Old Notes On Making Comics: Respect Your Work, Respect Yourself.

Eleven years ago or so I was asked to give a commencement speech to the graduating class at the Center For Cartoon Studies. I wrote pages and pages of preliminary notes and was going to cobble the speech together from my notes the night before the event. After spending a day with James Sturm, getting a tour of the school, meeting members of the staff and hanging out that night with a number of the students, I decided to pretty much chuck the speech and wing it based on my thoughts while watching and listening to the students interact. 

I didn't ever plan on spewing sugar-coated enthusiasm and encouragement, but general advice didn't feel exactly correct, either. I don't remember what I said that day, I'm sure there was a mix of advice, encouragement and warnings of impending doom among the rambling. I got a few laughs, nobody threw anything at me. That's a bit of a win.

I posted a section of my notes here already, but there's more where that came from, at least enough for a few new posts. 

As is usually the case with these notes, they tend to be ungainly and occasionally ungrammatical. I clean up things that are plain wrong, I try to address typos. But I let them stand fairly raw, because I know if I start rewriting I'll get nuts and spend days or longer to pretty much say the same thing. If something makes no sense, if anyone has questions, feel free to ask in the comments. Some of these notes are more like bullet points with benefits.

Please keep in mind that some things change in eleven years as far as the industry and technology goes, so some ideas here may not apply or not apply to young folks making or thinking about making comics. Also, if I duplicate material in these kinds of posts, my apologies. I searched my older posts for what I already presented, it's not a perfect system (this goes for my brain/memory, as well). Also, please excuse the randomness of some of these thoughts. 

 it's very possible some or all of this is absolute horseshit. If nothing else, I hope a point or two hits home with folks making comics or trying to make comics or working on something similar. Anyway, ahem, and all that:

If someone wants to option your ideas, be wary, be careful. Your ideas are your children, cherish them. Don't give them up easily or cheaply. If you're any good, you'll have other offers, don't jump at the chance to be published, have your work optioned for a film or a television show, check things out. Don't sign away your idea if it's an idea you love and want to work with again. Sometimes money really isn't everything. And sometimes money can really, really help, and selling an idea or character is a way to go. If you're any good, you'll have another good idea. Either way, be aware of what you're doing when making important decisions such as creating a character work-for-hire, selling a concept lock, stock and barrel, or giving a publisher more rights to exploit your comic than you're comfortable with. Take a long breath, think, get advice, if you can, get a lawyer. Research who you're dealing with. Research how other creators have dealt with the situation you've found yourself in. Don't sign anything until you know what you're signing and why you're signing it (Edited to add: This shit gets more complicated every year as streaming and technology and insane people rule the day. I've been able to scrape by on this stuff, we had a lawyer in the family help us with the Eltingville contracts back in the day, and I had to take things really slowly and carefully on the REEL FX option/development on Beasts of Burden. I guess that's also now "back in the day", actually. Nine, ten years ago? Life goes by so fast!).  

I've never optioned out Milk and Cheese, for one thing, all the offers wanted to own the characters. I've never regretted it. I was willing to sell off the Eltingville Club characters if the Adult Swim pilot sold and a series was approved. I thought about it, balanced the pros and cons, and ultimately, I knew I wasn't married to the characters and would not be doing much more with them. They were okay to sell in exchange for a series that I'd have participation in. And I made sure I kept the right to reprint the comics, and do more comics if I felt like it.

Don't get ripped off. Get everything you can in writing. Research clients. If you can't afford a lawyer, read that contract, have others read it, ask questions, don't be desperate. The major corporations are pretty scummy and the suits usually don't give a flying fuck about you, but they usually do what they say they'll do in a contract, and they usually have a history of doing whatever it is they do to people. In many ways I've had worse luck with the small/independent press, where things are cheaper, dicier and more fly-by-night, there are even more predators, swindlers, dummies and screw-ups than you'd believe. Be careful out there. DIY outfits are cool in general, but often they're fucking inept or creepy little fiefdoms. Live and learn.

You will be freelancing, most likely, another albatross around your neck when it comes to stringing jobs, cash flow, getting paid. You don't work, you don't earn, there is no weekly check by and large. Learn to budget. (Edited to add: Obviously, eleven years later I try to take advantage of the internet and how it connects creator directly to clients and customers: Patreon, Instagram and social media for sales/PR, online commissions, online sales, t-shirt and merch on-demand services, etc, etc)

If you exhibit at a convention or comics event, and someone asks you for something for free or asks for a discount, politely ask them what they do for a living and if you can stroll into their place of work and ask for free stuff or a discount. Or skip that and just say, "no". Sometimes fans and even fellow professionals forget this is your goddamned job and sweat goes into it. Also: don't trade your $25.95 paperback for some awkward goof's mini-comic, unless you know and love said goof (or want to dump stock rather than ship or carry it home). Many of us already lose money just being in comics, so many of us seem to want to just give stuff away to be nice or avoid confrontation (or we're listening to our demons who say our work isn't worth much, please like me), but try to keep the discounts and trades in check if they're affecting your bottom line. (Edited: Obviously cons are in stasis these days, but , the point being, don't feel forced to do anything interacting with people in these -- or other -- situations. Take a breath and let a beat or two go by before responding. Polite but firm, etc. Or, just show them your sandwich and tell them you can't touch anything while you're eating and hope to Zod they won't come back to your table).

If you're working and not getting paid, stop working. It's hard, I know. Don't turn in the pages. Why be worried a terrible publisher who doesn't pay people might not work with you again. Bail out. 

Don't kiss anyone's ass ever. What it might get you in the short run isn't worth what it gets you in the long run.

If you're offered a job you're not sure you can do, say yes and do your best. Worse thing that happens is you screw up and get paid for a learning experience. It might lead you down a new path, new exposure, stretch your abilities. (Added notes: Don't be so afraid of failing that it stops you. I'm embarrassed by a lot of my older work, there's an RPG supplement book with my "illustrations" out there that I have avoided my entire life, I don't even have a file copy. I have openly wept looking at some of my work when I started out. No one's thinking about it but you. The early work gets you to the later, better work. As long as you're actively working to get better and learn, you'll be okay. or, you'll be lucky, like some hot artists have been. You never know what will happen if you engage and get involved).

You're going to fail sometimes. People fail. Deal with it. Move on. It sucks. Move on.

There's failing at a job or a piece of work, and then there's failing yourself. There's a difference, try to avoid the latter. Try not to be your own worst enemy. If you're dealing with imposter syndrome, work on that. It's a stifling, lousy way to live. I'm still dealing with it. (Still).

If you have five readers, at least one of them will say something nasty about you at some point. Deal with it. Ignore. Move on.

Avoid working with people who make you miserable. It's not worth it. Life is short.  

Do what you think is best with your work, there will be others who share your sensibilities and want to go along for the ride.

Don't follow trends, don't try to predict trends. You will almost always be wrong.

If you are getting into comics as a stepping stone to film or TV work, I wish you luck and roll my eyes at you. Lottery tickets are cheaper and faster ways to waste time hoping for an equally improbable payoff. Make comics because you want to make comics. If other opportunities arise, cool. But if your heart's not in the right place, your brain's not in the right place, your talent's not in the right place, you'll likely make yourself unhappy. There have been clear, obvious examples of creators who got into comics with movies on their mind. There are a few success stories there, but not many. It's not impossible, obviously keep your eyes open for opportunities, but plainly put, make comics to make comics.   

If someone tells you “relax, it's only comics”, punch them in the goddamned stomach. If  it's a fellow professional, break their goddamned hands for them. Nobody ever says, "relax, it's only plumbing", or network television, or even curling. This is your dream, your desire, your medium, an integral part of your life. If you actually harm anyone, I'm not legally responsible. 

Take good care of your hand, your arm, your back, your neck, your eyes. Do not play tackle football without equipment. Do not punch walls or doors from frustration. Do not crack your neck. Stay away from people who say, “Relax, it's only comics”, because you'll have to hit them and you might get into a fight and have your hands broken for you (Edited to add: It's hard to ink with a busted mitt, and most of us can't learn to switch hit like Shigeru Mizuki).

Instant Ramen noodles can be perked up with fresh or frozen vegetables (Edited to add: I did not figure that out until I was in my mid-twenties. In fact, I never figured it out, Sarah told me. My mouth hung open like a ventriloquist's figure!).

If you're not having fun, something's wrong. No endeavor is fun all the time, but honestly, if you're not getting a kick from making comics, you need to take a deep breath and figure out what's going on (Edited to add: You might not be making work that speaks to you. You may have something else going on in your life that's affecting your work. You might need sleep. You might just need a break).

Finally, advice isn't law, it isn't set in stone, it doesn't address every individual's circumstance. But caring for yourself and your work in general will always be important no matter who you are or how industries change. Sometimes we have to take a less-than-optimal gig because we really need the money asap. We all do what we have to do, especially starting out. Just don't sell yourself short as a habit.