Breaking in to comics....a must SEQUENTIALS
I got this bug to write about this because I know this really awesome artist who has actually had stuff published. Not just anywhere but MARVEL. He's still looking for more work, and I was wondering...so what's impeding his progress? He's got a very slick marketable style and he's drawn a few high profile pin ups and a few covers. Then I noticed in his online gallery......NO SEQUENTIALS. If there were I didn't notice them.
So it occured to me that I have indeed seen plenty of artists, some that are amazing, post mostly pin ups. I used to be the same way. In fact the only reason I have sequential pages is that I drew them for a job. What wasn't paid was published, even if it was self published. So I understand how difficult it is to want to do all that work if it's not going to print or it's for free. The simple fact is some people, a very rare few, are good enough to start out in the biz doing only covers. So why is the art being posted on all the forums mostly that? If you look at Digital Webbing's forum the posts for pin ups are 10 times the amount of the sequential section. Editors won't hire you based on a pin up, no matter how many you do. If they do it's because you're super talented, but most likely they'll want to see sequentials. Why? Because if you fall under the average range as far as being good doing covers exclusively is a privelege that's earned by proving you can sell books. Paying your dues means doing interiors, because "Names" on the cover sell books. That's why a "Name" is hired to do the Covers of a series that could use that extra "umph". Michael Turner and Joe Mad could live off of doing covers. We most likely will have to earn our place in the trenches building stock in our names before that's a possibility. Keep in mind I'm talking about well paid covers for high profile books.
So, instead of drawing one pin up after another, really dig into those sequentials and show that you can be fast and reliable. You never know when you'll get that call, then it's sink or swim baby.
So it occured to me that I have indeed seen plenty of artists, some that are amazing, post mostly pin ups. I used to be the same way. In fact the only reason I have sequential pages is that I drew them for a job. What wasn't paid was published, even if it was self published. So I understand how difficult it is to want to do all that work if it's not going to print or it's for free. The simple fact is some people, a very rare few, are good enough to start out in the biz doing only covers. So why is the art being posted on all the forums mostly that? If you look at Digital Webbing's forum the posts for pin ups are 10 times the amount of the sequential section. Editors won't hire you based on a pin up, no matter how many you do. If they do it's because you're super talented, but most likely they'll want to see sequentials. Why? Because if you fall under the average range as far as being good doing covers exclusively is a privelege that's earned by proving you can sell books. Paying your dues means doing interiors, because "Names" on the cover sell books. That's why a "Name" is hired to do the Covers of a series that could use that extra "umph". Michael Turner and Joe Mad could live off of doing covers. We most likely will have to earn our place in the trenches building stock in our names before that's a possibility. Keep in mind I'm talking about well paid covers for high profile books.
So, instead of drawing one pin up after another, really dig into those sequentials and show that you can be fast and reliable. You never know when you'll get that call, then it's sink or swim baby.
posted by Rudy Vasquez Penciler at 2:55 PM
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