NOCC: Breaking into Comics Company: Wizard World Product: New Orleans Comic Con 2012 Coverage Based on the number of artists occupying Artist's Alley and those walking around the convention show floor, portfolios in hand, lots of artists are trying to break into comics. What better place to find out just how to do it than a "Breaking into Comics" panel hosted by Thomas Yates (Conan, Saga of Swamp Thing), Tyler Kirkham (Green Lantern: New Guardians), and Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man, Batman, Legion of Super-Heroes). One of the first things each speaker mentioned is that everyone's path into the industry is completely different. For Kirkham, it was all about being in the right place at the right time. After working on his own comic illustrations and sending them to a friend in California, his buddy's roommate decided to bring a few of Kirkham's pages to Top Cow. After a year of back-and-forth conversations, essentially building a "story" around him, he was hired by Top Cow. Kitson's route was also dotted with incredible luck. An art school fail-out because of teachers not liking his particular artistic style, Kitson continued drawing while also working as an English teacher. After someone offered him a couple of editor's numbers, Kitson was able to get an interview with Marvel UK, only to be turned down because of his lack of published work. While at the interview, Kitson was invited to a party at the offices. Although the meeting wasn't successful at landing Kitson a job, he was able to score a script to practice his skills. Weeks later, Kitson returned to the Marvel UK offices only to be met by a new editor who, like the previous editor, wasn't keen on giving Kitson work. However, once Kitson entered the office, he was greeted by people he had met at the party, prompting the editor to give him some Spider-Man pages since everyone knew him. For Yates, breaking in was about knowing the right people at the right time. Yates was an artist as a child, though he primarily stuck to nature illustrations and images inspired by TV shows like Zorro and monster movies. After visiting a cousin one summer, Yates was introduced to comic books and decided to make a career out of drawing them. Through his love of comics, Yates found out about comic conventions. While at a convention, Yates met legend Joe Kubert, who was starting a comic book school in New York. The two immediately clicked, and Kubert said he would be able to get Yates work if he came to the school. Yates agreed and was able to get work at DC doing two-page fillers for a few books. Eventually, he was able to get work doing a Crusades story, which meshed with his interests, and eventually moved on to Marvel. When it came time to re-launch Swamp Thing, he was brought on board. When it came time to offer advice to the audience, all three emphasized the importance of getting your work into the wild and showing what you can do to anyone and everyone. All three mentioned the importance of using social networking and the Internet to let people see your work. The trio also stressed the importance of thick skin and knowing how to talk to people. When showing others your work, it is important to realize that everyone has an opinion and, even though we don't like to admit it, everyone's opinion is valid. You may not agree with what they have to say, but the ability to look at your own work objectively is a core skill. Kirkham was particularly insistent that new artists not try to play off advice by saying, "It's my style." Whoever is looking at your work - especially people working in the industry who know what they are looking at - will be able to distinguish a stylistic element from something that is badly drawn. As far as portfolios go, artists should have at least 3-4 pages of continuity to show they can tell a story visually. As Kitson put it, "Anyone can be a great artist, but not everyone can be a great comic artist." While it is tempting to fill the pages with non-stop action, editors are actually more interested in seeing "slower" moments - like a conversation between Mary Jane and Peter at a restaurant. Action sequences and splash pages are one thing, but keeping the energy going in a conversation shows real skill. The panelists also encouraged would-be artists to put themselves in their work and try to do their own things. The best way to get Marvel or DC's attention is to do your own thing and build a following. As an example, Kitson mentioned Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's success with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which began as a self-published series before blowing up the way it did. Yates followed by saying your self-published work doesn't necessarily have to be good to get someone's attention. Once you're in, all three said you never become complacent with anything or think you're better than anyone else. Kitson mentioned knowing an artist who got an issue of Wolverine, only to let the success go to his head. Once you've earned the label of being hard to work with or egotistical, it is a hard thing to lose. Artists should also constantly look for ways to improve their work and not worry about matching any one style. Managing to keep deadlines is also a major plus. To close, Kirkham said, "If you do good work, companies will keep you around. Otherwise, they'll drop you." The key is being consistent, punctual and staying up to date. For Yates, it was all about having the drive and not being afraid to get yourself out there. -Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker