At 48:00 I wonder who he is talking about. Initially Jim Lee came to mind because he has been on rinse and repeat his whole career and that sounds like the sort of response he would give based on how I have heard him answer similar questions in interviews. It could also be Rob Liefeld but that doesn't sound like him, he has a lot of passion while to Jim Lee it always just seems to be a job.
i CONCUR! Although i do admire Jim Lee's dedication to his craft, he DOES think of it as just a job. He's not so imaginative either--just rehashing the same characters over and over again, like his work with DC.
There is two problems with the comic book business. 1. Artists have no union! 2. Most kids grow up solely on video games. So they don't wanna read comics. Therefor, they don't sell like they did in 1994. Because of this, not many people wanna be comic artists. Nobody wants to starve. The kids who want to do this have rich parents and expect to fall back on their inheritance. Sorry about the last comment. I was a working Joe in college unloading trucks to pay for my books while many of my class mates were ten years younger than me and came from rich families. Being the old guy sucks when your classmates are kids. ...and I'm 33 now! But the point is, they can't expect to hang onto talent in the comic book business if they don't pay well. This means finding ways to market comics besides just comic book stores. Most companies just print and ship. Gotta get creative guys. Maybe promoting comics at rock concerts and doing more web promotion and perhaps purchasing a tv commercial or 2. Running one at 2 a.m. on cartoon network will go a long way believe me. Executives are stupid people. I know from experience. They need to get their head out of the box and do some fucking market research already. Besides that, paying better attracts more talent besides spoiled college kids who can only copy well and have no imagination. Sometimes, imagination is more important. Editors are not bright enough to realize that. Artistic talent can improve! Imagination cannot be taught. Artists need a union because comic book company owners can sometimes be greedy tyrants. Artists have no rights and the companies know this so they don't pay well enough to feed families on. If you wanna feed your family, Marvel and DC are a bad choice unless you are super famous! Then, they have to pay you well to keep you so the books can sell. However, being fresh out of art school and applying at a convention for work, they are gonna rip you off! It is disgraceful but company executives know they can be bullies and get away with it because artists in comic books have no union. This makes breaking in difficult too. Something has to change! Remember the two things up top in this comment. There is the answer! That is my thoughts on the subject.
This is the most inspiring, insightful, informative and confirming thing I've seen in a long time. Thanks to all parties concerned!
awesome interview, sheds light on a shadowy comic biz
this is awesome :) not sure I liked the interviewer really but I learned a lot listening to Christine and mike
One of the best interview I saw on TH-cam. 👍👍👍
It's so useful. Great, thanks.
You have the Mignola couple in to be interviewed and you cant turn off the dumb phone? Really?
Means it’s real you tube by real people . That’s what people want on you tube. YOU tube...get it ?
At 48:00 I wonder who he is talking about. Initially Jim Lee came to mind because he has been on rinse and repeat his whole career and that sounds like the sort of response he would give based on how I have heard him answer similar questions in interviews. It could also be Rob Liefeld but that doesn't sound like him, he has a lot of passion while to Jim Lee it always just seems to be a job.
i CONCUR! Although i do admire Jim Lee's dedication to his craft, he DOES think of it as just a job. He's not so imaginative either--just rehashing the same characters over and over again, like his work with DC.
I think Mike's talking about Rob Liefeld.
There is two problems with the comic book business.
1. Artists have no union!
2. Most kids grow up solely on video games. So they don't wanna read comics. Therefor, they don't sell like they did in 1994.
Because of this, not many people wanna be comic artists. Nobody wants to starve. The kids who want to do this have rich parents and expect to fall back on their inheritance.
Sorry about the last comment. I was a working Joe in college unloading trucks to pay for my books while many of my class mates were ten years younger than me and came from rich families.
Being the old guy sucks when your classmates are kids.
...and I'm 33 now!
But the point is, they can't expect to hang onto talent in the comic book business if they don't pay well.
This means finding ways to market comics besides just comic book stores. Most companies just print and ship.
Gotta get creative guys. Maybe promoting comics at rock concerts and doing more web promotion and perhaps purchasing a tv commercial or 2. Running one at 2 a.m. on cartoon network will go a long way believe me.
Executives are stupid people. I know from experience. They need to get their head out of the box and do some fucking market research already.
Besides that, paying better attracts more talent besides spoiled college kids who can only copy well and have no imagination.
Sometimes, imagination is more important.
Editors are not bright enough to realize that.
Artistic talent can improve!
Imagination cannot be taught.
Artists need a union because comic book company owners can sometimes be greedy tyrants.
Artists have no rights and the companies know this so they don't pay well enough to feed families on.
If you wanna feed your family, Marvel and DC are a bad choice unless you are super famous!
Then, they have to pay you well to keep you so the books can sell.
However, being fresh out of art school and applying at a convention for work, they are gonna rip you off!
It is disgraceful but company executives know they can be bullies and get away with it because artists in comic books have no union.
This makes breaking in difficult too.
Something has to change!
Remember the two things up top in this comment.
There is the answer!
That is my thoughts on the subject.