Brandon Easton (Shadowlaw, Thundercats) writes and speaks often about what it takes for writers to break it and make it in the business of various forms of entertainment ranging from comics to screenwriting. Here is what he had to say on the topic of hiring an artist:
I regularly meet novelists, screenwriters, playwrights and other interested parties who believe that creating a graphic novel will jump start their careers. There are many resources out there that teach writers how to format their ideas into a compelling comic book script but there are precious few that explain how writers can hire or find artists to draw their work.
The two best websites for finding quality artistic talent over the years have been:
1) Digital Webbing
2) Deviant Art
I suggest doing proper research on how to format an "artist want ad" and then taking your chances there.
I do a free online podcast series called WRITING FOR ROOKIES that explains this subject in greater detail. My second episode deals exclusively with how to hire artists and what to look out for when you're trying to get the best art team for the money:
HERE
My general pointers are:
a) Make sure that you have a budget in mind and know how many pages you want for your story (24 pages for a single issue, 96-128 for a graphic novel). A 96-page book can run anywhere between $6,000 - $12,000 to fully produce unless you set up a deal with your art team.
b) Have a fully completed script. Don't write it as the art team draws it.
c) Understand that you will need to hire a penciler, inker, colorist, and letterer - many pencilers do their own inking and some pencilers do their own coloring too - you need to know exactly what your art team is best suited for.
d) Be selective of the art team. Find an artist whose style matches the exact visual sensibility that communicates what your story is like at first glance. Guys who draw in the SpongeBob style probably won't suit a Punisher or Daredevil kind of story. Don't hire the first people who respond to your ad. There will be HUNDREDS of responses to your ad and you should set aside the time to look at every email. You will find the person you're looking for.
e) Create a separate business email account. Once you post up an ad at DigitalWebbing.com or DeviantArt, expect a large volume of responses.
f) I would say only to hire an artist in the U.S., not because international talent isn't any good, but because it's harder to track down someone who lives in Brazil or Indonesia if they decide to flake out on the project. Best case scenario: hire someone in your own city. It's difficult, but it will help keep your project on track when you can GO to their house to find out what's taking so long with them completing the work.
g) Expect delays and plan around them. I've NEVER, EVER dealt with an art team that stuck to deadlines. There's always going to be a reason they can't meet the deadlines so plan to add at least 2-3 weeks to your production schedule. Don't tell them that, but make sure you leave that extra space.
h) If the person you hired doesn't look like they want to finish, then you fire them and get the money back (or the percentage owed to you for uncompleted work). Make sure that this is in the contract: if the artist(s) don't finish the work, they must refund whatever you've paid them minus the work they have completed.
i) Don't get into bidding wars with artists (i.e. "You're not paying me enough per page!" or "I used to work for Marvel/DC/Dark Horse etc. and I got paid $XXXX per page!") If this happens, walk away immediately. There are about 5 guys out there who pull this stunt every single time. The same dude has responded to my ads over the years and tries to pull this crap until I remind him that he has done this to me already.
j) Remember that you're now a boss/manager. Be steady, be fair, but protect your assets. If the integrity of your work is damaged, then you need to be ready to hire a whole new group of people. Don't tolerate half-ass attitudes and diva behavior. The comics market is tough and sub par work does not get you recognized.
-via Brandon Easton's Fool's Crusade Blog
Check out his VERY informative podcast HERE.
As the occupy movement pushes foreword putting on it's best grinning vigilante face, Alan Moore, the writer behind the mask continues to be questioned by the media regarding his thoughts on the protestors. But, fortunately, Moore usually gives us a little more than his thoughts on economic inequality in every interview. This time he speaks directly about Watchmen and mainstream comics publishers "gangster tactics".
-via Comics Alliance.com
-via Comics Alliance.com
CCMag spoke recently to our good friend, animator/director Frank Silas, about his first-ever sci-fi short film; Sledgehammer.
As a director, you began working in the video game industry. How has this informed your role in filmmaking?
Actually, I've always held that to be the other way around. My love of film has always informed my work in video games. When I discovered that video games could be as immersive if not more so than film is when I fell in love with video games. Working in video games my approach then has always been to find more ways to make the gaming experience more immersive, not necessarily more cinematic, but more like the immersion of the cinematic experience.
What was the impetus behind Sledgehammer? Was it originally meant to be a full-length picture?
Ridley Scott and James Cameron's Alien and Aliens were the impetus behind Sledgehammer, honestly. I watched those over and over again as a kid. That's when I decided that I wanted to be a Director. I was thinking what if there was another planet near LV429? What if there was an LV428 and what if humans had crashed an experimental ship on that planet then sent Marines in to retrieve it, who themselves became marooned there fighting for their lives against insurmountable odds? What would that look like? Obviously I wanted to make something original and not a pure fan film. That's how Sledgehammer came about. We have ideas about what a full length feature film of Sledgehammer would look like, but I would love to have input from fans, especially backers of our Kickstarter for this film to help us create a feature length version. But doing this shorter version shows that we actually can accomplish a visual effects film like Alien or Aliens.
What type of audience does Sledgehammer hope to reach? Is there a comparable film or series whose fans might also enjoy this film?
We're hoping to reach the Science Fiction and Science Fiction Fantasy audience: people like us who love Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, and Aliens. What's more those fans can actually be part of the process of making this film. I think I just answered that question.Box was an earlier endeavor into sci-fi, based on a comic book. Are there other comics you’d like to adapt?
BOX was more inspired by BOX 13 the graphic novel by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis. We didn't have the rights to make a pure adaptation of that property, so I made sure to take a similar plot device, but in a completely different direction. I would love to make a feature film adaptation of BOX 13, and would welcome the opportunity to do that with other comic books. I can tell you that for what it costs to make a graphic novel or trade paperback we could make the feature film, in a lot cases. What we plan to prove with Sledgehammer is that we can also do it at a level of quality you would expect to see at the box office.
Dipping your foot into the waters of sci-fi/fantasy with Box, what practical lessons did you learn on that production that helped you and your team move foreword into this bigger, more complicated world of science fiction?
What has been the biggest thrill/surpise so far in the making of this film?
The biggest surprise so far is how much it is exactly like making the previous film, but on a much larger scale including the obstacles to getting the film made. The biggest thrill so far has been getting to shoot with the RED Epic camera and our amazing crew.
What is next on the horizon once Sledgehammer becomes a reality?
We'll have to wait and see.We need to raise $40,000.00 to succeed. Right now we are working hard to get the word out to all Comic Book, Sci Fi, and Video Game fans everywhere! Check out the rest of the interview along with awesome art from the production in vol.2 of Comic Creator Magazine! -Matt Wieman
So, apparently, artist Stephen Downey instigated something quite cool and we would be remiss if we didn't mention it here. According to his blog, here is the lowdown:
Creator Owned Day is 1st March 2012.
The challenge:
Create a sketch of an original character or concept and and post it on your blog Thurday 1st March. It should be a concept completely owned by the artist (or co-owned with the writer/collaborators permission to post).
Why? A number of reasons:
1. A lot of reader and creator focus is on characters owned by larger corporations. Let's bring a little spotlight on creating brand new, creator owned concepts.
2. Bringing a little awareness to the business side of co-creating original content. Take a look at Jeff Parker's article and follow up comments on the subject. Co-creators can take this opportunity as a little trial run, just make sure to have a mutual agreement in advance.
3. Fun! A few creators discussed the idea on Twitter and thought it was a great opportunity to create something entirely new, while bringing attention to these sketches.
The details:
1. Create an sketch of a new character/character you own. We're doing this primarily to get our imaginations running, so a concept specifically created for Creator Owned Day is probably ideal. It should NOT be a character owned by either a company eg. Marvel's Wolverine, OR owned by other creators e.g. Todd McFarlane's Spawn. It also shouldn't take distinct features from characters owned by others e.g. Wolverspawn You must own the character.
2. Post it on your blog, or Facebook, Twitter etc.
3. Share your post using the Twitter hashtag #CreatorOwnedDay.
3. Help us spread the word by retweeting your favourite new characters.
Sound like fun? Let's do it!
And it has begun:
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
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.
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
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. Reconfiguring Race in American Comics, Animation and Graphic Novels
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
