Gail Simone's Blog, page 1100
January 13, 2012
Some recent articles talking about the cancelled comics makes me want the opinion of someone who works within the whole industry. What exactly happens when someone's book is cancelled? Do the creative teams go back to the drawing board, so to speak, or are
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Well, I think there might be a little misunderstanding here. Writing a comic isn't quite like having a standard day job. The relationship is very fluid, and we all work under the knowledge that we can be removed from a book or have the book canceled at any time (assuming it's work for hire, or course, and not creator-owned).
There are basically two answers to this.
One is the typical freelancer's situation. This generally means you are given assignments, sometimes open-ended on continuing series, sometimes not. If a book is canceled, you are done with that book, usually. If you are well-regarded and the company feels you are better used elsewhere, they may ask if you want to work on this other title, and you can say yes, or no.
Or, they will let you know they like your work, and would like you to pitch for either a new title, or an existing one. I try never to step on another writer's toes…if a writer is working on a book and wants to stay, I won't pitch for it. Pitching is by no means a guarantee of new work. And quite often, if your book failed, you may not have more work assigned for some time and have to go look elsewhere.
If you are an exclusive creator, meaning you have a contract with one of the majors, they usually have a certain number of pages you have to write as a minimum each month, which also benefits the writer because they know they have at least that much work and income. Under those circumstances, if a book is cancelled, they will try to get you another assignment pretty quickly.
So, it's different for every situation. Hope that helps.
Some recent articles talking about the cancelled comics makes me want the opinion of someone who works within the whole industry. What exactly happens when someone's book is cancelled? Do the creative teams go back to the drawing board, so to speak, or are
*****************
Well, I think there might be a little misunderstanding here. Writing a comic isn't quite like having a standard day job. The relationship is very fluid, and we all work under the knowledge that we can be removed from a book or have the book canceled at any time (assuming it's work for hire, or course, and not creator-owned).
There are basically two answers to this.
One is the typical freelancer's situation. This generally means you are given assignments, sometimes open-ended on continuing series, sometimes not. If a book is canceled, you are done with that book, usually. If you are well-regarded and the company feels you are better used elsewhere, they may ask if you want to work on this other title, and you can say yes, or no.
Or, they will let you know they like your work, and would like you to pitch for either a new title, or an existing one. I try never to step on another writer's toes…if a writer is working on a book and wants to stay, I won't pitch for it. Pitching is by no means a guarantee of new work. And quite often, if your book failed, you may not have more work assigned for some time and have to go look elsewhere.
If you are an exclusive creator, meaning you have a contract with one of the majors, they usually have a certain number of pages you have to write as a minimum each month, which also benefits the writer because they know they have at least that much work and income. Under those circumstances, if a book is cancelled, they will try to get you another assignment pretty quickly.
So, it's different for every situation. Hope that helps.
Some recent articles talking about the cancelled comics makes me want the opinion of someone who works within the whole industry. What exactly happens when someone's book is cancelled? Do the creative teams go back to the drawing board, so to speak, or are
*****************
Well, I think there might be a little misunderstanding here. Writing a comic isn't quite like having a standard day job. The relationship is very fluid, and we all work under the knowledge that we can be removed from a book or have the book canceled at any time (assuming it's work for hire, or course, and not creator-owned).
There are basically two answers to this.
One is the typical freelancer's situation. This generally means you are given assignments, sometimes open-ended on continuing series, sometimes not. If a book is canceled, you are done with that book, usually. If you are well-regarded and the company feels you are better used elsewhere, they may ask if you want to work on this other title, and you can say yes, or no.
Or, they will let you know they like your work, and would like you to pitch for either a new title, or an existing one. I try never to step on another writer's toes…if a writer is working on a book and wants to stay, I won't pitch for it. Pitching is by no means a guarantee of new work. And quite often, if your book failed, you may not have more work assigned for some time and have to go look elsewhere.
If you are an exclusive creator, meaning you have a contract with one of the majors, they usually have a certain number of pages you have to write as a minimum each month, which also benefits the writer because they know they have at least that much work and income. Under those circumstances, if a book is cancelled, they will try to get you another assignment pretty quickly.
So, it's different for every situation. Hope that helps.
deliciousKaek: Trigger Warnings (Transphobia): State Rep. Threatens 'to Stomp' Transgender People in Bathrooms
Rep. Richard Floyd is defending his bill to harass transgender people using public bathrooms. The Chattanooga Republican defiantly tells Andy Sher he'd "stomp a mudhole" (whatever that means) in any transgender person who troubled his wife or…
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.
What is WRONG with these idiots? That's just INVITING more harassment and violence against trans people!
And the idea that trans folk are somehow coming for this shithead's wife and daughters? The same kind of paranoid, sickass shit that's been used to victimize POCs for centuries?
Shame on this horrible excuse for a man and shame on everyone who has looked the other way on this!
What the actual FUCK is this and what rock did this bigoted moron Richard Floyd crawl out from under?
Scumbags like this are the reason why there are places where I am terrified to use to the womens restroom, because I know that as a transgender woman there's every chance I'll be attacked, either verbally or physically, by bigoted pieces of crap like this worthless imbecile who think that I'm not a 'real' woman
Sweetheart, you have more value and worth in your tiniest hair follicle than this person has in his entire body, and one day people like him will be forced to live in museums as exhibits, right next to the other dodos and extinct species.
I WISH I were as much 'real woman' as you are!
I Can't Read Any More About Politics Today
Holy god.
I feel like we're not just going backwards, but RUNNING backwards.
Off a CLIFF.
Holy shit, fuck you DC.
Wow DC, not only do Black readers get the message that we're mostly monsters from the way your creative portrays us in your works, but now we're not good enough to actually write your books?
What the fuck?
Way to be diverse, assholes. I guess you really don't want to give money to or get money from POCs. Dicks.
(This is just cementing my desire to ruin Dan Didio's experience at Megacon next month. And I am going to head butt anyone who dares to tell me that this shit isn't racist. Because it fucking is and I am fucking pissed off.)
Write a bad, non-selling comic like Mr. Terrific, get it cancelled. That's how it works bruh. DC and Marvel don't have money to toss around when shit don't sell, sadly. You want a certain book to stick around for any reason at all? Buy it, get others to buy it. You've def got an internet connection, blow the series' horn all over tumblr and message boards.
Mr Terrific while good just didn't sell well enough even Dido's own book OMAC (which was fucking fantastic) got canceled. Its just bad luck and poor sales
Yeah, I'm not really upset about this.
It's more like they were not well known enough or popular enough to take on a big book that's guaranteed safe, consequently the books they were on weren't big sellers and most of them were mediocre-to-bad. They just wiped the lowest selling books to make way for new ones, since it seems like at least for a while they're trying to keep it to 52 books which means a constant changing of the guard.
Also they're not really firing anyone, because that's not how it works? :\
I'm sad about Mr. Terrific but REALLY sad that Virgil's book didn't catch on. I had hugely high hopes for it, and I love Static so much. It would have been a lovely tribute to Dwayne had the book been a hit. Marc and Eric are talented, lovely guys. Hope they get new assignments right away. :(
My big confusion point is that there are other books that sold just as poorly as Static and Terrific…Hawkman sold worse, as did Voodoo, and those books are still going.
Why not switch up the creative team, and the direction of the book? Green Arrow got a new creative team. Why not Static or Terrific? It gives off the impression that they don't want these books around.
I guess I just don't get it.
I don't know the exact reasoning and don't want to try to answer for DC on this. Honest to God, I know that they were genuinely hoping to have more POC leads in books. Not sure why Voodoo and Hawkman would get a second chance if what you're saying is correct, but there are often other factors than just sales that go into cancellations. Increasingly, books are being looked at for whether or not they have the potential to increase in sales. If sales are low, but someone has an idea or the creative team has a workable plan, DC and Marvel will try to take a shot on that. But if a book doesn't seem to have any immediate way to turn around an eroding readership, then it's more likely to be up for cancellation.
There were creative team changes on Static Shock, that may have been a factor. Or maybe the books just didn't get the audience response DC was hoping for.
I'm talking out my ear, really, I don't have a clue what went into the decision. But it is often more than just the sales of the latest issue. Sorry I can't be more illuminating.
It's a bummer. I'm excited about the new JSA book because I think we're going to see those two creators do something fantastic. Haven't heard much about the rest yet.
deliciousKaek: Trigger Warnings (Transphobia): State Rep. Threatens 'to Stomp' Transgender People in Bathrooms
Rep. Richard Floyd is defending his bill to harass transgender people using public bathrooms. The Chattanooga Republican defiantly tells Andy Sher he'd "stomp a mudhole" (whatever that means) in any transgender person who troubled his wife or…
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.
What is WRONG with these idiots? That's just INVITING more harassment and violence against trans people!
And the idea that trans folk are somehow coming for this shithead's wife and daughters? The same kind of paranoid, sickass shit that's been used to victimize POCs for centuries?
Shame on this horrible excuse for a man and shame on everyone who has looked the other way on this!
Comics POC ROLL CALL!!! Who Got Canned/MIA...
So Between DC and Marvel a butt load of our favorite POC characters had their books canned. Let survey the damage with just the amount of characters we lost through 2011-12 campaign. Have your 40 Oz. ready to pour out the liquor……
Daken
X-23
Black Panther
War Machine
Static Shock
Mister Terrific
Cassandra Cain
Ghost Rider (Those of you who didn't know the Rider is a Latina now)
Spider-Girl
That is a pretty depressing list, right there.
Holy shit, fuck you DC.
Wow DC, not only do Black readers get the message that we're mostly monsters from the way your creative portrays us in your works, but now we're not good enough to actually write your books?
What the fuck?
Way to be diverse, assholes. I guess you really don't want to give money to or get money from POCs. Dicks.
(This is just cementing my desire to ruin Dan Didio's experience at Megacon next month. And I am going to head butt anyone who dares to tell me that this shit isn't racist. Because it fucking is and I am fucking pissed off.)
Write a bad, non-selling comic like Mr. Terrific, get it cancelled. That's how it works bruh. DC and Marvel don't have money to toss around when shit don't sell, sadly. You want a certain book to stick around for any reason at all? Buy it, get others to buy it. You've def got an internet connection, blow the series' horn all over tumblr and message boards.
Mr Terrific while good just didn't sell well enough even Dido's own book OMAC (which was fucking fantastic) got canceled. Its just bad luck and poor sales
Yeah, I'm not really upset about this.
It's more like they were not well known enough or popular enough to take on a big book that's guaranteed safe, consequently the books they were on weren't big sellers and most of them were mediocre-to-bad. They just wiped the lowest selling books to make way for new ones, since it seems like at least for a while they're trying to keep it to 52 books which means a constant changing of the guard.
Also they're not really firing anyone, because that's not how it works? :\
I'm sad about Mr. Terrific but REALLY sad that Virgil's book didn't catch on. I had hugely high hopes for it, and I love Static so much. It would have been a lovely tribute to Dwayne had the book been a hit. Marc and Eric are talented, lovely guys. Hope they get new assignments right away. :(
Why In God's Name Is Ron Paul Still A Thing?
Are the racist revelations in his newsletters not enough? Who in God's name thinks that nasty shit is okay?
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