Being an amateur comic creator can be very confusing and a bit bewildering. For example, you want to be a good steward and plan out your steps to publishing the best you can. At the same time, you want to trust God and be flexible to His leading at all times, and not rely on human understanding. Finding the marriage between the two isn't easy.
Let's compile a checklist of questions we wish we had asked ourselves early on and comment on them:)
1) Who is your target audience?
2) Are comics going to be your livelihood, or is this a personal project?
3) Do you want to do printed comics, comics on the internet, or both?
4) Is your work intended to assist in Saving Unbelievers/ Minister to Christians/ Primarily Entertain?
Finally, give any advice you feel you are called to share with other aspiring Christian comic creators.
My advice, as an aspiring writer, is to be aggressive with your story. Don't wait to write it until you have an artist. Don't expect experienced artists to get excited about a sketchy vague synopsis of a story. Show them how you write. Show them the story as much as you can. Show them you are -serious- about the story. Pray diligently and ask permission from artists you feel God -might- be indicating would be a good match up and ask permission to send them a packet of the first story script and any sketches/character bios, or anything you have about the project.
Be willing to pay your artist a fair wage. Be patient, and open to God's decisions. You may be certain you want to do a manga, and God may give you a Western style artist for example.
Be active in the CCAS and Christian-Comic Facebook communities. Try to show an interest in other people's works, that's a great way for friendships to begin. I know sometimes we get tunnel vision and fixated only on our own projects, but that isn't healthy.
Get an editor or start a writing group. You'd be surprised how God loves to give others insight into our pet projects! Be willing to pay your editor a fair wage.
None of us is rich. So, if you're saving up to pay an editor and an artist, how will you get your book published? Well, there is print on demand. I recommend Create-Space by Amazon.com very highly. It is true your book will end up costing about 6 dollars for a 100 page graphic novel in black and white, but you, as the creator can get your copies at a huge discount, buy in bulk and network with people to sell them or give them away.
God provides. If He isn't providing for a particular plan you have for your work, consider that He may be asking you to do a web comic or print on demand, rather than a couple thousand printed first editions?
Well, that is what I was thinking today. I'd love to hear from you all, to hear how you plan to take your current projects to publication! Please share your ideas, hopes and dreams for getting your story out to the public!
Comments
I do like the idea of a graphic novel - but that's so far in the future at this point. After tomorrow I should be able to pound out some script - fixed page one, now I have to graft it to the rest :)
Hi Paula, it sounds like you are keeping your options open and waiting on the Lord to show you what is His will for your talents and projects:) Way to go! One thing I like about most Christian projects I'm seeing is that a lot of people seem to be planning on their works staying in print. Graphic novels seem to be a popular choice for Christian creators, and they can be reprinted as often as you like (as opposed to regular monthly comic books), and put on the internet as well. Though many Christian comics have come and gone in the past, it seems to me that God is energizing the movement and pouring out His blessings today:) I am looking forward to seeing more about your main project Paula! May God bless you and yours!
Let's see... My target audience is probably people who may not really read comics regularly, but who like a good superhero story and interesting female characters who won't be ending up in any refrigerators.
2. Not my livelihood :) I'm very blessed to have a hardworking husband in an eminently practical field. I can do my projects on the side, without having to set them aside in order to hustle a paying gig. I'm also glad that I don't have to make money from this project, because it just doesn't seem likely :)
3. I'd like it to see print. I don't know what's really in store for it at this stage, so I'm going to draw it carefully so that it should be compatible with all formats. Full-bleed art and no lettering near edges, and any other tips I pick up to help me accommodate both graphic novel and floppy formats. But if it belongs online after all, I can work that out too. (And be prepared to print it later. You know, when I win the sweepstakes).
4. I don't really want to pigeonhole my work into whether it's for saved or unsaved people. It's about redemption - isn't everything? ;) Unsaved people need to know that redemption is possible, and saved people need to remember that everyone is valuable to God and can be redeemed. But I highly doubt it will be received well by insular religious types.
I'm pretty sure that I can get it done all the way up to color solo. So I'm planning on hiring an editor and a colorist if I have the money, and God should handle that :) What are the going rates, btw?
I have other projects I want to do, and self-publishing, self-marketing, self-distributing and everything else seems like something that will eat up time. I could do it, but I'd rather leave it to someone who enjoys that sort of thing. So once it's done (or the first arc, anyway) I'll shop it around and see if there's any interest. If not, I can probably take care of it.
Gerard, you're a nice boy!
Hi Sven, thanks for your reply! Your advice to beginners is very profound. A lot of people want to produce an epic series first time out and never begin. I fell into that trap. It's a lot easier to daydream about making a story than it is to actually write it, and you can get trapped dreaming the years away. Your second point was hard for me to get initially. It seems so counter intuitive, I would think you're joking, except that it's actually very wise. Expecting the acclaim of everyone with your first attempts is folly. Even in the Christian comic community I've heard rumors of people sneering and showing disdain for the works of other Christians that they feel are poorly written or badly drawn compared to the mainstream standards. I think of the widow's mites that the Lord Jesus praised over the wealth of the Pharisees. But your third point is the most important, and the one I needed reminding of the most. I often forget to put God first and sit around in my fantasy Christian fiction trying to come up with new stories. Writing Christian flavored scribble stories -isn't- a substitute for a live relationship with God. If all you're doing is living in a Christian day dream, you're not only in terrible spiritual danger, your stories won't have the authenticity that Sven speaks of. That will be a new challenge for me.
You know Sven, sometimes I get uneasy reading your comics. But that's actually the point of them sometimes isn't it? Thank you.
I like the questions. It's actually a good thing to consider since I never really thought about what my goals were. As far as I'm concerned, 1) my target audience has always probably been Christians. My hope is that my comics are largely boring and confusing to those outside of our faith; 2) my comics are not my livelihood - thank God :-P; 3) I've never understood why individuals would want to get their comics published on paper, excepting that they are trying to make a dime - my thing is that if you are trying to send a message to the masses, online comics are the way to go; 4) all the comics I've done seem mostly invested in ministering believers by way of mocking them :-P.
My advice to new amateurs starting out would be threefold. First, I would advise the Christian artist to start with one shots or gag strips, and work his or her way up to multiple arc story comics. Second, I would advise not worrying oneself at first about any standards regarding good artistic form. Make comics where Christian stick figures are beating each other with brooms, for all I care. If nobody thinks your comics are in the least bit funny or entertaining, and you have nothing but the chagrin and disdain of the Christian comic community - nay, the entire comic community at large - then you are doing an awesome job! Do not make the mistake of yielding to every ounce of criticism - cherish it, think to yourself, "Wow nobody likes my comics; I am awesome!" Relish it. Do not let this stop you! The natural thing to do is to let disinterest and disdain stop your comic writing inertia - so don't let it. And third, you must study the Word and pray to God daily. You must daily acknowledge that you are a dirty, wretched sinmongering sinner, and get on your knees until they bleed and beg for God's grace. Hyperbole aside, the level of maturity one has in their prayer and study time bleeds over to their creative efforts. Even intuitively, one can tell the difference between Christian art done by someone with a superficial faith, and Christian art done by someone who dines on the bread of Christ every day like it's fillet mignon. It is easy to tell the difference between artists and writers who go to Church and feed off from emotionalism and tradition, and those who drink the original red wine and get drunk from it. You must read good Christian commentators who give sound expositions of God's word, like A W Pink (the best imho), or Matthew Henry, or J C Ryle, or John Piper, John Owen, etc. A comic with great theology trumps the best drawn Christian comics with a shallow message always.
That's my two cents anyways.
Hello Candace, thank you for sharing your goals and ideas for your Christian comic project:) 8 sounds like a great target audience age, I think in Japan that age is called 'Shounen' (not sure), an age when manga is very popular with the kids:) Your idea for 'The Other League' sounds full of comedic potential, and is set up for including as much action as you like. Your relationship with your brother sounds very precious to you, may God bless you for it! You are already ministering to him with your stories, and you have a joyful heart for what God has given you:) May God never cease increasing your gifts and talents, as long as you are faithful to His call:)
One thing I’m working on will be for younger kids, but it will probably be suited best for eight year olds (since my eight-year-old brother is the one who's came up with a lot of ideas for it). So far, we’re calling it “The Other League” (yes, it’s supposed to sound cheesy; run while you can :P). The team is composed of Radical Dude, Merry Maid, Deflative Man, and a whole lot of other misfit do-gooders who, despite they’re best efforts, didn't quite make the cut into the Star Squad (which include heroes who sound a bit more like DC material rather than Rocky and Bullwinkle). I’m not exactly sure where the idea will go (it‘s more of a practice comic to see if the comic industry is really the occupation for me). However, my little bro. and I enjoy coming up with ideas for it, so maybe someday it will become a routine thing for the neighbor kids to read, too. Besides, I'm tired of trying to filter through a lot of junky hero cartoons and comics for my brother to see. Why can't I just come up with something I know my bro. would like that has no innuendo, no language, and no witchcraft?