Marvel's Epic Line Open for Submissions

[Wolffen]

Marvel has officially opened their new imprint, EPIC Comics, to the public. They're taking submissions from writers and artists. Submission and payment details are available at: http://www.marvel.com/epic . Marvel is looking to build a list of "approved" artists for writers without an art team, so get cracking!

[FuryFox]

This is interesting. *considers* Thanks for the link!

[Wolffen]

Based on your previously posted images, I'd think you'd be a shoe-in. I'll be submitting some scripts in a few weeks, myself. Be cool to know a few TNLers made it in.

[Wolffen]

Btw, people, there is money involved. Not tons, but for a free-time type project, you can make some decent moola (say $2500 minimum for a completed project for just the script, and 3500 for the art team for a single comic that doesn't sell much; more if the comic does better than 30K units). Not sure about y'all, but $2500 for a fun free-time project seems pretty nice to me...

[FuryFox]

Damn, I just sort of saved the link, and though I'd check it out later...but it sounds like there's some real opportunity there. That's not really the direction I was headed (sequential art) but it's not a bad place to start at all.

Everything's so specialized though...I'm used to doing it all. Only problem is I just don't know that much about the specifics of the comic industry. Anybody have any links or experience? Where to get the special bristol board, what type of non-photo blue and drawing pencils to use?

[Wolffen]

As far as recommendations for tools/boards, that is pretty much up to you. Some people are creating everything digitally now, other use what ever pen or pencil floats their fancy. Blueline Pro (http://www.bluelinepro.com/comicartboards.htm) offers the art boards many pencillers use. Here's some snippets from Frank Cho (artist on Libert Meadows) on how he draws:

What tools do you use to draw Liberty Meadows?

I use Micron Pigma pens (size 02, 05, and 08) on Strathmore Bristol board (regular surface). I also use a regular Winston-Newton brush with Speedball black ink to block out large black areas.

How big is it?

That's a personal question.

No. No. How big do you draw your originals?

Daily strip - I draw on a 8" x 18" paper with active area of 4 3/4" x 16" (Active area is where the actual image is drawn on). Sunday strip - I draw on a 12" x 25" paper with active area of 8" x 23 1/2".

How do you draw? (Please be detailed as possible. I want to become a cartoonist like yourself.)

With my right hand, I first pencil in the figures using a # 2 ½ Sanford Mirado pencil (or any #2 pencil lying around) on a Strathmore Bristol board (300 series. Regular or vellum surface, heavyweight paper. 100 lbs). After I tighten up the drawing, I ink over the pencilled lines using a Pigma Micron pen (usually size 08). Once the ink is dry (after several seconds), I erase out the remaining pencilled marks using a white Staedtler Mars Plastic eraser. It's just that easy. Good luck!

As far as studying up on sequential art, I recommend Will Eisner's "Comics and Sequential Art" and Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" for starters, and "How to Draw the Marvel Way" for old school instructions. There are artists out there that ink, color, and pencil. Marvel will look at all three types, I'd think, but pencillers have the easiest time standing out.

Beyond anatomy and style, the biggest thing they want to see from an artist is your storytelling. How well can you render the script? If you're given a bare bones script (dialog, panel #s, and sound effects) with no specificity on what type of "shot" to do in a panel, how do you handle that? The art should be able to tell a story on it's own. If you can pull that off with style in your submissions, you'll catch their attention.

[negitoro]

Originally posted by Wolffen
Btw, people, there is money involved. Not tons, but for a free-time type project, you can make some decent moola (say $2500 minimum for a completed project for just the script, and 3500 for the art team for a single comic that doesn't sell much; more if the comic does better than 30K units). Not sure about y'all, but $2500 for a fun free-time project seems pretty nice to me...

I don't know where you saw this but their submission guidelines specifically state their payouts...

$500 for an approved script (which is the first step, not art), $1000 for sending them the first 5 pages and having those approved...You get $8,000 if your full issue is approved and more for selling more books, up to $30,000 if it sells 100k issues (LOL... yeah right)...

Basically, it seems like a real hassle... you need to find a writer and you need to script the first 22 page issue, then IF it's approved, you get $500 (basically because the writer's script belongs to Marvel whether or not you use it). Then you need to find a Marvel approved team of artists, colorists and letterers etc to produce the first 5 pages. IF they like the team, they get $500. That's a lot of effort and hassle to go through to get $600 for the writer and $100 each for the penciler, inker, colorist and letterer.

You DO know that Marvel gets to keep your ideas though, regardless, right ? Basically, if you have a great idea and you don't follow through (I think they're counting on this), they steal your script for $500 and make lots of money on it, which sucks.

In any case, I don't think this is a 'free-time' venture. We're talking about Marvel asking you to make a 22 page monthly book -- inked, lettered and colored (by your own team of amateurs, even)... that DOESN'T sound like a 2 hour a night deal to me.

[Hero]

this sounds awesome - a lot like what Tokyopop is doing right now.

[Wolffen]

Man, Negitiro, let's just get negative.

You DO know that Marvel gets to keep your ideas though, regardless, right ? Basically, if you have a great idea and you don't follow through (I think they're counting on this), they steal your script for $500 and make lots of money on it, which sucks.

If they give you $500, they didn't "steal" your script, they bought it. Standard operating procedure in the comic book world. If you sell a script to a movie studio, unless your contract says otherwise, the movie studio can then take that script, give it to 12 different writers and totally change it. Just ask Frank Miller about Robocop 2. If you're not comfortable with this, don't submit a script to them. Odds are, if they like what you wrote, you'll get to keep working on it.

I don't know where you saw this but their submission guidelines specifically state their payouts...

$500 for an approved script (which is the first step, not art), $1000 for sending them the first 5 pages and having those approved...You get $8,000 if your full issue is approved and more for selling more books, up to $30,000 if it sells 100k issues (LOL... yeah right)...

Basically, it seems like a real hassle... you need to find a writer and you need to script the first 22 page issue, then IF it's approved, you get $500 (basically because the writer's script belongs to Marvel whether or not you use it). Then you need to find a Marvel approved team of artists, colorists and letterers etc to produce the first 5 pages. IF they like the team, they get $500. That's a lot of effort and hassle to go through to get $600 for the writer and $100 each for the penciler, inker, colorist and letterer.

My numbers are a bit off. The top number for the art team should be $5000, not $3500 (if the writer takes $2500).
The pay scale is as follows:

Assuming that the issue goes to print, the team will get $7500 total (including the $500 for the first 5 pages, excluding the $500 for the script). The team splits that as they see fit.

Here's a snip from Newsarama:

Again, once the material is accepted, the creative team must sign an Epic Work Made for Hire Packaging Agreement, which commits the team to creating the book. The first five pages of the book must then be sent to Epic along with the agreement for approval. If the five pages are approved, Epic pays the team $500, and greenlights the project. Once the book is completed, Epic will send the team $7000. Epic has no strict guidelines on how the monies should be divided, but reports that at Marvel, writers get 25-30% of the money, the artist, 35-40% and the remainder is split among the rest of the team.

As far as the effort for $100 a piece for the artist, ink, colorist, and letterer, that depends on if there is any multitasking going on or not (FuryFox and Hero have both demonstrated art and coloring skills in this forum, for example). Also, that's for doing 5 pages. The idea is that you move on to a full issue after that and pull in some more money. At that point, I'd expect the art team to get the biggest piece of the pie of the $7500 (I'm using $2500 for the writer in the previous paragraph based on the way Marvel recommends splitting the check). All this would, of course, need to be worked out in advance by the team. If Marvel chooses not to go with your team's work based on the 5 pages, that's unfortunate, but it may happen.

In any case, I don't think this is a 'free-time' venture. We're talking about Marvel asking you to make a 22 page monthly book -- inked, lettered and colored (by your own team of amateurs, even)... that DOESN'T sound like a 2 hour a night deal to me.

Nothing from Marvel says you have to do a monthly series. In fact, for writers, they want a "Done-in-one" script, not a series proposal. If they like the script, THEN you can push for a limited or monthly series. I doubt we'll see a lot of monthlies coming from newbies at Epic. Since Marvel puts out very little cash until the book is done, I don't see them having a problem with a team getting 3 or 4 issues done before soliciting it.

Anyone looking at this as a way of making a living is barking up the wrong tree. I see this as a way to get your name out there, gets some experience, make a little cash, and have some fun. I'm sure Marvel will put a deadline of some sort on projects, but I doubt they expect people to spend 20 hour days working on completing a book for this kind of pay.

This is an opportunity, plain and simple.

Now, as far as creator-owned ideas go, I will say this: unless you're desperate to get your character/story out there, don't give your "children" to Epic. There are creator-owned deals through Epic, but, since Marvel is putting all the money down, they are getting the bigger piece of ownership IF you agree to work with them (after they pay for the script, etc). I've got some characters that are close to my heart, and some I don't care as much about, but still enjoy writing. Epic will get the latter.

My advice is to work with a 2nd tier Marvel character, or something you're not uber attached to. Just to be safe.

[heel_]

Ive already got a Ghost Rider story line Im finishing up as we speak. Really intense stuff. Hopefully Ill be the one who makes Ghost Rider an interesting read and not just a kick ass looking flaming skull biker. You know give him some meat.