Section 8:  Starting Out As A Professional

You’ve earned fans for the comic book covers you created of Fables and Batgirl (DC/Vertigo comics). How did you end up landing those jobs?  (i)

When I was living in New York, my friend, Farel Dalrymple, introduced me to an editor at DC’s offices. My card and a hand-made brochure started floating around the offices. After a after a month or so, Mark Chiarello (a great artist and editorial art director at DC) ended up checking out my site and recommending me to Vertigo editor Shelly Bond and writer/artist Bill Willingham. I had gone off to Austria at the time, and when I returned, Shelly had left a message on my machine offering me the first 5 covers to the series. Out of an oppressive sense of charity or duty, they decided to keep me on. A little over a year later, I got the call for BATGIRL.

Once you graduated, how did you get your start?  (xii)

Mostly through the internet.  Once I graduated they taught me to send out mailers and enter competitions.  That was right around the time the internet bubble burst.  I actually had an internet job during school doing Flash animation.  So yeah, I made my website and it got put up on some design portals and thousands of people saw my work all at once.  So I went to DC Comics and I dropped off my card and an art director saw my website and recommended me for a new project coming up (Fables).  I signed on for the first 5 covers, and then the series started doing well.  And, you know, a lot of art directors actually read comics and spend a lot of time online and I guess they found my work and it just sort of snowballed from there.  I haven’t really  done much self-promotion besides my websites and a few internet interviews and corresponding with fans, word of mouth and support from other artists.  I guess if the work is strong it will speak for itself.  I’m actually really passive and my wife complains about that.  I’m not really a “take charge” guy.  I sort of just sit back and let the artwork do it for me.  It’s really amazing how generous people are in the time they take to be interested in your artwork.  I put all of myself into it and I think people see and appreciate that.  I’m always grateful for that. 

For anyone hoping to get into the comic industry, what would your advice be? (iv)

Self-publish. If the work the is strong, that initial investment will payoff in the end.

What advice would you give someone starting out in the business? (x)

Learn Photoshop, if only for the ability to create a website, color correct your own work, and deliver it digitally.