I’ve just turned Shadowline down.
I spent the weekend thinking, and I went through the issues that we’ve got written/art for, and I think I probably *could* cut it down to 3 issues. But doing so would pretty much strip out all of the character development and interactions and humor: what I’d be left with would be a flavorless Batman-with-boobs ripoff. I think the story is better than that, and although it is not any fun at all to turn down a comic book company offering to publish my story, I think it probably wouldn’t be any fun at all to write (or draw) what would be left when I tried to make the story fit into somebody else’s box.
I may be out of my mind. I may be making a terrible mistake. I don’t think I am: the fact that Shadowline was willing to greenlight it tells me that it’s a publishable book. Let me rephrase that: the fact that Jimmy freaking Valentino, one of the Image founders and a long-time active member of the US comic industry was willing to greenlight it tells me it’s publishable.
I got good feedback. I got a little more understanding of the field and of the odds I’m up against. But when you get right down to it, the damned project is called take a chance. And I’m willing to risk being wrong in order to do the story the way I want to. So I’ve just
I’ve spent a lot of the weekend going over the story and over the art I’ve got. What I’ve concluded is that I probably *could* cut the story arc down to the requisite 4 issues, but doing so would cut out pretty much all the character development and interactions and humor that I think make the book unique.
Right now I’m wishing I’d known to discuss the format with you, oh, six or eight months ago, so I might’ve been able to shape the story so it would fit the Shadowline structure. As it is, I think changing it now would lose too much of the story I want to tell, so, unfortunately, the four issue arc *is* a deal-breaker. I may regret it for the rest of my career, but I’m going to go ahead and withdraw Chance from Shadowline consideration, since it just doesn’t fit, and go ahead and (re)submit it to Image Central.
I’m torn between utter disappointment and a sort of great wryness over this: it falls deep into the category of Learning Experience. I’ve got at least one other idea I’d like to develop, and I’d love to be able to send it to Shadowline. I’ll know what kind of structure to be looking at for your line, and if you’re open to it, hopefully discuss the development of the story with you so I could turn in something that’d really shine.
Thank you both *so* much for the advice and time and information you’ve shared with me. People on the boards talk about how incredibly helpful and encouraging and thoughtful you both are in regards to comic development, and man, they’re right. I appreciate your thoughts and time and effort more than I can tell you.
-Catie
online convo regarding this:
You do indeed have balls of adamantium, but it sounds like you made the right decision for your story, and I think that will give you good comic karma and you’ll find another home for it :D
*hugs*
You did what you thought was best for you. I don’t know as everyone could have done that. Congrats.
Can I just tell you how much I respect you? I mean, I already like your stuff (duh) but I know how hard it is to say no when what you really want to do is squee around and say YES COMIC BOOK.
So I completely and utterly respect you. I will send all good thoughts to Central.
In my opinion, honed by reading the thoughts of any number of comic creators, if you aren’t getting in comics because it allows you to tell a story with relatively little filter, then it’s hard to figure out why you would get in comics, since any money you stand to see on it will, well, you know.
My point being: holding out to tell the story you want, at least in your situation (that of someone who’s already gotten their break in prose and is clearly running with it, too) seems like the right call. Valentino’s a seasoned professional and a champion of creator independence; he’s not bloody likely to dismiss you as a wanker because you said “no, I need to tell this story right.” Indeed, I suspect you just helped your next pitch to him.
Although it’s only vaguely related, you might be interested to know that George Khoury, who has already done books like The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore, and who I know slightly online, is writing a history of Image Comics. Stuff about it here on his MySpace.
You know you made the right decision, of course.
I’ve done what I thought was best for me in the past and it’s been a total screw-up, but hey, at least I’ve got my own damned drummer, right? :) Thanks. *hugs*!
Thank you. That means a lot. *hugs*
Oh, awesome. I’ll check it out. Very cool.
And yeah, I do. Even if it blows up and fails to work out, it was still the right way to go. We’ll see what happens. :)
if you aren’t getting in comics because it allows you to tell a story with relatively little filter, then it’s hard to figure out why you would get in comics, since any money you stand to see on it will, well, you know.
*laugh* You know, I hadn’t thought of it like that at all (although you are certainly right). I knew I was making the right choice anyway, but that actually makes me feel better about it.
And yeah, Valentino’s response was, “Perfectly understandable.” So no harm, no foul, which is great.
Comic karma is fun to say. O.O :)