How do I, get work writing for Comic Books?

how do I, get work writing for Comic Books?

Other urls found in this thread:

images.darkhorse.com/darkhorse08/company/submissions/scriptguide.pdf
darkhorse.com/Help/FAQ/submissions
images.darkhorse.com/darkhorse08/company/submissions/ghost_sample_comic_script.pdf
twitter.com/SFWRedditImages

Get popular writing something else, and then hope you get noticed.

Writing for Comic Books?

isnt that expensive

What this user said. Currently I'm working on a set of scripts that I plan to either send to a publisher (with all the other required docs) or hire out for an artist and see if we could come to an agreement (either I pay them as work for hire or we split creative control with me in charge of plot and him in charge of aesthetic and world design).

As weird as it is to say, for any aspiring writer, if you can manage to actually follow the instructions (full script format) and present it free of errors (no misspellings and nothing left out), you're already doing better than 90% of all the submissions they normally get.

How do you layout your script? I want to work on a script too

2 options:
1.) pitch to Image - which means drawing and writing something yourself or hooking up (and paying) an artist to work with you (or if the artist is your friend, come up with a project together), and submit a project with sample pages drawn, an elevator pitch, a longer pitch/series bible, etc. and start from there

or

2.) If yr looking to work for Marvel or DC, you don't go to them, they go to you. Part of their recruitment process is looking for already published writers and artists, people who have a portfolio, so publish something, anything. Publish multiple things. If they like you, they'll contact you. The thing is, you don't get to pitch your dream book out of nowhere, they ask you to pitch something they're working on to them. If they ask you to pitch a Slam Bradley book. then you pitch it and hopefully get work.

*as a side-note, I don't know if you follow creators of comics online at all, but there's been a lot of talk about comics-as-job on twitter lately. It's not something you can live off of, unless you're on a big book making big bucks. Most people in comics have regular ass day jobs. Even DC's scott snyder taught creative writing classes at university while writing because comics does not produce living wages

**another side-note, NETWORK. Another part of recruiting process in comics is insular, inside-baseball type deals. It's about who you know, who can hook you up with a gig, etc. as well as having a strong portfolio. Despite what you may think about some of the books being published and their quality, the bigger companies are super selective when it comes to hiring talent.

t. someone who's failed to get stuff published in comics despite having portfolios and pitches at the ready

all of the other guys in this thread are Serious but you, arent

protip if you dont know how an apostrophe works you, cant get work writing for Comic Books

For a writer, fuck yes. You either have to pay an artist for their work or strike a partnership and split any profits from our work. As a writer, these are more/less your only options. Artists tend to suck their own cock like nobodies business so you might get a schmuck that is going to try and extort you for everything your worth because they think you're "just a writer".
>Artists can get fucked if they think they're going to get double paid for their work.

images.darkhorse.com/darkhorse08/company/submissions/scriptguide.pdf
Here's the link for the Dark Horse script (also called full script). It's fairly straight forward but they definitely range in detail. Some writers tend to only use a sentence or two for panel descriptions (Bendis) while others (Alan Moore) overwrite to ensure that any artist would be given enough instructions to create a semi-coherent work. I fluctuate between both extremes and go crazy with panel descriptions only if I really convey something or if I'm going to be setting up for something later (forshadowing).

If you're interested, I'd be willing look one of yours over once you got it in working order.

>Writer Tips!!!

Assuming a 2x4 or 3x3 grid (both are fucking fantastic), try to limit yourself to 25 words per individual panel or 50 words per combined panel. These are by no means mandatory (some panels have 60) but it's a good way of keeping to story going at a decent pace.

Have in layout in your mind when you start writing and try to keep to it. Pick something simple and work from there. Again, I suggest the 2x4 or 3x3. Once you're finished with your scripts, you can always go back and adjust the layout, but having that framework in your head is great for mapping out what can and cannot be achieved on the page.

Remember that if something isn't explicitly stated in a panel description IT WILL NOT BE INCLUDED!

Lastly, you're the writer and therefore always right when it comes to your story.

Nepotism.

Virtually everyone in the big two got in that way.

I'm trying to be a better artist too, but i definitely won't be drawing my own works lmao

Good luck on that script

I'll download the PDF, and thanks you're being a big help!

Dont worry though, i cant get people to check it out

I thought Image only wanted stuff from professional writers

mean

Learn to draw.

You don't.

>Lastly, you're the writer and therefore always right when it comes to your story.
oh boy is this gonna turn into a writer v. artist debate about who matters more in comics.

Most writers and artists C O L L A B O R A T E. You can't be an entry-level writer and have the ego/balls of Morrison or Moore and think you can dictate everything. Even big writers like Hickman write a short description of what happens in the comic, let the artist draw it, and then go back over and dialogue/caption it (this is his process for east of west actually, but its just one example of many processes)

Don't let this guy tell you that being the writer is the only thing that matters. comics is a visual medium of collaboration

Not him, but I believe the layout to use may differ from one company to another. They probably don't differ that much from each other, however, and so long as you clearly layout the action, dialogue, and paneling, I think it should be fine.

For what it's worth, this is a FAQ for doing submissions towards Dark Horse comics:

>darkhorse.com/Help/FAQ/submissions

And here's a PDF of what a sample script may look like:

>images.darkhorse.com/darkhorse08/company/submissions/ghost_sample_comic_script.pdf

>Don't let this guy tell you that being the writer is the only thing that matters. comics is a visual medium of collaboration
Found the artist that obviously lacks reading comprehension. Did I say anything about writers being more important than artists? Fuck no.

I am merely trying to state that when it comes to how your story should progress in regards to characterizations and plot lines, it's the writers job. I'm always open to suggestions, but ultimately it is me that determines how this thing progresses. Not the artist. Not the letterer. Me.

>let the artist draw it, and then go back over and dialogue/caption it (this is his process for east of west actually, but its just one example of many processes.
Marvel Method is worst method. Full Script is gods way. The right way.

im trying :(

My feelings were similar to yours once.
I'm glad I learned to draw.

>I'm glad I learned to draw.
What I'm working on now. I have a simple layout so I know where all panels will go. Also test the page to see if the words fit/flow. Frank Miller is a fucking god for his work TDKR. The amount of mastery and control he had over everything was nothing short of masterful. Dat 4x4 grid. It's an appealing for creative oppurtunity that I'm thinking about trying my hand at.

Look at Andrew Dobson, then take everything in the complete opposite direction.

Except bad writers often don't know how to translate something onto a page. I've seen a ton of scripts where a writer describes a single character doing three things in one panel.

Absolutely nothing you said was wrong. I guess I'm just operating from the mental set that this hypothetical writer isn't a fuckup. But you still brought up a good point. Something that I had been guilty of when I first started writing but got better once I started making little sketches to accompany my drafts.

BUMP!