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do what i did when i wanted a job at animal logic, which isn't a comics company (we don't have those in australia) but they work in animation so it kind of counts. turn up in a super short dress and full makeup in the driving rain, walk round and round the premises trying to find a way into the studio, realise that it's behind a locked gate, try to climb over the fence, get caught by a security guard, avoid trouble by pretending to be a confused and possibly mentally disabled tourist, walk home soaking wet and eat a whole packet of biscuits while crying, then go online and find that they don't do internships and they're not hiring
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Jun 30, 2018 02:51
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it was actually the high point of my career
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Jun 30, 2018 03:01
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I call that 'tuesdays'.
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Jun 30, 2018 11:47
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Hey thread!  Ok, so I really should have posted this a little while ago when the Kickstarter was still running, but I contributed a piece to FTL, Y'all!, a sci-fi anthology with a "space travel for everyone" theme. It was a fun project to do, and the kickstarter did really well, which translated into a happy buck in my pocket. Here's a preview of my (8 page) story:   
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Jun 30, 2018 16:13
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SexyBlindfold posted:Hey thread! Awesome! I backed that book and can't wait to get my copy.
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Jun 30, 2018 22:33
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SexyBlindfold posted:Hey thread! 
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Jun 30, 2018 23:37
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i love love love your clean crisp everything
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Jun 30, 2018 23:37
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How did you get involved with it? I keep seeing things like that and being all 'drat, I'd love to try for one of those', but I never see them till they're being advertised.
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Jun 30, 2018 23:45
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thanks guys  lofi posted:How did you get involved with it? I keep seeing things like that and being all 'drat, I'd love to try for one of those', but I never see them till they're being advertised. For this particular case I caught the post calling for submissions on time since I follow Spike Trotman (who runs Iron Circus, the anthology's publisher) on twitter, but I've seen a handful of other decently-paying anthologies through some accounts, groups and sites that regularly collect and post 'paid opportunities for artists' and such - Here's one and here's another, but I think you can find others easily in most social media. Even regular groups for artists, illustrators and writers can sometimes give out good job opportunities. I suggest keeping up with at least one local group and one general group, if possible.
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Jul 1, 2018 01:31
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Thanks! I struggle with using social media in a professional sense, it feels like there's a lot of timesinks with little reward, and I'm very new at seperating them from the actually-relevant groups, at seeing the socials as a tool rather than just a way to kill time. The lack of real feedback especially makes it feel like... Well, I guess the thread title's accurate.
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Jul 1, 2018 02:08
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Did anyone here used to post comics on aggregator sites like Drunk Duck or Keenspace? I was amazed to find Drunk Duck still exists, and some of the users that commented on my horrible comics back in 2006 are STILL actively using the site. It's also disheartening to see some of those people haven't improved artistically in the past 12 years...
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Jul 10, 2018 02:03
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I was heavy into the Drunkduck sprite comic community in the very early 2000s. It was about as nuanced and mature as the very early 2000s. Even by the standards of sprite comics my poo poo was horrendous so they descended on me like a swarm of hungry vultures. Also, I went ahead and made a site for my comic. I've been working on chapters in bulk so the first one is already done, but I'm in the middle of drawing the second one so it feels good to get some eyes on it to see where I should focus my efforts on improving. Samedi: God of Death Figure I'll update maybe once or twice a week with pages from the first chapter, but right now the cover and first five pages are already live. Overall pretty happy with how it turned out, there are some pages that feel rushed to me (even considering my rustiness at the time), but the pages I feel do work pick up the slack.
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Jul 10, 2018 05:50
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I like how it looks, your art style is really nice, but the pacing seems off to me - so far there's no hook, no question that makes me want to keep reading for the answer. It's five pages of retail-work hell so far. It might work better to edit those pages down, and get into the plot sooner.
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Jul 10, 2018 09:49
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Ccs posted:Did anyone here used to post comics on aggregator sites like Drunk Duck or Keenspace? I was amazed to find Drunk Duck still exists, and some of the users that commented on my horrible comics back in 2006 are STILL actively using the site. I was on ComicGenesis nee Keenspace before I moved to SmackJeeves. The CG front page is pretty dead now. The "pogs" used to show three rows with whichever comics had updated most recently. I think part of what led to the decline of CG (prior to the social media explosion) was the relatively steep learning curve of customizing your own site compared to other sites. Like you had a lot of freedom to do what you want and change what you wanted, but if you weren't already hip to the language of web design, you had to roll up your sleeves and learn, or get somebody else to do it for you. Additionally there was no ingrained comment system- you had to use a third party comment site like Disqus and I never managed to figure out how to get a separate comment thread for each comic page. And no automatic archiving system except for the default calendar display which was pretty dated looking and looked out of place on most custom templates, so if you wanted an archive page you had to manually update it yourself unless you were happy with the calendar. Once twitter and tumblr et al started to corner the market on "young person making comics as a hobby in their spare time and probably going to make 3-5 strips before giving up," people coming in as spare time hobbyists didn't have the time to learn all the coding stuff anymore and went with whatever was easiest. Additionally, asking for help was usually futile because most of the people with any degree of authority or control over the comics-side of the site moved on and no longer were around to help newbies. Gradually the forums became more deserted and were for a time pummeled by spam accounts creating dozens and scores of pages of threads/replies. Some of the users still come by to post now and then a few times a year.
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Jul 10, 2018 14:32
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lofi posted:I like how it looks, your art style is really nice, but the pacing seems off to me - so far there's no hook, no question that makes me want to keep reading for the answer. It's five pages of retail-work hell so far. Yeah when I scripted everything it was with the mindset that the next page would be right there for the reader. I like to play around with character interactions a lot but I think adding a page or two at the start to tease the premise would help the pacing flow better.
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Jul 10, 2018 15:17
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My local comic book store is starting another term of their artist in residency program and I'm being encouraged to apply again. It's a really great program where a local creator gets paid to come in 2 days a week to work of their stuff, as well as answer questions for customers, work on store materials and help out at comic book fairs at schools around the province. To apply, I'd need a letter of reference from someone in the industry. It's been 10 years since I did regular work as a comic flatter. When the residency program first started up, I applied with a letter from a colourist I used to do a lot of work for, but he didn't even want to write the letter. Just wanted me to write one that he would then approve. Now I just don't know who to ask. :/
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Jul 12, 2018 17:55
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Nessa posted:My local comic book store is starting another term of their artist in residency program and I'm being encouraged to apply again. I get your hesitation, but... couldn't you just write a letter to the same colorist? This is actually how every letter of recommendation/list of references thing I've ever done has worked - you let the other people know what would help you out the most to mention or write, and then they do it. It's kind of a lovely system but if you have a colorist who will sign off on all the specific things you need to look good, you should do that (in my opinion, I'm interested in seeing what other people think on this topic).
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Jul 12, 2018 22:51
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gmc9987 posted:I get your hesitation, but... couldn't you just write a letter to the same colorist? This is actually how every letter of recommendation/list of references thing I've ever done has worked - you let the other people know what would help you out the most to mention or write, and then they do it. It's kind of a lovely system but if you have a colorist who will sign off on all the specific things you need to look good, you should do that (in my opinion, I'm interested in seeing what other people think on this topic). Well, I haven't really spoken to this colourist much in the past 7 years or so. I guess the guidelines just say it has to be from someone in the visual arts field in general, rather than comic industry specifically, so there are a few more people I could ask. Is it really the norm to write a recommendation letter for yourself and then just have it signed off by someone?
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Jul 12, 2018 23:33
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Nessa posted:Well, I haven't really spoken to this colourist much in the past 7 years or so. I don't know about the norm, but it isn't uncommon. In most experiences I have had with this, the person you're asking will at the least ask what details or topics the letter should focus on, and what experience you have that they should play up. Some things to consider:
Basically, if a person agrees to sign off on a letter you write - imposter syndrome may make you think it's cheating or lying, but they are basically telling you "I believe in you, and I trust you to tell me exactly what will most help you get this position."
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Jul 13, 2018 10:43
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gmc9987 posted:I don't know about the norm, but it isn't uncommon. In most experiences I have had with this, the person you're asking will at the least ask what details or topics the letter should focus on, and what experience you have that they should play up. Okay, yeah. I understand all that. It's difficult to know exactly what the judges are looking for in a candidate, as the judges are kept secret and change for every term. The application guidelines state that the chosen applicant is not necessarily the most talented, but the person they feel will get the most benefit out of the residency. I did find a local comic creator to agree to recommend me though! Now I guess the hard part will be actually writing the letter for him to approve of and trying to talk about myself in a positive manner.
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Jul 13, 2018 20:19
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You said you're being encouraged to apply, who by? If you get on with the store owner, their support might be a good thing to have in writing - presumably what the judges want to know is "beyond technical skill, does this applicant have decent people skills, will they be able to be a good ambassador". e: I'm assuming you submit a portfolio as well, which will show your technical ability. lofi fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Jul 14, 2018 |
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Jul 14, 2018 01:25
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Nessa posted:Is it really the norm to write a recommendation letter for yourself and then just have it signed off by someone? yes Doctor Dogballs fucked around with this message at 16:16 on Jul 15, 2018 |
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Jul 15, 2018 16:12
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Nessa posted:Okay, yeah. I understand all that. I've done this a few times, so PM me your draft and I'll help you beef it up
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Jul 15, 2018 16:18
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lofi posted:You said you're being encouraged to apply, who by? If you get on with the store owner, their support might be a good thing to have in writing - presumably what the judges want to know is "beyond technical skill, does this applicant have decent people skills, will they be able to be a good ambassador". By friends of mine who have done the residency before. "You should do it! It's a great experience!" I get along with the owner and have been a guest artist for Free Comic Book Day and have volunteered as an artist for several comic book fairs this year. The submission requires a CV, a statement of objectives with a list of works being focused on, a statement of personal career goals and how the residency will help to achieve those goals, a list of recent community work, 5 digital samples (3 of which must be sequential), and one letter of recommendation. http://happyharborcomics.com/downloads/AiRFinal_revised.pdf Doctor Dogballs posted:I've done this a few times, so PM me your draft and I'll help you beef it up Thanks so much! I really appreciate the offer!
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Jul 15, 2018 18:54
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Would those friends who have done the residency not do references? They sound pretty perfect to me (I am not a judge). The whole program sounds so cool, it's such a brilliant idea!
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Jul 15, 2018 19:49
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lofi posted:Would those friends who have done the residency not do references? They sound pretty perfect to me (I am not a judge). It is a very cool idea! It's the first of it's kind! I suppose I could ask those friends. I just didn't think I would be allowed to use someone who's done the residency before? I don't know why I thought that. Maybe because they might be applying for it themselves again.
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Jul 19, 2018 00:53
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Nessa, are you still making your webcomic? I enjoyed watching your growth as an artist through this thread.
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Jul 19, 2018 15:26
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Wendell posted:Nessa, are you still making your webcomic? I enjoyed watching your growth as an artist through this thread. I think I've only managed to complete 2 pages in the last 2 years I'm afraid. :/ I've built it up into this enormous task that I dread working on it now. I think it takes me over 20 hours to complete a page. I have some anxiety issues that make it really hard to me work on it as well. If I get into the residency, I think it would be a good opportunity for me to focus on my dumb little comic and actually get stuff done. I do much better when other people have expectations that I have to meet. Being at the comic store 2 days a week with people watching me work would help with that I think. I have been doing a bit of drawing though, in that I have challenged myself to gradually draw all the Pokemon. http://nessabee87.tumblr.com
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Jul 19, 2018 19:09
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I’m glad you’ve found a way to keep practicing. That’s a good challenge.
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Jul 20, 2018 13:15
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I've been making a comic to be like a "lite" project while i work on bigger stuff....the montclair the magic pig ladies and gents!     Things to note: I am trying to make him "all ages" so like, appealing to kids up, with maybe not even obscured adult topic matter, but also trying to find the line of good taste. Like how a kid can read maus but with more levity, more levity than maus obviously. that is a bad example but i like it because of its extremity, like it makes you have to think of a better example. ALSO TO NOTE the clown character is based on my secondhand osmosis concept of jerry lewis in the day the clown cried, not knowing even very much about jerry lewis, doing a clown act for children because of fear and personal integrity. And he also does jokes for the troops like bob hope etc. In my animal comics "verse" there's always world war 1-ish happening on the sidelines, and he does jokes for them. and the military officials too, also, probably. You don't have to know that to read these comics though. Let me know what you think! I got another batch almost done of this FunkyAl fucked around with this message at 03:22 on Jul 24, 2018 |
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Jul 24, 2018 03:17
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I figured out how why #3 looked so familiar! It's Bubbie from "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack." I'd read more about your magic pig. So thumbs up from me.
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Jul 26, 2018 10:32
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Hey all, I dragged this conversation over from the Daily Doodles thread, it seems more apt here!Shinmera posted:Alright, took way longer than I initially thought, but the comic's done! Sorry in advance for the longpost. lofi posted:Well done! Now do another, and another, forever. Shinmera posted:Made some sketches tonight but they all landed in the digital trash can so I got nothing to show for it. Shinmera posted:I don't know? You'd have to be more specific. I just wanted to write a weird story; a tree growing out of an apartment floor came to mind so I tried building around that. It's hard to put into words... The comic timing, people's reactions to each other, feel exaggerated in a very anime way. If you're not deliberately aiming for that, I'd suggest trying to widen your influences and work on how people naturally react to weird poo poo. Let me pull out my animu-hating-stick... P3 - people don't tend to go from 0 to screaming like that. More likely is a "uhhh, what the gently caress is with the tree?", y'know? p4 top - back to normal tone, back to screaming. Double takes can be good, but you need to be real sparing. The bottom of this page is good, the 'eh, I guess, but it's so much effort is key to the story, and it reads well. p7 - "god, you're heavy" you'd say that after a piggy-back, not a life-saving catch. Bottom of the page again is good, the  really works. I think you could make the reason for not seeing the friend for a while more solid.I love the basic idea, that this weird poo poo is happening and the friend is just 'eh, too much effort to do anything about it, guess I'll just deal', but I think you could sell the story a lot better if the reactions were more believable. The fun is in the contrast between Weird and Real, so more realistic reactions help it work. I'm not convinced by the ending, there's not much setup for the 'it's destiny we live together' thing. Stick with the story you've developed, that the friend is just so loving lazy that nearly-dying barely gets them to act. I'm not trying to be mean here, just trying to pick it apart for weaknesses and I'm partly doing it for myself, I'm trying to learn how to analyse comics more. e: Now I'm all scared I've been too thunderdome  You done a comic, and you told a story, and that's a loving good thing! Do more, and become stronger in the pictures that tell storys magic!
lofi fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Jul 27, 2018 |
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Jul 27, 2018 02:38
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: There's a few weirdly anime plot beats, is that deliberate? I assume so, given your style and username.
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Hello comics thread. I was debating on posting my thing here, but I guess now I don't need to decide anymore!lofi posted:It's hard to put into words... The comic timing, people's reactions to each other, feel exaggerated in a very anime way. If you're not deliberately aiming for that, I'd suggest trying to widen your influences and work on how people naturally react to weird poo poo. Ah- the reactions, yea they're definitely manga/cartoonish. I was just confused by "plot points" a bit because it didn't make me think of the dialogue, but rather the overarching story line. As for whether it's intentional or not: it is, I wanted to give the story a very light-hearted and zany tone, rather than being realistic. You might be right that that takes away from the weirdness of the story though. As for the ending -- I wasn't quite sure how to close it off, that much is for certain. The idea behind the "destiny" thing is just that it's something the friend says to piss her off, which was meant to give some more of an idea about their general relationship and why she isn't enthusiasitc about the prospect of them moving living together again. And don't worry, your critique has been insightful and I'm very happy to see another perspective on it. You haven't been too harsh at all in my view. I have an idea for another story that connects to this one, but I'm awful at developing ideas into actual scripts so who knows how long it'll take me before I get that out of the door.
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Jul 27, 2018 07:33
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Zany reactions work best as secondary background details that draw the eye after the main panel focus to complement it, rather than being the focus of the panel itself. It works that way even in something like One Piece, where those kinds of reactions are abundant. One of the things I dislike the most about anime is that they insist on keeping those exaggerated expressions, but they get pushed to the fore due to the medium they're in and it just feels so, so tacky.
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Jul 27, 2018 09:46
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It's basically just one joke contrasting the main character's somewhat over the top reactions and the friend's matter of fact ones. If you tone down the reactions it just gets longer and more tedious. IMO the comic is fine. Could be a bit more artistically ambitious but fundamentally okay for what it is. also anime is good, gently caress the haters
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Jul 27, 2018 10:23
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 Getting ready for zine fair tomorrow. I have zero fucken clue how many of these drat things to make, I feel like I'm going to guess hilariously wrong whatever I go with. e: At least comics don't go bad. I'd best do more. lofi fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Jul 27, 2018 |
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Jul 27, 2018 22:41
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Would I be a loving lunatic for wanting to color a 24-page comic book with Copic/Prismacolor/Tombow markers instead of using watercolors or going digital? You know, besides, "just do what works best for you, dude."
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Aug 13, 2018 19:00
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Scan your pages first, then do a few pages to test. 
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Aug 13, 2018 19:39
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lofi posted:Scan your pages first, then do a few pages to test. Yeah, that's what I planned on doing. My tablet is a Wacom Graphire 4 that I've had since 2004 and is kind of miserable for me to use (physically. It works just fine still). But if I go ham on watercolor or markers, the same amount of money for that stuff could buy me a good Intuos that's big.
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Aug 13, 2018 19:46
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Star Man posted:Would I be a loving lunatic for wanting to color a 24-page comic book with Copic/Prismacolor/Tombow markers instead of using watercolors or going digital? Do a test page. quote:But if I go ham on watercolor or markers, the same amount of money for that stuff could buy me a good Intuos that's big. Oh if the question is 'do I splurge on expensive art equipment', don't do that. There's lots of cheaper alternatives that are basically as good.
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Aug 13, 2018 19:46
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