By Dean Haspiel
A friend of mine, a writer, sent me a 14-page pitch for a famous franchise character. He’d even written the entire scripts for all 5-issues. 20-pages of panel breakdowns, description, and dialogue per issue. That’s 100-pages of unsolicited work + development. That’s 100-pages he can bury in a drawer.
I used to ONLY want to write & draw for franchise comics. I have two folders full of “great” franchise pitches. I’ve spent half my life thinking of ways to write & draw franchise characters.
Last year, a franchise editor agreed to read a mini-series pitch featuring A-list characters by me [an occasional franchise artist], along with another sanctioned/popular franchise artist, and a sanctioned/popular franchise writer. The three of us batted this pitch back and forth numerous times and once it was ready we sent it off and…never heard back from the editor again. The twisted part? The editor is the sanctioned artist and sanctioned writer’s regular editor! Still, we never heard one word about our pitch. Not even, “I’ll get back to you once I’ve read it.”
Last year, a different franchise editor was interested in my high-profile franchise concept and I secured a legendary comic book writer to adapt my plot and script it. Everyone seemed excited. The legendary writer has worked for the franchise editor and I had my own accolades to recommend me. Finally, my shot to draw my definitive high-profile franchise character tale. We pitched and…never heard back.
I have a deluge of sad short stories and a bunch of outstanding pitches sitting atop [or buried underneath] comic book editorial desks that will continue to prove that it is nearly impossible to pitch solicited, much less, unsolicited stories. The hurtful part? Editors woo me into thinking I have a chance. I don’t have a chance. Maybe I shot my wad at Vertigo where I pitched and delivered three, critically acclaimed graphic novels? Maybe I’m considered the odd memoir artist who dabbles in digital genre. And, so I’m stuck between too mainstream for the indie crowd and too indie for the mainstream crowd. That used to bother me but now I’m okay with it because, frankly, that’s a cool place to be if you can make ends meet.
I love what I do but I really don’t want the comix industry to send me into an early grave. I’d prefer to have stability and make comix on the side, for fun, than continue holding out for rare piece meal gigs. ACT-I-VATE, the premiere webcomix collective, was partially invented from a desire to work INSIDE the comix industry. Six years later, TRIP CITY, the Brooklyn-filtered literary arts salon, was partially invented from a desire to work OUTSIDE of the comix industry.
Franchise comic books are more editorially driven than ever before. It takes the fun out of conjuring unsolicited ideas. They only recruit new talent when an indie talent is getting tons of buzz and/or when someone from their regular talent pool starts to balk at editorial directives and splits dodge or falls out of favor. There is a game afoot and I never even got the chance to pass “Go.”
Bottom line: make YOUR comix and if they’re good and sell, franchise comic book editors will come a-knockin’ and you can play with their toys then. My sole advice to my writer pal’s unsolicited franchise pitch? Abandon the established character and make it wholly yours. Find an artist [co-creator] that is willing to draw the entire series on spec for free [with proposed royalties], and publish it digitally. Unless you hit a jackpot, secure a benefactor who is willing to lose money upfront, or try to crowd fund it, that’s the only way to prove your salt.
Until then…Make Mine Me!
–Dean Haspiel
Original Dean Haspiel characters appearing above are: Billy Dogma & Jane Legit, Tommy Rocket, The Mercenary, Immortal, A-Okay Cool, and The Last Mortician [co-created with author, Tim Hall].
Special “Thanks” to Chris Miskiewicz and Seth Kushner.
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March 21, 2012
[...] Creators | Dean Haspiel discusses his frustration with creating stories for franchise characters, even working with regular artists and writers for the series, and never hearing back from the editors: “I have a deluge of sad short stories and a bunch of outstanding pitches sitting atop [or buried underneath] comic book editorial desks that will continue to prove that it is nearly impossible to pitch solicited, much less, unsolicited stories. The hurtful part? Editors woo me into thinking I have a chance. I don’t have a chance. Maybe I shot my wad at Vertigo where I pitched and delivered three, critically acclaimed graphic novels? Maybe I’m considered the odd memoir artist who dabbles in digital genre. And, so I’m stuck between too mainstream for the indie crowd and too indie for the mainstream crowd. That used to bother me but now I’m okay with it because, frankly, that’s a cool place to be if you can make ends meet.” [Welcome to Trip City] [...]
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May 19, 2012
[...] Dean Haspiel reveals the bizarre side of freelancing so I don’t have to. Make Mine Me [...]
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June 20, 2012
[...] or Perish” ~ r/evolution of the comix auteur “Make Mine Me” ~ a battle cry to commit to your own concepts “Where Have All The New Ideas Gone?” ~ a [...]
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November 14, 2012
[...] a comic like “The Last Romantic Antihero” was overshadowed by whiny essays like “Make Mine Me” and “Publish or Perish.” I understand how that can rally the troops because it [...]
I think crowdfunding is where it’s going to be at for at least the near future… and as with self-publishing, only those who have solid networks and can promote themselves effectively will do well.
Boy, the battle scars we share…
You nailed it.
Stories like this just heap coal into the anger-furnace in my head aimed at Big 2 ComixCo for being such dumb, dumb jerks.
Y’know, that and all the stealing of credit and cash from the dead and dying.
Good for you! Marvel and DC have truly become the poisoned chalices of the comic industry by showing contempt for the creator while simultaneously taking the creation and milking it for every last cent. The more talented creators like yourself can utilize the new opportunities presented by alternate publishing, the more power individuals will have to create works of love that can never be taken away from them.
It may be a bit of a rough road, but with your talent, there is no doubt that you’re going to do something amazing. I wish you, and all who are forging their own path, all the success in the world.
Sorry to hear about this, Dean. I always felt you had a fresh approach to bring to “mainstream” characters, giving them a decidedly independent twist while still remaining faithful to their Silver Age roots. Oh, well, on the upside you can look at this as an opportunity to once again focus on your own projects such as Billy Dogma.
The mistaken assumption here is that these industrial products are actually creative or creator led in any way. It’s part of the company mythology that it’s all created by a wacky ‘Bullpen’ of genial, jolly, geniuses. The reality is that it’s as industrial as Detroit. This is Corporate Intellectual Property, not ‘Toys’. Nobody is going to let you or me design Cadillacs, no matter how cool our ideas are. Maybe if we’re willing to conform to accepted industry practices we can be a part of the assembly line, but nobody managing that line really wants any individuality. Nothing that might stop the machines or be problematic later on. They had those kind of Technicians before and they’re still in court with their estates and families.
You may think that this is cynical, but being part of the dream factory and believing the dream are 2 different things.
Right on, Simon.
Dean, you really nailed it.
Well put Dean. But my question is why bother trying to get a gig with the big two in the first place? You’d be working with somebody else’s property — albeit a property you love and grew up with, but comic artists and writers need to get over that. It’s not the norm in other creative ventures. Imagine wanting to paint Van Goghs’ sunflowers for whoever owned that painting or writing a sequel to Hemingway’s Old Man In The Sea.
While bands occasionally cover songs, the real artists create their own catalog of original tunes — not sure the Stones woulda been too popular coving Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters for five decades.
Kirby, Moebius, Crumb, and Eisner are the greats because they created original material along with their own unique visual style. When you work on somebody else’s characters all the time, it’s really like being in a cover band.
Create your own original works and do with them what you will. You’ll never need anyone’s permission for anything, and if you’re smart, you’ll own it forever. That doesn’t mean it’s easy — but more gratifying, and potentially more lucrative.
So…what you’re saying is that’s a “no” to our KAMANDI/DEMON crossover pitch, KAMANDEMON?
Kidding, dude; spot on essay.
This makes me so sad, Dino. One of the things I’ve always found so fascinating about your work is your ability to stand firm with a foot in both the indie and mainstream worlds. How tragic to think that that’s not seen as an asset, but makes you neither flesh nor fish nor good red herring.
At least you do have a big enough name to get a lot of your own work out there, whether in print or online. I feel for your friend, trying to break in. I think your advice to him was spot-on.
The access models are changing, which–one hopes!–will bring opportunity in new and unexpected ways…
I can sympathize with working hard on a mainstream pitch only for it to get ignored (been there myself many times), but writing 100 pages of script on spec? That’s just fucking stupid.
Hi Dino,
Want to know what’s wrong about the comics business today in America? It’s a fanboy-run industry. Been so for at least a couple of decades in ever increasing progression, ever since professional editors began to step down or retire… or maybe even before that. So these guys, who used to intern for free take over, and expect everyone else to work for free (or for rates set in stone since 1987) as well, to “buy” their way in so to speak. Because we’re all supposed to “looove” comics, instead of drawing or writing them as a means to pay our bills. But it doesn’t matter because they own the cake and eat it too, and there will always be fans turned artists willing to kneel down and suck it.
Recently, a former editor i worked for not in one, but several projects, was so suprised i refused to draw free samples he actually forwarded my reply to the editor in chief!
In part it’s understandable, a fan-editor would want to work with a fan-writer, and a fan-artist… they understand each other perfectly well! But, loh and behold, if you see this as a regular factory job, and don’t care what this or that character had for lunch in issue # 3497 from 1964.
I’m not saying it’s wrong to be a fan, but running business thinking like one? No wonder regular folks don’t read comics anymore!
That’s the reason i’d rather work for British and European editors these days… good pay without all the micro-management BS! And yes, since they respect the artist and his/her time, they do pay for samples too!
@Cliff–a very good reason to work for the Big Two is that they pay reasonably well, unlike pretty much all other indie comics publishers. I’m not saying this as any sort of apology for what Dean describes–I think those are examples of really shitty behavior, rude, inconsiderate, and all-out fucking lame–just as an example of why it’s a good thing when the Big Two jobs come a’calling.
Frankly, I think most deeply creative people would rather work on their own creations, tell their own stories unencumbered by “mainstream” expectations. I sure would. The trick is figuring out how to make it pay well enough that you can focus solely on that.
Dean, thanks as always for your honesty and your energy. Even if I didn’t like your work–and you know I do!–I’d really appreciate your taking the time to talk straight like this.
Dean, this was the same discontent that fueled the rise of Indy publishers of the 80′s. Companies like Pacific, Capitol, Eclipse, First and, I’m proud to say, Comico dared to be different and provide vehicles for talented creators like yourself to create and own unique comic properties.
Today, thanks to the internet, POD publishing, digital platform apps, and, as you say, crowd funding, the fate of comics is more firmly in the hands of creators than ever before. You stand tall as a role model for the next wave of comic creators that dare to be different and strive to succeed on their own terms.
Continue to blow the horn.
The big guys can dictate the middling Direct Market but they cannot control the the ecclectic comic tastes of the rest of the rest of the world as proven recently by Order of the Stick.
Make YOUR comics – yes. Your work is so gorgeous, I can’t believe some toolbag editor would treat you that way. Let them shoot themselves in the foot, there’s other ways to get comics to the masses.
Dean-
While I’m surprised and dismayed that someone with your record of accomplishment would be treated in such a cavalier way by any editor anywhere; I’m also reminded of the long tradition there is within comics history of creators taking matters into their own hands; Roy Crane, Hal Foster and Milton Caniff, Will Eisner, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby , Wally Wood and Robert Crumb, Dave Sim and Stephen Bissette, David Mazzucchelli, on and on, and now a plethora of terrific creators working on the web. It’s a symptom of how deep-rooted corporate thinking has been imbedded in our culture that so many believe that only by working on corporate properties can one achieve legitimacy in this field–a situation that’s played out economically–in all walks of life– as well.(Just ask any mom -and-pop retailer .)I think you’ve got the where-with-all, the motivation and the ideas to do whatever you want–Trip City is only the latest in what I’m sure will continue to be a long line of innovative approaches to comics, publishing and media. I hope your author friend heeds your advice!
I like the design and slogan! I think it should be made into a badge ( a great big button) worn by those of us who are to mainstream for the indies and too indy for the mainstream!!!
More talk on these subjects: http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?214998-quot-it-is-nearly-impossible-to-pitch-SOLICTED-much-less-unsolicited-stories-quot-my-caps