Browsed by
Tag: comics

How to find a comics artist part 1

How to find a comics artist part 1

Comments 7 comments

“Good approaches for finding comic artists to work with,” is a question in my skribit that has been staring at me for quite sometime. I have so many different answers and ideas, depending on the specific project and budget.

This is a very general start point and articulation of things I have found and seen to be useful. There are many fine smart people out there and I encourage your comments, questions, thoughts and corrections. I have further blog posts stewing that approach this question and related aspects from different angles. Mike Luoma wrote an interesting post recently on how to get an indy comicbook out into the world that includes a section on how to find an artist within a broader context. There was also an interesting discussion of Mike’s post in the Comic Book Business for Creators and Creations in LinkedIn, with many views worth taking in.

Future posts I have percolating include “the targeted approach” and “how to get an electrician to work on your house for ‘free'”.

…

Read More Read More

Comikaze this weekend – 24 hour comics challenge

Comikaze this weekend – 24 hour comics challenge

Comments 0 Comment

Make comics. Make comics fast. Make comics with good company (virtual or there may be physical outposts in your area). Make comics with people encouraging you every step of the way, with inspiring artwork and stories popping up around you and people laughing, going mad with sugar rushes, not sleeping or having a nice nap.

Make a comic over 8 pages and be eligible for prizes (people’s choice, probably only Aussie residents for prizes).

Make a comic 24 pages or over and be eligible for a Nintendo Wii Console plus 3 games (Judge’s choice).

Make comics this Queens Birthday long weekend.

Going off previous years there will be people participating that have never made comics before and there will be seasoned veterans…. I won’t be making comics, I get to look at them later as one of the judges and I can tell you now everyone who gives it a go is awesome, rockin’ and has my admiration.

Go to the Comicaze Website , register, participate and have an amazing time.

Message ends.

5am Melbourne – After the Emerging Writers Festival

5am Melbourne – After the Emerging Writers Festival

Comments 0 Comment

The Emerging Writers Festival is over. I had a rocking good time. Met some lovely people. Had the brain juices stimulated, challenged, soothed and had some of my wackier ideas encouraged! Beware.

As always, I didn’t attend most of the panels I intended to go to. Instead I wandered from interesting thing to interesting thing and like a jellyfish followed the currents that found me. There were times when I was juiced up on the best drug of all (ideas), mind and mouth rambling and brain sparking off in all directions from good company.

There were some times when I was asked some really hard questions about my own work, discovered some deep emotions and subtext to my graphic novel script that I had never realised. I felt confused, sad, struggling, lost and around my own writing – going back to my hotel with a laptop full of mud… And built a bridge, got over it and wrote important words. There is still some difficult work to be done (and dusted before Clarion), but I’ve made an important breakthrough… now I just have to hold on to it.

If I do something with 10% of the ideas I’ve had at the festival it shall be a good year. I got up at 5am this morning, with three articles bubbling in my head. Dragging myself up before the morning light I ignored those concepts completely and wrote a comic script instead. I thought it would be a good fun fluff piece (if slightly disturbing) for Tango’s new anthology Love and War. But as I wrote it, dammit, I realised it had a deep and meaningful subtext directly relevant to the theme of the anthology. Ben Hutchings would be the perfect artist for it if he’s available and willing. The working title of the comic? Love and Spandex.

Pro paying comics gig – Pencillers only

Pro paying comics gig – Pencillers only

Comments 0 Comment

Hi all I hope your projects are going well. Life is pretty hectic on planet Liz, hectic but happy.

I am once again talent scouting for an educational comics company, pencillers only this time round. If you have sent stuff to me previously keep drawing, but please don’t submit to this round. My client does not want to see any names he has seen before.

Style must be DC/Marvel realistic, tight clean pencils that can go straight from pencils to colour. Must be professional quality (of the two that got through last time both have done pro work for major players). Must be able to commit to doing 24 pages over a reasonable period. Must be able to work from photographic references and depict people from diverse backgrounds. Must follow artistic direction well, there will be a lot of corrections at storyboarding stage (storyboarding is paid for).

Please pass on to anyone who might be interested.

Submission info:
Please do not attach samples of artwork, send relevant url that shows your mighty awesomeness. As a general note please don’t make your website so wanky I do not know which links to click or have to click through outdated stuff you did in primary school before I get to the good stuff.

Final decision on who gets gigs will not be made by me. If I think your stuff has potential I will pass it on to the man who makes the decisions. Depending on the number of submissions I may be slow to respond. Follow up e-mails to see how things are going are fine.
Tips on what I’m looking for here: https://lizargall.com/2008/12/artist-search-over-for-now/

e-mail liz@lizargall.com

Your views wanted – new Bio

Your views wanted – new Bio

Comments 2 comments

The art of Bio is a strange and mysterious one. I’ve been reworking one for the Emerging Writers festival in May.

What do you think? Does it interest you? Does it inspire you to come along to something I’m running? Does it inspire you to employ me?

Bio:

Liz’s stories often take people to dark places and then bring them out the other side. Stories about hope, strength, survival and change. Never one to hang out in the dark too long her stories can also be playful and delicious. She writes across many media and genres, but comics are her major passion.

In June 2008 she put the management of Warehouse Circus into new hands and plunged into the life of a freelancer. She works in educational comics as a writer, editor, project manager, talent scout and artist liaison. She has run creative workshops for a range of organisations, including the National Museum of Australia, U-Turn and the Young Music Society. She even gets paid for writing creative works and essays, on spec or by commission. She has worked on and off as a Life Model for nine years. Prior to taking the plunge she has worked as researcher, union organiser, refuge worker, circus manager, consulting and supporting for not for profit organisations to have better practices and be more prepared for emergencies.

Her comics have been published in an array of publications, including Meanjin, The Girl’s Guide to Guy Stuff, Eat Comics, Something Wicked and in the collection Songs Dreams and Nightmares. She has supported lip magazine since its inception. Her work is often psychological, poignant and she loves gritty urban fantasy. She’s even has won an award or two. On Boxing Day she appeared nude in the Canberra Times to support the Parisian Life Model Strike and in January 2009 her musical Comic Book Opera, written with composer Michael Sollis, was performed for the first time.

If you want to find out more check out www.lizargall.com , drop her a line or say hi.

Taken to Twitter!

Taken to Twitter!

Comments 0 Comment

I have now joined the twitterers. I blame Stephen Fry, he’s so intelligent and lovely and his love for it has infused me. It had been tempting me for sometime, given that lovely smart people like Liz Gorinsky and Mary Robinette Kowal Twitter. I have read enough about twitter and seen enough evidence that I know it can be a meaningful part of my day… I don’t like grabbing a social networking tool just to play the who’s got the most friends game. I am, very imaginatively http://twitter.com/lizargall

Here’s the lowdown on how I use my various social networks:
Myspace – I call it radio myspace, I don’t like the interface, I don’t like the ads, but it is the best place to collect musicians! I am hopeless at remembering the names of musicians I love, so this serves as a useful way of capturing them. By looking at who musicians I love friend I also expand my acoustic horizons and find new and interesting bands.

Facebook: A great all-rounder. My website (this post right now) is syndicated on it, my twitter account posts to it. I like the clean look, it feels nice checking in folks, gives me a good sense of connection and has an open airy feel.

Linkedin – Really helps me put my business head on, makes me think in a business-like manner and is a different sharing environment. There are interesting posts from the groups I’m in and I get to see how other people frame themselves. I don’t hang out regularly (perhaps I should), but I get stuff out of it every time I do.

LiveJournal – this website is syndicated on LJ and I have another LJ account that has been going for over nine years. It’s not a secret account, but I don’t publicise it as it is my most intimate space on the internet.

Comics Workshop now on 24 February

Comics Workshop now on 24 February

Comments 0 Comment

My Comics workshop planned for 17 February will now be held on the 24th – we have encountered some logistical difficulties.

Making Comics – writing, drawing and scheming!

When: 2.30 – 5.30 Tuesday 24 February

For: People aged 12-25

Where: U-Turn
Corner Chandler Street and Swanson Court
Belconnen ACT 2616

This workshop is free, thanks to the great folks at U-Turn who are all about:

Supporting young people aged 12 to 25 years, through recreational, educational, and health promotional activities, programs and community-based projects.

U-Turn organise a whole range of activites for young people in the Belconnen region – http://www.bcsact.com.au/

Comic creation drop in workshop in Canberra

Comic creation drop in workshop in Canberra

Comments 0 Comment

Making Comics – writing, drawing and scheming!

Serious, silly, gritty, funny, bizarre or poignant. One panel to 300 page sagas and beyond. Stick figures, photo realism or crazy collage. The world of comics is an amazing place.

An informal comics creation session for experienced hands and those who’ve never tried it before. Liz Argall will tailor the drop in session to what you want to learn and where you’d like to take the craft – draw, doodle, write and where to after that? Lets make some awesome comics.

When: 2.30 – 5.30 Tuesday 17 February

For: People aged 12-25

Where: U-Turn
Corner Chandler Street and Swanson Court
Belconnen ACT 2616

This workshop is free, thanks to the great folks at U-Turn who are all about:

Supporting young people aged 12 to 25 years, through recreational, educational, and health promotional activities, programs and community-based projects.

U-Turn organise a whole range of activites for young people in the Belconnen region – http://www.bcsact.com.au/

Post Workshops

Post Workshops

Comments 0 Comment

Well I’ve finished all my booked in workshops. Wow, what a ride, what a rush. I’ve been delighted by the artwork that has been produced by my students, and how they have learned a lot more about telling stories with their art.

It’s been rewarding to challenge confident students to new levels and have shy students develop confidence and skills.

I’ve learned a lot as well and my teacherly folder of handouts has more than tripled in size over the past few weeks (first teaching every day at the Young Music Society and then at the Australian National Museum).

If you would like me to bring a workshop on comics, storytelling, writing, the art of collaboration or being a funky creative humanbeing/funky creative workplace please drop me a line. I love tailoring workshops to specific groups and happy to travel (please note, I am currently based in Canberra, Australia).

The year that was

The year that was

Comments 1 comment

So where on earth did this year go? It feels like it has been a fairly slow year in terms of generating new creative content, but I think I’ve done ok. This year seems to have been the year of actually getting out there and talking to people about my work. As an end of year reflection and evaluation this post will be dot points of things done and then in later posts I shall reflect on what I learnt and got out of different experiences.

  • Managed Warehouse Circus for 6 months
  • Freelance creator, project manager and educator, and breaking even! A lot of this was through my work in educational comics
  • In terms of educational comics, conducted two major artist searches and worked on eight projects, engaging with issues ranging from safe sex, drug use, sustainable hunting and land management practices and support for starting or managing your business.
  • Wrote a musical with Michael Sollis, Comicbook Opera
  • Attended Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Conference, Emerging Writers Festival, ACT Writers Festival, Comicon, Worldcon and Conflux
  • Attending Comicon and Worldcon meant a month in the USA and has inspired me to return to that far shore (supported by a grant from ArtsACT).
  • Was co-mc at Conflux, ran a workshop on the comics industry and during the Great Debate smooshed a cream pie into Gillian Polack’s face!
  • Wrote some articles for Ozcomics.com
  • The Making of the Scientist, comic & essay published in December Meanjin
  • I carry you in my heart (comic) published in Ronin Illustrated 3
  • Snake Skins (comic) reprinted in lip issue 11
  • Songs Dreams and Nightmares, a collection of my works printed and warmly received, only a dozen left and considering a reprint.
  • Found a lovely artist to collaborate with on The Long Road a gritty urban fantasy
  • Was a guest teacher for an Open Arts program which was thoroughly enjoyable (thanks Gillian!)
  • Reworked my website and got my very own domain!
  • Co-wrote and ran The Group, a Triptych for Phenomenon Roleplaying Convention
  • Increased the number of submissions and query letters I sent to publishers (although this needs to be increased further next year)
  • Had time to enjoy life on multiple occasions (although mostly in the second half of the year)
  • Resumed regular work as a life model! A joyful, integrating form of ephemeral performance art and inspiration. I discovered I enjoy work outside the house as too much time hunched over the laptop freelancing gets a bit lonely and bad for the back.
  • Started casual work at the new National Portrait Gallery Bookstore, for similar reasons as above, with less nudity and art theory and more shelving beautiful beautiful books and getting new insights into the publishing industry. I love my colleagues and I love that I get to work with books. I enjoy having a mixed model of employment. The casual work provides me with enough for a safety net and takes the edge off lean times, but keeps me hungry and motivated.

I think that’s it in very broad strokes!

I hope you all have a lovely festive season and new year