Yesterday, I explained how I got into comics. Today, I wanted to dive in why I have continued to stay in comics.
For comic creators, especially ones that have been staying in the indie scene know that there isn't much money out there for comic book creators, especially writers. With the ability to sell a TV pilot and make more that I could do in a year or 2 in comics. Or write novels and the rest of the endless possibilities for an author to write, why comics?
For me personally, you have more freedom to explore and get creative in comics than in any median. You definitely can't be as creative on TV shows without it being tested in comics or novels first. As much as I love writing in different medians, I will always write comics. I mean always.
That doesn't mean I don't have other aspirations. I do have multiple children's books in the works and would love to continue to write those for my daughter, and any other future children to read. I love the live action world, which I tested for the first time writing Nerd Tech. I love sitcoms and writing screenplays. I think that you can dive so much more into relationships than you can in comics, and I do love writing about relationships. I have a lot of aspirations to write a TV pilots and be a staff writer, write an animation, produce an anime show, write novels, and eventually when I am old, get back to the guitar and write some songs for my lovely wife who has to deal with all the stories inside my head. But while I am hopefully doing all of that craziness I will continue to write comics...
Next article will be about what motivates me to write...
Showing posts with label Articles and Advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Articles and Advice. Show all posts
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
How Comics?
If that doesn't sound like proper English, that may be true, but there is a point to why I wrote it that way. For the next few days, I am going to dive into How I got into comics and Why I continue to write comics. So the first question is How did I get into comics?
First off, I probably got into comics for way different reasons than 99.9% of comic book creators. It wasn't to get rich (ha, rich, that's a comic book creator joke there), but it wasn't because I loved reading comics either.
In 2009, while I was writing a screenplay called Singles! (which still isn't finished at the time I'm writing this article). I was about halfway finished, and fully plotted out with the romantic comedy/drama story and I wanted to look at what I could do next. I seen that comic book movies were starting to get popular, and I thought that I could maybe write a character that wouldn't normally be made into a movie. When I was thinking about doing this, I have not actually read a comic book in over 10 years. I grew up reading comics like X-Men and other Marvel comics when I was younger, and I had always loved the character Superman, but I just grew out of that and went on to other things. But I picked up some comics of a DC character named Steel, who I knew about already, but that was the character I wanted to write about. I wanted to avenge the horrible Shaq movie made in the 90's and bring a different twist to the character and story line. To this day, one of my prized possessions is a signed copy of Steel #1 by all of the creators involved. Anyways, I started plotting out the story then I realized that DC was never going to remake a Steel movie.
Even though that was a failed experiment, it proved pivotal to my journey as a writer. About a week later, I started to kick around the idea of writing a comic, after seeing some really cool and unique comics that had just come out (Chew being a big one), I told myself if I could develop a unique, non superhero story, then I would try and become a comic book writer. Long story short, I drove to work and plotted out my series Parallel Dilemma while listening to Breaking Benjamin songs.
Now that I had a story, I had no idea on how to get an artist. Luckily, I somehow stumbled on the idea to search on Craigslist for an artist. Though that collaboration that I made on Craigslist didn't work, I did provide me with meaningful information on where to search and market comic book creators online, it taught me how to write comics better for artist, and it showed me how many people are needed to actually pitch comics.
Shortly after becoming a comic book author, I signed a contract with Arcana for the Last Ninja with an artist I met on Digital Webbing (one of the places I learned from collaboration #1) and I think I became hooked for life on comics.
Next article I explain why I continue to make comics...
First off, I probably got into comics for way different reasons than 99.9% of comic book creators. It wasn't to get rich (ha, rich, that's a comic book creator joke there), but it wasn't because I loved reading comics either.
In 2009, while I was writing a screenplay called Singles! (which still isn't finished at the time I'm writing this article). I was about halfway finished, and fully plotted out with the romantic comedy/drama story and I wanted to look at what I could do next. I seen that comic book movies were starting to get popular, and I thought that I could maybe write a character that wouldn't normally be made into a movie. When I was thinking about doing this, I have not actually read a comic book in over 10 years. I grew up reading comics like X-Men and other Marvel comics when I was younger, and I had always loved the character Superman, but I just grew out of that and went on to other things. But I picked up some comics of a DC character named Steel, who I knew about already, but that was the character I wanted to write about. I wanted to avenge the horrible Shaq movie made in the 90's and bring a different twist to the character and story line. To this day, one of my prized possessions is a signed copy of Steel #1 by all of the creators involved. Anyways, I started plotting out the story then I realized that DC was never going to remake a Steel movie.
Even though that was a failed experiment, it proved pivotal to my journey as a writer. About a week later, I started to kick around the idea of writing a comic, after seeing some really cool and unique comics that had just come out (Chew being a big one), I told myself if I could develop a unique, non superhero story, then I would try and become a comic book writer. Long story short, I drove to work and plotted out my series Parallel Dilemma while listening to Breaking Benjamin songs.
Now that I had a story, I had no idea on how to get an artist. Luckily, I somehow stumbled on the idea to search on Craigslist for an artist. Though that collaboration that I made on Craigslist didn't work, I did provide me with meaningful information on where to search and market comic book creators online, it taught me how to write comics better for artist, and it showed me how many people are needed to actually pitch comics.
Shortly after becoming a comic book author, I signed a contract with Arcana for the Last Ninja with an artist I met on Digital Webbing (one of the places I learned from collaboration #1) and I think I became hooked for life on comics.
Next article I explain why I continue to make comics...
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Inside Project: Parallel Dilemma
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| Re-imagined version of Benjamin and Tonya |
The project Parallel Dilemma may be the project that I'm currently known most for (debatable with Arcana's Last Ninja). What is also great about Parallel Dilemma is that it was the first comic that I created. This project has gone through so much, and was almost never made. Let's start the journey of Parallel Dilemma.
The Story: I decided to write comics in the middle of 2009, and Parallel Dilemma was the first story that I developed. I developed Parallel Dilemma when I was driving to work, listening to Breaking Benjamin's "Evil Angel" and "Unknown Soldier". Somehow, the songs merged in my mind and the premise of Parallel Dilemma came to be. Not knowing how to start in comics, I made a post on Craigslist looking for a comic artist. I did receive a reply, and we started off a collaboration. Though the collaboration did not work, I did get some valuable information about how to write comics, and where to find other comic creators.
Parallel Dilemma went through over 5 artist, and it was almost shelved, before I finally decided to commission JC Grande to work on the book. It was expensive, but it finally got my book out.
Publishing: Not only was Parallel Dilemma interesting development. Through my first artist,we had some serious interest from Markosia to publish the book as a GN. After that collaboration failed, it took a while to get close enough to the submissions part. Once I hired JC, the first publisher I emailed was 215 Ink. Within a week, we got accepted. I was extremely excited! Things was going well, but I decided to pull it from 215 Ink to publish through my company, Im a Geek Entertainment. I wanted to get the book out sooner than 215 Ink wanted. Admittedly, that was probably a mistake.
Future: Parallel Dilemma is on a hiatus for the time being. Until I find an artist who will commit to the story for at least 100 pgs, I think I will focus on other projects. But the good news is that I have stories plotted out for a large mini series.
Parallel Dilemma went through over 5 artist, and it was almost shelved, before I finally decided to commission JC Grande to work on the book. It was expensive, but it finally got my book out.
Publishing: Not only was Parallel Dilemma interesting development. Through my first artist,we had some serious interest from Markosia to publish the book as a GN. After that collaboration failed, it took a while to get close enough to the submissions part. Once I hired JC, the first publisher I emailed was 215 Ink. Within a week, we got accepted. I was extremely excited! Things was going well, but I decided to pull it from 215 Ink to publish through my company, Im a Geek Entertainment. I wanted to get the book out sooner than 215 Ink wanted. Admittedly, that was probably a mistake.
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| Almost Parallel Dilemma #2 with Tomas Witas |
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
New Blog Columns
With my new blog, I am trying to figure out new ways to connect to fans. That being said, I have created 2 new columns for the blog
1. Inside Project- This column will give fans a complete inside look on how the project came to be. Information included in this column will be: how the concept was conceived, the progression of the comic, and all the little secrets from me.
2. Writers: How to Create Comic- I will give aspiring creators my own personal advice on how to produce comics.
Check out the first Inside Project: Parallel Dilemma coming soon
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Articles and Advice
I will soon start to post in depth advice for comic book creators, as well as some of my articles that I write for other sites. Expect some post soon...
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