Wizard Magazine 007 (1992) (No Guide)

A Very Brief History Of
X-O:
MANOWAR
By Patrick McCallum
TheFstest
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A Brief History of the Flash
By Patrick McCallu
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VALIANTS
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Front
Barry Windsor-Smith
Larry Stroman discusses comics,
working methods, and writer-artists.
On The Road To
Self-Publishing Success With Dave Sim, Creator of
CEREBUS
MOTION
PICTURE
Im ssa
A Career In
Comics:
Crazy Dream
or Sick
Obsession ?
By Nat Gertler
Let’s say that you like
comic books (not a
wild supposition, considering that comics, there are many careers other
you just plunked down $2.95 for a than those on the creative end. Far
magazine about comics). You enjoy more people work selling comics,
reading them, collecting them, and distributing comics, or being
even enjoy the blotches of ink that
stay on your fingers after a long or secretaries for the publishers than
reading schedule. At some point, write and draw the books.
Have I scared you
people make a living a publisher... off yet? No? Good. If
off of producing these you get discouraged
is cancelling
things! Could I”? that easily, you’ll never
a line of
Hundreds do. But comics that
that doesn’t mean you
should. Breaking into
I’ve been than facing all of the
working on.
difficult, and even Instantly, my You have to have
after you establish the resolve to succeed.
yourself, it is a rough
income is cut Once you have that,
business. You can be in half.
hotter than the Ghost Tough field. effort to break in.
Rider one year, and There are standard
then a few years later find getting steps towards breaking into comics.
work as tough as Superman juggling
Kryptonite. To make a living, you
have to put up with long hours, TIP# 1
difficult assignments, unreasonable LLeam your skill;
collaborators, poor benefits, tight
deadlines, and working at home, looking at comic books and copying
what you see there. Writers should
(As I am writing this article, I just take English classes, writing classes.
got a call from a publisher who is
cancelling a line of comics that I’ve Artists (including not only pencilers,
been working on. Instantly, my but also inkers, letterers and
income is cut in half. Tough field.) colorists) need art training, beyond
If you really want to work in
Far more people work selling comics,
distributing comics, or being accountants,
marketing specialists, or secretaries for the
publishers than write and draw the books.
plethora of art schools out there,
including ones that have programs
aimed at the comic-book artist. trying to do and use the art to
As with anything else, experience
is the best teacher, so in addition to If you can both write and draw
well, you have an advantage. There
is a lot of opportunity out there for
the next Frank Miller or Paul
TIP #2 Chadwick. (Unfortunately, the
popularity of writer/artists has reach
2. Learn the other skill; the point where artists with little
A writer has to have an artistic writing ability get to write their own
sense. He has to be able to describe work, turning out comics that are
effective visual images to the artist. pretty but don’t do a good job of
He has to know that you can’t fit a telling an interesting story).
dozen panels with 10 characters and
He has to be able to pace stories ^ TIP #3

visually, cinematically. At times, the
comic-book writer will be called on You need something that you can
to actually lay out some of the comic show editors to indicate the quality
books he writes, doing very simple of your work. Writers should have
sketches of every page, every panel. comics plots and sample pages of
He doesn’t need to be able to draw comics scripts. Do not include prose
like an artist, but he has to think short stories, poems, or other things
The penciler, on the other hand, Similarly, artists should be able to

has to be able to do more than just show pages of comic-book stories.
draw pretty pictures. He has to be
able to tell a story with those an editor. The pages should include
The pencHer... has to be able to do more than
just draw pretty pictures. He has to be able to
tell a story with those pictures...
not just fight scenes, but scenes of They can also propose a new series,
people wailing and talking, although this works better with
establishing shots, and anything else smaller companies than with the
inkers should have samples of work submitted through the mail, as

they’ve inked, with photocopies of editors just don’t have the time at
the un-inked pencils. Letterers conventions to read proposals.
However, it is still a good idea for
colorists coloring samples.
You should find a partner with
These are the textbook ways of
making your first sale, and frankly,
samples, while helping them polish quite this way. There is usually
their craft. They can also be a lot of
fun, and occasionally even profitable. circumstance that gives a creator his
first break. However, these usually
TIP #4 the standard route, as an unexpected
4. Sell yourself; side effect of that effort. Be
prepared to take advantage of the
have to show them to editors, to get
them interested in you. Artists have So, if you really feel the need to
work in comics, good luck—and get
do, as an artist can easily show his to work!
artist’s contribution is much easier

to judge quickly.
Writers submit story proposals to
the editors, aimed at specific books.
HOW WELL
DO YOU
REMEMBER
YOUR
COVERS?
Luke Cape jfsz Back!

LIMITED EDITION OF 4000 SIGNED ^
DREAMLAND COMICS
1231 \N. Dundee Road, Buffalo Grove, IL.
Do you know i
really know comics? Match your
wits against Poof The Wizard,
well do you fare?

Rank Answers on page t
13-18
19-24 Wizard Apprentice
25-29 Wizard
All Mighty & Knowing
WS^Ill
1
is® -rl
By Pat McCallum
ANSWERS PAGE
ANSWERS PAGE
Be the first in line
to jump on the
Issue of
or be
by
* Rip Off a mind-rending
free Punisher poster by
famed artist Wilce Portacio!
•r Hear what Uncanny X-
Men artist Whilce Portacio
has to say.
» Check Out the lastest
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• Look Up all your comic
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book price guide available.
«- WIN Uncanny X-Men
#141 & #142 autographed
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A Very Brief History Of

lis amazing powers repeated \

He has to be able to pace stories ^ TIP #3

The penciler, on the other hand, Similarly, artists should be able to

inkers should have samples of work submitted through the mail, as

artist’s contribution is much easier

Luke Cape jfsz Back!

well do you fare?

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