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Are You Good Enough for a Career in Comics?

by Palle Schmidt 2 Comments

good-enough

We all look for approval, as people as well as artists. We want to be told we are great, that everything will work out for us. The truth is, no one can really give us that validation.

We might get lucky and meet some peers who can give us guidance, tell us where we need to improve or tell us not to worry so much. But we all worry. And I bet you we all ask the same question: Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes to make it as a comics artist?

No one can tell you for certain, if you have what it takes. A portfolio review only tells you if you have the basic talent for drawing. What goes on inside of you is far more important. Are you willing to put in the time and effort to get to the level you want? To confront your own shortcomings and tackle them head on? Are you prepared for the insecure lifestyle of a comic book artist? The solitude? The long hours? The lack of money and lack of respect from your friends and family?

Are you ready for critizism, fair and unfair? Can you muster up the guts to consistently put yourself out there and be judged? How do you handle taking notes and being told what to do? Do you freeze up when you have to perform under less-than-optimal circumstances? How well do you work under the pressure of a deadline? Do you get anything done if there’s NO deadline, or do you end up wasting your days playing World of Warcraft? Can you forgive yourself for producing less-than-perfect art? Do you endlessly beat yourself up if you’re not productive enough, good enough or succesful enough?

What does “making it” even mean for you?

Have you set a specific and measurable goal, and if not, how will you know if you get there? And have you set a time limit for when you want to have “made it”, knowing that it will probably take years longer than you expect?

And guess what – no one has ever “made it” in comics. Because you’re only as good as your last job. Because even the artist you admire the most judge their own success in a totally different way than you do. Because no matter how succesful you are, you still strive for more. There’s always room for improvement.

All this may sound like I’m trying to get you to give up, which is not at all true. The only thing I want you to give up, is asking the wrong questions. Whether you are good enough, time will tell. Time, effort, courage, persistance.

And you know when you are “making it”?

When you are making the most of the skills you have.

Filed Under: Pro Tips Tagged With: career, comics industry, creativity, deadlines, fear, improving as an artist, learning, mind hacks, mindset, planning, pro tips, procrastination, productivity, success, World of Warcraft, writer's block

ProFile: Vince Hernandez

by Palle Schmidt Leave a Comment

Vince Hernandez has worked in the comic book industry for over fifteen years and is currently the Editor-in-Chief for Aspen Comics. He has created and written the comic book series Charismagic, Trish Out of Water and the upcoming Damsels in Excess. He also has worked as a writer for Electronic Arts, Def Jam Entertainment and Marvel Comics.

What made you decide to work in the medium of comics?

Actually, working in comics happened rather coincidentally for myself. When I was eighteen years old, I was looking to take on a second job and my brother mentioned a position that was available with the comic book publisher, Top Cow. Since he was already employed there, I certainly had a great start and after interviewing there, I became the assistant to the Director of Marketing, Kate Sherwood. I worked at Top Cow for four years before I took the position with Aspen where I’ve been Editor-in-Chief for the past decade. It’s not the usual route to get into comics but I certainly think I’ve made the most of the opportunities I’ve been presented with.

What part of the process is the most challenging or frustrating to you?

Editing comics in general is a very demanding and oftentimes frustrating position. It encompasses scheduling, talent management and crisis control while also maintaining a professional level of creativity necessary to make a product fans will enjoy. I think if I had to pinpoint one aspect which usually ends up more frustrating than any other, it’s dealing with talent’s schedules and their understanding of meeting a deadline. I can literally name off the small list of creatives that understand this process. The more frequent response I get from artists is that the quality of their work will suffer if they rush, which I have found is little more than an excuse because they can’t meet a deadline.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring comics creator, what would that be?

One thing I would tell aspiring comics creators is to be realistic with their work. This is a broad tip of advice, but it’s something that a lot of aspiring artists and writers haven’t yet learned. Realistically look at what professionals are doing and judge your work accordingly. There’s no shame in admitting that you’re not on the level yet, but there are consequences when you put yourself out there prematurely. It marks you as an amateur before your career even begins.

http://www.aspencomics.com/

Filed Under: Pro Tips, ProFile Tagged With: Aspen Comics, Charismagic, comics, Damsels in ExcessMarvel Comics, deadlines, Def Jam Entertainment, Def Jam Entertainment anMarvel Comics, Electronic Arts, learning, making comics, productivity, storytelling, tips for making comics, Trish Out of Water, working with artists

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