( before you proceed, remember that this is all about the Philippines. Any opinion outside the country might not be valid.)
The technical know how is also a factor most local creators seems to avoid learning. To think that we are a close-knit and not that big community, one would think people will talk about this and use them to their comics right?... No.
According to a mythical rule, we tend to " DO IT MY WAY." or else maybe... this is just a hunch, maybe they would think less of me as a creator.
Identity is one thing, but making a mess because you don't want to be like anybody else is quite unreasonable. Comic fonts? use comic sans because you just want to?
As creators, we want to send out a good vibe message to our readers. We do make mistakes. I know I do, the more reason why I still ask for help from my fellow creators, and the more reason why new comers should do too.
I've been doing this for years yet I feel that most new comers feel they are really ready to take on the world.
Randy Valiente mentioned that the old comic folks are having a hard time understanding the new komiks world. I believe that the komiks we worked for years have different dynamics. We work with editors, we get rejected or we get paid. Simple reasons why we have to learn more things because if pages gets rejected, no pay. We get published for readers nationwide to see our work and read our comics. It is the same routine every week. We don't have comic convention then. Readers would send us snail mail and not email. Today, nobody gets rejected. The creators have complete control over their comics. This is both good and bad for the industry. Good that komiks will be expressed freely, raw and as the creators had intended it to look. Bad, because if the readers rejects them. That title will be another failed attempt.
Now, imagine every year filled with new titles because failed attempts usually just gets to stop while the creator just makes new titles. That might not be a healthy practice.
I have seen great titles with creators expanding their knowledge in the field and I am happy to say that they have been successful so far. I do hope more creators follow their footsteps.
I am only writing about this because I think people needs to know. If they listen, that would be great. If they choose to still do it their way? of couse... good luck.
-Gilbert Monsanto
4 comments:
Thank you for this. Your post made me realize what has held me back from doing my own own komiks for a long time. Maybe not the sole reason, but definitely one that made me shrink back in fear.
I did write and illustrated three stories, and submitted them to Funny Komiks during college. If they had been rejected, I could have gone back to the drawing board and improved my craft. They published my story with a different artist and writer, and the other two I know not what became of them. Managed to work in animation, but the hunger fo Komiks lingered.
That Summer Komikon, and seeing all of you whom I admired, and with the availability of self-publishing helped me decide to pursue something I can do until my hand is too shaky to draw.
Some younger creators taught me some things I could not have thought of by myself. So I guess, we could fuse the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, and do more.
I guess you could call me "the oldest newbie on the block" .
Again thank you for speaking so eloquently.
Hi Gilbert! I think you're comparing two very different things. You're comparing the comic supplier industry (like our great artists who provide work for Marvel and DC abroad) and local indie/self-publishers. Very different rules for both that don't apply to each other. Comic suppliers have to follow certain standards set by their publishers and by those publisher's audiences. It's for consistency and quality control. Indie publishers are trying to find new markets and audiences, so they have to experiment with different techniques, styles and formats to see what appeals to readers who may not be reading comics yet or know the standards. Of course the success rate will be less, but that's the nature of being an entrepreneur/artist. It's the difference between being an employee and an entrepreneur. One works to maintain job security. The other works to create new markets and opportunities. These are two very different industries. I think it's wrong to suggest one industry follow the rules of another, especially when they don't apply.
Secret Sleuth,
I was referring to GASI,ATLAS and other local publications and their ways of dealing with art chores and everything else. During those time there were no indie titles. Like today, there are less of the local publications than the Independent komiks. There are no such thing as different industries.
There is only self control in terms of doing it the right way or doing it without any directions.
I hope you have read that this is only about the Philippines thus putting Marvel and DC here is invalid.
compare it with Liwayway or PSICOM if you like.
Also, Image comics is an independent company still needs editors and the whole staff to work. Again, there are no different industries, just comics.
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