Mr. Dan Slott has some advice on Portfolios for wanna-be comic book artists**.
With a VERY GOOD piece of advice:
DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES.
“That’s a character of my own design, his head is supposed to be lopsided.” “I drew that page on two hours of sleep.” “My dog died and I was upset.” “That was with my LEFT hand.” WHATEVER. Stop. It’s not helpful. And editors HATE excuses. Trust me. They’re right and you’re wrong. Take the note and, in future, work to fix it.
How you take that note during your review is a sign to the editor WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU. Make THAT part of the portfolio review EASY on your reviewer. REMEMBER: NO EXCUSES. Your work IS what it IS. TAKE THE NOTE.
(Bolding and italising mine. Read it—and MEMORISE IT. I’ve been amused more than once to see Ty reviewing someone’s portfolio—and to see the kid’s face when Ty says what needs improvement, as he starts eyerolling because he KNOWS how great he is and how dare Ty Templeton criticise him. And Ty is famous for his portfolio reviews—a friend who is an artist/writer once told me that he regards it as Ty’s “super power”. He’s kind, thoughtful and considerate—but he absolutely tells it like it is. He tries to always find something positive—and I have been surprised more than once that he’s been able to. But Ty always tries to find a positive spin, but he also says “here’s what needs work”.
But there is always someone who will announce that a negative review is because the editor/artist was jealous, nervous about the competition, bitchy, etc. etc. DON’T be that person. No professional artist is nervous that you’re going to be walking up to an editor and instantly getting that artist’s job. Any artist willing to do a portfolio review is going to be a thoughtful, caring person who wants to share what he or she has learned, and give a helping hand to someone else, just like they got at some point in their career).
**No editor or comic book pro is going to read your scripts. Don’t take scripts, don’t try and drop them off. What you need to do is find yourself an artist and put together some mini-comics, and get THOSE to editors. Get yourself known on the ‘net with a webcomic. Wait for them to ask you for a script or pitches…
fyeahlilbitoeverything:
Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures #1
Man Of Action, Dan Slott & Ty Templeton (W)
Nuno Plati (A)
• 2012’S Most Anticipated Tv Show Is Now The Comic Book You Can’t Miss Out On!
• by Day, He’s Peter Parker, Mild-Mannered High School Student. But by Night, He’s The Ultimate In Super Heroics – Spider-Man! And He’s Just The Beginning Of A Super-Hero Universe…
• From The Minds Of The Men Behind The Hit
Tv Show!
32 Pgs./All Ages …$2.99
That’s kind of a cumbersome title.
The solicit is wrong on one detail; Ty is actually on art duties.
FAN EXPO CANADA 2011 SATURDAY!!
Fan Expo Canada 2011 in Toronto, Canada. the show runs 10-8pm
I will be sitting at PO57B in between David J. Cutler and Ty Templeton (It’s The Northern Guard team! Jason Edmiston will be just a couple of seats up from us, too). Still not sure what we’ll have with us, but Ty will be doing sketches and sign comics, and we’ll be selling prints and pages.
Toronto Cartoonists Workshop is in Booth 125 (against the back wall, in the group of tables to the right of the food area/Space The Imagination Station and to the right of the Signing Area). Creators from Holmes Incorporated #2will be there all weekend to sign copies of the book, to do sketches or answer questions about their creative process, about the Fit to Print class…
Heroes of the North, the Canadian superheroes webseries/comic book series will be there in Booth 211.
Tights and Fights, the guys behind the Canadian superheroes webseries, will be in Booth 1000.
WORKSHOPS: Ty will be running a workshop, Comic Book Bootcamp, 12-1pm Room 717. At 4pm, Ty and Dan Slott will be running, Superhero Stew: Creating a Character. And—my big excitement for the weekend!!—I will be moderating Watercolour Masterclass with the one and only Jill Thompson. That runs 6-7pm in Room 717.
(**Dan Slott is based in New York. If you’ve seen the news—‘nuff said.)
Reprint of Amazing Spider-Mans #655-659 out this week with the AMAZING covers paying tribute to my buddy, Dan Slott!! (Ty’s pages are in #657, or the ish with the ‘N’ and the ‘S’ of D-A-N S-L-O-TT).
Check out your Local Comic Book Store today…