abigailchandler

[abigailchandler]

Self-publishing comics, with Mike Garley and Andy W Clift

While preparing my self-publishing feature for SciFiNow magazine (out now!) I interviewed a lot of awesome creators, both of comics and novels. Sadly, there wasn’t room for all of their many words of wisdom in the final feature, so rather than letting them go to waste, I’m including them here!

I had a joint chat with Mike Garley, writer of the awesome The Kill Screen, and Andy W Clift, writer and artist on the frankly mental Bertie Bear, to get their advice on self-publishing comics. They’re currently working together on web comic SGT Steel: Allied Avenger, which you can read here.

Read more below to learn all about how to find a printer, how to overcome the perils of resting on your laurels, and how to sell your work at a comic con.

What motivated you to get into self-publishing comics?

Mike: I’ve always loved storytelling, so when I started doing comics it just kind of made sense. There’s nothing to stop you, it’s easy enough to work with people or do it on your own, if you’re artistically gifted, to create your own comic and put it out there.

Andy: Definitely. I mean, for me, I grew up in an underground punk music scene, where everybody was doing everything themselves, putting on shows, making their  own CDs, making their own record labels, so I grew up in that, so when I started doing comic books it made a lot of sense to keep that ethos, to print your own books. As Mike said, nothing’s stopping anybody from making their own comics. You get a load of people who say ‘I really want to be a comic book artist, I really want to put out my own book, I really want to have that’ – do it! It’s out there, it’s not hard. Yes, it’s time consuming, yes, it can cost money to do, but... you put your money where your mouth is. Make your own stuff.

A panel from The Kill Screen

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in self-publishing?

Mike: Most people who self-publish have drive. You have to have a certain amount of drive to do it... You have to face all these challenges, you have no safety net, you just have to go out and do it. There are constant challenges. Self promotion is obviously the most difficult thing, but that’s a problem for everyone, anyone who isn’t a massive publisher. Even big publishers struggle to get some of their books noticed.

Andy: Coming to comic cons I think is great. I try to do as many shows as I can a year, I know Mike does a lot more than I do. You get to meet people and put your book in their hands and explain what it is. I think that helps, being able to talk about your book. But if you put out a really great book, the best you can, I think that speaks for itself. Your work speaks for itself. Or Mike speaks for it.

How do you go about getting a table at a comic con?

Andy: It’s literally just keeping an eye on the websites. Things like MCM Expo, for example, they’ll have it quite apparent when their exhibitor or comic village applications are open and it’s literally a first-come-first-served, and they can just get rid of all their tables in just a couple of hours. And with Thoughtbubble, for example, they advertise it on their Twitter or Facebook page or whatever, and then it’s an application stage and they review everyone’s work and decide who they want. If you want to do a comic con, you just look at their website. They’ll have all the information there.

Mike: I would add that there’s enough smaller cons, local cons, so new creators can find a con that they can exhibit at. It’s not a closed industry by any stretch of the imagination. There’s always local cons, there’s always a way for you to get your work seen by people.

How do you find a printer to print your comic?

Mike: There are several printers that you can look around for, I’d recommend having a look at other people comics and getting printer recommendations from them. You need to find the type of printer you like, and then you need to find someone who can do that at a cost you can afford. The more comics you print the cheaper it will be, but you need to be realistic and print a massive load of stock that you’re not going to be able to shift.

Andy: A lot of [printers] will send out proofs as well, which is always nice, so you can get an idea of what they look like. You’ve got to find the printer that works best for you. Some printers that put out books for other people might not get the finish that you want, so it’s always good to do research into what you’re doing.

What’s the benefit of a print comic over a web one?

Mike: I think people like to own things. If people invest time in something then they want to own a copy, they want something tangible. I personally love stuff. I read a lot of digital comics, but if I really enjoy something I want to have my own copy that I can look through.

How do you get into comics if you’re just a writer or just an artist?

Mike: It means you can focus on the one thing you do. There’s the challenge of finding someone to work with, but then there’s a benefit of finding someone to work with who can really improve what you’re working on.

Andy: I started off just as an artist and it can be harder. I do think it’s easier for writer/artists. I think there are more writers out there looking for artists, and I think it’s easier for an artist to find a writer than it is the other way round.

Mike: You can look at an artist’s work and tell if they’re good at doing artwork, but you can’t look at a writer’s script and tell if they’re a good writer or not, it’s a completely different ball game. I think for writers, before anyone has any faith in you, you need to have created a fair amount of content first. You need to keep producing stories that people are interested in.

What’s been your proudest moment?

Andy: Getting my own book in my hands for the first time, that was kind of awesome. And then selling it at comic cons. Obviously since then [I’ve been] trying to create new goals and moving on, just making sure you’re moving forwards and not staying still.

Mike: One of the main motivating factors for me is when I do a con and people come back and they’ve read the comic and they’ve enjoyed it and they’re looking for the second one, or the third one – the next one, basically – or they just want to say that they enjoyed it, and I think that’s one of the most gratifying things, when people enjoy what you’re doing.

Andy: People who come back. They’re like ‘I really enjoyed that book and now I want to buy the next one’, that’s really nice. And of course anybody who is willing to pay you for your work. I love those guys. I love all of them.

A panel from Bertie Bear

Do you think some people fall at the first hurdle because they expect overnight fame?

Mike: I think it takes a very, very long time to get any type of traction in the comic industry. I think it can’t be a stepping stone for people if they set an unrealistic goal and think they’re going to make it straight away. It takes a long time, it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. You just have to stick with it.

Andy: Going back to what I said about one of my favourite moments, having that first book in my hands, it’s very easy to let that take over and go ‘I’ve done it now! I’ve made a book, I make comics and that’s the end of it! Now I just have to sit back and wait for people to come and buy my book’. I’ve seen that happen, people go ‘I’ve got a book now and I’m a comic creator’. It’s all well and good to enjoy that moment, I have, but you have to keep going. People aren’t going to come to you to buy your book. They don’t know who we are.  You’ve got to push it.

What advice would you give people just getting started?

Mike: Do it! It sounds really simplistic, that I’m just taking away all of the challenges, but it’s as simple as if you want to create something, just do it. A lot of people have this thought that they’re not ready to do something. They have a story that they want to tell but they want it to be perfect, and I think that’s a dangerous mentality to get into. You can’t worry about making something perfect, you have to make it otherwise you’re going to lose the opportunity, you’re going to lose that momentum. You need to make it, get it out there, get feedback, and then move on. It needs to be a continual process... I don’t think you should get drawn into doing a massive project. If it’s your first project don’t worry if it’s only a four page story – that’s fantastic, you’ve got something you can show people and it helps get you excited about the next thing you want to work on, or possibly find someone you want to collaborate with on the next project.

Andy: Because that‘s going to be harder to sell as well, to put out there straight off the bat. ‘This is my first book. It’s 300 pages long and it’s £25’. That can sometimes be a deterrent. If anything it can be better to work on something smaller.

Has creating comics lived up to your expectations?

Mike: More so. It’s everything I hoped it would be and more. When I started I didn’t expect to enjoy it half as much as I do. I love cons. They’re hard work and they take up a lot of my time and they’re expensive, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world, I really enjoy them, I really love getting to chat to people and show them my work, I love getting to see other people’s work. It’s a fantastic community and industry to be part of.

Andy: I always say to people that making comics is the best thing in the world. It just is. I remember the first comic book I worked on, it was the best feeling ever. I was doing a lot of drawing work as a storyboard artist already and to the outside person they’re quite similar, and they are, storyboards and comics are quite similar, but there’s just something about working on comics, creating something, putting it out there and just having it. You created it. It’s lovely.

[abigailchandler]

Writing is a cruel and heartless lover

Every so often writing just kicks my arse.

I love it. I remain faithful to it no matter how many times it tears my heart out or convinces me I'm no good. Writing has zero loyalty to you. It's a one-way relationship, my friend, and you have to be okay with that going in.

Writing can be great, sure. There's nothing quite like writing something that you really feel might actually be good. But writing, the fickle bastard that it is, can take all that away with one rejection letter. 

Or 10 years' worth of rejection letters.

Writing requires you to be tough, to weather all that rejection and remain strong in your belief that this is something you want to do, and this is something you can do.

But writing also requires you to be emotionally vulnerable, so that your work feels real and honest.

So your exposed heart takes a kicking on a fairly regular basis. 

Which is fine. We didn't expect this to be easy. I've struggled with my relationship with writing a lot in the last few months. It's been hard. I've had to take a step back for a while to protect my own sanity, which sounds dramatic but is entirely true. To be the best writer you can be, you need to protect yourself from the shit writing throws at you from time to time.

But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on writing. I wouldn't know who I was without the writing. Instead, I'm reframing my work slightly. It's time to try a new challenge, so that writing can feel fresh to me again. 

Which is a long way of saying: I'm trying to write a novel.

I'm also taking up Pilates (for my poor, Writing-ravaged back) and taking better care of my health. But the writing is the big thing. I can only start to feel like myself once the writing is going smoothly again. Otherwise I feel a bit like a drawer gummed uselessly shut. Nothing can go in, and you sure as hell can't get anything out of it.

I'm currently poised at the start of a project I'm excited and a little nervous about, and I feel better than I have in months. I'm ready for Round 10. I'm getting back in the relationship.

[abigailchandler]

The Phases of Writer's Block

I've had writer's block for about four months now. I am insufferable when I can't write. It's like being permanently stuck in a room with someone you don't like.

I've gone through the following writer's block phases:

I'll just take a break from writing for a couple of weeks. I'm obviously getting burnt out.

This is quite nice actually. I have loads more time to spend with friends and I can finally read more!

Okay, I'm rested, I'm ready to write again.

Oh crap, I have absolutely nothing to say.

What the hell do non-writers do with all the damn hours in the day? These are hours I should be spending writing and they are taunting me with my inactivity.

I'll just force myself to write. Anything will do.

I AM THE WORST WRITER IN THE WORLD!

*Obligatory period of moderate-to-severe depression, occasional panic attack*

Get an idea. Immediately discount idea due to general grasping-at-straws-ness of idea.

Revisit old projects in the vain hope of finding a project that I can get to work on again.

Read a lot. Like, A LOT. Do anything to take my mind off the terrible homesickness that comes from not writing.

Hope desperately that one day, soon, my passion, drive and ability to write will magically return.

I'm pretty much still at point 12. 

I love writing, but it doesn't always reciprocate. Fickle bastard.

[abigailchandler]

My problem with freedom of speech

The Charlie Hebdo attack has thrown me back into my usual circular dilemma when it comes to freedom of speech.

On the one hand, absolutely no-one should ever be killed for saying something that they believe in. That mostly sits under the basic right to not be murdered, but also the right to freedom of speech, and, in this case, freedom of the press.

But the right that the Charlie Hebdo staff exercised to express their satirical take on politics and religion is the exact same right being claimed by people who are taking the opportunity to denounce all Muslims for the actions of a few.

I believe in freedom of speech. But I also wish ignorant idiots would shut the fuck up. Shame you can't have both.

[abigailchandler]

I swear, being an ugly kid is the best thing that ever happened to me.

I was born with a squint, so had eyes facing in opposite directions until it was corrected when I was five. Then I was forever missing teeth. Then I hit puberty, and with it came a perfect storm of acne, greasy hair, glasses and truly dreadful fashion sense.

And you know what all that did to me? It gave me the gift of not giving a single fuck about my appearance. 

Sure, if I’m due to be a bridesmaid and I wake up with a face twice its usual size thanks to a tooth infection (that happened), I’m a bit ticked off. But on an average day if I look in the mirror and I only have two spots, I figure it’s a good day to be me. I only ever bother with a full face of make-up if I’m heading out on a night out. Work warrants mascara. A trip to the shop warrants absolutely nothing at all. I’m not aiming to look good for the milk aisle.

If I’d grown up pretty, getting attention from boys from a young age, then God knows what disasters could have befallen me. I might have grown up thinking that my appearance was the most valuable thing about me.

Instead, I grew up knowing that the outside was just a shell (a thankfully healthy one) that carried my brain around. If people liked me, it was thanks to my personality. If I succeeded, it was because I worked my arse off. I made damn sure my insides were interesting, because that that was the bit that was really, truly, me. The outside was just what I looked like.

So, if you’re 14 and under siege by zits and have a mouthful of metal, then screw low self esteem – in a few years you’ll know how lucky you are.

[abigailchandler]

but it’s not about race right?

[abigailchandler]

Shows up in a major HBO show as an unknown teenager.

Becomes the most hated character on TV.

Steals every scene he's in.

Then announces he's quitting acting.

Like a boss.

[abigailchandler]

What I mean when I talk about female characters

Earlier this week, an article I wrote on the representation of women in True Detective went live on The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/mar/31/true-detective-turnoff-for-women-viewers). The comments (239 and counting) are predictably disheartening. And maybe that’s my fault for not getting my point across well enough in the blog itself.

But a lot of the comments seemed to be the same things that I see on all articles about disappointing (or entirely absent) female characters. They expose some basic misunderstandings (or miscommunications) about what these writers mean when they talk about female characters.

I can’t speak for anyone but myself, of course, but these are the answers I want to give to the comments that regularly lurk at the bottom of any article that bemoans the state of women in a TV show/film.

If you want female characters, go and watch [insert name of female-focused show, usually Sex and the City or Girls]

I have no interest in a show that’s all about women, just as I have no interest in a show that’s all about men. Neither of those represent the world I live in. I want to watch things that are about people.

The fact that Sex and the City is still getting dragged up in these arguments 10 years after it ended is a nice reminder that there are far fewer female-oriented programmes than male-oriented ones. And anyone who’s ever seen Girls will know that Adam is the best character in it.

This is a show about cops/drug dealers/serial killers – do you really expect a female character in the lead in such male-dominated fields?

No, I don’t always want women in the lead. But I do want them there, somewhere, and doing something interesting. Look at Mad Men – male lead, male-dominated field, excellent female characters. Or Breaking Bad – there aren’t many female characters, true, but Skyler was a well-written supporting character with a rich internal life, and Lydia was just as morally corrupt as any of the male characters.

The male characters in this show are all horrible people too – no-one comes out of it well, not just the women.

Please, give me horrible, cruel, selfish, nihilistic female characters. Give me a female version of Rust Cohle. When I talk about good female characters I’m not asking for a paragon of virtue. That’s the last thing I want. I’m complaining because while the male characters are actively going about being bastards, the women are usually in the background, doing nothing except playing into the male lead’s arc. What is their goal? Are they trying to achieve something for themselves? What do they get up to when the male lead isn’t there? What’s going through their heads?

I don’t mind if what’s going through their head are nasty, mean thoughts, so long as they have some sort of internal, believable life. I don’t need them to always be right, or always be the one who saves the day. I want them to be just as flawed, unpleasant, weak and fascinating as the male characters.

You’re harming the cause of feminism by complaining about every little thing.

Oh, sorry, are we supposed to be conserving ammo for the important issues, just in case men get sick of hearing our whining and lose interest before we get round to the important stuff of stopping FGM or getting equal pay? Forgive me for thinking that people are smarter than that.

Besides, fiction isn’t a ‘little thing’. It shapes us and informs our view of the world. If it’s still telling us that women are secondary to men, then how is the next generation supposed to grow up to be more equality-minded than our current one?

Are you ever happy with anything?!?

Yes. Game of Thrones, and its focus on those at the fringes of power, makes me very happy. The Walking Dead’s shift from women washing the clothes to women at the centre of the action makes me happy. Mad Men, Utopia, Masters of Sex, Broadchurch, Parks and Recreation, Sleepy Hollow, New Girl, Moone Boy – all boast mixed-gender ensembles, all make me very happy indeed. See, it’s  really  not hard to make me happy.

[abigailchandler]

My body's ridiculous reaction to stress

Body: I'm stressed. I know, I'll faint. Me: How is that helping?

Body: I'm stressed. How about I just start turning your hair grey? Me: Great, well now I'm stressing about grey hair.

Body: I'm stressed. I'll just get ill, that'll force you to chill out, right? Me: Except that I can't sleep for coughing and feel like shit, sure.

Body: I'm stressed. Guess it's time for your teeth to start hurting. Me: I don't even know how that works.

Body: I'm stressed. I'll speed my metabolism right up so you lose loads of weight! Me: I appreciate the thought, but I am just cold and tired all the time now.

Body: I'm stressed. You should probably just go to sleep now. Me: TELL THAT TO MY BRAIN!

[abigailchandler]

Why Write a Feminist Play?

I went to a talk at The Royal Court Theatre last night on that very topic, and had some very interesting chat on Twitter about what constitutes a feminist play.

At the same time I was having a discussion on Facebook about how the word 'bossy' is applied to young girls, and predictably the Neanderthals emerged calling the men and women who were having intelligent debate on the topic 'feminazis' and accusing it all of being politically correct nonsense.

So, as well as being thrilled and inspired to be in a room full of passionate writers who hold the shocking belief that men and women are equal last night, I was also dispirited. Those lovely, smart people in that theatre will go to see feminist plays. But they're not the target audience. The Neanderthals are.

Surely, the goal of a play that supports feminist ideologies is to open the eyes of men and women who have never thought to question the way the world is. Preaching to the converted is fun, but it's not going to change anything,

Yesterday, @my_grayne and I were discussing stealth feminism vs overt feminism on Twitter. And I realised that so many people get incredibly defensive when the word 'feminism' is used. They're poised to hate whatever follows, because they have certain preconceptions about feminism.

And I guess I can't blame them. Would I go to see a play that was billed as an exploration of masculinity, or would I assume that there would be nothing for me in that play? Probably the latter.

So what's the answer? We just give up hope? I guess stealth feminism is the way to go. Write plays that have a mix of genders, and display the female characters as equal. Show the male characters respecting the women. Show the women in jobs that are traditionally depicted as male. Writing a police officer or a CEO? Why not make them a woman? Give the genders equal agency. If you have nudity, make sure both genders get their kit off. Avoid gendered insults, unless you're depicting a sexist character.

How many men sat down to watch Game of Thrones expecting some sword fighting and some boobs? When do you think they realised that they were rooting for the Mother of Dragons, a murderous little girl and a female knight? Or Battlestar Galactica, sneakily depicting a society of complete gender equality without ever drawing attention to it? That's stealth feminism right there.

Political debate in theatre is always vital, and there should always be plays that consciously highlight inequality. But if you want to reach out to that resistant, defensive audience, the people who would rather not look their own privilege in the eye, I think the only way to do so is by creating fictional worlds of equality, and acting as if that's how the real world is. When people start getting used to seeing those fictional worlds, maybe they'll start questioning why the real world looks different.

[abigailchandler]

Tony Benn: “I have put up several plaques - quite illegally, without permission; I screwed them up myself. One was in the broom cupboard to commemorate Emily Wilding Davison, and another celebrated the people who fought for democracy and those who run the House. If one walks around this place, one sees statues of people, not one of whom believed in democracy, votes for women or anything else. We have to be sure that we are a workshop and not a museum.”

(src)

[abigailchandler]

A guide to writing female characters

I know it's intimidating. Women are complicated, with all that biology shit going on up in there. We can straight-up digest food, breathe, pump blood, walk, talk and grow a baby all at once. Bitches be crazy, amiright?

But stay calm. You can imagine alien invasions and vampire kings and serial killers and what-not and you've never even seen those things, whereas you've actually conversed with women. That's some solid research right there, my friend. You're already one step ahead.

Now, here are some step-by-step instructions to ease your way into writing good female characters.

Step 1: Write a character. It's a dude, isn't it?

Step 2: Give him boobs.

Step 3: Congratulations! You have written a female character! They're not all that different to guys in the end, are they? Give yourself a pat on the back.

[abigailchandler]

These guys... (True Detective is a freakin' acting masterclass, by the way.)

JUST A COUPLE OF FUCKING DOPE BROS WHO EVERYONE THOUGHT PEAKED IN THE 90’S AND SLOGGED THROUGH THE AUGHTS NOW TO SHOW UP ON THE OTHER SIDE SUNKISSED AND THIN SERVING FUCKING VARSITY LEVEL THESPIAN SHIT ON PREMIUM CABLE AND IN THE MOVIES. HEAR THE WOLF CRY THROUGH THEIR EYES

[abigailchandler]

Script writing vs Prose

I’m a script writer. That is my ‘craft’, if you’re going to be fancy about it. Screenwriter, predominantly, although I’m a playwright too. I’ve gotten quite good at script writing. I was starting to feel like I had this writing shit down.

Then I was asked to write a short story for an upcoming anthology. Sure, I thought. Nice to shake things up from time to time. I used to write short stories. I used to be quite good at them. This’ll be fun.

Except prose is bloody hard.

Script writing is easy, I think, so long as you know your characters inside out and you know where the plot’s going. Want to suggest that your character is undergoing deep emotional turmoil? One word in the stage directions: ‘Pause’. Let the actor and the director sort that out.

With prose, you have to actually tell your reader what the character is thinking. In detail. As a script writer, it’s drummed into me that you can never write what your character is actually thinking, because no-one ever says exactly what they’re thinking. The truth goes through social filters, or else gets downplayed or concealed altogether. Script writing is wall-to-wall subtext. Prose is literal and honest – brutally so. Well, unless you want to go down the Unreliable Narrator path.

Prose is as different to script writing as journalism is. I was naive to think I could pick up prose after almost 10 years and still be good at it. It feels weird, being the newbie again. Script writing is an old friend that I have a comfortable short-hand with. Prose is a new colleague I’m still slightly awkward around. I’m getting used to it again, opening up, beginning to crack some jokes, but we still have a fair amount of bonding to do.

The whole experience has reminded me that writing isn’t a muscle that needs exercising now and then – it’s a whole clutch of muscles. Being able to run marathons doesn’t mean you can dance. You can learn both, and if you’re already in good enough shape for one you’ll probably pick the other up easier than some people. Besides, it’s good to work unused muscles now and then. Writing should hurt from time to time.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a natural prose writer, like some people. I just don’t have the patience for all that descriptive stuff. It’s not really my style. I’ve been tearing my hair out over a 12-page short story. I take my hat off to anyone who can write a novel. It’s friggin’ hard.

[abigailchandler]

An analysis I wrote on the development of the female characters in Sherlock, and how the show started to shake off the sexist accusations.

[abigailchandler]

I recently had a photo shoot (thanks, GroupOn!) with the aim of getting a new writer headshot. I stressed endlessly about how to look suitably 'writerly'. And not just run-of-the-mill writerly, but nerdy-cool-writerly. A bit quirky. Some dramatic lipstick perhaps. An ironic t-shirt.

So, this is what I look like when I'm trying to look like a writer.

And this is what I look like when I'm actually writing.

There's a reason us writers aren't allowed out much.

[abigailchandler]

Sherlock theorising

Well, I bet all those people who complained about a lack of mystery in the first two episodes are feeling pretty darn silly now. The finale was great. But it has given rise to two theories in my brain, which I'll discuss after the cut. (Spoilers, etc)

"Did you miss me?"

Now, this theory is driven entirely by how much I hate shows bringing villains back. It never works. I loved Andrew Scott’s Moriarty and I’ve enjoyed his fun cameos this series, but he served his purpose. We don't want Sherlock to go down the Heroes route by refusing to let go of a fan-favourite baddie.

But there's plenty of evidence to suggest that Moriarty may not actually be coming back. Allow me to elaborate.

Many fans have complained that supposed genius Sherlock has been one step behind all series. Unless he wasn’t. Unless he’d figured out that Magnussen’s vault was all in his head, and that the only way to stop him was to kill him. After all, he’d ascertained that Magnussen’s glasses weren’t feeding him information (meaning he must have an excellent memory), and he asked John before they set off whether he had his gun with him. He then waited until the army showed up before shooting Magnussen, ensuring that John wouldn’t be accused (given that it was his gun).

Sherlock could have set up Moriarty's timely TV appearance as security to make sure that the British government couldn’t lock him up or send him to his death. A murder planned and committed with no consequences. Compare Sherlock's emotional goodbye to John in The Reichenback Fall to their downplayed goodbye at the airport. Did Sherlock know full well that the plane would be turning around and bringing him straight back?

"You know what happened to the other one"

Excuse me - 'other one', Mycroft? Which 'other one' do you speak of? Is there a third Holmes sibling that we don't know about? It would certainly seem so, and that's a nicely tantalising hint to tide us over until series four.

Might it be connected to this Redbeard thing, which was teased far too much to simply refer to a beloved childhood pet who was put down? The Hounds of Baskerville touched upon childhood trauma warping memories - just how reliable can we take Sherlock's childhood memories and his drug-addled mind palace to be? Could Redbeard be the twisted memories of another Holmes sibling, one which only older sibling Mycroft properly remembers? Or is this just the definition of looking too hard for conspiracies?