Every so often, I feel the need to encourage comic creators to just get to making them!
NO BETTER TIME THAN THE PRESENT
When it comes to making comics, there has been no better time to do it than now. The technology is readily available, the industry is hungry for new voices, and there are stories just aching to be told!
I often tell people I regret that crowdfunding wasn’t around sooner than it was! How many great stories never were told because Marvel, DC, or Image didn’t want to make it happen? Today, there are all kinds of ways to do it, including Kickstarter, Zoop.gg, BackerKit, and Indiegogo, just to name a few!
Storytellers come in all shapes and sizes! And you now can tell so many different kinds of stories! Comics are about science fiction, crime drama, action-adventure, pirates and the high seas, superheroes, and most other kinds of stories! And you have an unlimited special effects budget restrained only by the imaginations of the writer and the artist!
Using social media effectively can also make it easy to connect with writers or artists! There are so many creators looking for work that it often doesn’t take long to find someone with the talents you need to make your book a reality!
A great many local comic shops are strongly supportive of talented creators they know! They’ll often have signings and other events highlighting these people, and that’s a great way to develop a fan base!
That doesn’t even include the comics companies that are looking for Indie creators/comics to add to their group of offerings! Some like Vault specialize in sci-fi/fantasy, and others are looking for quality creations that fans want to find.
WHY NOT YOU?
Have you ever read a story that you thought should have gone another way? Maybe the hero should have saved the villain after all?
A lot of creators would like to tell stories we haven’t seen yet! As a long-time comics reader, I have to say that I’d like to see some new twists when it comes to stories! And what about new characters and situations? Yeah, we definitely need more of those!
If you are someone who likes to tell stories, why not explore some comic creations? If you are a long-time fan like me, you know what we’ve seen already so you could explore other ways to take tales! And if you aren’t, maybe you’ll bring a fresh perspective to comics, something we can always use!
I am always fascinated by fans who say they don’t like what they’re reading but cannot tell me what it is that they aren’t happy with! On the other hand, I know many fans who are very specific with their thoughtful criticisms, even saying where they’d like to see comics go, in a new direction!
Many comic creators are developing their own ideas into new comic series. A great example of that is Scott Snyder, who made a big splash with Greg Capullo on Batman for DC. He’s moved on to his creator-owned series such as Wytches, Severed, Undiscovered Country, Clear, The Wake, and A.D., just to mention a few!
Why not give comic writing a go?
COMICS CAN BE A GATEWAY
I’ve been really intrigued by the number of famous movie and TV personalities who have begun to tell tales in comic books.
I’m also impressed by how many comics are getting turned into TV shows and films! After all, a comic gives at least one way to direct and portray that story!
Then, too, many popular franchises turn to comics to keep their fanbases happy! I’m particularly thinking of Star Trek, which has several series’ going on that fans enjoy when Paramount Plus isn’t debuting new Trek on Thursdays!
There are so many more that sell lots of comics, such as TMNT, the Power Rangers, and even Buffy!
Personally, I’d like to see more films return to comics. I enjoyed those retellings of popular movies in trades and graphic novels! Often they would include items from the original scripts and novels that never made it to the small or large screen!
There is a lot of opportunity in the comics industry! I would encourage creators with new ideas to consider making comics as a real possibility! If you can, just do it!
What do you think? Are comics ready for a comeback? Are there creative ideas that could work well in the comics format? What would you like to see comics do moving forward? Whatever your opinions, be sure to share them in the space below!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.