deal with the Necessary crap. It's a daily choice you make.
"I am fat." (I want to eat the cake) [Don't eat the cake] You are not fat anymore.
"My heart hurts." (He/She doesn't treat me right) [Find someone who will] Your heart doesn't hurt anymore.
It's not easy, but nothing in life worth doing IS. You have to fight, sometimes with your own self, to make you happy. The ones who are happy with misery are the ones I haven't the time for.
6) Nothing worth having in life comes easily.
Everything has a price, even a man's soul. The trick I learned here is that you pay the pice regardless of reciept of the goods. If you want to be slim, you have to work out and eat right. If you want to draw like Neal Adams, you better get a sharp pencil and start practicing right now. The fact that we feel joy when we get something that we had to struggle for should be enough to convince everyone that the struggle is necesary, but all too ofen we come across what I call the Jabbas. These are the folk that sit on the couch and expect the world to come to them. We all know one. A lot of people Homer Simpson their way through the world make it with a minimal effort, but these people are rare. And No. Hard work and dedication will not always be rewarded. But the odds tilt dramatically in your favor if you put in the sweat equity. More Olympians fail than they succeed. But they are always Olympians...even the guys that come in last.
There are a lot more.
The one good art teacher I had watched me draw for a full week without saying a word to me, then one day he said "Do you have to outline everything?" It was a simple question but it hit me like a sock full of bolts.
The trick is to be receptive. Keep an open mind. The saying "You never know..." is as old as the spoken language itself. Early man got it, and after 37 years I think I am on my way to getting it too.
--rog--
Breaking the Ice
Being that this is my first 'official' blog you would think I have loads to say. Not the case, actually. I should introduce myself, explain my agenda and try to convince you that the world needs changing in many aspects but essentially it's ok, just the way it is. I know that sounds dichotomic, but it should, as I am a man of dualities. I like finely rendered drawings, chock full of detail but I am at heart a lazy man and lose interest almost half-way through creating such renderings. I have more unfinished works in my trophy case than completed ones.
That said, I am making it a mission to change that.
As far as my drawing style is concerned, I am currently exploring the chiaroscuro look in my art. While I like what it is capable of, am finding holes in it as my preferred choice. I don't think I will ever settle on one art style. To me, at any rate, settling for one style was akin to giving up the learning process. I know that even with that lovely style, the artist has innumerable ways to modify it to fit his self expression, I just hate ruts.
I am the kind of artist that walks just a little ahead of the group, (or maybe behind it would be better described) looking at the stuff that others glanced over and discarded.
The hardest thing I have come across so far in my journey as an artist is that I think it faster than I can draw it. I have tons of junk in my head, but the output is limited by the funnel of my drawing hand and how fast it can move. That has been the bane of my existance at times.
As of this bog, my published works total 2. Both of them art for another writer (Erik Hendrix) and published in anthologies for free. Not a glowing resume, but I have said it before and will say it again, "For an artist, the resume is worthless. Show the portfolio if you want to tell people who you are." So I stick to the gun that it's not where you are printed, rather than WHAT you have printed.
I have ideas in my head now of grand tales, full of epic characters and earth shaking struggles. I also have the mundane image of an old couple sharing a cup of coffee as they venture outside their house for the first time in years. It's funny that both should find firm fertile soil in my mind, but to me it actually seems normal.
I really pity those who don't see the world through an artist's eyes at times. I suppose they must feel the world is a cold empty place. You would think that would place an incredible burden on my shoulders. The responsibility of creating a work that opens a doorway into my world for them to look into feels oppressive at times. When it is juxtaposed with the look I see in someone who gets it though, that makes all the trial and tribulation worthwhile.
--rog--
That said, I am making it a mission to change that.
As far as my drawing style is concerned, I am currently exploring the chiaroscuro look in my art. While I like what it is capable of, am finding holes in it as my preferred choice. I don't think I will ever settle on one art style. To me, at any rate, settling for one style was akin to giving up the learning process. I know that even with that lovely style, the artist has innumerable ways to modify it to fit his self expression, I just hate ruts.
I am the kind of artist that walks just a little ahead of the group, (or maybe behind it would be better described) looking at the stuff that others glanced over and discarded.
The hardest thing I have come across so far in my journey as an artist is that I think it faster than I can draw it. I have tons of junk in my head, but the output is limited by the funnel of my drawing hand and how fast it can move. That has been the bane of my existance at times.
As of this bog, my published works total 2. Both of them art for another writer (Erik Hendrix) and published in anthologies for free. Not a glowing resume, but I have said it before and will say it again, "For an artist, the resume is worthless. Show the portfolio if you want to tell people who you are." So I stick to the gun that it's not where you are printed, rather than WHAT you have printed.
I have ideas in my head now of grand tales, full of epic characters and earth shaking struggles. I also have the mundane image of an old couple sharing a cup of coffee as they venture outside their house for the first time in years. It's funny that both should find firm fertile soil in my mind, but to me it actually seems normal.
I really pity those who don't see the world through an artist's eyes at times. I suppose they must feel the world is a cold empty place. You would think that would place an incredible burden on my shoulders. The responsibility of creating a work that opens a doorway into my world for them to look into feels oppressive at times. When it is juxtaposed with the look I see in someone who gets it though, that makes all the trial and tribulation worthwhile.
--rog--
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