Advice from Jamal Igle

 

At November’s monthly meeting, Jamal Igle was kind enough to speak to Pronto. Jamal can be described as nothing less then a consummate professional. He has worked on Nightwing, G.I. Joe, Firestorm, and Green Lantern, just to name a few titles. He has been called a triple threat: talented, reliable, and pleasant to work with! Here is the advice he gave Pronto:

On Breaking In

Started as an intern

Held onto his editorial contacts from interning

Get editors business cards

Ask if you can show them your portfolio

Have work online

Deviant Art is important

On Pitching

Bank as much material as you can

Have at least 3 issues done

The business has changed because of lawsuits (ie, DC + Marvel won’t read unsolicited pitches)

On Getting Work

He made the decision early on that he would work in comics no matter what.

Took whatever job he could get for whatever money

Wore a lot of hats

Independent work indirectly led to getting comics work

Be aware Indies will low-ball you

Know what your time is worth

You can’t just put anything out there (focus on quality)

Ape and Arcana are good to new talent

The playing field is very high; you are competing with pros, even in independents

Make sure your game is tight, on par with Marvel, DC, IDW and so on

On Staying in

Have a good work ethic

Work even when you don’t want to draw

Stay on schedule, even if you don’t have motivation

When you are working on a monthly, you are behind schedule most of the time

Don’t expect to have references supplied

Average 1 page a day

On Craft

Concentrate on storytelling not style

Everyone is an individual

If it is in the script, try to get it on the page

Focus on character first; build around the character

Create complete personalities

The character will dictate his/her world

Super hero comics should have 4 to 6 panels per page

More panels slow down beats of time

On Money

If you have a day job, hold onto it

There is a financial toll for doing creator-owned work

You need 12 issues, a solid year, to gauge your sales

Advice from Brian Smith

 

During our September meeting, Brian Smith, a former Marvel editor, freelancer for Nickelodeon, and creator of Stuff of Legend and Intrepid Escapegoat, came to talk to Pronto Comics. He offered advice on breaking in, staying in, small publishers, conventions, promotions, and good city colleges to attend. His advice was well received and Pronto was lucky to have him.

On Breaking In

Put your work out there.
Constantly network cause you don’t know where it will take you.
You have to make people aware of your work.
The more you know how to do the better.

On Submissions

Send a letter first, a query letter.
Physical, snail mail letter is best.
Be specific in the editors you send it to, don’t blanket the company
Breaking in as a writer is a nightmare.
They won’t read a pitch, but they will read a comic.

On Staying in

You constantly have to prove yourself.
Everyone is only interested in your last project.
When you’re working with other people, just do your job.
Don’t overstep your role and dictate.
Give your artist things they like to draw.
Be easy to work with, do your best to walk away when it’s done.
Editors are involved, but are hands off.
They’ll help you generate ideas and connect the dots.

On Process

Not-so-good ideas can have merit, if executed well.
Find good, honest sounding boards for your ideas.
As yourself, “Is it as entertaining as something I can buy at a store?”

On Drawing Craft

Life drawing will lead to everything else.
Draw what you see, use books and life drawing sessions
Always look at original art when you can.
You will see more then what is in the original comic

On Work Ethic

Go to work, even if you don’t feel like it.
If you can treat it as a 9 – 5 job, that’s half the battle.
Time is more valuable than money.
If you can put the time in, everything else will fall into place.
You’ll figure out your schedule as a freelancer.

On Publishing

Self publishing and small publishers are a good way to go.
Start with small publishers.
Small publishers are more personal and hands on.
Digital is a good way to go.

On Stores

Free Comic Book Day is huge for small publishers.
Develop relationships with store owners.
They can help recommend you book to customers.

On Conventions

Pick the conventions carefully for what you want to get out of them.
San Diego is a massive show and a tough show to work.
N.Y. is similar, but there are more editors.
Smaller shows are better.
Hero’s con in Charlotte is good, so is Baltimore.

New Dawns

This September has played host to a seismic shift within the comics industry… or has it?

I remember May 31st like it was yesterday. Back in a world where comics were either digital or print and often changed back and forth but were rarely both right off the bat. May 31st was the day DC Comics announced it was going line-wide simultaneous-print-and-digital release and September 7th was the first day that an entire line of superhero comics from a print publishing company was available digitally. The argument as to whether or not this would mark the end of print comics’ profitability, at least in the direct market specialty retail setting, began again in earnest.

I create comics, edit comics, and review comics. The last for www.LongandShortbox.com, the second on a freelance basis, and the first for Pronto Comics, as well as for myself. But I pay my bills by selling comics. I have watched this potentially paradigmatically huge month in the comics industry from the real front-lines: comics store retail. I work at Manhattan Comics & More on 23rd street and Madison avenue in New York City.

I recommended my boss order less considering that a portion of our usual customers may choose to download their DCs to save (a) money, (b) time (c) space, or (d) all of the above. My boss chose not to. He chose to trust DC Comics’ marketing strategy and the potential maximum exposure and buy MORE.

In fact, he was entirely right. Some of the series that a wide swath of the regularly non-comics reading population would lean toward, for example: “Batman & Robin” and “Detective Comics” and some of the series that were unknown quantities but sleeper hits, for example: “Animal Man” and “Swamp Thing” are sell-outs for us.

Comic-books that are available for download at the same price at the same time from the comfort of every customer’s home, and should logically sit on the shelf, are selling out.

SELLING OUT.

Why? Well, I suppose part of it is the ‘event’ nature of it. DC Comics succeeded in putting the word out in the wider media. They even took the plunge into advertising for their superhero line on TV. I’ve been demanding that for almost two years now and I am majorly encouraged to see this! Several of my new customers came in after reading about DC’s big relaunch in The New York Times!

LESSONS LEARNED?

People will still choose print.
People will still come to a retail location.
People will try (superhero) comics.

Whether or not this is a whole new dawn for the print comics industry is yet to be seen. And what it means for small but growing organizations like Pronto is a question unanswerable for even further down the line. But watching DC’s New 52 released titles fly off the sheles day-by-day, telling my customers: ‘Yes, you can download these comics. You can even do it through us with a link on our website!’ and knowing that Pronto’s comics are available both in my store and through various digital channels gives me great hope. Great hope for the future of comics.

~ @JonGorga

Advice from DC’s “Answer Man”

It was during our August meeting that DC’s “Answer Man” Bob Rozakis visited Pronto Comics. Bob got his start in comics working on the pro-zine “The Amazing world of DC Comics.” While working at DC he worked on (either as a writer or editor) Superman, Action Comics, Detective Comics, and ‘Mazin Man. Between 1981 and 1998 he ran DC’s production department.

While talking to Pronto Comics, he gave an informative and entertaining talk about the history of comics and graciously answered our questions, while imparting advice to us.

- Currently people are looking for entertainment.

- Better to get one good stand alone issue, then 12 padded issues.

- Tell as story in an issue. Give the audience their monies worth. It worked well for early Vertigo.

- Companies need to pay attention to what is coming up and trending.

- Trends cycle every 10 to 15 years.

- Creator owned independents is the most innovative work.

- The big 2′s mindset is-”this is what we do and that’s it.”

- Pronto is an ideal spot, because we are publishing and getting something done.

- Pronto should build a fan base and show we can sell.

- Try to appeal to younger readers, but make sure you pick your age carefully.

- Kids are interested, but price is a factor.

- Comics have gotten caught up in Trade Paper Back fever.

- Print-on-demand levels the playing field.

- Everything is going digital.

 

 

Advice from July’s Guests

This past July Pronto hosted Rebekah Isaacs and Jon Price the artist/writer team behind 12 Gauge’s Magus. They were kind enough to spend the evening with Pronto, sharing some of their advice and experiences as comic creators on the rise.

On Networking

School and professors can help

Networking communities and events (like Pronto) are good opportunities

Conventions are good as well

Send your stuff where ever you can

Build relationships cause people talk to each other

On Pitching

San Diego (or any large con) is not a good place to pitch to an editor

Editors are more likely to read a quick 1st issue

emails are a great way to go for artists, but nothing over 10 mb

Be confident in yourself and your idea

Have a small, well put together pitch

- 1 paragraph synopsis

- Very tight thumbnails

- Condense your premise down to one sentence

The nicer you are and more professional the better

On Approaching an Artist

Look for one just out of school

On the cusp of breaking in, but hasn’t gotten anything

Ask, “What are you working on?”

Still look to DeviantArt, Drawing Board, Pencil Jack an others

Being able to pay anything shows you’re serious

$25 a page minimum

On Getting Published

Companies don’t want to pick up full series

They like mini-series

Image isn’t the pickiest

They require first 5 pages, full art (they like pages)

They are a good gateway company

On Being Published and in the Industry

Being published is good but not a magic bullet

12 Gauge did an 80/20 split on Magus

Bulk of profits does got co creators

Magus sold ok, but the creators didn’t make any money

The profit margins are better in trades

Graphicly is a good company to work with for putting out your content

Comics are a small community, so don’t be a dick, people will talk.

Social media and interviews are a good way to promote your book

On the CGS Super Show

Excellent show

A very supportive group of people

People who go are there to spend money

Good for commissions

One of the best shows to sell and make money

Highly recommended con

System Failure Signing

Recently on July 16th Josh Cabrera and Ben Schwartz signed copies of their new book System Failure at Collectors Kingdom in Huntington Station, Long Island.

The signing was a product of Pronto’s June meeting that featured Mike Bradley, owner and operator of Collectors Kingdom. Mike came down to Pronto to discuss the best strategies for independent publishers to get into stores. You can read his advice to Pronto in  an earlier posting.

After the meeting Josh and Ben took the initiative and asked Mike about doing a signing at his shop, a few phone calls later and a date was set.

The signing turned out to be a great success for Josh, Ben and System Failure with approximately 30 copies being sold as well as Ben doing sketches for fans. As the signing was happening Mike shared a little more advice about the benefits of signings:

You don’t have to compete for attention with other creators, like at a convention.

All the money made is profit, since there is no overhead for a table and the signed copies were selling for $5.

It is direct interaction with the comics fan base.

Every book sold is to a brand new fan.

To see photos from the signing you can go here, to keep on top of all the Pronto news, job listings and general fandom feel free to like our facebook page, www.facebook.com/prontocomics and as always to read our latest comics go to Prontocomics.com.

Comics in Conversation

I wonder how many times we’ve all had this exchange:

Hello. What do you do?

Oh, I write/draw/color/edit/promote/sell comics.

Oh… I love stand-up comedy!

No. Comics like comic-books/comic-strips. Sequential art.

Oh. I didn’t know they still made those things… Do you work on Superman/Spider-Man/Batman?

No, comics as a medium has expanded steadily since the 1960s to encompass a wide-range of content like the medium of television/film/literature/painting does.

Oh.

Actually, you’d be surprised how many comics have important/shocking/moving content about anything and everything.

Oh.

Yeah. I exaggerate. But we’ve all had bits and pieces of that conversation at least once. I know I have. Multiple times. Sometimes with the same person… But that just might be because I’m constantly trying to have conversations about comics with everyone. I brought a reprint of “Amazing Spider-Man” #1 with me on my first day of a Shakespeare summer program in Milbrook Meadow, Rockport, Mass. when I was probably around twelve-years-old. I remember telling my father “I’m going to sit and read it during the lunch break, and maybe someone else who likes comics will notice me!” That practice is pretty nearly how I’ve pushed through every following stage of my life: Bring the comics, see who shows up. Make it as much fun as possible. Convince more people to show up next time. Repeat. Now I bring my comics on the subway and try to start conversations with my fellow passengers about my reading material. I want comics to be more visible, because that’s what the industry may lack most: visibility. I’ve written a great deal about that on The Long and Shortbox Of It.

Ever since I took a week-long workshop class at the Center for Cartoon Studies in the summer of 2007, I realized how tremendously important it is to spend at least some time with a community of other people who ‘get’ it. People who love comics and make comics. People like the people you’ll meet at a Pronto meeting. I discovered that it is absolutely invigorating for a comics creator such as myself. And so I try to make it happen as much as I can. Hopefully, slowly, we will together suceed in expanding our community so that the width and breadth of comics being produced is so enourmous that the width and breadth of comics readers expands with it, creating an even broader base of people with which to talk comics!

~ @JonGorga

Advice from a shop owner!

As a previous post mentioned, in June Mike Bradley from Collectors Kingdom in Huntington Station Long Island stopped by. Here is some of his advice to Pronto:

Notes from July 7^th Discussion w/ Mark Bradely

· Make friends w/ retailers; they can help promote

· Meet deadlines; will lose audience if issues take too long to come out

· Create rapport w/ store owners by getting their opinions on books. TAKE opinion, then read & discuss.

· Don’t become a pest & be too aggressive – store owners are doing you a favor (they carry indie books out of a love for the hobby, not b/c they’re making money)

· Shops find it harder to move digest-size / B&W / ash-can style books, and likely won’t give them the same focus/attention as reg. Comic-sized color glossy titles

· Best situation = consignment. Put X # of copies in the shop and see if they sell

· Get books OUT as cheaply as possible; lower cost = higher sales. Anything over $3 starts to meet w/ customer resistance

· Talk to retailers about putting their ads in your books to help w/ printing costs. Print more @ lower cost – gets more copies into distribution

· Doing promotional events in stores is comparable to cons – get more people interested, don’t be afraid to ask shop owners. HAVE A GAME PLAN. Events need to be of mutual benefit.

· Align promo events w/ store sales for max traffic. Can offer stores a percentage of profits but not mandatory

· Diamond is hard for indie books to break into. They are more apt to take in a more expensive anthology book ($10 or more) if it will sell. Min print run on reg books is about 300-500 / purchase @ 65% off

· Diamond = International. Will immediately hit every store in the world. Full page ads run about $2500 and GUARANTEE sales. A-D names more common – listed first

· MERCHANDISING: have to establish a property worth merchandising before you market it. Recurring logos, characters, etc. Start small – stickers, buttons, cards, magnets, etc.

· Use conventions as a chance to talk to dealers. Do they have a store? Are they willing to stock your books? Try to wholesale books to the stores.

· SUNDAYS are best (slowest) / lull on Saturday when they’re in a good mood

· Promote books far & wide and see how well they take off. Every store/state is different. Indie books more prone to variation between locations

· Print-on-demand sites for indie books can help reach a broader audience

The Retailers’ Point of View

Mike Bradley, the owner of Collectors Kingdom in Huntington Station, Long Island, visited Pronto Comics at June’s monthly meeting to give us his opinions as a comics retail professional.

Mike Bradley at Pronto

Creators Bulletin Board – June 2nd 2011

Our fellow Pronto member Jesse Landau is looking for an artist to illustrate a 14 – 16 page story from his script about an otherworldly nomadic tribe abandoned by their God.

He says: “It is gothic, bloody, and full of great opportunities for the artist to use their imagination.”

Post in the comments section below or e-mail me at jonathangorga@yahoo.com to get in touch with Jesse.

And remember that we are here to help you creators connect with one another!