|
|
Post by Mr. Nick on Mar 22, 2005 20:33:25 GMT -7
It's cool to hear about how people ended up making the creation of comics their passion. I was really into comics in Junior High, thanks to a friend of mine, a friend whose collection grew by leaps and bounds every month. An $8 allowance couldn't keep up with that, so I decided to CREATE my own comic collection and BOOYA!
I know that deep down inside, he was jealous of my poorly drawn, badly written comics, and would have given up his whole collection to own them . . . then again, maybe not.
Most people go home from work and play video games or watch TV till they hit the sack. But it feels great to have something tangible to show for my time and with every comic I finish, my need to continue just gets stronger. I love the medium. It's as simple as that. And it's a daunting challenge to try to push that medium to somewhere it's never been.
Oh, and it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Blah, blah, blah.
|
|
Mr. Vince
MIC AGENT
Friendly Giant
Posts: 249
|
Post by Mr. Vince on Mar 22, 2005 21:52:50 GMT -7
Well, it all started when a squirelly red-haired fella and a chain-smoking asian pushed me into their van and made me draw comics for food...
...just kidding.
I was into comics in junior high and most of regular high school. Of course back then I was into Spider-man until the whole clone-saga crap started. It was that and Image comics. At the time you had guys like Todd Macfarlane, Brett Booth, and Rob Liefeld drawing the 'hottest' comics around. I was suckered into the flashy yet substance-lacking art. My mentality was that the more lines and detail on a page, the better it was. So of course I tried drawing in that image style, putting in unnecessary detail and feathering into every blank spot of the page. Huge mistake, probably set me back a few years artistically. Now I realize, its not the number the lines that matter, its the quality; keep the lines you need, erase the ones you don't.
After high school, I had more or less given up comics. It was the late ninities and things were looking pretty bad for the industry. I hadn't bought anything particularly expensive or collectible, so I just cut myself loose from the world of comics.
Flash forward to 2001. I went to Applied Multimedia Training Centre. I was taking an animation course, and to my surprise, there were people still into comics. Apparently during my self-imposed exile from comic book land, things were getting better. Not everyone at Marvel had to draw like the Romitas, DC was finally starting to do things with the wealth of characters they'd amassed over the decades, and most of the original Image series, were cancelled or gently ignored.
The first book I had read in years was Kingdom Come, and by the gods, it was great. From there, I started on all kinds of books; Sandman, Sin City, Popbot, 100 Bullets, Daredevil, Invincible, Ultimates, etc.
I met Johnny at ATMC and our friendship continued after that to this very day. Though him, I met John at the 2003 ACCA convention. They formed Vicious Ambitious and soon I was right there with them. Now, while I still consider my primary career goal as animation, I still have a fondness for comics and in many ways, the skills of comics and storyboarding are one in the same.
Now, while I don't have alot of sequential work under my belt, I did recently finish a story for the big unnamed Vicious Ambitious project. And by gar, I very proud of it.
So, what can we summarize from this story of mystery, magic, plotholes and sketchy character witnesses --
I create art both animated and comic because I like to.
-Vince-
|
|
|
|
Post by attoboy on Mar 23, 2005 7:55:33 GMT -7
Everytime I think I am all grown up and free of comics, something like this board comes up and I get all jiggly and excited again. I now realize I should embrace the pain and go where the river flows.
I must admit that I draw more than I read these days. Haven't even been in a comics shop in over two years. There was a day when I could identify all the contributors just by looking at a single panel. Now I can't even name half the titles. But making my own comics is still fun, so that's what I'm going to do.
Cheers!
-Derek
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr Nick on Mar 23, 2005 20:16:38 GMT -7
Squirelly red head!?! What makes me SQUIRRELY!?!
You're just jealous of my bushy tail!
|
|
|
|
Post by Temperance on Mar 23, 2005 22:11:52 GMT -7
Oh lordy.... I am ashamed to admit my comic past started with... Sailor moon. Yes, I'm a girl! forgive me! Comic-kazi was my source for sailor moon cards and merchandise... then.... Batman entered my life *sigh*
Remember the old Batman cartoon? The really good one that came out after the Batman movie? With the awesome soundtrack and women with real life proportions and 30's gangsters with tommyguns? I fell in love... not with comics per-se, but with Gangsters. I started writing gangster stories and books and buying Batman comics for the thugs. I have so many pinups from my early stages of art with Two-face and Riddler and Killermoth... good times.
My first comic was Batman: Shadow of the Bat. I don't even remember what issue number it was, but it had a character I'd never heard of before: Anarchy. Wow, it was awesome! A slow paced story with no Batman crashing through the skylight to kick "Evil henchman #1" and punch "Evil henchman #2". Suddenly It dawned on me, I could draw my stories just like comics.
I had an embarassing comic book which I managed to get... I think 4 issues in when I met someone in my art class who liked comics too. We started colaborating and made a comic called Project Paradox. We both drew and I inked... we drew almost 11 issues (excluding issue 1, which she never finished)... you know I think she soiled my who experience of collaborating with other people. If you can't trust your own friend to finish her work, how could I possibly trust anyone else?
None the less, I gave up comic drawing for awhile and started working at Comic-Kazi. I blame Gerald for getting me to read Watchmen. He dragged my poor brain out of the gutter of TopCow and Image... and turned me into the horrible comic nerd I am today. d**n you Gerald!
I found out comics could be so much deeper than tights and ass-kicking. I started to write story... which turned into a comic... which turned into an obsession. I finished one complete issue when I met Kandrix and Laurie and began working with them on Short Term Konsequences... and well... the rest is history... or something.
If you read all of this I'm very impressed. I would have quit reading after "Sailor moon"
|
|
|
|
Post by G. Gerald Garcia on Mar 24, 2005 0:32:40 GMT -7
Everytime I think I am all grown up and free of comics, something like this board comes up and I get all jiggly and excited again. ...Derek Funny how long it took to get something done. A few of us have talked about it....I just took the initiative and am happy with the result. Thanks Everyone!  |
|
|
|
Post by G. Gerald Garcia on Mar 24, 2005 0:49:24 GMT -7
....started working at Comic-Kazi. I blame Gerald for getting me to read Watchmen. He dragged my poor brain out of the gutter of TopCow and Image... and turned me into the horrible comic nerd I am today. d**n you Gerald! Man..I get blamed for everything. I got to see some of those early pages Devon worked on. She has grown Artistically. It was cool to see her in line in San Diego, for all of those portfolio reviews. Knowing what she had ahead of her...tough work.  Like most kids I started drawing STICK MEN. In my minds eye, seeing them as photographic images... but on paper they were primitive scratches. I wanted to create a more accurate depiction of what I saw in life and in my daydreams. So began my education in ART. Line by line on every scrap piece of paper I could get my hand on. A pad of paper could keep me entertained for hours…I was a low maintenance kid. By observation and experience we learn of the world around us. Taking that information, we build our own imaginary worlds, like comic books, novels, plays and movies. Cartoons came before comics. I saw Superman fly on screen, before seeing him on static panels. Once I had the comics in my hands, imagination lit a fire that still burns today. I attended ACAD and completed Visual Communications. I concentrated on a pursuing an ART career, with limited success. Comic books were what I wanted to get into…never realizing that a long-standing industry could ever fall in jeopardy. I continue my struggles and have seen a glimmer of hope. I have a 72 page graphic novel with APE ENTERTAINMENT called Darwin’s Island. My part is done. As far as I know it is being inked right now…(maybe I should start a campaign to see the book completed- Just let Brent know?) Buddy Scalera, a comic veteran, wrote the book. A man with some influence in the industry, or so I believe. Still there is a revolving door that turns at Marvel…creators fall out of favor very quickly. There is more talent out there than we know about, trying to get the same jobs. We are competing with professionals. Remember, draw for yourself. Draw because you enjoy it, that its part of you. It’s who you are…<br> A creative being. Thanks for Sharing. GarSeeYa!!! |
|
|
|
Post by Temperance on Mar 24, 2005 1:08:59 GMT -7
I got to see some of those early pages Devon worked on. She has grown Artistically. It was cool to see her in line in San Diego, for all of those portfolio reviews. Knowing what she had ahead of her...tough work. Man was that a waste of my life ^_^;; I spent 2 days in line for portfolio reviews and only met with 5 people, and only 2 of those gave me any useful advice. I almost got a job with Committed Comics, but they went belly up. Curses! |
|
|
|
Post by attoboy on Mar 24, 2005 8:34:19 GMT -7
In my minds eye, seeing them as photographic images... It shows, too, you've got some great work! Damian and I were talking the other night and we agreed that it's always apparent who is drawing what they see inside and who is drawing what they've seen other people draw. Influences are fine, but if the image doesn't exist wholly realized inside your head, your task gets much harder. I remember Berni Wrightson once said that he drew the Swamp Thing pages by staring at the blank page until he could see the completed art in his mind. "Then," he said, "I just traced it!" Cheers! -Derek |
|
|
|
Post by creativesynergy on Mar 26, 2005 15:14:48 GMT -7
It all started with a Superman blanket at the age of five. It was the cover of Superman #1 and I just adored it, so much so that I became obsessed with the whole men in costume thing. When I saw the Super Friends cartoon, I was hooked. I even dressed as Robin for Halloween at school when I was nine. My mother ripped apart her wardrobe for that costume, God bless her.
Because we didn't have tons of cash, I drew and cut out my own paper superheroes, even creating paper settings for them to fight in. My G.I.Joes back then would be made into superheroes with toilet tissue rolls cut up for masks and whatever else I could find for accessories, like cardboard wings. The coming of live action shows like Shazam!, Isis, and obviously the Incredible Hulk made it all real to me and I had to have more. When I was nine, I had to spend two weeks in the hospital. My mother, savior that she was, brought in six comics to keep me from going stir crazy. I still remember the titles, all DC books. When I had read those a few dozen times, I found out that the hospital had a room with hundreds of comics to read. It was like heaven (or so I've heard).
From that point, I'd always wanted to be in the comic industry, first as a penciller, then a colorist, and then as a writer as I entered my late teens when my art skills took a back seat. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties that I realized my true calling: Editor! And that's where I've decided to rest my hat for the most part. Teaching has always been my passion and my years of knowledge have allowed me the tools with which to instruct. I just keep getting deeper and deeper into this industry. I kind of wonder when my wife won't recognize me anymore or be able to find me under all the paperwork I have gathered on my desk. But it's what I love and what's more important that doing what you love?
|
|
|
|
Post by Temperance on Mar 26, 2005 23:11:45 GMT -7
Teaching has always been my passion and my years of knowledge have allowed me the tools with which to instruct. I just keep getting deeper and deeper into this industry. I kind of wonder when my wife won't recognize me anymore or be able to find me under all the paperwork I have gathered on my desk. But it's what I love and what's more important that doing what you love? And you're a great teacher at that. I've learned a lot from your lectures with the STK people, Steve. I highly recomend taking Steve's class at ACAD, it's very informative and useful. |
|
|
|
Post by damian on Mar 27, 2005 4:56:06 GMT -7
because I'm a victim of a cruel twist of fate...
Years ago, my friend Wil really wanted to be a comic artist, and it made absolutely no sense to me at all. I enjoyed creating artwork, and watching cartoons, but comics didn't appeal to me at all. I didn't read them, and my only trip to the comic store would be to buy a poster or t-shirt.
A few years later, a friend suggested I draw a Christmas comic instead of sending my usual Christmas "toast card" (basically a piece of toast with a stamp and address on it, and yes it did make it to its destinations...sometimes in pieces) So I sat down and created dorkboy #1.1, making up each panel as I went along using crowquill, and india ink (no pencilling...pencilling is evil) and no rulers for straight lines, thus each page was different in size. A coworker with photocopier access helped me spin off 60 copies to give to friends and coworkers. Surprisingly, for such a crappy comic, I received a really good response from everybody, and even more surprisingly I had fun making it....but the best part was making people laugh with it.... and to tell a story, and get to tie it all together with artwork. It was like creating a joke bomb. You make the comic, and wait for some poor unsuspecting bystander to come across it, and BAM they start laughing...you didn't even need to be there for it to happen. This, and the fact that so many people could see a comic as opposed to the number of people who would see a painting or something else I had done was great! So I made a second issue, approached stores to carry it, no one bought it of course, but over time I wore down the resistance of the masses to it, .....and now, almost 8 and a half years later, after having stapled and folded several thousand comic books, am still making my crappy comics..... and staying up til 5 in the morning to draw them...and post on comic boards.
|
|
