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Beau ready for a brawl
by beau Smith
It seems that whenever I find a bar stool that fits my butt like a well worn glove, and a bartender who slides me my cold beer at just the ideal angle, I get some person tapping me on the carry and asking me how he can break into comics as a writer.
Your first reaction is like that of a plumber taking care of someone’s busted sink and having another plumber enter and ask you how he can learn your job and then take it away from you.
Think about it. That’s pretty much what it’s like.
It’s a screwed up scene, but it happens all the time. The reason it’s so odd in comic books is because like with screenwriting or playing quarterback in the NFL, there aren’t lots of people who get to do it. There are only a few openings in that kind of work. So why would a budding writer ask another writer how to do their job?
Human nature I figure.
I admire that person for at least knowing what they want and taking the point A to point B, straight line technique to it.
To be sincere I admire the working writer for sharing his thoughts with the aspiring writer. It shows that there is kindness involved and in my case it comes down to me being confident enough in my own work that I don’t concern this up and comer being a better writer than me and from taking my job. maybe that’s risky, but then so is the lottery.
Working comic book artists do it all the time. At conventions they are always a lot more than delighted to look over somebody’s art and give them a critique. I’ve seen some cases where the new person is so good the working artist hauls the new person over to meet the editor or publisher ideal then. normally an editor or publisher can get a pretty good scope on a guy’s art within seconds of checking out it.
That doesn’t hold true for writers.
It takes time to read a script. depend on me, not lots of have or want to take the time to read someone else’s script. It’s what they do for a living and you’re asking them to do it for free. Do you engage in that with your day job?
So it makes it even tougher to get a writing job in comics. Make sure you understand I’m talking about “Cold Calls” and not networking through other people you know in the business. I’m talking about John Doe, the writer in Sandstone, Iowa, who wants to write comics and isn’t connected to new York, Los Angeles or Jimmy Palmiotti.
One of my ideas to keep someone from placing the heel of their hand against your forehead and shoving real hard is to give them just a few pages of script that you’ve written, I’m not talking 45 to 110 pages, I indicate 5 or 6.
Ask if they would mind checking the format of your script. By that I indicate does it look like a comic book script. In sales we call this getting your foot in the door before they can close it.
To be honest, checking format must just take a glance or two and a writer can pretty much size it up. Yeah, there are different variations on the same form, but they all equal out to the same result.
What’s crucial is that a lot of of the time they will see that you only have a few pages and not a notebook. That works in your favor. That’s one wall of defense that you’ve made it over.
Once they get it in their hands you wanna make sure they keep it in their hands. If they glance it over and say it’s ok and then hand it back to you, tell them to keep it. tell them you’ve got plenty. After all, with it just being a few pages they can’t give you that old “I’ve got so much luggage to carry I don’t have room” line. If they don’t really want it and tell you so at least they are being sincere and you know to step on. The truth hurts, but at the same time it won’t waste your time.
If somehow you manage to charm this person with your Jimmy Stewart home spun ways or your Sofia Vergara like body, you can then begin to ask them what they think of it. even if they are just “being nice” use those few moments to get some beneficial information from this 10 minute meeting of creative minds. What you don’t get in quality time you’ll be able to get in volume by talking to a lot more writers.
Backing up a bit I might add that it will really help your case if you make sure the script pages that you have handed them really reads good and seduces them to wanna read more. I suggest you do that in the first page, even better if you can pull it off in the first paragraph. the best is if you can do it in the first sentence. It’s called being a writer.
I know that may seem like asking the impossible, but if you’re a good writer and really want to do this for a living you’ll work hard on these first few pages because they may be what not only breaks down the door of writing comics, but gets you in naked and in bed with this business.
If you can get hold of the reader by the hair and press their eyeballs smack against the glass of your words then you might have a chance of getting their attention for the rest of the pages. Make them want to know where this goes. Make them want you to verify that this first page is not a fluke. verify you’ve got the goods to back up a a lot of interesting opening. Make them so interested in your little pals named Who, What and Where that they will ask “where’s the rest?”
Also remember that a comic book is a visual format. As much as some writers today like to think they are writing motion pictures with their comics, if you pace a comic book like a film you will end up with a lot of talking heads and dense dialogue that would work better as a screenplay or novel. in that case write a screenplay or a novel. Comic book writing is the fine balancing act of words and pictures. Those who do it well are seamless and have you from the start. Those that are not as good leave you bored or you just leave them.
Bouncing dialogue works in terrific ways with film. In comics when done too much you leave the reader wanting sign articles to keep them on the trail of word balloons. This is where a really good editor needs to be able to pull up the leather reins on the writer so they don’t confuse the reader and give them whiplash.
Never think you are THAT clever. I’ve seen too lots of comic book writers enjoy a motion picture and then try to emulate that film in a comic book. I remember back when the film Pulp Fiction came out. It not only caused a substantial buzz in films, but it did the same thing in comics. We saw a substantial amount of Pulp Fiction knock offs spew out from the publishers. everyone was trying to do their version of the Tarantino film. It’s happened before and probably won’t end anytime soon.
We saw it happen with star Wars, Rambo and the John Woo films. once something is a hit the copycats begin.
When the copycats come out they forget one crucial thing. It’s been done. It’s like a charming plate of pasta with grilled chicken. The first night it’s a terrific dinner. The second night it’s just warmed up leftovers.
If you don’t have an original thought then make the one you’re copying your own. give it a slant that takes it a little further. give it a twist that it doesn’t have. build on it.
When doing your first few pages keep the text light. There’s nothing that will turn off a reader of scripts faster than a block of text that looks like it’s heavy enough to be under the hood of a truck.
Keep the descriptive panels short that the dialogue shorter. Make those first few pages easy to read. Play Sammy Hagar’s song “I Can’t Drive 55” in the background if you have to. You want the reader to feel like they are in a sports automobile with the top down not a truck with a snow plow.
Remember–White space can be your friend.
Style is so crucial here. It will be style that holds on to your reader and makes them want to continue this journey that you are asking them to go on. even though I am telling you to use sparse descriptions and short bursts of dialogue you need to inject style into your choice of words and actions so that you are efficient with words, but at the same time making them carry impact.
Anyone can put words together, but a real writer adds a style to the words to make them indicate something.
Your first five to six pages have to snare the reader. even though it sounds like you have it easy by me telling you to not write a lot of text, it actually makes you work harder because now you have to write smart and use your creative skills to set your story, characters and scene apart.
This is where we separate the comic book reader from the comic book writer. There are lots of people who work in comics who think they can write. The reader, the inker, the colorist, the promotions guy, the head of marketing and the person who loads the comics on to the trucks. They know the format. They know how the mechanics work. but if they don’t have anything to say then they’re just going through the motions without a payoff for anyone.
The cliché goes “Time is money.” If you’re wanting to be a comic book writer then you have to keep that cliché pasted to the front of your computer. because the clock ticks fast when someone is reading your script. You better give them a payoff. If you don’t seduce them and make them want a lot more then you’ve struck out before your butt ever gets off the bench.
You’ve gotta make your first impression count. It may be the only one you’ll get, practice doing those 8 pages of script. Make that your goal. You’ll be shocked at how easy the rest of the story becomes when nail the opening. study other comics. look and see if they capture you in the first few pages. enjoy films and see which ones get hold of you at the beginning and don’t let go of you until they are made with you 90 minutes later.
There a lot of certainly is a craft to writing comic books. Don’t let any individual tell you different. It’s not easy, but then neither is true love. like true love, if you want it bad enough, you’ll work hard on it.
So next time you see me at the bar having a beer and you wanna know how to be a comic book writer don’t take it personal when I snarl and neglect ya. just read this column and leave me alone.
Better yet, pay for my beer.
Your only true friend,
Beau Smith
The flying Fist Ranch
www.flyingfistranch.com
(Editor’s Note: Wanna see what’s Beau’s talking about? here are three script pages from beau with resultant pages by Clayton Crain & mark Irwin.)
The Black Terror-Sample Script
Written & created By beau Smith
Page One–Panel One-Shot of a very well dressed, slim man in his 20s walking towards a large walk in wardrobe closet. The young person is a clothing design assistant, a foppish looking kinda’ guy. The room is in a very expensive home.
CAPTION 1: (TERROR) FINALLY.
CAPTION 2: (TERROR) THE LAST eight MONTHS OF MY LIFE has BEEN spent WRAPPED UP IN THE stained cloth OF THE GARMENT INDUSTRY.
Panel Two-The slim man is a little closer to the closet.
CAPTION 3: (TERROR) IN DEEP AS safety ADVISOR FOR ALEXANDER “ALLIE” TENDERSO, THE WORLD’S top and a lot of FLAMBOYANT fashion DESIGNER.
CAPTION 4: (TERROR) HE has also BEEN using HIS fame and international connections AS A indicates OF PACKAGING and TRANSPORTING A major portion OF THE EUROPEAN drug TRADE.
Panel Three-Shot of the young man’s hands on the handles of the large closet getting ready to open it.
CAPTION 5: (TERROR) DOING it all UNDER HIS partnership WITH EURO-TRASH MAFIA GODFATHER-ANTHONY LABRUZZO.
CAPTION 6: (TERROR) six OUT OF THE eight MONTHS have BEEN used IN CARPEL tunnel HELL. all of TENDERSO’S TRANSACTIONS DOWNLOADED and ACCOUNTED FOR.
Panel Four-Show the hands of the young man opening the closet doors.
CAPTION 7: (TERROR) IT WAS TIME to come OUT OF THE CLOSET…
The Black terror page One Art By Clayton Crain & mark Irwin
Page Two–Splash Page-From the young man’s POV. A large shot of The Black terror filling up the entire space of the open closet. His eyes as well as the skull and crossbones on his chest seem to glow in the blackness. very spooky. In his gloved hand he is holding a plastic taped package of cocaine.
BLACK terror 1: LOOKIN’ FOR THIS?
The Black terror page two Art By Clayton Crain & mark Irwin
Page Three–Panel One-Shot of the young man’s face. He looks nearly sick as he begins to faint
MAN 1: (FADING) OOOOOOOH…
Panel Two-Shot of the Black terror looking down at the passed out man. There is a faint smile on his face. This is the first time we really see The Black terror in the open. He is wearing his Black terror “costume” he has a long black overcoat over it. play with it and make it spooky.
CAPTION 2: (TERROR) THEY must GO DOWN THAT EASY.
Panel Three-Shot of the doors to the room opening and two of Tenderso’s safety goons coming in with hands in their suit coats ready to pull out their guns.
GOON #1 3: JULIUS, MR. TENDERSO wants to know WHERE YOU…
GOON #2 4: HUH??
Panel Four-and Five-One panel divided by a slash-On the left side shot the Black terror blasting away in a quick fluid motion with his two .45 automobile pistols. On the ideal side of the panel show the two goons getting ripped by the metal-jacketed bullets. Both chest shots around the heart area.
CAPTION 5: (TERROR) THAT CARPAL tunnel WAS STARTIN’ TO feel better ALREADY.
SFX: BLAAAAM! BLAAAM! BLAAAM!
The Black terror page three art by Clayton Crain & mark Irwin