Comics Experience

[Barnaby]

Hi all!

I wanted to know your opinion about this site:

Comics Experience

Anyone has used it? What are your thoughts about this?

My idea is to get some professional feedback on my work to help correct some mistakes, mostly in storytelling. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I live in a small European country, I cannot attend conventions on a regular basis (or almost any basis at all) and get that help 'in loco' by professional editors... not very cost effective.
I was trying to get the same kind of input online...

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[dmh_3000]

Never heard of him, but here's a link to Bendis' forum. You could get some answers from fans there since Bendis is quoted on the front page.

[citizentim]

I'm a member of Andy's forum-- yeah, it's worth coming in and checking out, in all honesty.
Good group of people and if you're looking for professional feedback, it's a great place to get some.

As a writer, the basic deal is that you give feedback on five other forum member's scripts (this ensures everyone gets feedback, and there isn't a guy uploading 30 scripts and demanding everyone read them-- y'know?)--

This part of it is great as well, as it allows you to "play" editor. Sometimes the best way of figuring out your own writing is focusing on the problems you see in others.

My script that's up was also reviewed by Nicole Boose (Iron Man: Extremis, Millar's Supercrooks, and a host of other Marvel books) and Alejandro Arbona (Cassanova and a bunch of Marvel books as well)-- It's also due to be looked at by Jeff Parker (Thunderbolts/Agents of Atlas). Point being: If you're looking for professional feedback-- this is a good place to do it.

Also, Andy Schmidt (who runs the site) is a super knowledgeable resource, having been a Marvel writer/editor, and a higher up at IDW-- Dude really knows the game.

I haven't taken the "workshop"-- but I can vouch for the forums.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by citizentim

I'm a member of Andy's forum-- yeah, it's worth coming in and checking out, in all honesty.
Good group of people and if you're looking for professional feedback, it's a great place to get some.

As a writer, the basic deal is that you give feedback on five other forum member's scripts (this ensures everyone gets feedback, and there isn't a guy uploading 30 scripts and demanding everyone read them-- y'know?)--

This part of it is great as well, as it allows you to "play" editor. Sometimes the best way of figuring out your own writing is focusing on the problems you see in others.

My script that's up was also reviewed by Nicole Boose (Iron Man: Extremis, Millar's Supercrooks, and a host of other Marvel books) and Alejandro Arbona (Cassanova and a bunch of Marvel books as well)-- It's also due to be looked at by Jeff Parker (Thunderbolts/Agents of Atlas). Point being: If you're looking for professional feedback-- this is a good place to do it.

Also, Andy Schmidt (who runs the site) is a super knowledgeable resource, having been a Marvel writer/editor, and a higher up at IDW-- Dude really knows the game.

I haven't taken the "workshop"-- but I can vouch for the forums.

Do artists get that kind of (professional) feedback too? I'm a bit afraid the site might be more aimed at writers than artists...
What do you think?

[DJ Keawekane]

Originally Posted by Barnaby

Do artists get that kind of (professional) feedback too? I'm a bit afraid the site might be more aimed at writers than artists...
What do you think?

I wish I knew, the damn course costs 500 bucks! Talk about stealing from the poor. Most of us 'starving artists' can't fork over that much cash.

[Wolf]

On his website I saw no link to a forum, do you have to pay to access it?

[Scribbly]

Originally Posted by DJ Keawekane

I wish I knew, the damn course costs 500 bucks! Talk about stealing from the poor. Most of us 'starving artists' can't fork over that much cash.

We always have the digital webbing forums where we can have professional and peers
advice for free.

Comics experience, Joe Kubert school, etc are always good, if we want to learn straight from the
“Professionals” mouth.
What can be better than professionals that “currently” are working in the field for having some good advice?
What they can not guarantee is to get us jobs at the big comics companies, the only ones who can pay
well and regularly for doing comics.
These are only 4 comics publishers that pay well, and out there are thousand megazillion of super talented
artists fighting for land a job on these companies. What are the chances when the artist is not well prepared?
To make contact with the people who are already IN is always cool.

To pay $500 for the whole course is very cheap compared to paying a course of anything else
that we may want learn.
Just try to go and pay for having 3D program’s classes. “That” is expensive.
Or going to college or any Community School for having a degree on anything. That is expensive.
But if we want the sky, we must to pay for it.

I think that going into the “online” comics experience may be worthy for anyone who
want to improve his craft on doing comics.

"No matter how starving, an artist should never allow himself to be cheap." S.Dali

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by DJ Keawekane

I wish I knew, the damn course costs 500 bucks! Talk about stealing from the poor. Most of us 'starving artists' can't fork over that much cash.

Yep. That's a lot of money...

I think they have "cheaper solutions" like the workshops which is 150$ for 6 months membership. Take a look here.

I don't mind making a financial effort if it proves useful. In fact I don't have that many options.
If I'd live in the US I'd try to hit as much conventions as I could and get my "pro" feedback there, but living all the way across the ocean, the online solution might be more cost effective.

My only problem here is the target audience for these courses/workshops. Seems a bit more writer oriented...

[Scribbly]

Originally Posted by Barnaby

Yep. That's a lot of money...

I think they have "cheaper solutions" like the workshops which is 150$ for 6 months membership. Take a look here.

I don't mind making a financial effort if it proves useful. In fact I don't have that many options.
If I'd live in the US I'd try to hit as much conventions as I could and get my "pro" feedback there, but living all the way across the ocean, the online solution might be more cost effective.

My only problem here is the target audience for these courses/workshops. Seems a bit more writer oriented...

Barnaby, if what you want is pro feedback, remember that the 50% of the
"pros" currently working for Marvel or DC are european artists, living in Europe.
Easy to contact them at home than try to meet them in conventions across the ocean.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by Scribbly

Barnaby, if what you want is pro feedback, remember that the 50% of the
"pros" currently working for Marvel or DC are european artists, living in Europe.
Easy to contact them at home than try to meet them in conventions across the ocean.

My best option would be Barcelona or Bristol... but even that would be a bit costly because of the stay. Anyway, I'm planning on going to Barcelona next year...
The problem is that it's only 3 days in a year.

[SDulaney]

Andy is a good guy, knowledgeable editor and I've talked to people who rave about CE for both the feedback and networking that comes via the classes and workshops.

$150 - $500 may seem like a lot, but considering how much some folks spend to do a convention where they may or may not get face time with an editor - and if you're a writer, you aren't going to get any sort of instant feedback - it really isn't that bad. Hell, the Robert McKee "Story" seminar is $765 USD for just 4 days. $1035 if you take the package that includes the Final Draft software. And that doesn't include your hotel and food if you don't already live in NYC or LA.

[DJ Keawekane]

Yeah I'd be willing to fork over 150 bucks for 6 months but even that would hurt.

It's one thing when you are just a starving artist- it's another thing when you have a family. And so the starving artist- means that the artist's starvation has to be on the art- in other words- I have to put that aside and pay the real bills so most the time I'm just so hungry to draw.

What these things boil down to for me is it's another way for them to make money. I'm not saying they're doing it in a coniving or crooked way. They probably love the craft of it. I think we all do. But since they have the monicker of professional they can charge for it. Hey more power to them. I'm just not going to shell out the cash to them.

Barnaby- trust me I know what it is to live across the ocean because although Hawaii is part of the US the other 49 states are across the ocean. I still rather do the convention thing though. At least you get a trip out of it. Make a vacation out of it. But like you say it's 3 days out of 365 days.

Scribbly- I don't want the sky. I just want a damn job. And then another one after that.

[Scribbly]

Originally Posted by DJ Keawekane

Yeah I'd be willing to fork over 150 bucks for 6 months but even that would hurt.

It's one thing when you are just a starving artist- it's another thing when you have a family. And so the starving artist- means that the artist's starvation has to be on the art- in other words- I have to put that aside and pay the real bills so most the time I'm just so hungry to draw.

What these things boil down to for me is it's another way for them to make money. I'm not saying they're doing it in a coniving or crooked way. They probably love the craft of it. I think we all do. But since they have the monicker of professional they can charge for it. Hey more power to them. I'm just not going to shell out the cash to them.

Scribbly- I don't want the sky. I just want a damn job. And then another one after that.

Well, if you want work continuity and well paid jobs, you must pay for your instruction first.
Going to college or expending lot of money and years taking classes for get a degree on something.
That is how the world works.
And sometimes, that is not even enough.
When studying is not just what we learn, but the contacts we can establish for the future.
Otherwise you’ll be flipping burgers or doing some low key /dead end job for the rest of the life.

We don’t need a degree for making comics, but we need knowledge to make them well.
If somebody has it and we want to have that from them, we must pay. That is what is fair.
And is the right thing to do.

We don’t want to pay, we must do the whole homework by ourselves.
Observation. Study. Practice and self-criticism. Trial and error.

Tell you what, many of these pros teaching there, they probably did learn their techniques by themselves.
Why should they give away for free the knowledge and the experience they so costly achieve?
So after, we can happily apply for the same job in the same few companies they are working now,
and take the job from them hands?

Suppose that tomorrow you need to teach how to draw or how to paint to someone else.
Are you going to teach and give away all your time and knowledge for free?
That would make starve to anyone. Artist or not.

[Steven Forbes]

DJ,

Shoot me an email with some recent art samples.

Stevedforbes@gmail.com

I'm not promising anything, but I wanna see where you're at. Maybe we can get something to jump off.

-Steven

[jedipencil]

There's not one single girl on teaching staff...