WRITE OR WRONG: ARE YOU REALLY THAT GOOD?

[MattBrady]

by Dirk Manning

Two weeks ago we had negative 20 degree weather here in my home town of Nightmarica.

Last week it was in the forties.

Tonight we’re getting a blizzard.

Next week it’s supposed to be in the forties and fifties again.

Armed with this knowledge you might start to understand why I’m feeling a little sassy this week… but don’t let my sass fool you: I mean everything I have to say here, and I think it’s something a lot of you may need to hear.

That being said, onwards!

*ahem*

You’re not going to gain notoriety creating your own superhero comic.

In fact, most of you bold enough – or foolish enough – to venture down this path are probably doing yourselves more harm than good.

Now, before you get all defensive… just stop.

At the risk of sounding like a prick, I’m going to tell you right now that I doubt there’s anything you could say to me at this point that would sway my opinion yet. Instead, allow me to say what I have to say before you try to rip me a new poop-hole in the talkbacks, OK?

Cool.

Now, lest you get the wrong opinion of me, allow me to say that I do indeed read some superhero comics. Incredible Hulk, Civil War (and, as a result, Amazing Spider-Man, 52 and Savage Dragon are all superhero comics that I read and enjoy every month.

Other monthly purchases include The Boys (come back soon!) and most other stuff by Garth Ennis, anything/everything by Alan Moore, The Walking Dead, Street Fighter (my “guilty pleasure” book), stuff by David Lampham, Richard Moore’s Boneyard and Rex Mundi.

Finally, I collect 100 Bullets, Fables, Y: The Last Man, The Exterminators, Conan, The Goon, Hellboy, The Punisher, Astonishing X-Men and Supreme Power in tradepaperback or hardcover forms as they are released.

There are also usually a few small press or indie books in there as well (such as everything from my publisher Ape Comics, of course, as well as some one-off purchases such as The Dreamland Chronicles (an amazing web-series which then goes to print)… but by and large that’s my comicbook pull list right there.

So, as you can hopefully see, I’m not a superhero snob. I mean, heck, if I was I’d be writing this column for some other publication, you know?

So – that being established – seriously, folks… don’t bother trying to get noticed with a superhero comic.

Really.

Just don’t.

It’s embarrassing, and I consider all of you readers my friends, and a friend doesn’t let friends embarrass themselves in public.

So… please… don’t do it.

At this point I’m sure some of you out there are thinking to yourselves “Screw Dirk Manning! My comic is different! It’s better! I’ll show him! I’LL SHOW THEM ALL!”

It’s a noble – albeit somewhat hubris-laden – attitude to have… but…

No.

You won’t be showing me… or anyone.

Sorry.

And, again, before you get all ticked-off at me for saying this, I only ask that you not shoot the messenger just because you don’t like the message.

The bottom line is that most major publishers are interested in furthering the success of their own corporately-owned characters rather than helping you launch the legacy of your own, so that’s already one strike against you.

Strike Two comes from the fact that, should you even get your superhero story picked-up by a smaller publisher (or even Image Comics), the chance of another editor at a bigger company are slim. I mean, you’ve all heard the joke about the male gynecologist, right?

QUESTION: Why are the wives of gynecologists always so sexually frustrated?

ANSWER: Because they already spend all day staring at…

Yeah.

I really hope I don’t have to spell that one out for you in order to make my point… which is this: the editors at Marvel and DC spend all day every day working on – by and large – superhero comics and talking superhero comics with the already established creators who have proven that they can put butts in the seats.

Because in case you haven’t notices, that’s what it’s all about these days, folks: Putting butts in the seats.

Now, On the off-chance that, for some sadomasochistic reason, an editor of note (or even an intern to such an editor, for that matter) decides to hit the “Blind Submissions” pile… do you really, really think that your superhero comic pitch/proposal is going to catch their interest?

REALLY?

That’s… that’s some confidence right there.

I mean, really, do you think your superhero proposal is at such a level of quality that it can hang with the likes of the best of the A-List creators?

Because – especially in terms of creating superhero comics – that’s your competition, folks.

Now, all of that being said, I’m not here to crush your dreams and dash your hopes. I mean, really, any of you who thinks that’s the point of this column hasn’t been paying very close attention.

Rather, I’m trying to tell you that – if you want to write comics for the big two (which means, for the most part, writing superhero comics… not that there’s anything wrong with that) – you might want to consider doing something else first that will help you get their attention… not to mention the attention of some actual paying readers.

I mean, seriously, when’s the last time any of you bought a truly independent superhero comicbook from an unknown creator?

(No, an Image book doesn’t count. Image is hardly “indie,” folks.)

Doesn’t happen very often (read: ever), does it?

Mmm-hmm.

Now, do you really think that you and your artist have the sheer… power… to make people buy YOUR indie superhero comicbook when they could get a similar (or similar enough) story about a character they’re already invested in with better art and production values written by a writer they’ve heard of and are familiar with?

Are you really that good?

I mean – damn – I’ve been published several times in print and online, I have a library of over 400 pages of fully-produced content under my belt and better name recognition at this point than 90% of you reading this put together (no offense)… and I don’t think I’m that good.

Heck, I KNOW I’m not that good… and knowing is half the battle, folks.

Of course, I guess I’m also sort of blessed that I have no real desire to write superhero comics at this time… but I also think this separates my from a lot of my peers. (Again, not that this makes me better or worse than anyone else... it’s just not something I’m actively working towards at this point in my career… unless you might consider Hellblazer a superhero comic… but I digress.)

If you want to write/create superhero comics – or even a lone superhero comic – then, hey, cool. I’m all for both following your dreams as well as the creation of good comics… but if you want to do these things successfully I’d suggest trying something a little different than men in tights…

(And may Heaven help you if you think the only other genre of comics is horror, since the only genre with a higher ration of poorly written comics than superheroes is horror comics. See WoW #12: Always Use Protection for my “Commandments of Writing Horror Comics” – it’s about half way down the column.)

So… what’s the answer?

I’m not sure there is one… other than the fact that I personally believe the key to success is writing and creating a comic only YOU can write.

And, hey, if the only way that story can be told is by using men in tights… so be it.

Just don’t expect the road to recognition to be an easy one if this is the vehicle you intend to ride in…

Next week: If I can get my act together it will be advertising. If not… something else as we creep towards the beginning of the end.

Dirk Manning is the writer/creator of NIGHTMARE WORLD and a longtime contributing writer to Newsarama. Feel free to contact him directly at writer[at]nightmareworld.com if your local comicbook store won’t order you copy of NIGHTMARE WORLD #1 and he’ll hook you up with a signed copy – and a free Cthulhu sketch –for only $5 including shipping... you know, because he’s a great guy like that.

Want to read Write or Wrong from the beginning? Here ya’ go!
WoW #1: Introduce Yourself
WoW #2: Thematically Speaking
WoW #3: How Badly Do You Want It?
WoW #4: Meeting Bendis and Finding Artists
WoW #5: Making First Contact
WoW #6: Things Fall Apart
WoW #7: Creation vs Dictation
WoW #8: Kill the Buddha
WoW #9: They’re Not Robots
WoW #10: Dollars and Sense
WoW #11: World Wide You
WoW #12: Always Use Protection
WoW #13: Contract Killers
WoW #14: Take a Look in the Mirror
WoW #15: Words Worth 1,000 Pictures
WoW #16: Mid-Ohio Musings
WoW #17: Seeking What the Masters Sought
WoW #18: Means and Ends
WoW #19: Likeable Characters
WoW #20: “What’s My (Evil) Motivation?”
WoW #21: It’s Not a Race
WoW #22: How to Successfully Play God

[Dr Manolis Dooplove]

the whole column simply boiled to the simple advice, but I'm still not convinced...

if you can approach super-heroes from a new perspective, why not use that as your pitch?

Love Fights, SuperF*Ckers, Ultra for example. set in superhero world but mixing with different genre

a more valid point would be that if you try to pitch a superhero story, it's 100% unlikely marvel and dc will want to see it. and indie companies don't like superheroes generally as a rule.

btw, Image is the top of the pyramid of Indie companies., It's where indie books graduate too once they become popular. I mean, Battle Pope, True Story Swear To God, PvP, Madman, Jack Staff, they all started as indie books and graduated to Image for a better deal. There's no logic to discounting Image from the indie books just because it's popular

[3r41n14c]

"Don't shoot the messenger?"
If only my messenger were as patronizing and authoritarian as this author. Up until now these articles have stated great points on the do's and do not's of breaking in, but this specific chapter in the mythos could have been delivered from the ground instead of on top of a high horse. I don't mind the author stressing the difficulty of breaking with a superhero book- competition is the nature of any job, and anyone gainfully employed has had to step up to show they can do their job while adding something special to it. Out of all the pitches sent in, your's needs to stand out, superhero book or other. But to drop a line in about name recognition? Or how many published pages you have compared to the people that have a genuine interest in writing comics? I'm sure the author didn't intend for this advice to come out in such an abrasive fashion, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with...

[BlueThunderArmy]

This is a decent lesson in perspective for would-be creators, but doesn't necessarily address the "are you really that good" headline. For myself, I like to think I've got a pretty good eye for assessing my own work, and I've got people I trust to tell me when something I've written is crap. As such, I'm confident in my writing without having too much of a puffed ego. I'd say that's more directly useful advice than blanket discouragement: find a reader you trust.

Me, I'm planning on getting into comics the modern way--publish the novel first!

[Moonbeam]

Stay warm, Dirk.

- Vaneta

[cncoyle]

I think this column actually has a good message. Not to sound defeatist, but not everyone is going to "make it" in any creative industry. At some point, you have to be self-aware of your own level of talent. For some of us (yes, including me), it's not giving up or pessimistic if you look at your ideas/work and realize that while you may like them, will anyone else? And will those stories/artwork, etc. be that good?

On a positive note, however, I think every budding creator *needs* to have a Don Quixote complex, especially the persistence aspect of it. If you think you're that good and want to prove it, you have to keep charging at that windmill of success.

[Dirk Manning]

Originally Posted by Dr Manolis Dooplove

the whole column simply boiled to the simple advice, but I'm still not convinced...

if you can approach super-heroes from a new perspective, why not use that as your pitch?

Love Fights, SuperF*Ckers, Ultra for example. set in superhero world but mixing with different genre

a more valid point would be that if you try to pitch a superhero story, it's 100% unlikely marvel and dc will want to see it. and indie companies don't like superheroes generally as a rule.

btw, Image is the top of the pyramid of Indie companies., It's where indie books graduate too once they become popular. I mean, Battle Pope, True Story Swear To God, PvP, Madman, Jack Staff, they all started as indie books and graduated to Image for a better deal. There's no logic to discounting Image from the indie books just because it's popular

Thanks for swinging by, Dooplove!

I'm going to address you points backwards...

First, let me stress that I'm not discounting Image *at all* as a possibility for up-and-coming creators. Heck... a lot of now-uber-prominent creators started at Image. I'm also not discounting Image because they're popular -- I'm just saying that most superhero comics will -- bottom line -- not be good enough to "make the cut' at Image.

That leaves said creator's only possibilities for print as self-publishing or an "indie" publisher... and I think the chances of getting a major editor to look at your indie superhero comic are slim to none.

Giving them something a little different, though, might increase your chances of at least getting looked at.

As for the examples you mentioned, again, by and large those are superhero books that were started after the creator gained a certain amount of fame on other projects or did not gain popularity until after the creators in question became better known via some non-superhero books.

Like I said, I'm not against superheroes -- or people writing superhero comics -- but seemingly EVERYONE seems to think that they have some sort of "revolutionary" twist on the genre when that simply isn't the case.

Again, though, I encourage everyone who feels that strongly about their story to go forth and pursue it... but I think anyone who's choosing to that route needs to realize that it's A LOT harder to get noticed that way.

Heck -- I'll go you one farther, even. I would encourage people who REALLY want to be writers to try and force themselves to write some non-superhero comics FIRST while also working on their superhero projects on the side as a follow-up.

It's all about standing out from the crowd a bit, you know?

[Dirk Manning]

Originally Posted by 3r41n14c

"Don't shoot the messenger?"
If only my messenger were as patronizing and authoritarian as this author. Up until now these articles have stated great points on the do's and do not's of breaking in, but this specific chapter in the mythos could have been delivered from the ground instead of on top of a high horse. I don't mind the author stressing the difficulty of breaking with a superhero book- competition is the nature of any job, and anyone gainfully employed has had to step up to show they can do their job while adding something special to it. Out of all the pitches sent in, your's needs to stand out, superhero book or other. But to drop a line in about name recognition? Or how many published pages you have compared to the people that have a genuine interest in writing comics? I'm sure the author didn't intend for this advice to come out in such an abrasive fashion, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with...

You're exactly right that is *is* hard... and that's the point I was trying to stress.

Also, if you look at my "high horse" moment again I hope you'll see that I was actually being fairly self-depreciating. I mean, for better or for worse a lot of people know the name "Dirk Manning" -- be it through here or through www.NightmareWorld.com -- but even considering that I still wouldn't try and pitch a superhero comic to a major publisher yet... if I was even interested in doing so in the first place, I mean.

Sure -- there are some "blind superhero submissions" out there that have been picked-up by bigger publishers... but they are the MAJOR exception to the rule.

Believe me, I do not think I'm better than anyone else because I've been published or have a column or whatnot... but I am fairly confident that I wouldn't have gotten this far in my comicbook creation career had tried to get some superhero comics created.

It's a market already overly-flooded with people with larger bodies of work and better name recognition than me... and that makes it hard for those of us lower on the "food chain" of comicbook creators to get noticed in the superhero genre...

I just wanted to throw some food for thought out there for all ya'll who are serious about trying to get notice: Try something other than men in tights.

Hey, it's not like it could really hurt, right? Also, it just might help you (the generic "you" -- not YOU personally, my friend) grow as a writer in the process...

[Dirk Manning]

Originally Posted by BlueThunderArmy

This is a decent lesson in perspective for would-be creators, but doesn't necessarily address the "are you really that good" headline. For myself, I like to think I've got a pretty good eye for assessing my own work, and I've got people I trust to tell me when something I've written is crap. As such, I'm confident in my writing without having too much of a puffed ego. I'd say that's more directly useful advice than blanket discouragement: find a reader you trust.

Me, I'm planning on getting into comics the modern way--publish the novel first!

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

You raise a good point here, man. You have to get to the point where you trust that your idea -- be it superhero or horror or comedy or whatever is genuinely so good that it's worth pursuing and fighting for.

It's a tough skill to have and it takes a lot of courage, insight, integrity, objectiveness (that's the toughest one) and some good and hobest friends to achieve this... but, yeah, it is *possible*...

Good call.

[Dirk Manning]

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

Stay warm, Dirk.

- Vaneta

Ditto, my friend!

Don't let your toes get frozen in this madness either!

[Dirk Manning]

Originally Posted by cncoyle

I think this column actually has a good message. Not to sound defeatist, but not everyone is going to "make it" in any creative industry. At some point, you have to be self-aware of your own level of talent. For some of us (yes, including me), it's not giving up or pessimistic if you look at your ideas/work and realize that while you may like them, will anyone else? And will those stories/artwork, etc. be that good?

On a positive note, however, I think every budding creator *needs* to have a Don Quixote complex, especially the persistence aspect of it. If you think you're that good and want to prove it, you have to keep charging at that windmill of success.

I bolded that last bit because I think it's something EVERYONE needs to read.

Well said, my friend. Well said.

Of course, I also agree with the first part of your post as well...

[Johnny Triangles]

Originally Posted by Dr Manolis Dooplove

the whole column simply boiled to the simple advice, but I'm still not convinced...

if you can approach super-heroes from a new perspective, why not use that as your pitch?

Love Fights, SuperF*Ckers, Ultra for example. set in superhero world but mixing with different genre

SuperF*ckers wasn't by someone trying to break in, Kochalka is an established name with a loyal following. The original article was about trying to break in using superhero genre.

That being said, I really wonder if it's impossible to do. He asks if the reader thinks he's that good, but I have to ask another question: does he really believe the "A list" talent out there in superhero land is THAT good? I think a vast majority of superhero writers are really quite putrid, ESPECIALLY at the A-list level.

[StevieCool]

Cool columns. I wanted to do a comic on my own life, but if it was crap, then technically I crapped myself in public. So I'm waiting until I'm older when it's more acceptable.

[PawelGoj]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

I mean – damn – I’ve been published several times in print and online, I have a library of over 400 pages of fully-produced content under my belt and better name recognition at this point than 90% of you reading this put together (no offense)… and I don’t think I’m that good.

You should never...ever say that. I mean...you're slowly teetering on Rob Liefeld prickness territory and you don't even have any of his success. Oy...I can't believe I put success and Liefeld in the same sentence...twice. But to totally destroy your argument if there even was one, you will never get into writing for the major companies if you don't write a superhero comic book. I believe that almost every writer out there that has made it, has had to show that he/she can handle writing a superhero book by actually...yes...writing a superhero book whether it be their own or someone elses.

In addition...you cannot just write ONLY superhero books. Editors, if anything nowadays look for diversity in a writer. But ultimately, you still have to show them that you can handle a superhero book.

[joshdahl]

That advice is hard to read...but pretty darn accurate.
I am proud of myself simply for the fact that I didn't turn all defensive...especially when you (several times) anticipated what my reaction would be.

I have heard this kind of thing before, most notably from Larry Young in a thread that eventually got bumped from Warren Ellis's "The Engine", but can also be found here

The problem that I constantly run into is that all of the best advice i hear is in conflict.

"Write what you know."
"Write what you would love to read."
"Tell YOUR story."
and
"Don't do capes."

They are all undeniably sage words. My trouble is that if I follow the first part, i can't do the last part.

I guess what i can really take from your article this week is that i know that i am not really trying to get noticed. of course, i would LIKE to get noticed, but what I am really trying to do is to tell my story as truly as I can.

Oh, and also to invite anyone else who wants to talk about making superhero comics to visit my forum on the subject at The Cape Symposium

Thanks for sharing your brain.

Josh Dahl

Writer: Rapid City.

[alschroeder]

NOW he tells me....

*Grin*

He's right, though. For instance, most webcomics out there---the most famous ones have nothing whatsoever to do with superheroes. They don't try to compete with the regular comics, but have found genres of their own...nine-tenths focus on gamers and slackers, for instance.

I'm still going to quixotically do MY superhero webcomic, because, despite the advice above, I DO have something different going for me---a total unique other identity for comics, for instance. But I do it in color, for instance, because I know my competition is Marvel, DC, and Image, not PVP and Penny Arcade.

Since I'm not doing it for money, I'm free to do what I want, and what I find most fascinating...and I happen to LIKE superheroes.

I think I'm doing some good stuff---but I deliberately chose an alter ego who would be too controversial, too un-PC, for the main companies to use. They'd "upgrade" her to something totally PC and bland and boring, like most committee decisions.

And I like her...as she is. Rather unique.

---Al

[Thalya]

Good column.

Somehow I get a sense that I know where this came from, but *happy shrugs*, who honestly breaks into the business with fanfic anyway? Though in its defense, creating it probably takes and teaches the same Don Quixote persistence (on top of the regular strenuous perseverance a writer needs) as writing for publication as far as breaking in is concerned, because it's still about the writing itself. Why even make it unless you believe in the story and think people will enjoy it?

[johnchrist]

Dirk,
First off, I am extremely jealous of your current weather conditions. Here in Cali we finally had our first snowfall in about a month and a half and it wasn't much to speak of, in the winter I snowboard for exercise... consequently I shall be nice and pudgy for mountain bike season...
As to the point of your article, while I do agree with you that starting out as an indie superhero comic creator is not the most optimal way to gain recognition are you also recommending that we not even bother sending in story ideas to the big two? It jsut seems pretty self-defeating not to try.
I actually haven't yet, but once I finish up issue 2 of Apocrypha this week I'm going to be polishing up two synopsis for Marvel to hopefully pester then with at Wondercon.

[3r41n14c]

Originally Posted by Dirk Manning

You're exactly right that is *is* hard... and that's the point I was trying to stress.

Also, if you look at my "high horse" moment again I hope you'll see that I was actually being fairly self-depreciating. I mean, for better or for worse a lot of people know the name "Dirk Manning" -- be it through here or through www.NightmareWorld.com -- but even considering that I still wouldn't try and pitch a superhero comic to a major publisher yet... if I was even interested in doing so in the first place, I mean.

Sure -- there are some "blind superhero submissions" out there that have been picked-up by bigger publishers... but they are the MAJOR exception to the rule.

Believe me, I do not think I'm better than anyone else because I've been published or have a column or whatnot... but I am fairly confident that I wouldn't have gotten this far in my comicbook creation career had tried to get some superhero comics created.

It's a market already overly-flooded with people with larger bodies of work and better name recognition than me... and that makes it hard for those of us lower on the "food chain" of comicbook creators to get noticed in the superhero genre...

I just wanted to throw some food for thought out there for all ya'll who are serious about trying to get notice: Try something other than men in tights.

Hey, it's not like it could really hurt, right? Also, it just might help you (the generic "you" -- not YOU personally, my friend) grow as a writer in the process...

Thanks- I appreciate the personal response and clarification, and keep up the awesomeness that is Nightmareworld!

[The Guvnor]

Another great column Dirk. Thanks.

At least you are able to admit that you know yourself that you are not superb. I don't mean that to sound nasty, it's just good to see that you have your feet planted firmly on the ground and are not flying away to Cloud Cuckoo Land. I hate big-headed people who think they are the best. Though it's always nice whenever they make a fool of themselves.

That global warming is wreaking havoc on your weather. Can you imagine getting sunburnt one week then frostbite the next. Pretty crazy. Ah well dress appropriately, we wouldn't want to you to catch a cold and delay these columns. That would cause a riot.

[HouseStark]

I understand what Dirk was trying to say. Indepependant publishers don't publish a lot of Superhero stuff because DC and Marvel already own that marketshare. And it's almost impossible to pitch to them directly and get picked up. Having said that, I think it would be easier to picth a superhero comic to Image, or someone smaller, but Image is still pumping out Superhero and Superhero-related comics (Dynamo 5, Invincible, Noble Causes, After the Cape, The Emissary, Ant, ShadowHawk). The Superhero genre wouldn't be my first choice, but if that is where your passion is ... then got for it. Always write what you know and what you love. Just be aware that it will be a bit harder to get picked up in this oversaturated genre ... but not impossible.

[JimShelley]

I understand completely where Dirk is coming from, but I don't think he is considering all the angles.

[sebzero11]

But Dirk, isn't that kind of a double edged sword?
Let's say a guy wants to write superhero comics. Now you're points are like 250% valid about the extreme rarity of breaking in by creating your own....but at the same time, it's even harder to get picked up outta nowhere to write Marvel or DC, so what [i]would[i] you suggest people do. Because just as often someone comes in and busts out an original, applauded indie non-superhero comic, but than fails to make the switch to heroes (assuming they want to) because the big 2 editors feel "well, he wrote some interesting stuff, but can he write superheroes, and more to the point, can he/she write our superheroes to fit in our universe?
So what would you suggest? Go all "old-school" and intern until they throw something your way? Try BlueThunderArmy's novel approach?
Ethan Van Sciver suggested writing a story about one of the big 2's major characters. He said this way they can see your writing with their characters, and, since they know the big names will sell even without a recognized writer, there's always the possibility it could be used as a "fill-in" issue during times of deadline problems, and that would get your feet in the door.
What do you recommend to someone who wants to break into superhero comics?

[RyanMcLelland]

You've given me big hopes, Dirk. Big Hopes.

Um...by the way...Philly the superhero comic coming this April from Arcana...

Knew I should have written it as a horror/comedy with romantic drama....

[Not From Around]

Originally Posted by BlueThunderArmy

This is a decent lesson in perspective for would-be creators, but doesn't necessarily address the "are you really that good" headline. For myself, I like to think I've got a pretty good eye for assessing my own work, and I've got people I trust to tell me when something I've written is crap. As such, I'm confident in my writing without having too much of a puffed ego. I'd say that's more directly useful advice than blanket discouragement: find a reader you trust.

Me, I'm planning on getting into comics the modern way--publish the novel first!

I thought the way to break into the superhero business was by being a popular screenwriter!