The Secret

The commitment required to write and draw even a mini on your own daunts plenty of otherwise talented folks. I write, I don't draw; that's the biggest behind-the-8-ball place to start in comics. Lots of people get stopped right there. If you can afford to pay an artist from the word go, it's no problem; there are plenty of artists ready to get paid. Beyond that, well, it's not easy. If there's no money, all you have to offer is a commitment, a creative commitment. I've seen my share of people "hire" an artist (or try) for back-end "pay" and then proceed to treat the artist like an employee (ie like dirt). My favorite story was one would-be writer who tried to get artists to sign a three page contract that included clauses like: if any deadline is not met by the artist, then all copyrights, characters, character designs, and all the artist's output would become the property of the writer. He said he wanted to make sure no-one was wasting his time. These are the people you smile at, back away from and avoid later.

I've been accused of everything from sorcery to sexual favors when it comes to getting artists to work with me. I always tell these people how I do it, and they just snort and go off to revise their no-pay contracts. Here it is: Work with the artist; ask them what they want to do and write something that interests both of you. If you can't do that, find some money and pay the artist. If you have this perfect vision, this inalterable vision of glory, get a bank loan and pay somebody to draw it. Team comics are often derided because they are the products of separate visions; I say true team comics are a full collaboration from beginning to end. There are many many team comics that are indeed an explosion at the idea factory. But the way for a writer with few resources to get the ball rolling is to use your writing skills to engross your first and most important reader: the artist.

--John