Comic Creator Magazine

Kirkman Sued By Moore Over Walking Dead

2012-02-10T04:35:00.000-05:00

Robert Kirkman, the famed comic book writer who helped create AMC's hit zombie series The Walking Dead, has been sued by a childhood friend and collaborator who claims he is entitled to as much as half the proceeds from the lucrative franchise.

Michael Anthony ("Tony") Moore, a fellow comic book artist, filed suit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court. In the complaint, a copy of which was obtained by THR, Moore says he was duped into assigning his interest in the material over to Kirkman, who has since gone on to fame and fortune. Moore, on the other hand, has received very little compensation and has not be able to access profit statements from properties including Walking Dead, he says.

"Each of these works was prepared by [Moore] and Kirkman with the intention that their contributions be merged into inseparable or independent parts of a unitary whole," the complaint states. "[Moore] and Kirkman were thus joint authors and co-owners of the copyrights in these works."

Kirkman and Moore were apparently good friends and collaborators for many years before Kirkman became a big-time name as a creator and writer of Walking Dead, which has become the highest-rated series on cable TV.

Moore claims that in 2005, Kirkman and his agents devised a scheme to fraudulently induce him to assign his copyright interests over to Kirkman's company. Moore, who grew up with Kirkman and worked together on several projects, claims he signed a deal granting him 60 percent of "Comic Publishing Net Proceeds" in connection with Walking Dead and another project called Brit; 20 percent of "motion picture net proceeds" in connection with Walking Dead and Brit; and 50 percent of "motion picture net proceeds" from another project called Battle Pope.

But Moore says he hasn't received much revenue nor any profit statements from Kirkman or his company, despite the success of his projects. "Indeed, they have not issued a single statement or allowed access to their books and records in accordance with the reporting obligations of the agreement," the complaint alleges.
Moore claims he was told in 2005 by Kirkman that a big TV deal was on the table but "that Kirkman would not be able to complete the deal unless [Moore] assigned all of his interest in the Walking Dead and other works to Kirkman," according to the complaint. Thinking the deal would fall apart, Moore signed the contract, he says, allowing Kirkman to "swindle" him out of his 50 percent interest in the copyright and never intending to pay him his share of royalties.

Walking Dead premiered on AMC on Halloween 2010 and has since become basic cable's highest-rated series, drawing as many as 7.3 million viewers.

The suit, filed by Devin McRae, William Wright and Mary Gordon at LA's Early Sullivan Wright Gizer McRae firm, alleges causes of action for promissory fraud, breach of written contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, money had an received and accounting.

Kirkman's attorney Allen Grodzky tells THR that the case is "totally frivolous. Mr. Moore is owed no money at all. And Mr. Moore's contract has an attorneys' fees clause in it so we will be going after him to collect attorneys' fees. We are taking this matter very seriously."

-via Hollywood Reporter

OUTSIDE THE LINES: Reconfiguring Race in American Comics

2012-02-08T02:22:00.000-05:00

Brandon Easton, LeSean Thomas, John Jennings and a host of other extremely talented creators will be speaking on panels on FEBRUARY 23rd at LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY.

OUTSIDE THE LINES:
Reconfiguring Race in American Comics, Animation and Graphic Novels

A colloquium concerning issues of diversity, commerce, artistic control, stereotypes, discrimination, aesthetics and pressing debates over the role and responsibility of artists and the comic art and narratives they create.

Panel A: Questions of Racial Authenticity in Comics and Graphic Novels: 9:30-10:45am
Panel B: Radical Racial Discourse & Imagery in Comics & Graphic Novels: 11:00-12:15pm
Panel C: Racial & Gender Intersectionality in Comics and Graphic Novels: 12:15-1:30pm
Panel D: Film and Television Adaptations of Comics/Graphic Novels: 2-3:30pm

Participants:
LeSean Thomas, Character Designer & Co-Director of "The Boondocks"
Lalo Alcaraz, Creator of the nationally syndicated Latino daily strip, "La Cucaracha"
Eric Battle, freelance artist, DC and Marvel Comics
Nnedi Okorafor, award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist
Brandon M. Easton, screenwriter on Warner Bros. new ThunderCats TV series
Stanford Carpenter, Assistant Professor, Visual and Critical Studies-SAIC
Qiana Whitted, Associate Professor, African-American Studies-Univ. of South Carolina
John Jennings, Associate Professor, Visual Studies-SUNY Buffalo

Ahamanson Auditorium/University Hall 1000
Sponsored by African American Studies and the Office of Black Student Services

If you live in the Greater LA County/SoCal area and you want to create, you NEED to be HERE!

via Brandon Easton

DC's New Logo

2012-01-24T04:50:00.009-05:00

I'm a little baffled by this one. DC Comics new logo and rebranding is supposed to, according to DC, "...strongly resonate with our loyal fans who will want to proudly express their affinity for DC Entertainment and their passion for their favorite stories and characters..."

Years of working in the graphic design biz, both for comics and other companies outside of the industry, I still don't understand why people "improve" their logo and brand by making it bland and lifeless.

Now, let me say that first off, the original black and white version of this looks like pure, unmistakable... blah. It's not a bad logo, just horrible for a company primarily in the business of superhero fisticuffs. Most people agreed it was bad right off the bat.

But, now that people see COLOR and a bunch of Photoshopped sparks, coils, and smokescreens added, it seems to be "warming" to people. What?!?

Like I said, it's not a horrible logo for something ELSE. But, what does the actual logo say about comics? ...or superheroes? ...or fun? ...NOTHING.

Now, here's a nice logo design from Taste of Ink for a LAW FIRM:

Now, let's add some of the "branding" that makes the DC logo "pop":

See what I mean? It's the Photoshop effects people are reacting to. And trust me, these effects on top of a comic cover will look like overkill.

But, well... what do I know? I just do this kind of stuff for a living.

-Matt Wieman

The Infinite Cancelled Over... Inking?

2012-01-24T03:45:00.001-05:00

Here's some interesting news regarding Rob Liefeld leaving The Infinite over "creative differences" with Robert Kirkman.

Liefeld's Twitter read:

Apparently, because Rob used inkers,(perish the thought), while Kirkman wanted the pages redrawn to be more "Liefeldy". What I love about this, is the fact that, Liefeld deserves a fair amount of critisism for a lot of things, but this is not one of them, and I am 100% in his camp on this one for 2 reasons:

1) They still look like Liefeld's pages; only with a nice slick inked line that actually makes them look a bit BETTER than his most recent lineart (in my opinion). A creator that finishes his pages and brings in a nice inker ON TOP OF THAT, should not be critisized nor told to redraw the pages unless the work is REALLY subpar and makes the publication less likely to sell. Marvel and DC, for the most part, do not have ANYONE redraw interior art unless there are story changes, if only because it takes up an editor's time and makes books LATE. And it IS an insult to a successful professional with decades of experience (Yes, even Rob).

2) No other reason. I'm told, at this point, it's career suicide to argue with Robert Kirkman on any topic. Since, I'm still a freelancer, trying to earn a living, I'll just repost the BC article's comparisons for your enjoyment:

Here’s a comparison between Liefeld’s pencils and the inked pages.

These were layouts, by the way, not pencils, as some have called them. The inker did the "heavy lifting".

Liefeld stated, through a number of posts…

I gave pages to both MAC and Canaan, they did a great job. Kirkman did not feel the same. We argued and went back and forth, put a pretty bitter taste in my mouth.

No one has told me how to present my work in 25 years, I’m

Pretty fed up over the whole debacle.

As a fan I have always loved seeing artists work through the eyes of a variety of inkersvand finishers. Byrne inked by Austin looks different than inked by Layton, looks different than inked by Ordway, but at the end of the day, it’s still Byrne.
Sorry, I can’t produce timely work if I’m told to re-draw pages that I LOVE.

My life is not set up for that.

If I want to evolve my work, expand it, alter the way it looks, without limiting the amount of detail than that’s what I will do. I can’t have the terms of my art dictated to.

The storytelling was approved, the final line art was rejected. The stalemate went on a month. Where are the fans who want their product being served if the production pipeline is shut down.

This does not happen at the corporations I work with. In fact in my 25 years it has never happened.

Yeah, this is a really sour experience. Seriously…..nah….bites tongue.

Again, I run my books the same all over and I have pursued being on time, getting books out as having the most value. From DPC to Hawk and Dove, the 1st rule, every page can’t be a masterpiece, just can’t. 2nd rule, if it can’t be a masterpiece, at least make it presentable, make it interesting.

These pages accomplish that, and then some…they are great pages. No they do not adhere to a strict Liefeld line art, but they fit in and belong in the wheelhouse.
d**n shame.

And I found this little animated gif that shows exactly how much the inker contributed:

-Matt Wieman
(with additional information via Bleeding Cool)

Interview with Colorist Christie "Max" Scheele

2012-01-20T03:09:00.000-05:00

Interview conducted in Jan 2011
by Kuljit Mithra
for manwithoutfear.com

The colorist on over 100 issues of DAREDEVIL speaks about her work at Marvel, and why she has no regrets about leaving the comics industry.

Kuljit Mithra: Before we begin, I just wanted to say thank you for this opportunity. I consider yourself and Joe Rosen to be Daredevil's unsung heroes who worked on so many issues without getting the attention the writers or pencilers received. Your name is credited in so many issues in Volume 1. Do you remember your first issue of Daredevil? This must be early 80's I'm talking about, so I'm curious how you started at Marvel as a colourist, since you have a fine art background. Not interested in pencils, inks, etc.?

Christie Scheele: I was just about to graduate from college, BFA in painting, BA in Spanish language and lit, planning to move to NYC. I needed a job, of course... usual artist's conundrum... where to find a job that didn't tie me to a 9 to 5, so I could have time to paint? Well, my apartment-mate had this older hippy boyfriend (Steve Skeates), who had written comics, back in the day, with Denny O'Neil. So I looked at comics for the first time -- a Plastic Man, as a matter of fact, that Steve had written. I loved the tongue-in-cheek, and thought... hmmm... what could I do here, kind of quickly?

Cut to NYC, some months later (August, 1980), Denny (who I remained friends with forever) passing me to others for the colorist's instruction lecture, to which I really listened. Since I always was developing my painting as well, I had no problem leaving my artist's ego at the door and focusing on being a (somewhat subservient!) colorist. Then, as coloring got more complex, I was delighted to be able to bring my more subtle abilities into play.

Daredevil was one of my two favorite characters/books to work on (Moon Knight with Bill Sienkewicz came earlier). Since I'm big into color composition and tonalist hues (in my painting as well) the characters with one solid color and lots of night scenes were great. Combine that with the gorgeous drawing ability of Bill...and then many Daredevil artists, starting with my first issue, a Frank Miller/Klaus Janson issue. I always loved artists who composed the page as a whole, not only thinking of the panel by panel narration, and I always looked at my palette in terms of the page and the duration of a scene. I did think about learning to do writing, inks and pencils at one point, but understood that these skills are so advanced and specialized that I would not have the time to learn them and be a fine artist as well, so I opted to stick with my original plan -- colorist as my job, painter as my passion and career direction.

Mithra: To this day, there are still people who don't know "Max" Scheele is you. Is there a story behind the nickname, or was it something you always had?

Scheele: I got my hair cut short, punk-style, one day, (1982?), and when our most loved Danny Crespi caught sight of me, he said -- "You got your hair cut! You look like a boy -- I'm going to call you Max." And he did. When he died several years later, I asked my editors to use a Max Scheele credit that month, and many just continued to do that. Yes, I had folks later say things to me like... "Well, Max is a good colorist, but not as good as you!". Funny.

Mithra: Did you work in the Marvel bullpen, or at home? Was there much collaboration with the other creators on the books you worked on?

Scheele: I always worked at home, except in the early years when I sometimes filled in for George [Roussos] when he went on vacation. Colorists were early on considered the potential nemesis of inkers, so I would sometimes get color notes, but rarely any real sense of collaboration. Later, as coloring got more sophisticated, and I became known as a mood colorist, that changed, but I think that in general writers/inkers/pencilers felt nervous and cut off from the coloring process, and of course didn't see it until it was too late to do anything anyway. Colorists, in turn, were always anxious about the separations, which could kill a good coloring job. So, when the team was happy with the printed coloring, they were often VERY happy/relieved/grateful.

Mithra: Some things I see from time to time on eBay are colour guides to various comics, which look like watercolors or marker work. But I've also seen pages which have arrows pointed to various sections that have colour codes (CMYK? is that the right term?). Were these mutually exclusive ways to "colour"? Also, did you ever do colouring with computers? There are several issues where you are credited with "Malibu" on colours. I believe you were still on the book (late 90's) when Marvel was upgrading its paper stock etc. If so, how did you find that transition? If not, why not?

Scheele: Early on, we coded everything, since there were only 64 colors available (all created from percentages of CMY), and the pages were separated by hand (under sweatshop conditions, practically). VERY special books got "full color" -- which means that we could paint it, still with Dr. Martin's watercolors, and it was photographed and printed under the B&W art, more or less as a painting in an art book would be. Later , as computer seps came into being, we could use any multiple of 10% of all colors, airbrushing, and K (grey). Finally, we could just color it, without coding, and it would be separated, with varying results, without codes. (Papers did vary, along the way, though the glossy ones were kind of the opposite extreme from the newsprint, and not always an improvement, if you were going for any subtlety.) From there, it was an easier (and cheaper, of course) step to go to colorist/separators, a step that I declined to take. I had good seps from Malibu and Heroic Age, towards the end there, and at the VERY end worked as a team with Krista Ward, who had been with Heroic Age. We were a good team, but inefficient, compared to just one person doing the whole thing. I had been building my career as a painter all along, so I made the decision not to invest in working on the computer (my back was already wacked out from years of coloring), and to invest instead in doing my own work. Many people shook their heads, but I didn't just leap -- I had already reached a certain price point with my paintings, and was showing and selling in multiple galleries.

Mithra: What does a separator do?

Scheele: This is getting technical, but basically a separator prepares the color for printing by, in the old days, separating the color into its individual components. So... that meant that each of the 64 colors being used (say, 25% blue) needed a sheet where that color was selected on an acetate with the B&W art printed on it, painted in goopy opaque red paint (don't ask me why). It was tedious and underpaid work, not performed by folks with an art background, and mistakes were common. (This was contracted out to companies that did just this, so I only witnessed it once when I visited one.)

You'd have to ask someone else how it is done now on the computer, since I have never done that. When I worked with Heroic Age or Krista Ward, I sent them guides with notes about special effects that I knew they could do.

Mithra: Was there any difference in your methods and thinking behind your colours with this new paper stock that didn't bleed like regular newsprint?

Scheele: I think that at first we had only the 64 colors when the glossy paper came in, and wow, you needed sunglasses to look at those jobs. Then with more color range available, the strategy that I discovered was to not oversaturate, and use small amounts of grey on many colors, especially background. The single most important rule was to make your action visible at a glance (everything at the service of the narrative), so I was always working to get that contrast... but still, as subtly as possible, creating mood.

Mithra: I'm curious to know your opinions on some of the stories you coloured, namely the ones by Miller/Romita Jr., O'Neil/Mazzucchelli, Nocenti/Romita Jr., Chichester/Weeks/McDaniel, Kesel/Nord and Kelly/Colan/Olivetti etc. That's quite a range of styles you got to work on.

Scheele: I really did like them all, but I have always loved best styles that use chunkier shapes, where the figure works as a dynamic composition within each panel, and inks with lots of blacks and a line quality with variation and movement. I did get to do just a few issues over Klaus, before he left the book, and you can't beat that! And Romita Jr. was always a pleasure.

Mithra: I imagine you were working on several titles alongside Daredevil over all those years. What were some of your other favourites?

Scheele: Just to name a few... Walt Simonson's Thor was a blast to color, of course... Spider-Man, the Lost Years with Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson... Man-Thing with Liam Sharp (hey Liam...weren't you going to give me one of those pages??)...the Elektra Miniseries...there were always very specific styles that I found easy and fun to color, and then others that just didn't gel for me... not always even a question of good or bad art, though you can't argue with the art of any of the above!

Mithra: Do you remember what your last Marvel comic was that you coloured? Was it just time to switch gears and try something new?

Scheele: I think that the last ones for Marvel (I did a few for DC after that) were the Starlin series that I worked on, one after the other, in partnership with Heroic Age and Krista Ward. By then I was laying in the color composition and indicating light sources, and they were embellishing.
I colored comics for 20 years, way longer than I ever expected to, being primarily a painter. I was working on my fine art career all along, first creating bodies of work that were gallery-ready, and then beginning to build my exhibition resume and sales track. By the time comics had downsized, Marvel had changed drastically, and coloring went to computer (which I did not want to do, my back/neck already suffering from holding the same position while coloring for so long), I was well on my way. Folks mostly shook their heads when I said that my best bet for employment was to work fulltime on building painting as a business, because it is a very hard business to make a living at, but I was already two thirds of the way there. Now I mentor other artists to teach them how to engage (with a good attitude!) in the whole process of career-building, which is very fun, along with all of my exhibitions and of course, work in my studio.

Mithra: And finally, When I got in touch with you, you mentioned that you were working on a gallery show. How has life been for you after Marvel? Do you still get an itch to do comic work? Do you even follow what's going on in the comic industry?

Scheele: Life is great, post comics, because I am doing what I always set out to do. An artist just wants as much time to make art as possible, so the whole point to earning a living at is that you get all of those lovely studio hours each week. I even enjoy the business end (within reason!) because it requires different kinds of problem-solving than making art, and involves contact with other people.
Coloring comics was a fabulous job for me. I don't miss the process, but I do miss the camaraderie that existed at Marvel in the 1980's, and the crazy hijinks (performance art, really) of Mark Gruenwald and others. That is no more, I am afraid, but through my husband, Jack Morelli (and now through Facebook) I get some updates and get to see our old friends from time to time (the Carlin-Cohen wedding that just happened, for example, a bit of performance art itself!). All good...

-via Manwithoutfear.com
(c) Kuljit Mithra 2011

Alan Moore on Channel 4

2012-01-14T13:28:00.002-05:00

Regarding the use of V for Vendetta masks by the "Occupy" protesters.

via- Channel 4

Ty Templeton on Inking.

2012-01-12T10:43:00.002-05:00

Inking for Comics. I wish someone would teach people how…

by Ty Templeton.

Inkers. HAH! They are to laugh!

I inked this. I'm sometimes a professional inker

There’s a character in the Kevin Smith film CHASING AMY who inks comics for a living, and his friends call him a professional tracer. He complains that he’s not, but convinces no one, and the movie was a minor box office hit, so it left that defining moment in America’s brain.

Banky Edwards during a moment of self-loathing

When it first started up in the 90s, the inkers at Image Comics, were working with prima donna pencilers who insisted their work be reproduced as faithfully as possible and forced their inkers to actually BE “tracers”. This further convinced a generation of comic fans that inkers were barely trained monkeys with a sweatshop tool in their unskilled paw.

un-inked pencils by Erik Larsen. The inker better not get "creative".

And of course, there’s always just running the pencils through a photoshop filter. Screw the inker, who needs ‘em? They’re only messing up my work.

But the inker is the essential last hand on the drawing. He or she is the one that makes the artwork lively, or bold, or personable, or slick, or capricious. They are the singer of the song. The human hand. The Deus Ex Machina: The creator emerges from the machine.

Consider your favorite comic book or graphic novel: A CONTRACT WITH GOD, MAUS, WATCHMEN, BATMAN YEAR ONE, RED HULK POUNDS HIS ENEMIES TO DEATH, BLANKETS, SIN CITY, V FOR VENDETTA, or Name Your Own Favorite…

pictured above: Knowing what you're doing.

Every one of these magnificent examples of the form has a distinct and memorable kind of line work. It’s built into the character of each story, inseparable to the experience, and to treat this essential skill with little more than a backhand slap is to misunderstand what makes comics the appealing form of media that they are.


Ty Templeton inks Tom Artis on Tailgunner Jo.

-via Ty Templeton's ArtLand Blog

Logo Design Tips by Nate Piekos

2012-01-11T01:42:00.003-05:00

It may be the last thing you think of, but the logo for your comic book is an important element of identity. This is true in all branding, of course, but in comic shops, where books can be stacked in overlapping bins, your comic's logo is often the first thing that a potential new reader sees - and it can't hurt to make it as striking as you possibly can. After all, nobody buys a comic without picking it up and flipping through it first. The goal of your logo (and the entirety of your cover) is to make sure they pick it up!

First, let's talk about what a logo isn't.

It's my opinion that there is a difference between a logo, and a word or phrase typed out in an interesting font. The difference may be subtle. A logo may start out as a word or phrase typed out in a font, but a good designer never lets it end there. Your logo should convey mood, and there are a million interesting and creative ways to make those letters unique. You are limited only by your imagination, and your ability to design. I often start my logo designs with good old fashioned pencil and paper and circumvent the fonts all together. The possibilities are endless, so don't take the lazy way out.

In college, I focused on corporate identity design. Five or six years after graduation, when I began working professionally in comics, I devised a checklist of requirements for successful logo design. The list was based on some of the lessons I'd learned in class and some of my personal experience. What follows is an expanded and improved version of the checklist that I reference each and every time I work on a new logo, with a few of the most commonly asked questions that I receive on the topic of logo design.

Q:What materials should I use to design my logo?
I'm a guitar player, and we musicians love to talk to each other about gear. Who's using what guitar with what effects pedals through what amp - and the same goes for artists and designers. We all love to talk shop about paper, ink and computers. But the truth of the matter is, as you grow as an artist, you come to realize that materials are not the Holy Grail. I have no doubt that Jimi Hendrix could have picked up a $5 guitar at a yard sale and still dazzled an audience with it. The success of your design relies more on your skill, rather than what version of Adobe Illustrator you're using. For the record, I almost always start out doodling ideas on sketch paper. When I've got something I'm happy with I scan it in and develop the idea to fruition in Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW using a Wacom Cintiq. I also use Photoshop and Fontlab quite a bit. And to put the age-old debate to bed, I am both a Mac guy and a Windows guy. I have several of both in my studio, and I use them interchangeably.

Q:Is this design readable?
Legibility is the single most important factor for your logo. If you cannot convey in an instant what the logo says, it's poorly designed. One of my first corporate ID professors taught me this: Print out your logo at about 6" wide, tape it to the wall and step back. If you can't read it from more than a few feet away, it's not a legible design.

Q:Does this design work in color/black & white/grayscale?
Make sure you devise a black and white and a grayscale version as well as your color version. Take your print needs into consideration. A good logo should work on a twenty-foot sign in glorious neon, and on a 1" ad in grayscale.

Q:Will this work on varied backgrounds?
Logos need to be readable on flat colored backgrounds and busy cover background art. Try it on both. Especially if you have action-packed covers. You never know if ten or twenty issues from now, you'll have some insanely detailed panorama that will hinder the effectiveness of your logo.

Q:Will this work in print and the web?
Print is fairly easy. Inkjet and laser printers these days have come a long way. You can simply print it out yourself and see. If you have some webspace, you can make some different size JPGs, GIFs, or PNGs and put them on a dummy index page to view in a few different browsers or monitors. This is especially important if you're working on a webcomic.

Q:What color considerations are there?
The best rule of thumb is this: CMYK is best for print. RGB is best for the web. You'll want to have both versions. This goes hand in hand with the print test above. No two output devices will give you the same exact color results. The best you can hope for is a close match to what you originally intended.

Q:What's the hook?
As I said above, typing out two words with a font does not a logo make. It is text. It lacks a conceptual touch specific to your comic. A logo should have a cohesive, binding, unified sense of purpose to convey a message beyond what the text element tells you. It should convey a "feeling" that reflects the comic's subject matter.

Q:Is the hook successful?
Sure you know what the image is supposed to convey...but will others? Show other people. If they don't immediately seize on the hook ("Oh yeah, it looks like a pirate flag!") then try again. This is the point where you need to divest yourself emotionally from the design. I know, you've been working hard on it, but when you show other people, you have to take their criticisms seriously. Furthermore, you have to know which suggestions are helpful and which are not. Only experience can teach you that.

Q:Should the logo include an icon?
Logos can include icons. Think of the many publishers' marks you see in the top left corner of comic books. Many of them have some sort of recognizable symbol incorporated. Most of the time, I tend to say, "no," to the question of icons in context of a book's logo - it's a slippery slope to go from recognizable icon to totally cheesy. If you do design a purely graphical element to the logo, ask yourself: Can the icon stand alone? Icons are meant to be instantly recognizable and maybe eventually come to be just as understood as its text component. It may not convey the idea as well as your text, but the tests mentioned above can all be applied to an icon.

Q:How can I get better (or even really good!) at logo design?
It's the answer you don't want to hear: Practice. Logos are all around you. You probably see hundreds in a day if not more. Train yourself to notice them. Mentally dissect the logos you see. What makes the good ones work? And I'm not talking about just comic books. I have a huge library in my studio of logo design portfolios, design theory, calligraphy, graffiti, historical art, classic album covers, movie posters, wine labels...you name it. And if you're a little short on cash, your local library will come to your rescue.

Hope this is some help. Stop by my Logo Design gallery for some of my work, both comics related and non-comics related.

~Nate Piekos
via Blambot.com

Kerry Callen's Animated Comic Covers

2012-01-11T01:16:00.001-05:00

Kerry Callen, has given us another reason to post something our print magazine won't be able to do justice to... animated comic book covers from the Silver Age!

And, in case you didn't catch the ones he did from last November:

Kerry Callen, has given CCMag.com another reason to post something our print magazine won't be able to do justice to... animated comic book covers from the Silver Age!

-via Kerry Callen and Comics Alliance

5 Year Plan by Sean Gordon Murphy

2012-01-11T00:07:00.000-05:00

When I spend time with another comic artist, sometimes I'll ask, "What's your 5 year plan?"  In other words, what steps is he taking in order to gain control over his career in order to move up the ladder?   Usually I don't get much of an answer.

The reason I think many comic artists aren't forward-thinking has to do with the way our industry is set up.  Whether by conscious design or through the neglect of its participants, younger freelancers get into a habit of complacency while hoping for a chance to suckle from the teet of a major publisher.  Waiting around for a career doesn't promote the idea of freelancers taking active control of their OWN careers.

If I had to sum up the 5 Year Plan of newer freelancers, it would sound like this: "I'm always working on my craft and trying to get to shows. Maybe I'll put a sketchbook together.  I tweet with a lot of other artists during the day, and I kind of have this story of my own that I'd kind of like to work on someday.  Then again, I also have back-end offers from writers who seem like they know what they're doing.  I don't know yet--mostly I'm just going to hang in there and hope that Marvel or DC will take notice and offer me something good.  Then I'll have a fan base.  I don't know, but I'd like to be the next Jim Lee."

This kind of ho-hum approach drives me crazy.  The sit-around-and-wait-for-opportunity-of-comics has retarded freelancers into submission.  But there are other reasons why I think this happens.

Think about all the stuff you've heard about "comic industry protocol".  You've been told to wait in line at a show in order to get an editor to review your work.  Sometimes they'll even dangle a "last person in line" sign around your neck (a real badge of respect, that one).  Or you heard somewhere that the best way to work for Marvel is to work for DC first.  Or you're told that you have to submit Marvel samples because they don't want to look at Batman samples.  Or maybe they want you to try out on a cover--unpaid, of course.  Or maybe they want to see pencils and inks separately.

As much as we fool ourselves into thinking otherwise, there often IS no protocol.  I did none of these things and still found a way in.  If you want to jump through these hoops then be my guest--I'm sure some people have had success.  But just because you're being shown hurdles doesn't mean you have to jump them.  And just because they mark the line to the front door doesn't mean you can't find a side entrance.  You just need to utilize a talent that you already have: being creative.

Here's my list of suggestions to help evolve your 5 Year Plan:

TALENT
I've heard that there are 3 things found in successful artists, and as long as you have 2 of them you'll be fine: talent, respecting deadlines, and being nice to work with.  I agree with this, but it could use an adjustment: 10% being nice, 10% being on time, 80% talent.  Proof?  If Travis Charest was always late and always an asshole (I hear he's a really nice guy BTW), he'd still get work.  Because his stuff is SO GOOD that it would trump the other two.  My point is that you should always be working and drawing and improving.  It's obvious, I know.  But it can't be stated enough: the backbone to your entire career is your ability.  Your ability creates your demand, and being in demand gives you options.  Options is control.

3 THINGS AT ONCE
You should get more than one project going at a time.  Each project increases your chances of having a hit.  And when work on one project is delayed (happens a lot), you can switch gears and remain more productive.  Suggested side projects?  Work on another book that's your own or co-written by someone you like and trust.  Or plan a sketchbook for the con season.  Or look for video game work.  Or venture into cover design.  Or create a Wolverine alphabet to keep you busy.  Get creative and think out of the box.  3 at once is good, but maybe you can handle more.  And even if most side projects fail, at least you're in control of them.

WRITE
I'm guessing that most people would give most comics a grade C or lower.  Not because we think of comic writing as being inferior to other forms of writing, but pick a group of ANYTHING and most things will be average, or C level.  It's the Law of Averages.  Therefor, you probably buy a couple titles a month that you'd give an A to and a few more that you'd give a B to.  So if most comics are C or lower, why not give writing a stab?  With a little bit of effort, could you write a  C+ story?  Of course you could!  C+ is better than most comics.  We deal in an industry where characters fight crime in their underwear--don't be intimidated into thinking you couldn't put together a half decent script if you tried.  Yes, there are a lot of awesome writers who use the format for ground breaking material that you and I could never achieve.  On the other hand, it's heroes in their underwear--we're not exactly looking for Philip K. Dick here.

Writing isn't just another asset, writers are planners.  Planners deal with tomorrow.  Having one hand in the future means you have more control.

And if writing's not for you, consider yourself in the role of Director/Producer.  Figure out what kind of story you want to tell, and work on it with a writer you trust.  Pitch it to Marvel.  Even if it's material you don't own, at least you're more in control.  Or pitch it to Image and own the rights.  The digital age is an exciting time to be dealing in new content.

BRANDING
I'll use my friend Scott Snyder as an example here (and I'm about to repeat his name a lot).  Scott's first hit was on American Vampire with Stephen King.  Immediately, Scott is labeled as a horror writer because that's what Stephen is.  As Vampire continued without Stephen (it's Scott's book, after all), Scott's branding went from "working with King" to "Scott is a horror writer in his own right".  Aware of his branding, Scott has been careful to select projects that fit his brand.  Swamp Thing, Severed, and Batman are all books with a horror twist.  It's easier for him to get these books because DC and Scott know what Scott's brand is.  His brand is so clear, in fact, that he has to be careful of what he works on in the future.  Skipping around without regard to what books suit him would hurt Scott.  I suppose Scott could write Spider Man one day (Scott can do anything well), and if it ever comes time for him to tackle the web-slinger, I think Scott knows that he has to approach it very carefully because Spidey's not known as a horror book.  Scott isn't doing well because he's lucky--Scott also pays attention.

As artists, we still have a brand.  And even though we all need to pay bills, we shouldn't say yes to everything.  Your brand is built by the titles you produce, the characters you've drawn, the writers you're associated with, the vibe of your art, and by your blogs and tweets.  Figure out what your brand is and use that to dictate your decisions.  Even if you're on a book that's not quite "you", perhaps you can suggest something to the writer to help inject your brand into the story.  I didn't think of Joe the Barbarian as being within my brand, but making it really dark helped me move it closer to my brand.  American Vampire SOTF is totally my brand; PRJ will be the purist form of my brand.

ATTITUDE
Let's tweak a line from JFK: don't ask what you can do for comics, ask what comics can do for you.  Thinking in this way helps build confidence, I find.  Carry this with you whenever dealing with editors and writers.  They're not doing you a favor, you're doing one for them.  You'll spend WAY longer drawing a script than it took the writer to write.  You have more to give and more to lose with these projects, so keep that in mind.  I'm not telling you to be arrogant, just don't act submissive.

CONNECT THE DOTS
Whatever you decide to do with these tidbits, try and mold them into a grand design.  One successful project should segue into the next.  When one project is coming to an end, plan the next.  There is no finish line, because a finish line means you've stopped.

-via Sean Gordon Murphy's deviantart journal

Firestarter #1: Influences

2012-01-10T23:53:00.005-05:00

So, I decided to start this little bit of online blog nonsense to share my individual thoughts on topics that interest and/or irritate me.

Take any and all comments with a grain of salt, seeing as how I will be writing them "in the heat of the moment", when the topic peaks my interest most.

The things with these "Firestarters" is that they should begin a discussion or at the very least begin some studying on YOUR part to see if what I'm talking about is worth anything at all.

So, the first topic is artistsic INFLUENCES.

THE SPARK: A comment I read on Facebook recently, that read "We need the Joe Mads, Jim Lees, Mcfarlanes, and Lifields(sic) to imerge. Out of all those guys I just mentioned, none of them built their careers apeing anyone and that is what made them who they are."
It was in response to a shift Nick Bradshaw made from his animated style to one more closely resembling Art Adams. I will not attribute the quote to anyone, since the person echoes a sentiment I have heard from MANY people online and at comic conventions about originality.

Now, first off, the idea that we as artists EVER lay claim to the term ORIGINAL in the strictest sense, is to deny what it is that can influence an artist and their style. Here are 2 that came to mind:

1) Environment: This can include where we grew up, what we did as emerging artists, and even books, tv shows, films, etc. we liked and absorbed.

I know a lot of artists who grew up around motorcycles or cars and therefore, have a better grasp on the mechanics of them when illustrating them for comics. I also know artists who grew up on farmland with horses who are better at animal anatomy.

My father was involved in the printing and publishing industry and brought home books with various fonts and typestyles in them. I learned to appreciate the design of words in comics and studied lettering as much as penciling and inking. My grandparents had Norman Rockwell paintings in their home, so I began to see illustration as a high from of artistic expression.

Frank Miller brought his love of film noir and pulp fiction writing into play with Sin City. Had he not been aware of them, he may have easily created something very different.

2) Heritage: The artists who come before us have and always WILL be an influence. That is, to say, if we want to be any good. Art is a craft and skill as much as it is a passion.

Suppose you wanted to develope the cure for cancer. You want to be unique and original, so you don't want to study others work in this area. You also don't want to work with others in the field, and... you know what, why go to school to study the human body when the teachers will make you conform to their rules, blocking your originality?

How far do you think you would go in developing a genetic, pharmaceutical, or homeopathic cure for cancer by being ignorant of these HELPFUL influences?

Studying the old masters, the generation before you, or even your peers can be the key to you not making COMMON mistakes of "newbies".

My first copy of The Marvel TryOut Book I got for my 13th birthday. It openned my eyes to things I had not known before. I drew on 81/2" X 11" typing paper until I held the 11" X 17" board in my hands and studied how much detail you can poor into a page that size.I wanted to be John Romita Jr. at that age.

Then I read books about comic book creation; how artists approached their work with light and shadow; learning about avoiding tangents, moving a readers eye on the page, etc.

Then there are the specific artists we have an affinity for. The ones we use as in a goal-oriented way, saying to ourselves, "Boy, if I could draw HALF as good as THAT GUY, I'd be happy."

Which brings me back to the original quote: "...none of them built their careers apeing anyone."

Guess what? In some ways (some, admittedly more than others) we all "ape" artwork. We all learn by viewing and utilizing techniques such as crosshatching, feathering, line-weight variations, foreground-to-background viewpoints, switching "camera" angles, panel layouts, and more, from those that did it WELL way before us.

If we combine more of these traits or techniques from one single artist over others it seems like a cheat to some. This is up for debate.

I can attest to the difficulty of inking as an artform and that, too, is said to be "tracing" by some.

Joe MadFan.com itself says, "Madureira remarked (his) early style was heavily influenced by Arthur Adams in an interview with Wizard Magazine. But his style evolved into one more influenced by manga and anime."

I never knew until recently, the various great illustrators of the past century that have influenced the artists I grew up thinking were 110% original. Howard Chaykin said back in 1975, referring to J.C. Leyendecker: I'm the biggest Leyendecker fan in the world, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sit there and do an imitation of him."

Even more interesting than the fact that AFTER he said this, he illustrated an homage to Leindeker, are some of the things he said about the "upstarts" of 1975..

My point is that I love Adams (both Neal and Arthur), Joe Madureira, Howard Chaykin, and others for what each artist can bring to the table. In most of my examples here, the artist is not pulling a fast one. Adam Hughes ADMITS he loves Afonse Mucha's work and Chaykin loves J.C. Heindecker, and the images they've done here are homages, not swipes. But, fans of Hughes often DON'T know who Mucha is and attribute the stylistic touches he is paying tribute to something UNIQUE to him. Other Mucha-inspired comic illustrations are now called "Adam Hughes knock-offs".

Now, I don't pretend that there aren't DEGREES of influence, nor do I ignore the fact that artists who swipe EXACT panels, poses or artwork (ie. trace over) without credit are cheating themselves and others. But, let's get EDUCATED before we bash an artist or exhault another for being either too derivative or immensely innovative. You may just not KNOW ENOUGH yet to say for sure.

I think a good summation of what an artist should strive for is found in what novelist Michael Chabon wrote of Howard Chaykins work. All artists should hope for such praise:

By the way, I won't go into it here, because some folks already have here and here, but, for the record, anyone who says we need more original artists like Rob Liefeld have got (in my best Ricky Ricardo voice) "Some 'splaining to do!"

-Matt Wieman,

EIC Comic Creator Magazine

(and completely unoriginal hack)

Comic Cons – To Pitch or Not to Pitch?

2012-01-07T16:19:00.000-05:00

Although Comic Con season is a few months off, you may be thinking about getting ready to pitch your work at one. Read this article first:

Comic conventions are a prime venue for meeting key people in the industry – artists, writers, and even editors.

These are people with the experience, sway and even the full-blown decision-making power to help you get a foot in the door at a comic publisher.

However, does this mean that conventions are a great place to pitch your work?

Well, in a word – no.

For a moment, put yourself in the shoes of a high-profile comic editor appearing at a comic con. He or she may be attending to promote their company or to get valuable feedback on their books from the fans. They won’t be there to host an American Idol-style audition involving endless pitches over the 2 or 3 days.

But that is often what they end up with.

So how do you get acquainted with the big guns without them putting up the shutters?

Firstly – don’t pitch your ideas. By all means introduce yourself as an ambitious creator, along with a brief overview of your work so far, but leave it at high-level. Don’t pitch. Don’t gush. Don’t do anything that will make you come across as a jerk, or even worse, desperate.

Prior to the conference, you should have found out about books they’ve edited, which will give you the insight to talk to them about why they’re there in the first place. If you show a valid interest in their work (which you should have if you want to work with them in the future anyway) they’re more likely to reciprocate that interest (even if a little).

End the conversation by asking if you can submit some sample work to them after the con. If the publishing house has made submission guidelines available, review them prior to the con. Confirming to the editor that you know what they are will help mark you out as serious and professional.

Finally, ask them for their business card. They may ask for yours, in which case provide it (I’ll write a blog post on business cards in the near future). However, if you leave it to the editor to contact you first, you may be waiting a long time. You want the power of first contact after the con to be with you.

Once you’ve got their card, say that you’ll be in touch and thank them for their time, then don’t hassle them for the remainder of the con. If you happen to bump into them at the bar later, remember not to pitch. Talk to them about sport, TV, their hobbies – just don’t talk shop.

A couple of days after the con, submit your best work to them, following any submission guidelines, and include a reference to your conversation. If possible, include a web address where they can view further examples of your work online.

Hopefully you’ll get a response, maybe you won’t. But you rest assured that you did all you could to maximise the chance of a positive one.

Good luck
Phil Hampton
The Comic Academy

via- the comicacademy.com

Submission Guidelines Resource

2012-01-07T14:18:00.001-05:00

Archaia
Submissions

Ape Comics
Submissions

Avatar
Submissions

Dark Horse Comics
Submissions

IDW

Image Comics
Submissions

Top Cow
Submissions

Top Shelf
Submissions

Sketch Card Masterpieces from Mark McHaley

2012-01-07T07:40:00.002-05:00

Mark McHaley has worked in the comics industry for years as an illustrator. But, after a brief hiatus, he made his way back into the comics club through the "side door" by way of exclusive artist sketch cards.
Now, he has used his immense skills to bring the sketch card game up a notch by creating small-scaled watercolor renderings, making his cards high-quality mini-materpieces.

Don't believe us? See for yourself.

For more of his art and a great interview with the man himself, check out COMIC CREATOR MAGAZINE VOL. 1!

Lorenzo Brings on the Weird and Whacky to the Pages of CCM!

2012-01-06T15:54:00.003-05:00

The UK may not have the best cuisine (blood pudding anyone?), but it sure has its fair share of great comic book artists. Brian Bolland, Alan Davis, and Bryan Hitch just to name a few. The one that has hit CCM's radar for the past few years has been Lorenzo Etherington.

Lorenzo and his brother, Robin, have been working hard to produce some of the finest graphic novels for an all-ages audience, including Malcolm Magic, Monkey Nuts, and Baggage. To say Lorenzo adds detail to their universe of characters in an understatement. One might find themselves lost completely into an imaginative series of jungles, cityscapes and sidestreets that are as thought-out visually as the stories his brother writes.

The most wonderful thing is that the Etherington brothers are involved in educating and entertaining a new generation of comic fans through their eductaional comic book workshops. This is NECESSARY stuff, since the industry (at least in the States) is aging way too much. Neglecting the next group of fans will kill our industry fast.

The cool thing about having both Comic Creator the magazine AND Comic Creator the website going is that we really couldn't include the following images in the magazine. Lorenzo does these cool Wiggle Stereoscopy images:

For the interview and more amazing art from Lorenzo, including EXCLUSIVE images, check out COMIC CREATOR MAGAZINE, VOL. 1 on sale soon!

New Talent Spotlight: Lorena Carvalho

2012-01-06T14:29:00.003-05:00

Lorena Carvalho may not be known to the comics community at large, but if Comic Creator Magazine has anything to say about, that won't be the case for long. Our inaugural issue (that's #1, in case you didn't know) features a beautiful collection of both her black and white and color work. There are some similar qualities to greats like Adam Hughes and Terry Dodson for sure, but Lorena has blended the good girl/bad girl art style with some grittyness and well-chosen color palletes that make her artistic voice all her own.

Check out ISSUE 1 on bookstore shelves and in comic shops soon for more.

Jack Avarice Trailer

2012-01-05T15:08:00.004-05:00

Contributing Artists

2012-01-05T14:11:00.006-05:00

ALPHABETICAL BY LAST NAME

A

B

C
Lorena Carvalho
lorena-carvalho.deviantart, lorena carvalho blog

D

E
Lorenzo Etherington
the etherington brothers' blog, studio blinktwice.deviantart

F

G
Keron Grant
kerongrant.net, keron.deviantart

Timothy Green II
timoth green ii blog, timothygreenii.deviantart

H

I

J

K

L

M
Chris Madden
chris madden art.com

Mark McHaley
markmchaley.deviantart

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Tim Townsend 2010 Interview

2012-01-05T09:09:00.006-05:00

-via Chip and co.com

Jim Shooter: The Inking Rant

2012-01-03T11:52:00.007-05:00

And now, some points about inking. Inking is a complex discipline. It requires the following:

1) Control of the tools, that is, being able to make the pen or brush make exactly the mark on the paper that you want it to every time—nothing accidental.

Vince Colletta could make a perfect circle freehand, with a brush, exactly even line weight all the way around. Best hands in the business, or at least tied for same. I’ll tell you about Russ Heath sometime.

2) Mastering technique. You need to know what to do with the tools to make hair look like hair, glass look like glass, sand look like sand, etc. If you tried to develop your own techniques for every occasion, it would take you decades. Better to learn from your favorite inkers. Check, for instance, how John Romita, Sr. does highlights on hair. Take a look at how Dick Giordano renders metal. See how Klaus Janson does glass and reflective surfaces. Take a look at how Wally Wood did everything. Learn from the best. It’s not cheating—it’s building upon the visual language comics artists have been developing for more than a century.

You can develop your own techniques as you go along after you learn the existing ones. For instance, Klaus was a Giordano student. Giordano rendered glass with a wavy line technique—pretty much a cartoon glyph. Klaus took a good look at windows (and Gil Kane’s pencils) and came up with a more realistic technique that featured the reflection of the wall around the window, which is generally what you see if the light is coming from an angle. Very cool.

Effective technique communicates, and that’s what it’s all about.

3) Creating the illusion of depth. Depth is the key to clarity. Inkers control black, white and gray, that is, the extremes of VALUE, lightness and darkness, and to some extent, gray, the middle ground. Value—lightness and darkness—is THE most effective tool for creating the illusion of depth.

Let me say that again. THE most effective weapon for creating the illusion of depth on the flat surface of the paper is value. Generally, a progression of values.

The basic “atmospheric” progression of values is from dark to light. Dark values on things close are very dark. The mountains in the distance gray out and almost blend into the sky.

Yes, yes, the colors are brighter and more intense up close, the color contrasts are clearer, but remember, we’re talking inking here. Black, white, gray. We’ll get to color later.

So dark, lighter, lightest, natural “atmospheric perspective” is a commonly seen value progression.

But, you don’t have to look around too far in nature to find others. Light to dark—the sun shining where we are, clouds over the hills in the distance, the mountains far away are almost silhouetted. Dark-light-darker—a dark room, a lit hallway and an even darker room across the hall. Light-dark-lighter. You figure it out. Every combination, every progression you can imagine. Doesn’t have to be three planes, foreground, middle ground and background. Could be as many as you want.

The important thing is to separate planes—even if the planes are only feet apart, you have to create progression/separation. Check out Woody’s work, and Eisner’s and Kubert’s.

Also, get to the Met, to the Dutch Masters room and check out the Dutch Masters. The Dutch were fascinated by light and its effects in the 1600’s. That’s when van Leeuwenhoek made great advancements developing the microscope.

Look at the Dutch Masters’ paintings. Find the work on line if you can’t get to the Met. Miles of depth in those landscapes. A lit plane, a shadowed plane, another lit but lighter plane, cloud-shrouded mountains in the distance, lit sky. You can see for miles and miles.

Notice the fact that it was almost a requirement for every painting of an interior to have reflective, transparent, translucent, matte and semi-gloss objects.

They used value to separate planes and create depth. Why? Because it works. Because that’s how it occurs in nature. Because that’s how YOU do it every minute of every day.

You have to be a picture maker. You can’t ink a panel a piece at a time. First, you’ve got to study the pencils and PLAN how you’re going to use value to ORGANIZE the illustration to make it read, make it have the illusion of depth.

Other useful weapons at the inker’s command in that endeavor are line weight, levels of detail/rendering (i.e., an object at twenty yards has less detail than an object close up) and contrast. You can make progressions of high contrast to medium contrast to low contrast. Or any permutation of such. Get it? No rules. Make it work. Separate planes, create depth or you’re making Rorschach tests.

Value is by far your most powerful tool.

I tried to explain this to inker Dan Green way back when. He was inking the X-Men. He didn’t get it. One day he brought one of his paintings into the office. Who knew he painted? Five miles of depth in that sucker. I said, “Dan! Like this, but with ink!” He said, “Oh, that’s what you mean.” And ever thereafter, while I was at Marvel, he did it brilliantly. He’s a tremendous talent, a great inker, a great artist.

Someday, I will find the guy who invented the expression “spotting blacks,” and kill him with my shoe. Spotting blacks—scattering black areas around the panel stupidly? WHAT?

There are people who should know better who advocate making an “interesting pattern,” an “abstract design” with the placement of black areas in the panel. They are insane.

Even the great John Buscema, in How to draw Comics the Marvel Way says that crap!

John seldom inked, but when he did, he never sabotaged his art by destroying the depth by “spotting blacks.” He knew better. He was a great artist. If he had lived during the Renaissance, he’d have given Michaelangelo a run for his money. Yes, I’m serious.

So why did he say it? John wasn’t a writer. He wasn’t good at explaining what he did so brilliantly and naturally. He had to write something, and that was a thing you were supposed to say. He was trying to fill space.

Don’t spot blacks. Make depth.

4) An inker needs to be able to draw well to properly interpret the meaning of the pencils. He or she has to know the convex and concave parts of the body as well as the penciler does, and convey the right information. An inker should use reference. Get it right. Even with tight pencils, there is always room for interpretation. Get it right.

Learn to draw better, and you’ll be improving your inking skills automatically. This is the advice I gave Miller, Lapham and many others, and they turned out okay.

Pencilers and inkers—use a ruler. Use templates. Never freehand any man-made or machined object. Do not cheat. Do not fake it. Get it right. Yes, it will take much more time—for a while—until you polish up the skills. But, better one good page than ten bad ones.

via Jim Shooter.com