MattBrady
08-20-2007, 06:28 AM
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/WriteWrong/writewrong-final_t.jpg" align="right"><i>by Dirk Manning</i>
Comic book artist Mike Wieringo died last weekend.
Mike Wieringo will never touch a pencil, pen or marker to a blank piece of paper again.
The world will never again see a new drawing, sketch or piece of artwork brought into the world by his hand.
A week later I’m still reeling over this fact.
While the field of work comic book creators is a small one, I didn’t know “Ringo.” Heck, truth be told I never even met the guy.
The only time I even crossed paths with him was <a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=75927>back at Heroes Con ’06</a> at the end of the last day when Stacie and I were packing-up to leave, but even then I never actually approached the guy.
You see… I felt I didn’t have too. Guys like that are “supposed” to live long, long lives… much longer than the one allotted to him.
Even before I received word of his passing I’ve always remembered the first time I saw Ringo. He was standing several tables down and was talking to another professional. He had short silver hair, incredibly bright eyes and a large smile on his face.
I’ve always remembered the moment because he looked <i>exactly</i> like the artwork he drew. More specifically, he looked like he himself was one of his own drawings that had somehow leapt to life like some sort of four-color Pinocchio.
(This moment lives in my mind so vividly because it solidified my hypothesis that when most established comicbook artists (artists whose styles have finally “firmed-up” and finished the most gratuitous stages of artistic evolution) draw people that look like themselves. Want more proof? Compare photographs of any number of superstar comicbook artists such as John Cassaday, Frank Quietly, Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, or Ringo himself to their illustrations/depictions of people… and prepare to be amazed. Not that it’s surprising, per say, just amazing: after all, isn’t the creation of art (of any form) the ultimate expression of ego?)
Regardless, that was then and this is now… and now Ringo is gone from this world forever. On a personal level, I’m especially saddened by this because he’s one of the few artists whose work I’ve always truly <i>enjoyed</i>.
Not liked… nor loved… but <i>enjoyed</i>.
Ringo’s art always made me smile. His artwork was vibrant and vivid and alive and deceptively complex in its seeming simplicity. More than that, though, when Ringo drew comicbooks his artwork depicted people that truly seemed… again, at the risk of sounding redundant, <i>alive</i> on the page in a way that still – even in his passing – dwarfs the attempts of 99% of his peers. (In fact, I honestly can’t think of anyone who drew “living” characters better than Ringo.)
In my last column I spoke about my sketchbook collection, and Ringo was one of those guys I hoped to one day talk to about commissioning a sketch from, but I waited too long and now his contribution to the book will be only in his noticeable absence.
There’s a lesson here, my friends, and it’s this: <i><b>Time waits for no one.</i></b>
When I first approached <b>Newsarama</b> about writing the <b>“Write or Wrong”</b> series of columns, I had a list of topics and ideas I wanted to touch on… and one of the columns I’d been sitting on for a while now was what I intended to be a more humorous column about “Time Killers” – things that can consume aspiring creators’ time and deter them from using suitable portions of their waking hours from pushing towards their goal of creating comic books.
I’m going to carry on with that column/list right now… but, sadly, suddenly I can’t seem to broach the topic with quite the same amount of levity I had intended to even just a week ago…
So, that being said, the real moral of the story here is this: There are only so many hours in each day, folks, and we each only have so many days on Earth. If you’re serious about creating comics, you’re going to need to understand this very simple fact:
<b><i>CREATING COMICS IS A VERY TIME CONSUMING PROCESS.</i></b>
It’s one thing to sit down and bang-out a script... but writing a script is <i>not</i> creating a comic book. Again: WRITING A SCRIPT IS NOT CREATING A COMIC BOOK.
That’s barely – BARELY – the first step in a very, very long journey… and it’s a laborious journey at that.
Well, as with any acts of labor, it’s easy to get burned-out or distracted… and even among those of us most passionate about creating comics the latter can be a factor. Considering this, allow me to humbly present to you…
***
<b><u>THE DIRK MANNING LIST OF NOTORIOUS ITEMS, OBJECTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT STAND IN THE WAY OF COMICBOOK CREATION</b></u>
<i>(Alas, one of these days I’ll have to work on mastering the art of creating shorter titles for my patented lists o’ advice…)</i>
1) <b><u>NEWS WEBSITES</b></u>
Hey… there’s nothing like starting with a little irony, right?
Listen folks, I’m addicted to <b>Newsarama</b> <i>at least</i> just as much as the rest of you… but you know what? It’s a waste of time to check the site 30 times a day because you’re concerned that you’re somehow going to “miss” some sort of massive announcement. After all, the front page always has an average of, what, at least the top 30 news stories on it?
(Hear that sound? That’s the sound of Matt Brady grinding his teeth over the fact that I’m telling readers <i>not</i> to check this site 30 times a day…)
Ribbing aside… here’s some advice from me to you that I’ll probably repeat a few times before this column is over: Any time you have to surf the ’Net is time you could be using to write or devote to the 5,000 other aspects of successful comic book creation. Instead of habitually checking your ten favorite sites every time you get a free moment near the computer, instead, set a certain time period each day you will dedicate exclusively to surfin’ the web or “read the news”… and make sure it’s not in excess of an hour.
I mean, really, if it takes you more than an hour a day to do all of your leisurely surfin’ you’re wasting too much time screwin’ around already.
2) <b><u>Message Boards</b></u>
I would hope that this one would be obvious, but just in case…
It seems like there are a lot of people out there who’ve somehow convinced themselves that they’re going to break into comics by posting responses to every story or hot topic in comicdom on a variety of message boards.
Lemme tell ya’… it ain’t going to happen. No editor – NO EDITOR – is going to look at your writing resume or comic book proposal pitch and say <i>“Hey… this guy has 5,000 posts over at <b>Newsarama</b>… he must be a good writer! I’ll give him a shot!”</i>
No.
Mind you, I love <b>Newsarama</b> and I’m not trying to downplay the importance (or just sheer fun) of this great website… but posting responses to every story is not going to woo or impress anyone but those other delusion fools who have also convinced themselves that high “post counts” are an equitable and or important form of status when it comes to your ability to create comic books.
The same goes for <a href=http://www.digitalwebbing.com>Digital Webbing</a> and all of the other Message Board-based websites I’m not wasting the time to mention.
3) <b><u>Social Network Websites</b></u>
I would hope that this one would also be obvious, but just in case…
It seems like there are a lot of people out there who’ve somehow convinced themselves that they’re going to break into comics by accumulating thousands of friends on their online social networking profiles.
Lemme tell ya’… it ain’t going to happen. No editor – NO EDITOR – is going to look at your writing resume or comic book proposal pitch and say <i>“Hey… this guy has 5,000 friends on <b>MySpace</b>… he must be a good writer! I’ll give him a shot!”</i>
No.
Mind you, I have profiles at both <a href=http://www.myspace.com/nightmareworldcomic>MySpace</a> and <a href=http://www.comicspace.com/dirkmanning>Comicspace</a> and I’m not trying to downplay the importance (or just sheer fun) of these great social networking sites… but spending three hours a day on these sites looking for more and more people you don’t know to “add” to your profile in some sort of inane (or would that be insane?) meaningless popularity contest is not going to woo or impress anyone but those other delusion fools who have also convinced themselves that high amounts of “friends” are an equitable and or important form of status when it comes to your ability to create comic books.
The same goes for <a href=http://www.facebook.com>Facebook</a> and all of the other social networking websites I’m not wasting the time to mention.
4) <b><u>Your Friends</b></u>
True story: A few weeks ago I learned that a friend of mine is moving to Europe for a what will most likely be at least a few years. Given the fact that I won’t be seeing the guy in a while I took him up on his invitation to go out with him and some other friends (some mutual acquaintances, some not) for his birthday.
Shortly after arriving at the bar in question I ran into a buddy of mine who I haven’t seen in six years. <i>Six… years.</i> He and I and another handful of people all used to be pretty tight, seeing each other and kickin’ it together at least once a week… but as I dedicated myself more and more to creating comics I started to become more and more anti-social to the point where, well, I now hadn’t seen the guy or talked to him in six years.
After a few awkward moments of playing catch-up (the dude now has a wife, a daughter and a step-daughter – all to my pleasant surprise!) he finally asked me the inevitable question: <i>“So, man… who do you hang out with these days?”</i>
I paused for a moment to reflect on the issue before giving him the most honest answer I could: “Aside from my sweet lady… no one. My circle of friends these days are artists from all over the country and the world. We mainly just talk online or on the phone and sometimes I’m lucky enough to see some of them at conventions.”
You see, I learned a long time ago that there are some people out there who are content working their 9 to 5 jobs and then going home to chill out, swill back a few beers and then play video games, watch TV and or play cards and such with their pals… and I also learned that I ain’t one of those people.
I have a yearning and burning desire to <i>create</i>… and creation takes time and effort… and the time I was spending with my friends every weekend was taking away from the time I could have been using creating comics… so… away I went.
Mind you, it’s important to have balance in life, and as a result I still see my “comicbook friends” once a week at ye’ ol’ local comic shoppe where we shoot the breeze and hang out and such… but it’s not like I’m calling them every weekend looking for the next party to attend, either. After all, there are, as an artist friend of mine often says) “worlds to be created.”
5) <b><u>Your Family</b></u>
If you have a family – or one day hope to have a family – you will need their support in regards to the hours a day it may take you to successfully create and then market your comic book… otherwise you’re screwed.
If your current (or future) husband, wife or children cannot or will not respect the fact that you may need to spend an hour or two a day after work (and several more hours on the weekends) <i>alone</i> as your work on your comic… quit now before you totally destroy your family life and turn your home into a breeding ground for domestic strife, contempt and disdain.
You will need a supportive and understanding life partner to create comics if you choose to live a life of cohabitation/marriage… otherwise, you’re doomed.
6) <b><u>Cartoon/Video Websites</b></u>
My love for <a href=http://www.homestarrunner.com>Homestar Runner</a>, <a href=http://www.JoeCartoon.com>Joe Cartoon</a> and <a href=http://www.HappyTreeFriends.com>Happy Tree Friends</a> are second to none… but I’ve also learned that I must use these sites as rare, RARE treats… lest I spend too many hours captivated by these (and a few other) hilarious cartoon websites.
Of course, I realize that I’ve damned several of you just by exposing you to them… but, hey, that’s where discipline and survival of the fittest comes in, folks.
7) <b><u>Obsessive Video Game and DVD Habits</b></u>
It’s a long running industry (and fandom) joke that video games are the downfall of many comic book creators… but obsessive DVD viewing habits are just as bad and can be just as dangerous.
I mean, really… how many times do you need to watch the same movie or TV series over and over again? Also, is it <i>really</i> that important to watch the film again with the Director’s Commentary track? <i>REALLY?</i> I dunno… shouldn’t the film (or TV series), like, speak for itself or something?
***
The bottom line, folks, is this: there are two types of people in this world – people that <i>talk</i> about doing things and people who <i>do</i> them. If you want to leave your mark upon the world you’re going to need not just the <i>desire</i>, but also the <i>discipline</i>, be part of the latter.
That’s what Ringo had, and that’s why he touched so many lives across the world… including mine, even though I never even had a conversation with the man.
Regardless, his example is one we should all learn from.
<b>Next Time:</b> Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy (For real this time… honest!)
<i>Dirk Manning is the writer/creator of <a href=http://www.NightmareWorld.com><b>NIGHTMARE WORLD</b></a>, and he’s pleased to announce that his first graphic novel from Ape Comics in now available for Pre-Order in <i>PREVIEWS</i> (click <a href=http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113304>HERE</a> for details and a look at the final cover) and is currently being offered for a mere $13.96 (a saving of $7!!!) by our friends at <a href=http://www.dcbservice.com/>Discount Comic Book Service</a>. Whoa! That aside, Dirk Manning is a longtime contributing writer to <b>Newsarama</b> and an active member of <a href=http://www.myspace.com/nightmareworldcomic>MySpace</a> and <a href=http://www.comicspace.com/dirkmanning>Comicspace</a>. He also tries his best to respond to everyone who takes the time to comment in the talkback sections of his columns, so subscribe to it and check back often… if you’re into that sort of thing.</i>
<b>Want to read <i>Write or Wrong</i> from the beginning? Here ya’ go!</b>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=80711>WoW #1: Introduce Yourself</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=81482>WoW #2: Thematically Speaking</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=82252>WoW #3: How Badly Do You Want It?</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83001>WoW #4: Meeting Bendis and Finding Artists</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83804>WoW #5: Making First Contact</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=84678>WoW #6: Things Fall Apart</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=85494>WoW #7: Creation vs Dictation</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=86334>WoW #8: Kill the Buddha</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=87147>WoW #9: They’re Not Robots</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=87968>WoW #10: Dollars and Sense</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=88770>WoW #11: World Wide You</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=89531>WoW #12: Always Use Protection</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=90310>WoW #13: Contract Killers</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=91128>WoW #14: Take a Look in the Mirror</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=91867>WoW #15: Words Worth 1,000 Pictures</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=92505>WoW #16: Mid-Ohio Musings</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=93281>WoW #17: Seeking What the Masters Sought</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=95447>WoW #18: Means and Ends</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=96960>WoW #19: Likeable Characters</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=97820>WoW #20: “What’s My (Evil) Motivation?”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=99625>WoW #21: It’s Not a Race</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=100542>WoW #22: How to Successfully Play God</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=101378>WoW #23: “Are you really THAT good?”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=104959>WoW #24: Things Fall Apart, v2.0</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=105906>WoW #25: Climbing Out of the Hole</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=106748>WoW #26: “See all those people out there?”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=110084>WoW #27: “Lose Yourself”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=118242>WoW #28: The Tallest Midget in Shortsville</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=119336>WoW #29: Punisher Skrull Sex</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=123780>WoW #30: The Wrath of Con</a>
Comic book artist Mike Wieringo died last weekend.
Mike Wieringo will never touch a pencil, pen or marker to a blank piece of paper again.
The world will never again see a new drawing, sketch or piece of artwork brought into the world by his hand.
A week later I’m still reeling over this fact.
While the field of work comic book creators is a small one, I didn’t know “Ringo.” Heck, truth be told I never even met the guy.
The only time I even crossed paths with him was <a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=75927>back at Heroes Con ’06</a> at the end of the last day when Stacie and I were packing-up to leave, but even then I never actually approached the guy.
You see… I felt I didn’t have too. Guys like that are “supposed” to live long, long lives… much longer than the one allotted to him.
Even before I received word of his passing I’ve always remembered the first time I saw Ringo. He was standing several tables down and was talking to another professional. He had short silver hair, incredibly bright eyes and a large smile on his face.
I’ve always remembered the moment because he looked <i>exactly</i> like the artwork he drew. More specifically, he looked like he himself was one of his own drawings that had somehow leapt to life like some sort of four-color Pinocchio.
(This moment lives in my mind so vividly because it solidified my hypothesis that when most established comicbook artists (artists whose styles have finally “firmed-up” and finished the most gratuitous stages of artistic evolution) draw people that look like themselves. Want more proof? Compare photographs of any number of superstar comicbook artists such as John Cassaday, Frank Quietly, Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, or Ringo himself to their illustrations/depictions of people… and prepare to be amazed. Not that it’s surprising, per say, just amazing: after all, isn’t the creation of art (of any form) the ultimate expression of ego?)
Regardless, that was then and this is now… and now Ringo is gone from this world forever. On a personal level, I’m especially saddened by this because he’s one of the few artists whose work I’ve always truly <i>enjoyed</i>.
Not liked… nor loved… but <i>enjoyed</i>.
Ringo’s art always made me smile. His artwork was vibrant and vivid and alive and deceptively complex in its seeming simplicity. More than that, though, when Ringo drew comicbooks his artwork depicted people that truly seemed… again, at the risk of sounding redundant, <i>alive</i> on the page in a way that still – even in his passing – dwarfs the attempts of 99% of his peers. (In fact, I honestly can’t think of anyone who drew “living” characters better than Ringo.)
In my last column I spoke about my sketchbook collection, and Ringo was one of those guys I hoped to one day talk to about commissioning a sketch from, but I waited too long and now his contribution to the book will be only in his noticeable absence.
There’s a lesson here, my friends, and it’s this: <i><b>Time waits for no one.</i></b>
When I first approached <b>Newsarama</b> about writing the <b>“Write or Wrong”</b> series of columns, I had a list of topics and ideas I wanted to touch on… and one of the columns I’d been sitting on for a while now was what I intended to be a more humorous column about “Time Killers” – things that can consume aspiring creators’ time and deter them from using suitable portions of their waking hours from pushing towards their goal of creating comic books.
I’m going to carry on with that column/list right now… but, sadly, suddenly I can’t seem to broach the topic with quite the same amount of levity I had intended to even just a week ago…
So, that being said, the real moral of the story here is this: There are only so many hours in each day, folks, and we each only have so many days on Earth. If you’re serious about creating comics, you’re going to need to understand this very simple fact:
<b><i>CREATING COMICS IS A VERY TIME CONSUMING PROCESS.</i></b>
It’s one thing to sit down and bang-out a script... but writing a script is <i>not</i> creating a comic book. Again: WRITING A SCRIPT IS NOT CREATING A COMIC BOOK.
That’s barely – BARELY – the first step in a very, very long journey… and it’s a laborious journey at that.
Well, as with any acts of labor, it’s easy to get burned-out or distracted… and even among those of us most passionate about creating comics the latter can be a factor. Considering this, allow me to humbly present to you…
***
<b><u>THE DIRK MANNING LIST OF NOTORIOUS ITEMS, OBJECTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT STAND IN THE WAY OF COMICBOOK CREATION</b></u>
<i>(Alas, one of these days I’ll have to work on mastering the art of creating shorter titles for my patented lists o’ advice…)</i>
1) <b><u>NEWS WEBSITES</b></u>
Hey… there’s nothing like starting with a little irony, right?
Listen folks, I’m addicted to <b>Newsarama</b> <i>at least</i> just as much as the rest of you… but you know what? It’s a waste of time to check the site 30 times a day because you’re concerned that you’re somehow going to “miss” some sort of massive announcement. After all, the front page always has an average of, what, at least the top 30 news stories on it?
(Hear that sound? That’s the sound of Matt Brady grinding his teeth over the fact that I’m telling readers <i>not</i> to check this site 30 times a day…)
Ribbing aside… here’s some advice from me to you that I’ll probably repeat a few times before this column is over: Any time you have to surf the ’Net is time you could be using to write or devote to the 5,000 other aspects of successful comic book creation. Instead of habitually checking your ten favorite sites every time you get a free moment near the computer, instead, set a certain time period each day you will dedicate exclusively to surfin’ the web or “read the news”… and make sure it’s not in excess of an hour.
I mean, really, if it takes you more than an hour a day to do all of your leisurely surfin’ you’re wasting too much time screwin’ around already.
2) <b><u>Message Boards</b></u>
I would hope that this one would be obvious, but just in case…
It seems like there are a lot of people out there who’ve somehow convinced themselves that they’re going to break into comics by posting responses to every story or hot topic in comicdom on a variety of message boards.
Lemme tell ya’… it ain’t going to happen. No editor – NO EDITOR – is going to look at your writing resume or comic book proposal pitch and say <i>“Hey… this guy has 5,000 posts over at <b>Newsarama</b>… he must be a good writer! I’ll give him a shot!”</i>
No.
Mind you, I love <b>Newsarama</b> and I’m not trying to downplay the importance (or just sheer fun) of this great website… but posting responses to every story is not going to woo or impress anyone but those other delusion fools who have also convinced themselves that high “post counts” are an equitable and or important form of status when it comes to your ability to create comic books.
The same goes for <a href=http://www.digitalwebbing.com>Digital Webbing</a> and all of the other Message Board-based websites I’m not wasting the time to mention.
3) <b><u>Social Network Websites</b></u>
I would hope that this one would also be obvious, but just in case…
It seems like there are a lot of people out there who’ve somehow convinced themselves that they’re going to break into comics by accumulating thousands of friends on their online social networking profiles.
Lemme tell ya’… it ain’t going to happen. No editor – NO EDITOR – is going to look at your writing resume or comic book proposal pitch and say <i>“Hey… this guy has 5,000 friends on <b>MySpace</b>… he must be a good writer! I’ll give him a shot!”</i>
No.
Mind you, I have profiles at both <a href=http://www.myspace.com/nightmareworldcomic>MySpace</a> and <a href=http://www.comicspace.com/dirkmanning>Comicspace</a> and I’m not trying to downplay the importance (or just sheer fun) of these great social networking sites… but spending three hours a day on these sites looking for more and more people you don’t know to “add” to your profile in some sort of inane (or would that be insane?) meaningless popularity contest is not going to woo or impress anyone but those other delusion fools who have also convinced themselves that high amounts of “friends” are an equitable and or important form of status when it comes to your ability to create comic books.
The same goes for <a href=http://www.facebook.com>Facebook</a> and all of the other social networking websites I’m not wasting the time to mention.
4) <b><u>Your Friends</b></u>
True story: A few weeks ago I learned that a friend of mine is moving to Europe for a what will most likely be at least a few years. Given the fact that I won’t be seeing the guy in a while I took him up on his invitation to go out with him and some other friends (some mutual acquaintances, some not) for his birthday.
Shortly after arriving at the bar in question I ran into a buddy of mine who I haven’t seen in six years. <i>Six… years.</i> He and I and another handful of people all used to be pretty tight, seeing each other and kickin’ it together at least once a week… but as I dedicated myself more and more to creating comics I started to become more and more anti-social to the point where, well, I now hadn’t seen the guy or talked to him in six years.
After a few awkward moments of playing catch-up (the dude now has a wife, a daughter and a step-daughter – all to my pleasant surprise!) he finally asked me the inevitable question: <i>“So, man… who do you hang out with these days?”</i>
I paused for a moment to reflect on the issue before giving him the most honest answer I could: “Aside from my sweet lady… no one. My circle of friends these days are artists from all over the country and the world. We mainly just talk online or on the phone and sometimes I’m lucky enough to see some of them at conventions.”
You see, I learned a long time ago that there are some people out there who are content working their 9 to 5 jobs and then going home to chill out, swill back a few beers and then play video games, watch TV and or play cards and such with their pals… and I also learned that I ain’t one of those people.
I have a yearning and burning desire to <i>create</i>… and creation takes time and effort… and the time I was spending with my friends every weekend was taking away from the time I could have been using creating comics… so… away I went.
Mind you, it’s important to have balance in life, and as a result I still see my “comicbook friends” once a week at ye’ ol’ local comic shoppe where we shoot the breeze and hang out and such… but it’s not like I’m calling them every weekend looking for the next party to attend, either. After all, there are, as an artist friend of mine often says) “worlds to be created.”
5) <b><u>Your Family</b></u>
If you have a family – or one day hope to have a family – you will need their support in regards to the hours a day it may take you to successfully create and then market your comic book… otherwise you’re screwed.
If your current (or future) husband, wife or children cannot or will not respect the fact that you may need to spend an hour or two a day after work (and several more hours on the weekends) <i>alone</i> as your work on your comic… quit now before you totally destroy your family life and turn your home into a breeding ground for domestic strife, contempt and disdain.
You will need a supportive and understanding life partner to create comics if you choose to live a life of cohabitation/marriage… otherwise, you’re doomed.
6) <b><u>Cartoon/Video Websites</b></u>
My love for <a href=http://www.homestarrunner.com>Homestar Runner</a>, <a href=http://www.JoeCartoon.com>Joe Cartoon</a> and <a href=http://www.HappyTreeFriends.com>Happy Tree Friends</a> are second to none… but I’ve also learned that I must use these sites as rare, RARE treats… lest I spend too many hours captivated by these (and a few other) hilarious cartoon websites.
Of course, I realize that I’ve damned several of you just by exposing you to them… but, hey, that’s where discipline and survival of the fittest comes in, folks.
7) <b><u>Obsessive Video Game and DVD Habits</b></u>
It’s a long running industry (and fandom) joke that video games are the downfall of many comic book creators… but obsessive DVD viewing habits are just as bad and can be just as dangerous.
I mean, really… how many times do you need to watch the same movie or TV series over and over again? Also, is it <i>really</i> that important to watch the film again with the Director’s Commentary track? <i>REALLY?</i> I dunno… shouldn’t the film (or TV series), like, speak for itself or something?
***
The bottom line, folks, is this: there are two types of people in this world – people that <i>talk</i> about doing things and people who <i>do</i> them. If you want to leave your mark upon the world you’re going to need not just the <i>desire</i>, but also the <i>discipline</i>, be part of the latter.
That’s what Ringo had, and that’s why he touched so many lives across the world… including mine, even though I never even had a conversation with the man.
Regardless, his example is one we should all learn from.
<b>Next Time:</b> Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy (For real this time… honest!)
<i>Dirk Manning is the writer/creator of <a href=http://www.NightmareWorld.com><b>NIGHTMARE WORLD</b></a>, and he’s pleased to announce that his first graphic novel from Ape Comics in now available for Pre-Order in <i>PREVIEWS</i> (click <a href=http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113304>HERE</a> for details and a look at the final cover) and is currently being offered for a mere $13.96 (a saving of $7!!!) by our friends at <a href=http://www.dcbservice.com/>Discount Comic Book Service</a>. Whoa! That aside, Dirk Manning is a longtime contributing writer to <b>Newsarama</b> and an active member of <a href=http://www.myspace.com/nightmareworldcomic>MySpace</a> and <a href=http://www.comicspace.com/dirkmanning>Comicspace</a>. He also tries his best to respond to everyone who takes the time to comment in the talkback sections of his columns, so subscribe to it and check back often… if you’re into that sort of thing.</i>
<b>Want to read <i>Write or Wrong</i> from the beginning? Here ya’ go!</b>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=80711>WoW #1: Introduce Yourself</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=81482>WoW #2: Thematically Speaking</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=82252>WoW #3: How Badly Do You Want It?</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83001>WoW #4: Meeting Bendis and Finding Artists</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83804>WoW #5: Making First Contact</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=84678>WoW #6: Things Fall Apart</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=85494>WoW #7: Creation vs Dictation</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=86334>WoW #8: Kill the Buddha</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=87147>WoW #9: They’re Not Robots</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=87968>WoW #10: Dollars and Sense</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=88770>WoW #11: World Wide You</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=89531>WoW #12: Always Use Protection</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=90310>WoW #13: Contract Killers</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=91128>WoW #14: Take a Look in the Mirror</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=91867>WoW #15: Words Worth 1,000 Pictures</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=92505>WoW #16: Mid-Ohio Musings</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=93281>WoW #17: Seeking What the Masters Sought</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=95447>WoW #18: Means and Ends</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=96960>WoW #19: Likeable Characters</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=97820>WoW #20: “What’s My (Evil) Motivation?”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=99625>WoW #21: It’s Not a Race</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=100542>WoW #22: How to Successfully Play God</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=101378>WoW #23: “Are you really THAT good?”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=104959>WoW #24: Things Fall Apart, v2.0</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=105906>WoW #25: Climbing Out of the Hole</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=106748>WoW #26: “See all those people out there?”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=110084>WoW #27: “Lose Yourself”</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=118242>WoW #28: The Tallest Midget in Shortsville</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=119336>WoW #29: Punisher Skrull Sex</a>
<a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=123780>WoW #30: The Wrath of Con</a>