Creator Confessions: Addressing The Ego While Creating Comics
by Frank Martin
Being a comic creator as a writer is a strange phenomenon. It starts with an idea: a dream to tell a story. For a novelist, it’s simple. If you have the idea, then the will to tell a story is all you need to make it a reality. But if you want your story to be a comic, then actually writing it down in the form of a script is just the beginning of the journey. More than that; it’s barely a first step. Making a comic takes a team — sometimes even a community. This isn’t necessarily a secret. Everyone knows how much comic creation is a collaboration. But what often doesn’t get talked about is the mindset of the writer/creator who views the comic as their baby.
On the one hand, when you’re marketing or pitching a comic that originated with you, people will begin to associate that title with your name. They will know you are the one responsible for it (for better or worse). If it’s not directly specified in the contract, artists can take a wide range of roles in this stage. Some can vanish entirely while others will seek to claim the spotlight with you. Personally, I would prefer an artist who tries to suck up all the oxygen in the marketing room. Getting the word out about a comic is difficult enough by yourself. To have a team willing to shout from the rooftops is a blessing.
If the comic is your creation — with your name behind it — the art team is essentially a group of employees you hire to help bring that vision to life. In the crudest way to put it, they are tools from which the art comes to fruition. At least, it’s easy to think of the process that way. Sometimes, it’s even helpful to view the relationship in this matter, specifically when tensions arise. That’s why in tenuous circumstances, a contract is a boon in order to set clear boundaries between creator and talent.
In the majority of instances, though, it’s best to think of your art team as just that: a team which also counts you as a member. Yes, as a writer, your ultimate goal in creating this comic to tell a tale. But it’s inappropriate, maybe even rude, to tell a reader or a fan, “I hope you enjoy the story.” That would work for a novelist, where the story is all there is. If you choose the route of a comic, you have to remember that the art is equally (or arguably more) important, even if the story is where this all started for you. It’s easy to slip into that mindset of “this is mine,” especially when you’re doling out money to make this thing exist. When people are telling you how much they love your book it’s easy for the ego to grow in the comic writer’s head, but the best creators are usually the most humble. So remember, even though it started with you, you are still only one part responsible for its creation.
