Hi everyone. Here are two pages from a short WRESTLER ZERO story in the works. When it's complete the full version will be posted here for you to read. I wish I were in a position to publish full length stories on regular schedule. I have lots of stories I'd like to tell. However, for the forseeable future I'm better off keeping my stories short and sweet. The plain truth is I need improvement in a lot of areas of my craft. Being a self taught artist means you can't be the biggest fan of your own work. You need a strong but not harsh internal editor to keep you honest. For me that means not publishing work that I know is sub-standard. For every one page that I publish in print or electronically there are at least two other versions that didn't make the final cut. This artform is not flattering to the ego. If anything, it constantly points out your limitations as a creator and the need for constant study and practice. At the amateur level there is no money and very little recognition outside your immediate circle of friends and family. You will always meet or see the work of someone whom you consider much more talented than you. I am not aware of any self publisher who is making a living from his or her publishing. Without exception the publishing is being subsidized by a day job. And without fail there will always be the nattering nabobs of negativism ready to talk you out your desire to pursue this difficult artform.
So why continue to pursue your craft? Why continue to tilt at your own windmills? Would it not be easier to pursue something far more practical? The answer is that you do this because you must. Because you can't picture yourself not pursuing that dream or not tilting that windmill. Art, like love, is not practical but for those of us who dream it and live it it's essential. Passion and sincerity will get you through times of creative slumps better than talent can get you through times of no passion and sincerity. It's very possible, in fact very likely, that I will never make my living from my self publishing. And since I have no interest in working for any comics publishers I'd best not quit my day job. So where does that leave me? It leaves me where I've always been; passionate about creating comics and passionate about improving my ability to do so. And that my friends is not at all a bad place to be.
Tony: Well said. Very, very well said. The fact that you, yourself, acknowledge the need for improvement is huge. Do not ever quit. But, as you say, you probably can't anyway!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mykal. As always your thoughts are much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteNice work Tony! Glad you're sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I like your SUPERMONSTERS paintings and your Idiot Engine podcasts.
ReplyDeleteis you look at quite a few famous comic book artists, you'll find that quite a few don't look entirely realistic (eg: have you ever seen someone looking like a kack kirby drawing? The sad fact is that most comic book publishers insist on a house style. That way they overlook many great talents, simply because it doesn't fit the house style that you have. If you google; how to get a comic book published and scroll down the page you should see a sight saying: the definitive list of comic publisher submission guidelines. It has a giant list mostly made up of little knowen, small publishers, that don't encourage such a standard style. Try it.
ReplyDeleteThen there is also the possibility of self publishing...
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