The Fix #4 Storytime

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Was going to do this myself, but you saved me the time, so thanks for that.

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Support the fucking book, ya thieving cunts

Yarr-harr, fellow scallywag, go shag a shark.

Thanks for storytiming, I hope Mr. Lieber drops by, I always enjoy the insight he gives. Great issue once again by him and Spencer. The transitions and jokes in the first few pages are just genius. I just hope they can keep up the quality work.
I wonder if it's stressful. Like do they feel pressure from the fans?

So that's what that pitbull wedding sketch was for.

Going out on a limb, but i would say the bigger pressure comes from the big two/licenced characters and their rabid fans.

These vignettes are just great.

That was really cool.

But I am!

FUCK! I forgot it came out today

But I already do, I just haven't been to my LCS to pick up this week's pull yet

Let's do some annotations!
Cover: By now our readers should be comfortable with the truth that nothing on our covers will ever actually happen in the issue.

I initially drew this cover from the front pov, kind of like the shot of the team in the opening of Jonny Quest. Redrew it after deciding that it was funnier from a side view.

I totally love the trend you've got going on with the ridiculous covers.

I know Nick Spencer sometimes frequents these these threads, so if you're out here,
Thank you for such a great book, I'm loving it and looking forward to a trade.

Rookie Mac Brundo! I liked the muted palette Ryan Hill chose for the flashback. It feels kind of instagram-y like faded colors from the past, but with none of nostalgic glow a straight sepia would give.

I found the building in the bg by searching for LA's best taqueria.

Shit, of course I'd get you guys mixed up. The books look amazing man.

>By now our readers should be comfortable with the truth that nothing on our covers will ever actually happen in the issue.
You're just saying that so that when we see a cover with Pretzels driving a Jetski, we'll be surprised when he actually DOES drive a Jetski.

More young Mac, learning the ways of love. Panel 3 was modelled by my studiomates Leila Del Duca, Benjamin Dewey, and Erika Moen. It is such a huge advantage to have great cartoonists like those three to model for you, because they understand how comics work and will give you poses that reveal character and tell a story.

I'm gonna run out of barf gags someday, but not for a while, I hope.

Where'd you go to get models for panel 4?

>Where'd you go to get models for panel 4?
downtown Pittsburgh, 1991

More montage fun. If this was a movie, there'd be happy idiot pop tunes on the soundtrack.

Mac's lady can see through Roy's shit, even if Mac can't.

I love how Ryan Hill switches his color palette here to something like an early 00s sitcom.

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Any dropped panels/gags that you can tell us about? Or do you guys not need to worry about that since this is an Image book?

>Panel 3 was modelled by my studiomates Leila Del Duca, Benjamin Dewey, and Erika Moen
Oh man, that's super cool.

So is the print on his shirt supposed to have a deeper meaning behind it for his character/this scene? Because the original picture certainly carries some some subtext and meaning.

Please, keep talking about colors.

what? I tell you what. Two fucking wasted pages, that's what.

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What is that nigga putting on his hot dog?

It's a masturbation joke.

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lol.

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Nothing at all! Image is ridiculously supportive.

>So is the print on his shirt supposed to have a deeper meaning behind it?

No symbolism to it. Mac's just a big fanboy for old pin-up models and actresses. In issue two, when Roy takes him on a tour of all his favorite places in LA before shooting him, one of the places they visit is Jayne M's memorial.

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>when Roy takes him on a tour of all his favorite places in LA before shooting him
God I love this book.

Thanks, OP.

What can I say? This issue was 22 pages of storytelling plus the character/title spread. Marvel only gives you 20.

While I don't read lots of indie comics I imagine it must feel great to be able to just do whatever story you guys feel without the pressure of staying kid friendly.
I have a question about future, will the fix keep as the buddy-cop all the way or all you guys planing to add a "twist" somewhere in the middle (somebody getting superpowers/space aliens/matrix stuff)?

So how do you guys get away with publishing books like these? I always imagined those companies having very rigid guidelines and whatnot. Event this, shock-value that.

Gonna make it out to the Midwest any time soon this year, Steve?

Haven't laughed this hard in a while.
This series is top notch.
Thanks Mr. Lieber, and give my regards to Mr. Spencer. Fully trusting in where your works are heading.

>will the fix keep as the buddy-cop all the way or all you guys planing to add a "twist" somewhere in the middle (somebody getting superpowers/space aliens/matrix stuff)?

Thanks for asking! I can't speak for Nick's plans- he's his own man on this stuff, and he plays his cards very close to his vest- but as far I I know, we're going to stay within the boundaries of crime and comedy.

Hey Steve!

It was awesome meeting you at ECCC!

Keep up the good work! Looking forward to collecting this in a trade!

I think with Superior Foes, Marvel gave us free rein because they were such bottom-of-the-barrel characters, at least as far as licensing and making movies is concerned. Our editors all had six or seven other, more important books they were editing at the same time, so there wasn't enough time for anyone to micromanage us. Plus they liked what we were doing, so they were inclined to let us keep doing it.

At Image, the whole point of their relationship with creators is letting them make the books they want to make. It's a great place to be.

Definitely Grand Rapids. Possibly Ohio.

Those are two very convenient places, I might come to see you.

Shameless mugging on horndog Mac. Also I just noticed we mis-colored the little heart floating up from Mac's junk in panel 4.

And I hope we get to do more with Dumbledore the cat.

Those photos in panel 4 are drawn from real non-nude vintage snapshots sitting on a shelf a few feet from me right now. One of my teachers in art school gave me his photo reference file when he retired in 1988, and it included a bunch of snapshots of a model he'd taken in the 50s as reference for a paperback cover or some magazine illustration job. When Nick wrote the old guy's vintage porn stash in the first issue, I new immediately what it should look like.

>What is that nigga putting on his hot dog?
It's Donovan, so let's just hope it's mayo.

Lieber do you know if anyone at Marvel has read Muh Phoenix?

>Lieber do you know if anyone at Marvel has read Muh Phoenix?
I haven't spoken to anyone at Marvel for almost a year, and just about everyone I ever worked with there has moved on to another job somewhere else.

At least you all are free.
Marvel just is acting so strange, lately.

Have YOU read it?

I wonder some times if Image is a bit too permissive some times. It feels like they don't have editors the way some creators talk about their experience. Of course, I'm talking from a position of relative ignorance, and have no idea how an Image book is managed outside the basic creator team structure.

>Have YOU read it?
Only Marvel I'm following is Samnee/Waid/Wilson's Black Widow, and even there I've missed a couple of issues.

I think he means have you read Muh Phoenix. It's a parody of Avengers vs. X-Men that someone made.

Which is a pretty stupid thing to ask a pro, when you stop and think about it.

>It feels like they don't have editors the way some creators talk about their experience.

Image itself doesn't impose an editor on any of the creators they publish. (Though some of the imprints they publish, like Top Cow, certainly do.)

Many Image creators and teams will hire their own editor, both to keep things organized and to do traditional editorial functions, like giving the creators honest feedback about what works and what doesn't.

>I think he means have you read Muh Phoenix. It's a parody of Avengers vs. X-Men that someone made.

Oh- sorry. First I've heard of it!

I guess the idea that Image is more a printing and distribution service than a traditional publishing house is a little bit true, though they do screen applicants and don't just publish any old thing.

I don't know, it's not unthinkable to me that just because someone writes professionally they would never read a fan parody.

It certainly seems based on his answers that probably nobody at Marvel ever read it though

I hope you come to Montreal Comic Con sometime in the future. It's a nice place in Canada if you're willing to travel. Every year I wish they would get better artists but since it's Canada no one comes. This year they got Greg Land but with Greg Land I know where I stand....

Anyways you're my favorite comic artist. Keep it up.

What's the best way to get into the industry as a writer?
Pay some Deviantart/tumblr artist exorbitant fees to draw your stuff? Draw it all yourself and distribute it out of a shoebox on the curb of the LCS on wednesday? Kidnap Bendis' children and demand a position?

Of the three I'd say the third is the best bet.

My own experience of trying to crack in and reading other people's accounts is there's no single right way. Though from what I've seen for writing, writing something else like prose fiction or essays, then pivoting into comics is a more sure way to do things than take a gamble on going into comics as a complete unknown.

The third option or you just have to be really really really fucking good and fast at writing/drawing. You probably need years of experience before you ever get a decent job.

It's pretty good.
I kind off remember reading about an unwritten rule that writers do not read stuff related to their works (fanfic/fanarts) because the corporation don't want to deal with an accidental stealing concepts from fans (and possible lawsuit involved with it)

>years of experience
a good long-running webcomic definitely helps

I'll buy the trade

Bump

I just want to let you whenever you read this Lieber that this book is a special kind of fucked up.

I love it.

Count me in as another visitor. Keep us posted on your con appearances.

It's a lot harder for writers who can't draw to get their start. Many just bite the bullet and save up to pay some new-ish artists to draw a few short stories. Having those online and/or published as mini-comics will go a long way towards getting people to take you seriously as a writer.

You can meet artists online, but the best is finding someone local so you can collaborate face to face. Maybe at a local convention? If there's no local convention, see if your local shop will work with you to organize a mixer or drink & draw at a bar or coffee shop. Build community and learn who else in your area wants to make comics.

Getting a job- any job- at a comics publisher helps a lot, too. You'll meet people, learn how the industry works, and make connections.

As the user @84314292 said, it also helps to establish yourself as a writer in a related field. Also, have a good social media presence *under your own name.* Impress people with the thoughtful and entertaining things you have to say about comics and pop culture.

I'd love to do the Montreal Comiccon. Let's hope it happens some time I haven't been there since 2007 and would love to visit again.