Setting Realistic Expectations:
When I first began to seriously draw comics, I gave myself six years to break into the big time—I was aiming at Marvel and DC, and anything less simply would not do. That six-year break-in period came and went years ago, and I spent a lot of time in turmoil, feeling as if other artists had taken my well-deserved place at the top of the food chain.
As you have probably already surmised, I needed a serious attitude adjustment. I had made all sorts of ridiculous assumptions, and I had based my self-worth as an artist on them. For example, I believed that the only way to have a worthwhile career was to work for Marvel or DC, which is simply untrue
Another fallacy was that I spent more time waiting around for the opportunity to break big, and less time actually drawing. I think I believed that if I could attach myself to the right writer, or meet the right editor, or create the perfect submission package, then I would be vaulted to stardom. Once again, I was simply wrong.
At some point I changed my mind, and I came to the conclusion that I could have a full and exciting cartooning career in the indy/small press scene, and that it would be better to produce the comics I love and publish them myself. I wasn’t looking anymore for someone else to grant me my big break—I was doing what I wanted to do in the first place, and that was drawing comics and getting them into people’s hands. This time it depended on my work ethic, not the blessing of some editor. I had taken control of the situation.
I had changed my expectations. You could say that I had scaled down my goals to something I could achieve, and you would be right, of course. But, consider this: There are only a limited number of jobs in the big two, and a huge collection of people who are capable of doing those jobs. If you get one of those assignments, great; if you don’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t good enough; it doesn’t even mean that you aren’t the best artist trying for that gig. If anything, it probably most depends on who you do or don’t know. Your self worth should not be based on these long odds.
Recently, America went through another harrowing presidential election. There was no shortage of qualified men and women trying for that job. People who wanted to become the next president wanted it very, very much, yet only one person could cross that finish line. With every election, life-long dreams are made or broken. Does this mean the candidates who didn’t get elected are of no worth? Obviously not.
I haven’t sent a submission package to Marvel or DC since 2000, and I don’t expect I will again. It would be great to get tapped to do some work for these publishing giants, but that would be a feather in my cap, not the cap itself.
So, that’s me. I love self-publishing, and I love working on our own, creator-owned properties. How about you? Are you goals achievable?
Consider it this way—Are your goals something that you can go out and simply do, making it happen if you put you heart into it? Or, are you depending on a stroke of luck or a one-in-a-million break to achieve your heart’s desire? As an example, if your goal is to become a kick-ass musician, and entertain people, that is doable. If your goal is to become a superstar musician and get inducted into the Rock-&-Roll Hall of Fame, then you have set yourself up for bitterness and disappointment.
I would never tell someone not to shoot for the stars—obviously, some people do become huge stars and experience tremendous good fortune. What I am saying is that you should choose an achievable goal, and if you over-achieve, then good on you.
Scott.
