Comics

[Spectacular Sameth]

I was just wondering if anyone knew how you'd go about getting into writing comics. What I want to do is an Ultimate Marvel series only briefly touched on in one of the Spider-man volumes. I had an idea of how to turn Deadpool around and make an Ultimate Deadpool series, but 1) I don't know how to write for a comic and 2) I have no contacts within Marvel.

So does anyone know?

[Yeratel]

Send off and get a Marvel Idea Submission Form, fill it out, and write up a proposal. http://www.marvel.com/company/index.htm?sub=submissions_current.htm

[Spectacular Sameth]

Slight snag. I'm wanting to do an Ultimate version of one of their super "heroes" and they ask that the submitted stuff be original. Crap. Well, they own the rights to it and they know it.

[Kiriath]

Do you know the main news sites, like Superherohype and Newsarama? You can probably find things from there. That, or hunt down books or interviews with writers. I can't think of too many right now, but a search across Amazon could probably find some of them.

[fivestyle]

Slight snag. I'm wanting to do an Ultimate version of one of their super "heroes" and they ask that the submitted stuff be original. Crap. Well, they own the rights to it and they know it.

you can try to pass it off as an original Ultimate Deadpool story

[Spectacular Sameth]

Here's another question: How do I do it? Like a movie script or what?

[Kiriath]

Searches are way too much fun.

For a synopsis of a miniseries, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns has one as a sort of afterword. It's not what you mean, but it might be useful.

On an Amazon search, there's "Panel One: Comic Book Scripts By Top Writers" which seems like what you want. Seems there's a lot of different ways!

Here's another link, he writes them like scripts:
http//www.newsarama.com/general/WordsWordsWords/WWW03.htm

Writing them like scripts is probably the safest thing to do.

[eviladam]

Like a movie script, but a little more structured. There are some wierd rules I won't go into atm cause it's 745 in the morning, I'm still up and I can't remember em. The best resource I've seen for this was "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Graphic Novels" or something along those lines. Great sample scripts with a clear explanation of the rules, ways to demonstrate page lay out ect.

And as far as I know it's pretty hard to break into comics like that as an unknown. The best route seems to be publish something else in comic form. Any thing really, that will get you noticed. Failling that hound Marvel editors at conventions with a good portfolio.

[fivestyle]

Yeah I've noticed that most people need to create there own comics to get recognized and that gets a bit difficult if your not that good at drawing

[eviladam]

Well there is a great resource out there for people of various skill sets trying to break into comics. You can find pencilers, inkers letterers, colorists and writers at www.digitalwebbing.com

The down side you get a lot of replies from people who's art work is just awful and in my personal experience all the promising applicants didn't speak much english.

[Spectacular Sameth]

Yeah I've noticed that most people need to create there own comics to get recognized and that gets a bit difficult if your not that good at drawing

I don't really WANT to get recognized (or at leas it's not necessary.) I just want to write Ultimate Deadpool. I want to be known for other kinds of writing, really.

[eviladam]

It's kind of an issue of them not turning over an established character to an unknown writer unfortunantlly. Maybe the rules for ultimate are different since they're non continuitty. I dunno.

[Spectacular Sameth]

I didn't think Deadpool was all that well known, you know.

[*Lady Disappearing Act *]

in answer to the "how to" some comic books have sample scripts in the back.  the last trade paperback of Seven Soldiers of Victory is the most recent example i can think of.  there's one in a trade paperback of Sandman too -  maybe the one where Death gets introduced?  it's generally like a movie script where they describe what's going on in every shot.  don't get too detailed though - you don't want to cramp your artist, and you'll have a storyboard of thumbnails anyway.

[eviladam]

There's an order too it though. descriptions goes first, then dialouge, then thought baloons and or caption boxes, then as I recall sound effects (SFX) and finally any other text that appears. ala words on a sign, a t shirt ect.

The scripts are broken down by page and pannel. There's no set number of pannels per page, and the best way I've found to detail the layout you want is to include a small numbered dialouge of each page with the panel numbers.