Broken Frontier

Even if I don’t really understand how they pull their artistic rabbits out of hats, the facts are that my success in the world of comics is intricately tied to that of the artists that I work with. Comics are a visual medium and, rightfully, its true superstars are the wielders of the pencil.  

Needles in a Haystack

Of course finding the next superstar isn’t as easy as we might want it to be. Hit sites like Digital Webbing, ComicSpace, Ronin Studios, MySpace, Pencil Jack or Deviant Art and you are going to find a whole range of artists hawking their wares. Some of them could be the next Michael Turner, others could be the next King or Queen Of Stick Figures.

Finding someone with true talent isn’t as easy as it looks. The guy whose gallery boasts stunning pin ups may be an awesome artist, but he could very well be a one trick pony; pin ups and covers are his game, but full page spreads do not a comic make. Comics are a sequential art form and you need to find a truly talented artist who can do the pinups, the all out action scenes and the important, quieter character moments.

Comic book artists have to be much more than One Trick Ponies; it isn’t enough to be able to draw Hot Babes With Guns or Huge Gun Carrying Muscled Guys From The Future. Environments, backgrounds, monsters, aliens, streetscapes, costumes, vehicles, weapons and more are all part of the comic book artists’ repertoire. Also, it isn’t enough to draw one awesome character design, the artist needs to be able to replicate the character and the intricacies of their costume or abilities in a multitude of panels from a variety of angles. 

Unearthing a decent artist who can bring your story to the page shouldn’t really be that hard, there are thousands of artists out there eager to work on The Next Big Thing. Locating the one that can make your story happen, who can do so in a way that is eye catching, familiar and yet somehow unique all at once, that is something else entirely.

Genre Benders

Many artists have a preference for the type of story they enjoy working on. In many cases, the style of story that an artist prefers to draw accurately matches their strengths. Finding an artist who is as much at home drawing Noir as they are drawing Manga or American Super Hero Comics is very unlikely, although there are some true Renaissance Men and Women out there who have a multiple of styles that flow from their pencils or wacoms.

If your script is the next Battle Chasers or Soul Saga then there is no point in working with an artist whose strength lies in drawing spandex clad heroes and villains beating the pulp out of each other. Remember, each genre of story has its own rules and logic; this applies as much to the art as it does to the script.

Your artist needs to be able to internalize the rules and logic of your script and abide by them in each panel and on each and every page. There is enormous discipline required in pulling this off, so having someone accustomed to Sci Fi starships is going to be invaluable for your story (which is naturally the next Star Wars).

Of course artists and writers should stretch themselves. If you find yourself working with someone unfamiliar with the necessary details of Manga Mecha, then make sure your background notes, character descriptions and script are sufficiently detailed to guide the artist through all stages from development to script to page.

Writing To Your Artist’s Strengths

This sort of flows from the previous topic. An artist who recently drew a pin up for me is able to create spectacular scenes of sword and sorcery, but if you ask him to draw a spandex clad avenger, he is going to suddenly come down with a severe case of pencil panic!

If your artist is someone like Mark Bagley who can seamlessly deliver pages of two characters in conversation, then quieter moments should be no issue. However if slam-bam super smash-ups are their specialty, then this should be reflected in your script.

Sometimes writing for your artist is difficult, if not impossible; it is quite possible that at the time of writing the script you don’t even know who the artist is! This has happened to me with two projects. I wrote Legacy: Rebellion for the Dabel Brothers as a blind pitch, I didn’t even know if the comic had a snowflake’s chance in hell of getting made, let alone who the artist would be. You can’t write to an artist’s strength if you don’t know who that artists is. The second instance of this is facing me right now. I have the green light for a story, I have delivered the first of four scripts, but I have no idea who will be drawing the story (stay tuned for updates!).

If you find yourself in this situation there is only one way to deal with it; take a stab in the dark and write the best script that you can!

Let’s Do The Time Warp Again…

One of the earliest lessons I learned about working with artists is that everything takes much longer than you can ever imagine. Although that sounds as though I am being harsh towards artists, that isn’t my intent at all. I admire artists for their patience and dedication. Brilliance cannot be rushed and many artists, even when working on a script full time, can take days, even weeks to deliver one page, let alone the 22 needed for a full comic book.

If you are working in small press, it is possible that getting the pencils for a full issue locked away and in the can could take even longer; many artists work full time in the ‘real world’ and draw comics at night or on the weekends.

I have to admit that when I started working in comics I had no idea how much time it took to pencil, ink and color pages. Now, having one project in the can and working on more, I have a much more realistic view of what it takes to take a comic from script to finished art.

I believe it is vitally important for writers to really understand this point. I can write a page in five to 10 minutes, it may take your artist 10 hours (or more) to finish one page. Just as writers develop outlines, plot grids and rough drafts, artists draw sketches, thumbnails, page layouts and then final panels before their page is done; all of this takes an incredible amount of time.

Always remember, Patience Is The Way Of The Force.

Rocket Launchers

The last point I would like to make is that as a writer your project could be the one that launches an artist into the Big Time. Be prepared for this outcome; your work may deliver great dividends for your artist, but perhaps no additional work for you.

If this ever happens to me, I would never begrudge the artist their success. If this happens to you, NEVER allow the bud of jealousy to flourish. If you are lucky, the artist may at some time recall that it was your project that put them on the map and they may return the favour; after all it is not always what you know, but who you know that can deliver dividends.

Whether Marvel editors come knocking on your door or not, working closely with a bunch of people to create a comic is the pinnacle of creation (in my view). If writers are the architects of comic books, artists are the builders. In the category ‘artist’ I include pencillers, inkers, colorists and letterers. A script is only ever a map or a blueprint; we need the builders of story to raise our tales to ultimate creative heights.

Next: Fairy Tales I.