Comics for Beginners

How to Write & Draw Comics

Palle Schmidt

Why Creative Restrictions are Good for You!

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What does David Lynch, Picasso and George Lucas have in common? Setting up guardrails for your creativity can have surprising benefits.

I put together a video explaining why, using examples from film and TV like Reservoir Dogs, Star Wars, Twin Peaks and my own graphic novel STILETTO.

Let me know what you think! Comment below or go to YouTube and do the same.

PS: I know a lot of people worldwide are hurting financially and in self-quarantine at the moment. So to offer some consolation, the premium Comics for Beginners course is available at a drastically reduced price until December 31st 2020. Follow this link to get lifetime access for only $25$5.

My book STILLETO released in the US today!

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When my book The Devil’s Concubine came out from IDW in 2011 I was obviously super excited. Having a book out in the US was a decade-long dream of mine and now it was finally happening!

All fired up from going to Comic Con and doing signings in San Francisco and LA, I could not wait to present the follow-up to my editor. STILETTO was/is in my mind a much better book, more weighty in subject matter and more solid in the artwork. I really poured my heart and soul into it.

And they turned it down.

You hear a lot about “breaking in” to the US comics scene. Well, I thought I was in and it turned out it was a revolving door!

In the years after I always carried a copy of the Danish graphic novel (a beautiful hardcover edition) with me everywhere I went. I’ve shown it to editors at restaurants, in bars and at shows both in the US, Canada, France and Germany – never finding a home for it. Frustrating when you know you have a great book and for whatever reason no publisher picks it up. I really want people to be able to read STILETTO, regardless of their nationality.

And guess what? TODAY YOU CAN!!!!

STILETTO issue #1: Officer Down is out today from Lion Forge and you should be able to order it through your local comics store.

Here’s what the editor, Greg Tumbarello, says about the book:

[quote]Palle Schmidt is one of those visionary writer/artist combos you rarely see… His artistry and storytelling pull you into an intricate underworld that engulfs the senses and blurs the line between reality and fiction, making you feel like you’re there on a ride-along with our detectives as they desperately search for a cop-killer. Stiletto weaves a thrilling mystery that flips the entire crime genre on its head and keeps you guessing until the pulse-pounding conclusion.[/quote]

To read the full press release and download an 11-page sample, go to palleschmidt.com/STILETTO

Thanks for letting me tell (part) of this story. Hope you’ll give STILETTO a chance too.

The Dark Side – Comics for Beginners Podcast episode 28

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No time is more approriate for a little self- examination than the beginning of a new year. Sparked by a rather painful personal relationship issue, I dig deep and look on the dark side – not just only my own less-than-perfect psyche but also the general emotions like envy, the need to vent or the need for recognition – and what happens if we are not mindful about the vibes we’re sending out. I go through ten lessons I have learned in the past few years that hopefully helped me become a more positive influence and a happier person to boot.

The ten lessons:

  1. Complaining is the first step. BUT NOT A STRATEGY FOR CHANGE
  2. If you keep doing the same thing, you can’t expect a different result
  3. Negativity is not helpful
  4. Just because I have high expectations of myself, doesn’t mean I should have them on behalf of everyone else
  5. You don’t know what lies behind a success
  6. When you’re envious of others, it’s because there’s something there that you want
  7. The grass is not greener
  8. The need for recognition is not a hole that can be filled
  9. Hurtful episodes can be turned into something positive
  10.  Being positive is just as annoying as being negative

Hopefully these painful lessons can be an inspriration and a wake up call to others.

 

Bonus Vid – Sketching a page of Thomas Alsop

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Another look into the my process as I sketch a page of Thomas Alsop (out now from BOOM! Studios).

For more on Thomas Alsop go to http://thomasalsop.com/.