Hey so guess what? Yesterday I started my new "promotion" as filler operator. Well it all went well, and then I got my finger crushed in the machine. It's all right. No broken bones, no bits of finger lost, just crushed. It was pretty messed up looking. So I'm at home today with my huge bandaged finger, but I'm going back to work tommorow.
Sigh
Mike
Top 10 Lists Time Again! (Well Top 15 actually)
Okay it’s that time again, for me to post my annual top 10 lists. I’ll be sporadically injecting them between my regular columns throughout the week.
As expected some of these are the same standard that always make the list and always will, but I do think it’s interesting to see my own personal development and tastes and how they have changed in the past year as shown by the new entries to this list. Here goes:
Mike’s Top 15 Favorite Graphic Covels/Comics/Series of all time.
15.Y the Last Man
14. Teen Titans
13. The Defenders (70’s)
12. Jay’s Days
11. The Works of James Kochalka
10. Dark Knight Returns
9. Bone
8. Adios Palomita
7. Age of Apocalypse Comics (excluding the new series)
6. Punisher
5. The Works of David Collier
4. Poison Elves
3. Preacher
2. Blankets
1. Hellboy
Yeah there are a few major changes from last year. It wasn’t until after I saw the Hellboy movie that I made time to check out the comics. Wow was I ever missing out. The comics are even better than the movie. By leaps and bounds. It also introduced me to a fave book, the B. P. R.D. As well I re-discovered the love I had for many of the books on this list that I have neglected for awhile and stopped reading. The new punisher issues are garbage, but the trades of the return series and early issues of the Max series are good. Books like Poison Elves and Preacher may go forgotten for awhile, but they always have a place in my heart and never stay forgotten for too long.
I love the old Defenders comics, always will. Their presence on the list is a big reason why books like the Avengers and JLA were just nudged off the list. I bought the entire new series of 10th anniversary Age of Apocalypse books. I’m a rabid fan, so it hurts me to say that these books weren’t very good. Will marvel ever learn? Oh well I’ll try to make it positive and say that it increases my appreciation of the original books.
Independent people like James Kochalka, David Collier, Jason Marcy and Craig Thompson continue to produce very touching, real and meaningful stories, and for that readers owe them more than can be said. Independent creators such as Jeff Smith and Drew Hayes continue to show us undreamt of quality of story telling, both with very differing views into the realm of magic and fantasy.
Although some of the series mentioned are long over or cancelled they continue to live on in graphic novels and other re-prints, and I sure they will continue to do so, so long as every fan holds in their heart a love of good comics.
Mike
A note on part three:
One important aspect I forgot to mention in the last entry was the creator owned project submissions that are blatant knock-offs of recognizable characters. Don’t try to sell me your version of Superman, Spider-Man, The X-Men or the Hulk. (Those four seem to occur most often) Any submission that starts with “The main character is just like Spider-Man, but different/better” is destined for the garbage. Any self-respecting publisher will toss those submissions immediately. There are enough Superman and superman impersonator books out there as is, there’s no more room for any more. Plus having a character that is just like Spider-Man with the same powers, but he kills people and has a different costume doesn’t mean that it’s actually an original or good idea or doesn’t violate many a trademark or copyright laws. Creators need to be really original, and they also need to realize that they need to work up to the super-hero genre because most small presses aren’t interested unless you have a very unique twist. Folks a character that is just like Hulk, but purple like Barney is not an original idea.
Amateurs are eager to come up with the next Superman, but let’s analyze this. The original, Superman, the reason he took off is because he was so unique and different. When did someone create the next Superman? It wasn’t Supreme, or Prime, or even Captain Marvel/SHAZAM! It was a couple decades later when Lee and Ditko created the next Superman, by creating Spider-Man, something wholly new and original and never done before. After that there was a lapse, things came and went. Then in the 90’s Todd McFarlane created the next Superman when he came up with Spawn, again something new and original. Creators of the future need to realize that in order to create the next smash success story they need to look towards what hasn’t been done, not ripping off these older characters, because no matter what they will always be paler versions of the original.
The twisted face of the comics industry part 4 – the Conclusion
Everything, even business, is an art
Now we’ve talked about the public/society, we’ve talked about distributors, and we’ve talked about the creators of comics, so who is left. Well we could take aim at retailers, but lets save that for another day because now we’re gonna talk about it, you guessed it, publishers. That’s right, I could have skipped over my own segment and made it seem I was pointing the finger of blame everywhere else, but there’s no way I can honestly examine the problems in the comic industry without looking at publishers.
Basically here’s the deal. Although it would mean more competition I would in fact encourage more people to get into publishing. Treat it as your right to publish whatever you want (legally) however, before you write one check, register one business name, or print one page (even photocopies) do the same thing I told the creators to do. Educate yourself. There’s no excuse not to. The knowledge is out there for the taking. When you think you’re ready and you know everything stop, because you’ll never know everything. Start over again. Start relearning or re-teaching from wherever you started the first time. Page one all over again. If it took you six months, take another six months. Once you’ve learned it twice, and hopefully lost some cockiness, but gained confidence, then you can start learning more. Notice I didn’t say publishing. Nope it isn’t time yet. What it is time for is to take what you’ve learned and go past that. Take your knowledge farther, try out working with other publishers and people so you can apply that knowledge. Once you can say you really do know what you are doing, learn the ins and out of the industry, the current climate, financials, the difference in the industry form country to country, and get in touch with the world wide climate and societal values that revolve around the product you want to make. Learn the history, do what you have to. If you can’t buy the education go out and get it, or vice versa.
Now come up with an extensive business plan. When you’ve got it perfect re-read it beginning to end. Now re-write it. Yes re-write it and do it now. This time, go back and do even more research make the thorough research you did before look like a brief glance, now apply that information.
Use those tools. Compare what you want to do with what you can afford to do. If you can’t find a different way, get a new plan. If it’s impossible for you to come up with a plan using the finances available to you, give up and quite now. GO solo and do the one or two man collaborations and submit until you find work at a real publisher. If you’re part of the lucky few who can afford to do it make sure you shop around for everything. Don’t over spend or blow money or your company will be the next three month wonder.
If at anytime you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing and in your full honest heart of hearts know you’re making things up as you go along, do you know what that means? It’s time to quit. Either get out of the game or start all over again with the self-educating until you are at a level that you speak from knowledge and experience.
When you are ready to publish keep your company overhead within your means. That means if John Romita wants $300 per page and Jimmy Shabinny wants $50 per page, go with Jimmy, at least until your company grows to the level that you can afford Mr. Romita. Why? Because there’s no point in launching a company so you can get half a comic drawn by a recognized pro but have no money to finish, print, or promote it.
Also never, never forget to take all factors in when formulating a plan. Don’t just budget for art and printing. Budget for art, printing, advertising, conventions, book store appearances, stationary, supplies, shipping, transportation, utility bills, website, internet and phone expenses, EVERYTHING
Also here are some pointers:
- Don’t jerk around the talent. Be honest up front and straight forward, stick to your word and if the ship is going down don’t let them be the last to know.
- Offer talent what you can pay them. If you can’t even afford to offer a page rate. Make sure you make up for it with other incentives. Ownership, higher royalties, promotions, etc.
- Get everyone involved and on the same page. Keep things positive. Listen to the people involved and do what you can to keep things good friendly and fair with everyone. If you run into people who are impossible to please and perpetually critical and superior let them go, they re dead weight. See how well they swim on their own.
- Keep frequent lines of communication open and detailed. Don’t let important elements just hang in the air like a bad smell.
- If you feel something is going sour and everyone would make our better is f a deal or project was cancelled then do so. Never do something like that dishonestly to cause your own benefit from your creator’s loss.
- If you are dealing with someone who does one or more of the following: 1. Calls daily two weeks after sending a submission to see if they are accepted yet, 2. Perpetually complains and criticizes everything happening at your company because they ALWAYS could do everything better or smarter than you, 3. Wants in depth detailed info on your business contacts; which could only be used to go over your head, 4. Has manic temper tantrums at the slightest delay or difficulty in the plan on a frequent basis, or presents any other problem of concern with professionalism, get rid of them. No matter whom they are. Even an investor or advertiser. No one is important enough to steer your ship on a downward angle just because of a childish need for control. Honestly it’s better and it doesn’t matter as much as you think it might. No one person should ever be so important. If they draw like Wrightson, or write like Stephen King, but act in any way resembling like what I’ve described drop them. Don’t wait. Do it now. You’re better off.
Also something to think about, Are you a winner or a loser? Here’s the difference;
Are you a winner or a loser?
A loser always looks for a problem for every solution.
A winner finds a solution to every problem.
When a problem arises solve it. Don’t waste time thinking up or worrying about problems that haven’t occurred yet. Every problem has a solution, just keep a level head and be confident that you will find the solution to whatever problem is facing you.
And above all else, be fair, be forward, and be professional.
Well that’s my two cents for now, likely the longest two cents anyone has ever put into anything. I hope anyone who read this series found it informative and enjoyed it, and also apply that knowledge. Never stop learning.
Thanks for reading and I wish you the best of luck on whatever comics or publishing mission you’ve set out for yourself.
Mike
Sorry folks, I've been much much too busy publishing books and running the business to get on here. My series on the comics industry will conclude and the regular blog entries will resume in the very near future.
Mike
