The Big Two: Not the biggest opportunities in town any more as creators move...
I'll make it short and sweet: creators have to create. Marvel and DC no longer allow them to do that, except within rigidly proscribed guidelines. And the Paolo Riveras of the world are going to have to move on. It might not be too long before the Big Two are just steppingstones to get your name out there for even bigger things.
Robert Washington's words from the grave: "Have a backup plan."
Just before his death a few days ago, former comics writer Robert L. Washington III gave an interview to CBR that makes for very sobering reading.
"Once creator ownership was on the table, the moviable properties were largely works that...
Nat Gertler has made a chart, and even though his name is not Clarissa, it might just explain it all for you.
Haspiel asks "Where Have All The New Ideas Gone?"
Continuing the thread of inquiry that has been going on here at The Beat of late, Dean Haspiel has a nifty little slideshow for you.
Breaking news: Cartoonist finds way to make money!
Ruben Bolling, aka Ken Fisher, is much loved in most quarters for Tom the Dancing Bug, his long running, surgical strike weekly political comic. Of course, the field for weekly political comics is not exactly busting at the seams with dough. So recently Bolling came up with a new idea, called The Inner Hive which would offer a subscription model for goodies to readers:
To-do: Comics Portfolio Reviews On The Road
Like any good cartoonist and comics evangelist, a road trip cannot just be days of blasting Mates of State and stopping at roadside attractions like Corn Palace. No, no, on my trip from The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT to Fantagraphics in Seattle, WA will be punctuated by a few stops to conduct portfolio reviews and drop off some Schulz Library tote bags at great comic book stores across America.
How helping the Jack Kirby Museum could be the best response
Creator/publisher Zak Sally weighs in on the Kirby Matter, and the actions he suggests are more proactive:
actually, over the course of writing this, i think i DO have an answer– not THE answer, but an idea anyway: it’s somewhat presumptive on my part, and it is NOT what “should” happen, but it falls under the category of “the least you could do”.
Chris Roberson's exit interview
The Comics Journal jumps right back in the fray with an exit interview with Chris Roberson, who uses the occasion to express thoughts Twitter cannot contain. According to Roberson, his distaste with BEFORE WATCHMEN was stated in podcasts, but no one picked it up until his tweets were posted. The whole thing is one big must-read, but here are some quite nice statements that no one can possibly take issue with in the comment section:
The creator’s position viewed through the lens of Alan Moore
My—hopefully—last post on Before Watchmen and Alan Moore and the role of the comics creators.
End of a Hair-a
The date was December 9th, 2011 when cartoonist and Center for Cartoon Studies professor Alec Longstreth shaved off his beard and shaggy do. A promise to himself in 2008, he decided to chart his progress through pictures of his hair and beard growth that would undoubtedly remind him daily of his commitment. Living in a small town with a beard as his shadow, Longstreth went from industrious Fellow of the school to an instructor of both summer workshops and graduate classes to the Acting Director (while James Sturm takes a much-needed sabbatical) . Even after all the excitement, he is still growing and evolving, deciding to learn watercolor on the side. Venture on to read more about the amazing cartoonist Alec Longstreth.
Chris Roberson no longer writing FAIREST arc
Unsurprisingly, after his public statement on not working with DC over their ethical practices towards creators yesterday, it turns out Chris Roberson's arc on FAIREST, the FABLES spin-off, will not get written.
The Creator's Life #2: Cameron Stewart on working for free
Yesterday Batman artist Cameron Stewart tweeted about a particularly awful "job" offer; we put job in scare quotes because "job" usually implies something you get paid for.
