The twisted face of the comics industry part 3
Creation from a void of ignorance
The next topic I’m going to cover in my look at the elements that are poisoning modern comics is coming from those who create them. I’m not here saying all artists are spoiled and I hate all writers, in fact the opposite is true. I have no problems with real artists and writers.
My problem lies with those who call themselves artists and writers and misrepresent themselves as being knowledgeable professionals. It is my belief that no less than 70% of people billing themselves as comic professionals are either utter frauds, or completely deluded.
Sadly it is our own industry, secretive of its own practices, that has helped to foster these conditions.
Being so secretive of the inner workings of the comics industry leaves many would-be creators to speculate and make their own conclusions. Unfortunately in most cases these conclusions are wrong because individuals aren’t given even the most basic knowledge that would give them the tools to create correct conclusions.
Absolutely every other industry has an educational system that informs and trains individuals looking to make a career in that industry before they enter into it. Except the comics industry. Why is that? I think it’s ridiculous for the engineering industry to have quality engineers available if we didn’t have engineering courses and schools to teach them. It’s the same for any other industry. Why should it be any different in the comics industry? Why do people see it any differently?
Not only would industrial education for comics create a better pool of talent, but it would also lend legitimacy to the industry that so many critics are lamenting the lack of.
Now I’m not trying to besmirch the educational resources we do have, or forget them. Far from it indeed. I am well aware of things like the Joe Kubert School of art and others. In fact the Kubert School of art does a hell of a job indeed and is much needed in our industry. But the only thing I do suggest is that the curriculum of these art schools, although more progressive than most, should be made a little more rounded.
Why do I say this? Because I have met several graduates from such art schools, but I have yet to hire one. The majority of the artists I’ve met from these schools draw like they sold their soul to Satan himself for the talent. True fine artists. What has been the stumbling block have been the unprofessional attitudes, undisciplined behavior, and unrealistic expectations of the industry that these graduates have studied long and hard to get into. This by no means is to suggest that I am lumping all art school grads into one pile or that they are all stereotypically like this, it’s just my observations from my own personal experiences.
What I think needs to happen at any art school is the introduction of more educational information and content into the curriculum. Of course the focus should be on art and story telling, but students in any art course should also be given the knowledge of how to use these skills they are learning to actually enter an industry and make a living at it. Professional and business etiquette is a must. I don’t care how well some people draw and write, if they approach me with a lordly or demeaning attitude they’re out on their ass, and it would be a rare case for me to consider the possibility of using their work again.
Sure we can chalk it up to the stereotypical hot tempter of artists and creators, but there is a time and a place for everything. When dealing with a publisher that is not the time or the place. Remember, even if you freelance you are not your own boss, whatever publisher you are freelancing for is your boss, and you should treat them the way you would treat any boss at any other job in any other industry.
I’m certainly not attacking art school grads, some of my best friends fall into that category. It’s the education system that is leaving this lacking discrepancy in the curriculum, avoided so much so that grads can barely do anything to help walking right into making these mistakes upon graduation. I’ll risk making the statement that I believe it is this step in the ladder where the cream rises to the top and not at any point during the actual education. It is once the graduating class moves into the working world that we see where the real, true professionals are.
Those that are used to their lackadaisical ways and superior attitudes developed during their education process will come to their own conclusion about how things should work out for them in this industry. These students, at least 70% of them if not more, will wander from publisher to publisher, constantly meeting with frustration when they find that publisher telling them that the industry doesn’t work the way that the former student thinks it should. Often these encounters will culminate with the grad exploding inappropriately at a potential employer, assuming that they must be inherently evil for telling the grad that their ideas about how things work in comics could be wrong. And so those grads will wander from publisher to publisher, until they finally find one that they can force their way into, or commit enough offenses to be completely black listed out of the industry. This would be fine if there weren’t so many parties getting screwed over during this weeding out process.
Another tactic of these lacking-in-knowledge former students is to accept a job and then wait until the last moment, when a deadline is coming and work needs to be finished, to voice their displeasure with their deal or contract and demand the changes they desire post haste before submitting the final work. This is not a good way to do business. This leaves the publisher over a barrel. Often it just forces the publisher to delay a book, if you’re really lucky they may be in a tight enough position to give you your demands, but trust me it only happens once. If the book does go ahead the publisher will remember you, and unless that book is the next amazing huge smash blockbuster hit, which isn’t likely, that publisher will never hire you again. The other option is that the publisher will flat out fire you and cancel the book or hire another artist or writer.
Now let’s look at the rest of that graduating class. That maximum portion of 30% of students. The cream of the crop so to speak. What do these people do differently? They never stop learning. That’s what. They take every rejection letter, and instead of getting mad they apply it to the quality of their art and work ethic. They take this knowledge being handed to them for what it is and use it to improve the product they create, and above all else they SELF-EDUCATE. That’s right. Every good and bad experience, every rejection letter, and collaboration is used towards their own continuing self-education and life long learning of their chosen art. These 30% also do something else. They seek out knowledge. There is so much knowledge out there, easily grabbed for the taking, but only for those with the drive and initiative to do so. Numerous books by authors such as Will Eisner, Scott McCloud, Lurene Haines, and others are out there just for the taking. The best writers, artist and creators out there search out this knowledge, read it, and apply it to their work.
The only danger these folks need to avoid is spending too much time reading, and not enough doing, but again if these folks have the proper work ethic than doing the work is really a non-issue.
In contrast here is an example of a hypothetical conversation I’ve had in real life more than once. After a submission of good artwork is sent to me, I’ll contact the artist. Me: Hey there artist, we’ve reviewed your submission and we like what we see. Would you be interested in working with our company? Artist: Wow! That’s great! I’d love too. I know you only work on royalties, but I won’t work for less than $300 per page. Me: Really? Have you had any experience, have you had any high profile work published anywhere? Artist: No, I’m just out of school. I haven’t been published, but I know I can draw exactly like (insert favorite big name artists here) or just as good as him, and I know he gets $300 per page, so I’m not willing to work for any less either. Me: Are you sure about this are you certain that (your favorite big name artist) gets paid $300 per page? Artist: Yes that’s right. I read it in his interview in the super-deluxe bonus X-men issue of Wizard last fall. Me: Okay then tell you what, how about I let you go, and if I want to spend that kind of money on an artist I’ll go call up (your favorite big name artist) instead and hire him to do it. That way my expenses are at least justified because I’ll be using a high profile artist that will bring in fans and sales instead of spending 1000’s on an artist that draws nice but no-one’s ever heard of. Artist: **silence**.
It usually doesn’t take long for the conversation to draw to a close from here. This situation is often followed up by an angry e-mail from said angry artist because they don’t understand how their favorite artist who they draw just like can get paid what they do, but a publisher isn’t willing to pay this rookie the same. They just don’t understand. That’s the problem. Too many people think their coming out of school and starting on top. No one is teaching them proper page or profit sharing rates, no one is showing them how to work their way up the scale to that $300 per page level. No one is showing them that there’s more to your artistic value than the quality of your art. No one’s teaching these people the principles of external business factors.
This entry may have made me absolutely no friends and lots of enemy’s in the creative world, but it’s an entry that needs to be done. I’m sure there are a number of publishers who would agree.
Those out there in the world who want to enter into this type of field, if you really want to make a success of it; you have to have that dedicated and self-educating mentality in order to make it. In fact other publishers as well as any would-be creators out there who are going to enter some form of education in the arts should be pushing each and every school to include some practical working knowledge in each and every creative arts course.
Maybe if enough of us speak up we can make a change, and then maybe articles like this won’t be necessary because we’ll all happily be able to see more than 30% of the so called “creative artists” out there being genuine and knowledgeable.
Mike
The Twisted face of the comics industry part 2
The conundrum of sales
Now some people will read that title and think that I’m going to go on a rant about low sales in the comics industry well I’m not. That’s been done. And I don’t completely agree with some of stuff I’ve read.
No what this article is about is sales through distributors and the many pratfalls involved with using them to push your comics into the retail market.
The problem that many small publishers will find is that despite producing a quality product many large distributors are afraid to risk space in their catalogs on books that may not sell as well as bigger name titles.
Distributors will often dismiss the rejection of independent product as elimination through quality of art, story or printing. Although these reasons may be valid at times many publishers find themselves puzzled when they compare the quality of their books to the quality of bigger name companies.
Many books that are rejected meet or exceed the quality of big name competition, but are dismissed with the excuse that they are sub standard in some way. This leaves publishers confused and frustrated.
Many publishers of small press books find themselves offended that a distributor has told them that their books are not of a good enough quality to sell to stores when they clearly meet standards of books already being carried in stores.
The problem here arises from distributors becoming so large and powerful that they can use their power to act and a judge and editor over smaller publishers, instead of the sales role that they are supposed to serve.
In the current climate it is up to a small publisher to get out and sell the heck out of their books or hire the appropriate staff to do it for them. Any publisher should be glad and willing to do that if they believe they make a quality product, but the outdated views of many distributors still presents a huge difficulty.
I think a large part of the problem comes from larger distributors forgetting that they are not a judge and jury of smaller presses, but they are supposed to be a sales agent, working to sell and push all the books in their catalog.
With large comics companies becoming so well known the household name books don’t need any push. Their well known status creates a situation where they sell themselves, and distributors mistakenly take the approach that they can sit back and let sales come in, passing time over-scrutinizing the products from lesser known publishers.
I say that this is a mistaken approach because what they should really do in this situation is focus a strong sales push directed at retailers for lesser known products. This would not only open up new avenues of sales to the distributor, but also help foster an environment where a smaller publisher could grow and rise to a better known status, creating another source of product that eventually sells itself.
The current system has been doing things the way they have so long I fear that it is too late to cause a serious change.
Other ambitious small press folk have often tried to start their own distributions systems for the niche market. Aside from a few success stories such as Last Gasp many would-be distributors find that the massive logistics are just too much to maintain.
In a perfect world larger distributors would seize the opportunity to offer new products to their customers or even start a spin-off distribution catalog featuring only the small press material using their large resources to offer this additional catalog to any interested retailers.
In the end we small publishers can only hope that the distributors begin to see the light while we fight the good fight on our own.
Mike
This blog brought to you by:
The lesson of the day, always type your weblogs in your word processor and then paste them into your blog. My original article was perfect. This is as close as I could get to it again.
The twisted face of the comic industry, Part 1
The rise of censorship and paranoia
It seems to me lately the more and more there has been a shift in the media, society, and politics. Day by day more and more it seems to me that we’re becoming more conservative, sensitive, and puritanical.
This kind of atmosphere is bad for me, as these types of people are like the oil to my water.
I’ve been noticing a disturbing trend towards people being swayed toward a more conservative and censored way of thinking, not realizing that the media and political figures who have begun this movement as self-proclaimed judges of public decency don’t lead this cause because it is for the public good, but because they are involved with businesses that have found a way to profit from this more narrow minded social climate.
I can sense this societal shift in the back of my skull every time I turn on the TV or listen to the news and I don’t think that this prospect bodes well for anyone interested in standing up for freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
I don’t know if we chalk it up to continued fall out of 911 or uncertainty about the war in Iraq, or something else all together. But I feel that modern societal views are dangerously teetering on the edge of breaking out into the mass hysteria and paranoia rampant in the late 1950’s early 60’s.
With a larger and larger media message shifting towards the conservative sterilized mind set and more and more public figures acting as the morality police, telling us what we should and shouldn’t see and hear, instead of letting us decide that ourselves. It’s only a matter of time before anyone standing up for peoples freedoms is publicly crucified and burned at the stake in a figurative sense.
I really don’t like the climate I see coming where the censors are given more power than they already have. As the societal censors begin to influence our media and entertainment the future of film and comics entertainment doesn’t look very entertaining.
As in any other time in modern history when an issue of public freedoms and censorship arises, the comic industry is always dragged, kicking and screaming into the mix.
A problem of understanding is bound to arise. Any form of entertainment or literature that isn’t fully understood by those mainstream censors will be branded indecent and have its very existence challenged.
I don’t like to say this, but I fear that soon today’s modern independent and underground comics will be scrutinized in a similar manner as many great companies in the past were.
In the late 50’s a book titled “Seduction of the Innocent” was written by Dr. Fredrick Wertham. In his book Dr. Wertham blamed comic books for everything from juvenile delinquency, to crime, to homosexuality. The resultant frenzy of paranoia caused the banning and bankruptcy of many comics and publishers who are now considered to be classics and FINE LITERATURE.
Many people point to the most recognizable media figures and icons, and since most of those people preach their intolerance in the U.S. people assume that this is an American problem. This is not so.
The problem does exist in America, with legal rights violations against publishers and retailers running rampant, but it also exists in many other countries including my home here in Canada.
My real question is why are these governments so frightened of free speech and expression? What is it about people voicing their opinions through comics, film and other entertainment that has gotten the backs up of these self-proclaimed decency advocates?
North American governments especially seem to be violating their own people freedoms at alarming rates, with freedoms violations running rampant in both Canada and the U.S.
I can even list some situations I’ve encountered with Canada customs through my own purchasing and publishing shipments from several well known, and very public targets of attempted censorship;
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund – Every single time I buy items from this charity that protects freedom of expression Canada customs rips open the packages and inspects the items. For what I don’t know. When they are done pawing through my stuff they leave a note and tape the package back up.
Last Gasp – As a publisher of graphic novels I do receive catalogs and literature form this distributor form time to time. Every time items come from Last Gasp Canada customs rifles through the magazines, stamps it, and sometimes even seals the items with a huge sticker making it next to impossible to open again.
Top Shelf Comix – A fine publisher of independent graphic novels and comix content aimed at more mature readers. Real comics so to speak. In this case any time I buy something from this company Canada customs rips my packages open, rifles through my purchase, tapes it back up and sticks a note on front as well as charges me additional importing fees before they will release my order that I paid for.
CafePress – Not even a comics company, or a controversial one for that matter. All they do is print up shirts and merchandising for my publishing company. Again customs inspects every item tapes it up slaps a note on and makes us pay additional import fees, even just for product samples that we have no intention of re-selling!
Why are these companies targeted? Customs never bothers to open my book orders from Amazon.com.
What is it about comics that the Canadian Government is so afraid of? Do they really worry that if people start to question the B.S. going on around them that their power base will topple?
I don’t know, but I think it’s time that major countries, especially U.S. and Canada looked at adding an amendment to their respective bills of rights and freedoms to include some kind of right to freedom of communication or something which would include things like postal mailing communications and even purchases.
I urge everyone to take a hard look at their information sources and see just how easily many attitudes are swayed by media spin. Is this really how you feel? Or are you just afraid to have an unpopular opinion?
For those who love Freedom of Speech I urge you to at least look into organizations such as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. YOU can view their site by licking the ad below.
Mike
OH MY GOD. I just spent the last hour writing a huge new weblog as part of a series I was going to start about problems with the comic industry.I wrote this amazing article about censorship and society and media and Dr. Fredrick Wertham in the 50's and when I went to post it I lost it all. Oh my God. I could almost cry. I can't even begin to re-write it, it was all on the fly. I am going to go do some other work and try to write it again later. GODDAMIT!
Mike
Weekend Blog
Hey folks, just posting up this e-mail notice we received from our main printer/distributor, BookSurge LLC. Sounds like pretty good news.
Dear Open Book Press:
I am very pleased to announce that BookSurge is now a part of Amazon.com, the Earth's most customer-centric company!
No company has revolutionized the way we buy, sell and view books and other retail merchandise online more than Amazon.com. A Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's biggest selection. Amazon.com seeks to be a place where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. We couldn't agree more with Amazon's philosophy.
Through our newsletter, I want to personally tell you the good news and answer some questions regarding the acquisition that may come to mind.
Why BookSurge? Amazon.com is always looking for ways to offer customers the most comprehensive selection of products, and BookSurge's ever expanding selection will make it even easier for readers to find exactly what they're looking for. Amazon.com has been selling BookSurge books for some time, and the acquisition of the company is part of Amazon's continuing strategy to make as many titles available to customers - whether a book is a best-selling title, or a niche publication.
As you know, BookSurge's inventory-free fulfillment network offers a great advantage for online retailing. We can stock an infinite number of titles without worrying about shelf spaces, restocking, or reprinting. We simply print the book once it's ordered.
What does this mean to a publisher currently working with BookSurge? BookSurge will continue to offer the same high quality products and services. The acquisition by Amazon ensures greater capabilities for our clients, increased service offerings, broader distribution and greater revenue opportunities for BookSurge publishers.
What does this mean to a publisher considering working with BookSurge? There is no better time than the present to get on board. BookSurge can help you reinvent your back-list through the world's largest book retailer and bring you more profitable worldwide sales. With print facilities available all over the world, extensive global distribution channels, and unique software technologies, BookSurge takes the concept of print-on-demand to the next level.
The entire BookSurge team is delighted to become a part of the Amazon family and looks forward to helping even more publishers find a profitable outlet for their books.
Warm wishes,
Robert Holt
Chief Executive Officer
BookSurge LLC
An Amazon Company
Charleston, South Carolina 29418
Click here to receive more information directly from a BookSurge Publisher Services Consultant
Pretty cool eh?
Splat!...
Mike
100 greatest comics site of all time!
Check this site out folks! It lists the top 100 greatest comics in history and why. It's pretty much spot on too. Aside from the lack of being able to fit any Preacher comics on the list this Ipretty much full agree with it.
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Aurora/2510/
Latre.. Oh by the way, go check out the whol new website design at www.openbookpress.com
Mike
Yeah, yeah, so I'm behind on my blogs, what's new...
Super, super busy this week. Aside from working the afternoon shifts, and getting sleep when I can, I am super busy with business stuff this week. I've probably designed about 30 different ads for the business that will be seen in various magazines throughout the summer. Our first batch of ads is out right now.
Look for our ads in such comics magazines as: The Comics Journal, Comic Buyers Guide, Comics & Games Retailer, Draw!, Write! Now, Alter-Ego, and more. Plus we're hitting newspapers in the New Jersey and New York areas. Next week the Ontario campaign starts. We'll have ads in my local papers here in Kincardine as well as ads on the guide channel of our local cable company. We're also in a new guide being published about book stores in Grey County. Plus we're sponsoring a benefit concert in Kincardine on April 24th with the proceeds going to Grey-Bruce Eat and Learn, a charity that provides meals to underpriveleged kids. The performer is "SK8TER GIRL" an Avril Lavigne impersonator.
So I've been designing ads like a MoFo.
Plus, I'm working on 2 five page stories for Jason Marcy's next anthology book.
And we had a shuffle of duties here so I am the new temporary webmaster for Open Book Press, so I'm working hard to get an all new and improved website up. Former web master Ryan Chuhaniuk has been shifted to graphic design, art, and comic coloring.
So folks as you can clearly see it's insane for me to be even on here right now so, until tommorow I am and shall forever be...
Mike
Penance Blog...
A message to comics readers and readers of this blog from friend ALan David Doane over at Comic Book Galaxy:
Two exciting things are happening Tuesday at Comic Book Galaxy, and I
am hoping to get the word out about some great comics, and our newest contest!
Firstly, today we are running a multi-part look at the recent comics
anthology called PROJECT SUPERIOR with a feature we're calling The
PROJECT SUPERIOR Project:
http://www.comicbookgalaxy.com/040505_PSP0_review.html
The PROJECT SUPERIOR Project features an all-star team of Galaxy
reviewers weighing in on one of the most significant artcomix releases
of the year to date, as well as resources and other information to
assist readers in learning about, purchasing and enjoying PROJECT
SUPERIOR.
Secondly, today we launch THE SUPER-F*CKING CONTEST, sponsored by Top
Shelf Productions and James Kochalka. One reader is going to win:
* The American Elf hardcover, collecting five years of James
Kochalka's daily diary comic strips
* An original painting by James Kochalka
* A copy of Super-F*ckers #1
* And The Comics Journal #222, featuring a cover by and interview
with, you guessed it, James Kochalka!
That's not all, nine runners-up will also take home a copy of
Super-F*ckers #1 absolutely free!
We're pretty excited to have these two cool things going on at Comic
Book Galaxy, and I hope if you share our excitement, you'll check it out at www.comicbookgalaxy.com
Best,
Alan David Doane
So there you have it folks, a cool contest from a cool guy. It's even better because they're James Kochalka prizes. I wonder if Alan will let me enter...
Mike
