taboo submission question

heartofglitter · 12-27-2006, 04:40 PM

I'm not sure if this thread is in the right place; but I'll post it here anyway.
I was reading over Top Cow's submission guidelines again and noticed how they only want a sequentials sent to them of already published characters.
Is this common amongst comic publishers these days? Also, the reason I posted this thread was really to ask; say I had a few X-Men pages I was really proud of and wanted to send them off to DC or Top Cow; would they be less acceptive of my submission because it featured characters of another company?
I just wanted to know everyone's experiences I guess; it seems like a really silly question but one that may make or break a portfolio viewing experience I guess.

Thanks guys for putting up with my crazyness.

Mike225 · 12-27-2006, 04:43 PM

I've heard that submissions aren't really looked at if they're mailed in. Conventions are your best shot or building a large online presence.

Oh, and no, I wouldn't send anybody else's characters to a company.

heartofglitter · 12-27-2006, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike225

I've heard that submissions aren't really looked at if they're mailed in. Conventions are your best shot or building a large online presence.

For someone like me based in Australia, on a dis-connected part for that matter; getting to a big Convention in the US isn't an option for me. (Not while I'm a poor Art School student anyway.)
I guess I'll just have to try my chances with the postman.

So what would companies expect then, just sequentials of all of their own characters?

Mike225 · 12-27-2006, 04:55 PM

I noticed you're in Australia, that's why I brought up the "online presence" thing. Do you write? Do your own thing for a while..

heartofglitter · 12-27-2006, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike225

I noticed you're in Australia, that's why I brought up the "online presence" thing. Do you write? Do your own thing for a while..

Yeah I figured that that was my best option. I have heaps of stories flaoting around in my head and so many of my own characters.
Thanks.

Knuckles · 12-27-2006, 05:35 PM

*cough* Uhmm *points to self* there are some writers that would help you out.

datwilliams · 12-27-2006, 05:55 PM

You should use Tasmania to assist you. That island has a bizzare history. I think you should draw up some of it, and get it in some of these compliations of sequential art that get made to show up and coming artists. Furthermore, you could sell it to gift shops and make a buck without working for the big ones. That sort of stuff gives you leverage when you do get a chance to talk to an editor somewhere you want to work. Just an idea.

Calloway · 12-27-2006, 05:58 PM

The actual truth of the matter is...

They don't care what characters as long as they are highly recognizable. You can send x men stuff to top cow. They want to know that you can maintain the recognizablitiy of owned properties. If you sent them your creations they would have no frame of reference.

They do look at mailed in submissions. I don't know about now days but you had better luck mailing them in then hitting a convention. When they look at them is another question.

shushubag · 12-27-2006, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heartofglitter

For someone like me based in Australia, on a dis-connected part for that matter; getting to a big Convention in the US isn't an option for me. (Not while I'm a poor Art School student anyway.)
I guess I'll just have to try my chances with the postman.

So what would companies expect then, just sequentials of all of their own characters?

I know how that goes I live in Hawaii. It's not so easy to go to a con. But hopefully I'll get to go to one soon.

Hence the on-line presence. But I think it's harder to go this route, people don't have a face to look at they just have what you post and some of the things you could do in person isn't possible on-line.

And I think TopCow would be fine to see the X-Men in a submission. Marc Silvestri was one of the pencillers that made X-Men what it is today. The main point you want convey in a submission is that you know how to tell a story visually. But there's other factors as well as storytelling.

heartofglitter · 12-28-2006, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shushubag

And I think TopCow would be fine to see the X-Men in a submission. Marc Silvestri was one of the pencillers that made X-Men what it is today. The main point you want convey in a submission is that you know how to tell a story visually. But there's other factors as well as storytelling.

That's what I figured also.

K.E. Woolfork · 12-28-2006, 07:39 AM

Another reason companies don't accept submissions of original characters is to keep themselves out of litigation if they coincidentally just happen to have a similar idea in the making.

The OLD rule of thumb would be to cater to the company you're submitting to. Send DC and Marvel characters to their respective companies. The way we used to get around that is have a Marvel, DC and Image etc. characters all interacting so you could use the samples for all the companies.

k.

datwilliams · 12-28-2006, 02:32 PM

Thats smart, KE.

You could even emulate some style, drawing a few Wildcats in a Jim Lee manner, batman or Daredevil in a frank miller way and so on, conforming to whatever seems to be the house style of the time for each one.

JamieRoberts · 12-28-2006, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by datwilliams

Thats smart, KE.

You could even emulate some style, drawing a few Wildcats in a Jim Lee manner, batman or Daredevil in a frank miller way and so on, conforming to whatever seems to be the house style of the time for each one.

No. Nononononononononono and again, no.

You emulate style purposely, you may as well get 'HACK' tattooed on your forehead. Shit's sake, there's no wonder comics are full of as much crap as they are if others think like that.

Oh, and I always figured companies wanted tailored submissions so you aren't just looking like you sent the same 5-6 pages to everybody, and that you can produce volume as well as quality. But that's just me.

**Kep!** · 12-28-2006, 04:56 PM

Anyone suggesting you should send X-Men to Top Cow is stoned...

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!!

BIG SECRET: Editors are NOT looking for a guy who can turn out the prettiest set of submission pages or have the slickest portfolio. They ARE looking for the guy who can turn out page after page, week after week, month after month.

YES! You can send your X-Men pages to TC and it might get some play...you might be brilliant...but until you show them that you have the perseverance to do it over and over they're not going to give a rat's ass (Writers, colorists, letterers, et al. this goes for you too).

So, if you want to get a JOB and PAY YOUR MORTGAGE with comics you need to show them you have the skills to do it a LOT. That being the case, if you are the guy they want, knocking out three to five pages of a Top Cow property isn't that big a deal, is it? If you can't do that in under a week, you're not going to make it past the convention floor in comics. Sad but true.

Send them Top Cow stuff, make them think "Hey, this guy knows his audience and does the work" rather than "Oh look, another wannabe."

Phatman · 12-28-2006, 05:11 PM

Kep's advice is really solid and makes a lot of sense, despite editors saying to me that they don't care what you send them as long as it's good. You are going to hear a lot of different stuff from different people, but the direction things are going these days is towards the proving yourself through small press or self-publishing to show you can do the work. I'd take Kep's advice and just draw a ton of pages-for submissions, proposals, self-publishing ,etc. Keep in mind that no matter how talented you are, you have to compete with and replace somebody who is already pumping out at least a book a month of pro-level work. It's a tough road to travel no matter how you get there.

12-27-2006, 04:40 PM	#1
heartofglitter Cassandra James Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Tasmania, Australia Posts: 571	taboo submission question I'm not sure if this thread is in the right place; but I'll post it here anyway. I was reading over Top Cow's submission guidelines again and noticed how they only want a sequentials sent to them of already published characters. Is this common amongst comic publishers these days? Also, the reason I posted this thread was really to ask; say I had a few X-Men pages I was really proud of and wanted to send them off to DC or Top Cow; would they be less acceptive of my submission because it featured characters of another company? I just wanted to know everyone's experiences I guess; it seems like a really silly question but one that may make or break a portfolio viewing experience I guess. Thanks guys for putting up with my crazyness.

12-28-2006, 04:56 PM	#14
Kep! Self-Evident Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: He's EVERYWHERE! He's EVERYWHERE! Posts: 8,771	Anyone suggesting you should send X-Men to Top Cow is stoned... KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!! BIG SECRET: Editors are NOT looking for a guy who can turn out the prettiest set of submission pages or have the slickest portfolio. They ARE looking for the guy who can turn out page after page, week after week, month after month. YES! You can send your X-Men pages to TC and it might get some play...you might be brilliant...but until you show them that you have the perseverance to do it over and over they're not going to give a rat's ass (Writers, colorists, letterers, et al. this goes for you too). So, if you want to get a JOB and PAY YOUR MORTGAGE with comics you need to show them you have the skills to do it a LOT. That being the case, if you are the guy they want, knocking out three to five pages of a Top Cow property isn't that big a deal, is it? If you can't do that in under a week, you're not going to make it past the convention floor in comics. Sad but true. Send them Top Cow stuff, make them think "Hey, this guy knows his audience and does the work" rather than "Oh look, another wannabe." __________________ AEIOU, *Kep!* Writer, Letterer, Magician & Sophist www.wordybastard.com Why yes, I am on Facebook, thanks for asking

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12-27-2006, 04:43 PM	#2
Mike225 low brow B1Tch Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Right in the brainpan squish! Posts: 5,719	I've heard that submissions aren't really looked at if they're mailed in. Conventions are your best shot or building a large online presence. Oh, and no, I wouldn't send anybody else's characters to a company.

12-27-2006, 04:55 PM	#4
Mike225 low brow B1Tch Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Right in the brainpan squish! Posts: 5,719	I noticed you're in Australia, that's why I brought up the "online presence" thing. Do you write? Do your own thing for a while..

12-27-2006, 05:35 PM	#6
Knuckles FEAR ME! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denver, CO USA Posts: 3,043	cough Uhmm points to self there are some writers that would help you out.

12-27-2006, 05:55 PM	#7
datwilliams Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 83	You should use Tasmania to assist you. That island has a bizzare history. I think you should draw up some of it, and get it in some of these compliations of sequential art that get made to show up and coming artists. Furthermore, you could sell it to gift shops and make a buck without working for the big ones. That sort of stuff gives you leverage when you do get a chance to talk to an editor somewhere you want to work. Just an idea.

12-27-2006, 05:58 PM	#8
Calloway I haz cookiez an kool-aid Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Earth Posts: 9,385	The actual truth of the matter is... They don't care what characters as long as they are highly recognizable. You can send x men stuff to top cow. They want to know that you can maintain the recognizablitiy of owned properties. If you sent them your creations they would have no frame of reference. They do look at mailed in submissions. I don't know about now days but you had better luck mailing them in then hitting a convention. When they look at them is another question.

12-28-2006, 07:39 AM	#11
K.E. Woolfork aka wolfprime Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Baghdad, Iraq Posts: 561	Another reason companies don't accept submissions of original characters is to keep themselves out of litigation if they coincidentally just happen to have a similar idea in the making. The OLD rule of thumb would be to cater to the company you're submitting to. Send DC and Marvel characters to their respective companies. The way we used to get around that is have a Marvel, DC and Image etc. characters all interacting so you could use the samples for all the companies. k.

12-28-2006, 02:32 PM	#12
datwilliams Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 83	Thats smart, KE. You could even emulate some style, drawing a few Wildcats in a Jim Lee manner, batman or Daredevil in a frank miller way and so on, conforming to whatever seems to be the house style of the time for each one.

12-28-2006, 05:11 PM	#15
Phatman Midi-chlorians are a lie! Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Folsom, CA Posts: 4,443	Kep's advice is really solid and makes a lot of sense, despite editors saying to me that they don't care what you send them as long as it's good. You are going to hear a lot of different stuff from different people, but the direction things are going these days is towards the proving yourself through small press or self-publishing to show you can do the work. I'd take Kep's advice and just draw a ton of pages-for submissions, proposals, self-publishing ,etc. Keep in mind that no matter how talented you are, you have to compete with and replace somebody who is already pumping out at least a book a month of pro-level work. It's a tough road to travel no matter how you get there.