by “Aussie Dave” Lobato, reporter
The “Aussies in Comics” session was incredibly informative and an invaluable panel for budding artists and storytellers wanting insider information on being successful within the comic book industry. Yet another Q&A format, it was a fantastic opportunity for fans of Australian comics to probe the minds of Aussies who have become successful in the industry, specifically: W. Chew Chan, Douglas Holgate, Tristan Jones, Paul Mason, Stewart McKenny, Wayne Nichols, Dean Rankine, Nicola Scott, Jon Sommariva and David Yardin. Read on for highlights from the panel.
When asked whether it was difficult in Australia to compete in the industry against some of the big US companies such as Marvel or DC, the most agreed upon response was in order to improve your chances of success you should find yourself a niche market. The idea of trying to create a superhero comic and sell it in in the US was not recommended, as you will be competing in ‘their’ market and will have very little chance of success.
Overall it was very difficult for these Australian creators to get their work noticed at first, the resounding point these guys were trying to get across was that if you want to get into comics and get your work noticed, you have to make the absolute most out of online delivery. Plaster your stuff into as many mediums as you can and promote the hell out of it. Show your friends and have them show their friends. Set up a website and plug that as much as you can, and get onto sites like deviantART.com, because big names in the comics industry do look through those sites for new talent. Other programs were also mentioned such as Kickstarter.com, where you can post up your ideas and request support from the public, where interested parties can pledge funds towards your project, meaning that if you hit your mark the pledger will receive an issue of your work straight off the press once your project has been completed.
Regarding what first tugged at their desires that made then want to take the leaps into the comics industry, most of the artists revealed that they had spent their childhoods discovering some of the popular younger-aimed comics of the day, such as Asterix & Obelix and Tintin. For others such as Nicola Scott, it wasn’t reading the comics at all that peaked her interest, she was just looking for something that she loved doing, which just so happened to be drawing Wonder Woman, so naturally when she found out that there was an actual job that existed doing just that she knew that she had to be a part of it.
A question arose regarding how the artists calculated their commission prices for creating their artwork. Jon Sommariva answered the majority of this question. He revealed that he and other artists very rarely ever do free sketches, unless it’s for a special event, in particular the awesomeness that is Free Comic Book Day. Very early on in his career he was doing a lot of free sketches, mostly because he didn’t feel comfortable charging people just to draw a picture, as this just felt strange to doodle something out on a page for money. It wasn’t until there came the realization of “This is what I do, this is my job and I deserve to be paid for my work” that Jon began feeling comfortable charging commission prices for his works.
They were asked whether the land barrier of living in Australia makes it difficult to perform the job of being an artist, being trapped down under, far away from other key locations where the industry is considerably larger and more popular. In particular the audience wanted to know whether it is hard to communicate with publishers and editors overseas. This particular question is something I can personally relate to, being a reporter based here in Melbourne while working for a website based out in the US, the land barrier can be a royal pain at times (curse you ComicsOnline, you evil, seductive temptress!) The gang said that artists these days send most of their work directly to their editors digitally, so thanks to this glorious age of the internet it’s not too difficult to manage. Although when it comes to needing advice or direction that is best given face to face, the time zone differences can be quite frustrating at times, particularly when deadlines are approaching and you are stuck waiting for an editor’s approval or are waiting for feedback from your colorist before you can finish your pages. In instances such as these the timezone can definitely get in the way.
The final question (and arguably the one that most wannabe artists want an answer to) was “How can I get into the industry as an artist?” Jon Sommariva again took the reigns for this one, and basically suggested to draw as much as you can. The more you draw the better you will get, and in time you should build up a portfolio and bring it to events such as Oz Comic-Con, to some of the names in the industry in order to get their professional opinions. He also went on to recommend posting your stuff online, and again promoting the hell out of it by getting everyone you know to be aware of what you do in order to get as many people as possible talking about your work. Sooner or later you will get noticed in one way or another, provided that you have good work. Draw sequential images, as comics are ultimately a storytelling medium. Don’t give up and just keep on drawin’. Tristan Jones chimed in, and said that if you see a University promoting a comic art course that you should carefully look into it and research it thoroughly before you get all excited and sign up, as many of them are just some guy reading from a book, and there are many worthwhile correspondence courses out there that are handled by an actual professional from within the industry that can give you sound education and advice, and who can teach you from their own personal experiences, life’s greatest lessons of all!
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