A tip for aspiring comic book writers.
I keep hearing this a lot lately:
There are no good (cheap) artists out there.
I can’t find any artist that are motivated enough to do my comic.
Art is expensive.
Which lead other writers to ask me, “How do you manage to work with such amazing talent?”
It all boils down to one answer.
I RESPECT the artists I collaborate with.
What does that mean?
Well for starters, I don’t kid myself into believing I can make books alone.
Sure, I come up with ideas and write them down. But without great artists, my work would end up being a clichéd half written novella, that no one would want to read. I’d be overly descriptive to the point of boring my readers to tears.
But as a comic writer these descriptions are incredibly helpful in selling the story to my collaborators.
But I digress…
Let's revisit what I mean by me respecting the artists I collaborate with.
When I’m in the selection process, I learn more about the artists I want to work with. I look for their strengths and how they would play well with my stories. I budget what I can afford to get the project done. I never put myself in a position where I will end up starving to make comics (especially since I have children), but I do want to be fair because I know being an artist is a career and they are doing something I am unable to do.
When I’m strapped for cash, I always offer to share their projects. I buy their work I become a REAL fan. They are not some cog in the wheel that I use up to get to fame.
Some accept my rates, others want to have co-creator credits others volunteer their talents. But at the end of the day I offer up my stories to give us all an opportunity to shine and grow and make something that didn’t previously exist in this world.
The artists who can see that tend to stick around and the magical stuff you see is a testament of our collaboration.
I genuinely enjoy this journey. I’m not tethered to the fears of someone stealing my ideas, because the only way to write my stories, one would have to be me and live my experiences, delight in quirkiness and genuinely enjoy comics.
TO SUM THINGS UP:
Look for artists that will deliver the kind of work you are looking for. Pay them what you can afford, be a true fan, share their work and trust them to do what you hired them to do.
The realization that there's little chance of me making a living doing this, has got me to enjoy the process and have fun working with skilled people.
I hope you get to enjoy your journey as well.