Creator's Toolkit #8- Creating Comic Books Series

Thought I'd bring your attention to a new video series called "Creating Comic Books" featured at Expert Village, a YouTube-esque site featuring short "How To" videos by content area experts. Hosting the series is Mark Poulton, writer and co-creator of Arcana Comics' Koni Waves. In this 16 part series, Mark covers a variety of aspects related to the art of making comics, including assembling your creative team, comic conventions, distributing your comics and much more. He's joined in the videos by series artists Stephen Sistilli and Dexter Weeks, and there's some cool sneek peeks at upcoming Koni art.

I've embedded Part One of the series right here. To get a full list of the topics Mark and company tackle, head here.

Assembling the Creative Comic Book Team -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

Creator's Toolkit #7: Too Many Damned Words!

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I cranked out a massive OGN script in the past two weeks and hired an editor to review and critique it. Well, critique it he did. In fact, I'm pretty sure I drove him to the brink of madness with my script. While there were some major high level flaws...I was taking too long to get to the story, I was showing and telling when I should have been doing one or the other, I wasn't establishing characters effectively enough to have any emotional payoff...there was another serious and infuriating pox on my script- I was using too damned many words!

Now, this is, I admit a weakness of mine. Before I collect Super Seed into a trade, I'll likely take a hatchet to the script, editing it down for better readability. But the script I sent poor Steven was wordy to the extreme. I could practically hear him screaming at me in his comments. At one point he challenged me to show him a 9-panel page that could hold 270 words, as I had written. He demanded I show it to him.

Well, never one to back down from a challenge...here's such a page. (Excuse the awful wacom art.)




The rules Steven gave me were the same rules, legend has it, that DC comics gave to Sir Alan Moore.

• No more than 210 words on a page.
• No more than 35 words in a panel.
• No more than 25 words in a balloon or caption.
  

I've always known that writing and re-writing were fundamentally different activities, using different parts of the brain. I was falling in love with the sound of my own words and along the way, forgot I was writing a comic book...not a novel. So, I'm actually grateful to have those rules drilled into me now...and I've actually been enjoying hacking into my script and cutting out all the excess.

My OGN might end up still being crap. But at least I'll have learned a lesson that should serve me well with anything else I write.

November Projects Update!

It's that time again. So here goes!

Creating Comics! Class

• Class 5 of 6 comes up this Tuesday. Should be a good one, the topic this week is comic book collaborations, a subject that I've become somewhat of an expert on as of late. I look forward to the class every week, as I really missed the energy of teaching. It helps that the class is a good group.
  

Super Seed

• M-W-F web updates continue to roll. We're right in the middle of the Blood Thinning storyline, so catch up with Knightfist and the rest of the gang at the world's first super powered fertility clinic right here.
  
• I've been happy to see online sales continue to trickle in for the print versions of Super Seed already out there. While Issue # 1 and Issue # 3 sales are good, for some reason Issue #2 continues to be the top seller. Must be that flame-headed kid.
  
• I continue to have high hopes for Super Seed as both a concept and a brand that could extend well into other media. To that end, I've been constructing an outline of what a Super Seed motion picture might look like, and expect to start penning a first draft of a screen play in the coming months. That's still a ways off, but the movie in my head is pretty kick ass!
  
• Bad news for Super Seed fans however, is that the print version of Super Seed #4- Surrogate, will be delayed for a while. I've had a shake up in project priorities recently, and while I can write multiple titles, there's really only enough time in the day for me to draw one. And another project is going to, wait for it, supersede the concluding chapter of Super Seed for the time being.

CounterTERROR

• Hoping to hear some good news from a potential publisher in the next few weeks. Fingers are officially crossed.
  
• In the meantime, artist Stefano Cardoselli is doing some additional art work and promotional materials that will soon be featured on the CT Production Blog.

Tears of the Dragon

• I'm thrilled every time a new page shows up from uber-colorist Paul Little. Paul is juggling several projects, but is still managing to turn in a couple pages a week.
  
• I've had some interest in TOTD from a potential publisher and have started engaging in some light talks regarding the book.
  

ICE: Interrogation Control Element

• Artist Damian Couceiro has promised to deliver the finished inks on the initial 8 page story I commissioned him to draw one week from today. I'm really thrilled to see how they come out, because his pencils have been amazing.
  
• I still have yet to line-up a colorist for ICE, and haven't decided on the perfect style for the book. That might have to wait until after the New Year, depending on whether something big happens with any of my other projects.

NEW! Original Graphic Novel Project

• As promised, I'm announcing today a brand new project that I'll be throwing myself whole-heartedly into. This will be my first original graphic novel (OGN). I'll be keeping this project very close to the vest for a while, so don't expect a synopsis, title, or preview art for some time now. (I know, I'm no fun at all.)
• Writing a longer piece is both exciting to me, and a frightening challenge. In the past two weeks or so, I've banged out the entire script for what could be a nearly 200 page OGN. In there, somewhere, is some of the best stuff I've ever written. However, it's very raw, and as such, I've brought on board Steven Forbes, scribe of Project Fanboy's fabulous Nuts & Bolts column to help me edit it.
• Since I'll be drawing it, and to be honest, it's been a while since I've been putting in solid work at the art table, I'll be taking the next week to do a whole lot of skills building. I have a stack of tutorials I've been meaning to get to and work through, and I want to spend some time just getting familiar with the pencil again. I'm actually looking forward to it.
  

Alright, that's all for now.

Creator's Toolkit #6: Xeric Foundation Grants

Boy did I stumble upon something exciting today. The Xeric Foundation, founded by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator Peter Laird, is a private charitable organization that "offers financial assistance to committed, self-publishing comic book creators." They provide grants to help comic book artists and writers with some of the costs associated with self-publishing, including printing, copying, solicitation, shipping and advertising.

The grants they offer are not intended to cover all the costs of self-publishing and don't generally exceed $5,000. But man, $5,000 could go a long way to getting your work out there, and make a lot of things possible.

Hearing about this actually comes at an exciting time for me, as I've been working at a feverish pace on a new graphic novel. (Yes, this is yet another project.) I'll be talking a bit more about this project in the coming weeks.

But if you are an independent creator or self-publisher, check out the Xeric Foundation Grants. And if you get one, put in a good word for me. : )

CounterTERROR #10: Get your CT Wallpaper

Hey, just wanted to let you know that I posted some desktop wallpaper over at the CounterTERROR Production Blog.

It comes in three sizes, perfect for desktop displays of any size.

The image was created by me, and one or two other wallpapers are sure to follow.

You can get to the CT Wallpaper page directly here.

ICE #5: New Penciled Page

Damian Couceiro just finished up penciling the entire 8 page ICE story, which serves as the prologue to a much bigger political/action drama. Damian's really done an incredible job on this story and I've been thrilled to see his pages trickle in. Here's a strong page from the series.

In the Trades #1: Fortune and Glory

I just finished Fortune and Glory: A True Hollywood Comic Book Story by Brian Michael Bendis.

I really enjoyed it. While I'm no stranger to Bendis' prolific body of work (Powers is my personal favorite), this was the first time I've read any of his earlier work...you know, before he became huge and started writing half of Marvel's books. I haven't read Goldfish or Jinx, his early crime comics that he wrote and did the art for, but after reading Fortune and Glory, I'm definitely going to dig them up.

I was impressed to find out that besides being a great writer, Bendis is a hell of a visual story teller. His art on Fortune and Glory, isn't mindblowing, but it works to tell the story. It turns out, a lot of the techniques I've seen employed by the top notch artists Bendis partners with these days for his mainstream work were techniques he was using way back then. It's clear Bendis has always approached the comic page from an artist's perspective.

Fortune and Glory is an autobiographical account of Bendis' misadventures in Hollywood, and his often frustrating experience trying to get his early graphic novels made into motion pictures. It's a quick read and very funny. It still holds up a decade or so after publication, and even though you know things end up working out quite well professionally BMB, he's still a compelling underdog character you want to route for.

If you see it at your local comic shop, or like I did in the graphic novel section of my local library (love my library), I definitely recommend giving it a shot.

Events, Appearances, Promotions #5- Boston Comic Con Recap

I had a great time at the Boston Comic Con this past Sunday. I was about 10 minutes into my drive when I realized I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pics of my set up, unfortunately.

I was in a small room with a group of artists, including Dirk I. Tiede (Paradigm Shift) and Charles Shneeflock Snow (Sordid City Blues) and a bunch of others. Despite the rooms small size and off-the-beaten-path location, there was a good energy in the room and it was a lot of fun.

While we didn't get nearly as much traffic as the main showrooms, during the mid-part of the con, there was a steady, consistent stream traffic. I sold better than I thought I would. I managed to SELL OUT of Super Seed #1, and put a big dent in my inventory of Super Seed #2 and Super Seed #3. I also gave out a ton of postcards, so hopefully that will drive some more people to give Super Seed a chance on the web, as well. I really enjoy pitching the concept to people...They always seem to get a kick out of it.

I also sold a bunch of ashcans for the Tears of the Dragon and CounterTERROR. I do still have a few left, so if any readers of this blog want to get their hands on an ashcan, I’ll happily mail them out for the shipping included price of just $1.50 a piece. Of course, it’s first come first serve and while supplies last, but if interested, send me an email at tylerjamescomics@gmail and I’ll hook you up.

Events, Appearances, Promotions #4- Boston Comic Con Merchandise

Just a reminder, I'll be tabling at the Boston Comic Con this Sunday 10 am- 6 pm.

As far as schwag goes, I'll have issues of Super Seed #1-3 for sale, Super Seed Prints, and NEW Tears of the Dragon and CounterTERROR ashcans. I'll also bring along some of my art portfolios and perhaps do some sketching.

I'll try to remember my camera and take some pics of the con as well.

For more details on the Boston Comic Con, check out the website. It should be a good time, so I hope you'll stop by.


Oh and by the way...



Happy Halloween!

Tears of the Dragon #5: Colorist!

Tears of the Dragon has found itself a colorist! Paul Little is coming on board to lend his colors to Koko Amboro's gorgeous line art. Paul has done work for Arcana and Image comics, and has working coming for Shadowline and Jay Faeber.

You can check out more of Paul's work at his comicspace page.

I've also included here just a little sneak peak at Paul's dazzling colors. Obviously, I'm thrilled to have him join the TOTD team.