These comic companies are just part of bigger companies, they are not their to make entertaining tales or invest into making a solid living, it is all about keeping the intellectual property running and adding more elements to mine for other media and merch. I gave up on Marvel and DC. Yet I'm happy to find great tales from Japan, Europe and the indy scene.
The idea of storytelling with comics isn’t dead and I don’t think superhero stories are dead. I just think Marvel has lost its way and like you said they have a huge corporate behind them now so the focus seems to be on other things, which is unfortunate.
Well spoken man. I wanted to become a comic book artist so bad at one point. I still do but I think I missed the boat. I love drawing. But as the saying goes. I guess life got in the way. I do dream of publishing my own graphic novel. But I get your point of what Marvel Comics has become. It’s not a friendly place from all I’ve read and heard now days. I recently re read a reprint of Secret Wars #4 and man, what a difference!!! In that one issue I got to see so much action and drama and like more than a dozen of Marvel’s best characters interacting and the action, wow the action! They don’t even put the classic “Stan Lee presents “ tag line anymore in the introductions. So man, I get it. I for one dream of writing a Superman book regularly for a couple of years. My life would be complete as the saying goes.
Thanks for watching and for understanding what I was trying to say. I was concerned people would misunderstand. I still love comics and I am drawing a comic I think is in the spirit of Old Marvel.
The creative arts have really taken a beating as far as being "full time jobs" that adults can live on these days, that's for sure. I am very intrigued by the comic you mentioned working on right now, tho! :)
Thanks for watching! I am currently drawing The Black Cricket! I didn’t mention it in the video because I didn’t want my message to be seen as self promoting. I went to school to be trained as a commercial artist. This used to be a good career with plenty of jobs. The desktop publishing revolution of the ‘90s decimated that career.
I miss the sweatshop days when everything was done out of an office, and comic book production actually paid wages to live off of. Hasnt been that wayfor decades.
18:27 they do that because they don't want another Image comics. Todd McFarlane always told artists to get a two year run before they go off and do their own thing. Marvel editor Bob Harras countered that by not letting an artist build a following passed 10-12 issue runs.
It's very sad to hear these stories where the more we go on over time, the less excitement Marvel and DC have in terms of making comics. I know that there's more comics our there than just the big 2 and superheroes but for better or worse, they are the lifeline for comics in general over in the US. To me the problem is not much on the content but how that is being portrayed. Most of current creators understandably are looking for abetter pay and instead of creating a thought out story with known characters, it's in their better interest to make up their own for residuals and extend the story for the trade sales. A good example is BMB with Miles, did gang busters for many reasons but that sort of plan is really just lucking out. Not everyone can make the next breakout character, it didn't even work for him a second time over at DC. Plus, editorial has a terrible grasp in keeping the momentum. Still in these new characters like the newest Ms Marvel, editorial dripped the ball because they didn't know what to do with her even though she has the the last I can think of that had such fan support. And on top of that, I agree with the general resentment towards fans from Marvel in particular. Ms Marvel was killed off so apathetic for the sake of making a buck out of cha in her to a mutant in a Spider-Man book out of all places. If there's no direction with these people, it seems that creators are left adrift to help themselves to whatever they can get in this industry. Like seriously, even synergy is done so haphazardly. I think of how the animated Spider-verse movies had done so well for Marvel and just now are we getting a Peter and Mike team up book when there's no movie out and 5 year too late. Instead they do as others here said, farming for more characters to keep expanding but no one will use them because every other writer wants to come up with their own cashcow.
Thanks to everyone who watched this video and gets what I’m trying to say. People have asked what the comic I mention in the video that I’m currently drawing. It’s a Bronze Age Marvel style comic called The Black Cricket. It’s about the adult son of an inventor. The inventor accidentally caused his son to go deaf and spent the rest of his life trying to get his son’s hearing back. As an adult the son realizes he cost the world all these great inventions his dad developed so he has adapted them to fight crime as a way of atoning for this. It’s written by Dan Johnson, penciled by me, inked by Jeff Austin and lettered/colored by Kevin Halter. Antarctic Press has expressed interest in the project as an ongoing but nothing official has been announced.
The trade I showed in the video I’ve owned for over 30 years. I carried it with me all through art school and in my backpack at work. I got it signed by Claremont and Byrne a few years ago and so it sits on my drawing table full time.
Claremont and Byrne. Both titans annuls of comic book history. It was my dream to become a comic book artist at Marvel. But I am a sexual assault and child abuse survivor and people like me become dysfunctional adults, and I didn't achieve my dream. But I am doing it now. Right now as I am texting this I am working a comic that I want to draw. And with technology now people will see it. I'm doing MY - Own - Thing. And in a way, it worked out. You may like my comic. It's about atheism and Nihilism from tge perspective of an egg.
100% Its not about the love of the medium or quality content anymore. They're not attracting top-tier talent. They are recruiting to check a box at the lowest possible cost. They are doing nothing to attract their audience, they are actively turning them away and deriding them. Its a shame. What happened to Ed Piskor, who did more for comics with his enthusiasm and knowledge than almost anyone has in the last 10 years, is a tragedy and the industry has hardly blinked an eye.
Thanks, I’m not sure why top tier talent would work in comics. There are much better ‘art jobs’ out there, I have one and I’m nothing special. And I draw the comics I want on the side. The industry is much poorer for the loss of Ed. CK did a lot to promote comics, filling kind of a role Wizard magazine did in the ‘90s.
Disillusioned. The last Mainstream (DC/Marvel) comic I randomly purchased was a CONAN because I heard Marvel had the rights again. It left much to be desired. Marvel just seemed to be in a holding.pattern, trademark wise, instead of a creative one! Fergeddaboutem!
The comic industry was infiltrated by activists with bad intentions. They don’t care or love comics. As a writer I’ll be glad to stay independent and continue having fun creating new stories and putting out my books. The great thing is that I get to write anything I want with no one except the editor standing over my shoulders. It’s been a blast and I’m learning a lot about storytelling and about my potential
Activists are a response to something. The comics industry and its history of being used as propaganda and means to ridicule certain groups of people led to the state it is in socially. Hopefully people can learn from the bad actors of the past, and comics won’t have to be a battleground.
Activism is a response to something. Comics created their own scenario with what they portrayed and how they were used historically in terms of images and messages by some.
Thanks! I was a little reluctant to record this because I knew people would accuse me of sour grapes. I tried to be clear in my stance and hoped some people would get what I was saying.
@ScottDSackett i got sick of Marvel as a kid way back in 1989 when I saw their exploitation of the market. Ie endless crossovers hologram covers and endless advertisements in their good quality hard paper more expensive comics. Not to mention the new universe debacle.
I dropped out about ‘83 when I turned 16 and bought a car. I didn’t get back into comics until the early ‘90s. That was probably the wrong time to come back, lol.
I’ve always said that the job I want in comics doesn’t exist anymore
Exactly. I’d love to have worked at Marvel in the ‘70s or ‘80s.
I hate to self promote, but I think you’re on the same wavelength as myself and my buddy Ryan over at comics in the making
@@levierickson7321 I’ll check it out!
These comic companies are just part of bigger companies, they are not their to make entertaining tales or invest into making a solid living, it is all about keeping the intellectual property running and adding more elements to mine for other media and merch. I gave up on Marvel and DC. Yet I'm happy to find great tales from Japan, Europe and the indy scene.
The idea of storytelling with comics isn’t dead and I don’t think superhero stories are dead. I just think Marvel has lost its way and like you said they have a huge corporate behind them now so the focus seems to be on other things, which is unfortunate.
Well spoken man. I wanted to become a comic book artist so bad at one point.
I still do but I think I missed the boat. I love drawing. But as the saying goes. I guess life got in the way.
I do dream of publishing my own graphic novel.
But I get your point of what Marvel Comics has become. It’s not a friendly place from all I’ve read and heard now days.
I recently re read a reprint of Secret Wars #4 and man, what a difference!!! In that one issue I got to see so much action and drama and like more than a dozen of Marvel’s best characters interacting and the action, wow the action!
They don’t even put the classic “Stan Lee presents “ tag line anymore in the introductions.
So man, I get it. I for one dream of writing a Superman book regularly for a couple of years. My life would be complete as the saying goes.
Thanks for watching and for understanding what I was trying to say. I was concerned people would misunderstand.
I still love comics and I am drawing a comic I think is in the spirit of Old Marvel.
@@ScottDSackett I would like to see it. 👍🏼
Just make your own comic then.
@@shaneraine8081 I will. 👍🏼
1 - treatment of Jack Kirby
Amen!!! 💯
And his family. Glad they seemingly settled with Marvel.
No doubt. And Steve Ditko. And Herb Trimpe. Etc.
@@ScottDSackettHerb Trimpe did that to himself
@@rockon8174 Could be, all I know is from reading his article about getting fired by Marvel. There could certainly be more going on.
John Byrne and Alan Davis are the 2 best ever writer/artist combination creators in the history of comic books. In my humble opinion.
Definitely two of the best.
Erik Larsen, Frank Miller, Frank Cho, Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, come to mind.
Great commentary. I’m staying indie and honestly doing comics for fun. It’s less stressful that way. ✌️
Thanks! And I agree! Thankfully I found a group of creators who have similar ideas and taste and we are working on a comic book, The Black Cricket.
@@ScottDSackett very cool!! I’ll check it out!
The creative arts have really taken a beating as far as being "full time jobs" that adults can live on these days, that's for sure. I am very intrigued by the comic you mentioned working on right now, tho! :)
Thanks for watching! I am currently drawing The Black Cricket! I didn’t mention it in the video because I didn’t want my message to be seen as self promoting.
I went to school to be trained as a commercial artist. This used to be a good career with plenty of jobs. The desktop publishing revolution of the ‘90s decimated that career.
I miss the sweatshop days when everything was done out of an office, and comic book production actually paid wages to live off of. Hasnt been that wayfor decades.
18:27 they do that because they don't want another Image comics. Todd McFarlane always told artists to get a two year run before they go off and do their own thing. Marvel editor Bob Harras countered that by not letting an artist build a following passed 10-12 issue runs.
Yes, the Image artists leaving actually caused Marvel’s stock price to drop so it makes sense they wouldn’t want to be in that place again.
It's very sad to hear these stories where the more we go on over time, the less excitement Marvel and DC have in terms of making comics. I know that there's more comics our there than just the big 2 and superheroes but for better or worse, they are the lifeline for comics in general over in the US.
To me the problem is not much on the content but how that is being portrayed. Most of current creators understandably are looking for abetter pay and instead of creating a thought out story with known characters, it's in their better interest to make up their own for residuals and extend the story for the trade sales. A good example is BMB with Miles, did gang busters for many reasons but that sort of plan is really just lucking out. Not everyone can make the next breakout character, it didn't even work for him a second time over at DC. Plus, editorial has a terrible grasp in keeping the momentum.
Still in these new characters like the newest Ms Marvel, editorial dripped the ball because they didn't know what to do with her even though she has the the last I can think of that had such fan support. And on top of that, I agree with the general resentment towards fans from Marvel in particular. Ms Marvel was killed off so apathetic for the sake of making a buck out of cha in her to a mutant in a Spider-Man book out of all places. If there's no direction with these people, it seems that creators are left adrift to help themselves to whatever they can get in this industry.
Like seriously, even synergy is done so haphazardly. I think of how the animated Spider-verse movies had done so well for Marvel and just now are we getting a Peter and Mike team up book when there's no movie out and 5 year too late. Instead they do as others here said, farming for more characters to keep expanding but no one will use them because every other writer wants to come up with their own cashcow.
I think that’s a smart analysis.
I wish you much success.
Thanks, that’s very kind of you. I am working on a fun comic with a great team. I have a great day job and so I can draw what I want.
keep speaking out my dude! This is the Iron Age now!
Thanks, I’ve got a surprising amount of negative pushback on this video.
Thanks to everyone who watched this video and gets what I’m trying to say.
People have asked what the comic I mention in the video that I’m currently drawing. It’s a Bronze Age Marvel style comic called The Black Cricket. It’s about the adult son of an inventor. The inventor accidentally caused his son to go deaf and spent the rest of his life trying to get his son’s hearing back.
As an adult the son realizes he cost the world all these great inventions his dad developed so he has adapted them to fight crime as a way of atoning for this.
It’s written by Dan Johnson, penciled by me, inked by Jeff Austin and lettered/colored by Kevin Halter.
Antarctic Press has expressed interest in the project as an ongoing but nothing official has been announced.
Hi Scott, can you please do a flip through review of Rich Buckler's How To Draw Super Heroes. Thanks
That’s a great suggestion! I’ll have to do that.
Good comics make you make your own storys . Good comics make you day dream.
The Dark Pheonix was the pinnacle of Xmen. Absolutely. Marvel was at pinnacle then.
The trade I showed in the video I’ve owned for over 30 years. I carried it with me all through art school and in my backpack at work. I got it signed by Claremont and Byrne a few years ago and so it sits on my drawing table full time.
Claremont and Byrne. Both titans annuls of comic book history.
It was my dream to become a comic book artist at Marvel. But I am a sexual assault and child abuse survivor and people like me become dysfunctional adults, and I didn't achieve my dream.
But I am doing it now. Right now as I am texting this I am working a comic that I want to draw. And with technology now people will see it. I'm doing MY - Own - Thing. And in a way, it worked out.
You may like my comic. It's about atheism and Nihilism from tge perspective of an egg.
Oh it called EggHead.
100%
Its not about the love of the medium or quality content anymore. They're not attracting top-tier talent. They are recruiting to check a box at the lowest possible cost. They are doing nothing to attract their audience, they are actively turning them away and deriding them. Its a shame.
What happened to Ed Piskor, who did more for comics with his enthusiasm and knowledge than almost anyone has in the last 10 years, is a tragedy and the industry has hardly blinked an eye.
Thanks, I’m not sure why top tier talent would work in comics. There are much better ‘art jobs’ out there, I have one and I’m nothing special. And I draw the comics I want on the side.
The industry is much poorer for the loss of Ed. CK did a lot to promote comics, filling kind of a role Wizard magazine did in the ‘90s.
I agree.
Disillusioned. The last Mainstream (DC/Marvel) comic I randomly purchased was a CONAN because I heard Marvel had the rights again.
It left much to be desired.
Marvel just seemed to be in a holding.pattern, trademark wise, instead of a creative one! Fergeddaboutem!
I agree. I’ve loved Marvel all my life but they just aren’t making comics I’d want to draw.
The comic industry was infiltrated by activists with bad intentions. They don’t care or love comics. As a writer I’ll be glad to stay independent and continue having fun creating new stories and putting out my books. The great thing is that I get to write anything I want with no one except the editor standing over my shoulders. It’s been a blast and I’m learning a lot about storytelling and about my potential
Activists are a response to something. The comics industry and its history of being used as propaganda and means to ridicule certain groups of people led to the state it is in socially.
Hopefully people can learn from the bad actors of the past, and comics won’t have to be a battleground.
Activism is a response to something.
Comics created their own scenario with what they portrayed and how they were used historically in terms of images and messages by some.
Totally relate to you man!
Thanks! I was a little reluctant to record this because I knew people would accuse me of sour grapes. I tried to be clear in my stance and hoped some people would get what I was saying.
Nice man
Thanks!
I won't work for Marvel because I'm not good enough.
In my opinion, you’re not missing out.
@ScottDSackett i got sick of Marvel as a kid way back in 1989 when I saw their exploitation of the market. Ie endless crossovers hologram covers and endless advertisements in their good quality hard paper more expensive comics. Not to mention the new universe debacle.
I dropped out about ‘83 when I turned 16 and bought a car. I didn’t get back into comics until the early ‘90s. That was probably the wrong time to come back, lol.
Any problems in the comic business can only be solved with one word- more gay.
That’s two words.
@@ScottDSackett lol