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.

By Benita Story

Mouse Guard – Winter:1152 by David Petersen

According to Scott, David Petersen’s Mouse Guard is a highly regarded series and David is well-known and respected in the independent comic book scene.  For me, whose comic reading has been limited to the web, mostly, it’s new.

Again, what caught my attention while wandering among the tables in Artist Alley at Wizard World Chicago was the cover art.  A warrior mouse in medieval garb, trudging through the snow and smoking a pipe – Yup!  Interesting!

So, I spoke with David, he explained the series to me, and I bought one issue.  I wish I had bought them all!  I will not be waiting for next year’s convention to gather more of his work – I will be contacting him this next week and see what he can send to me.  I hope I’m not too late for the rest of the storyline I have started.

The art is absolutely fantastic, the coloring rich, and the story-telling compelling and spell-binding.  This is the fourth book in my series of Indy Friday reviews, but it is my favorite, so far, and I really loved Vögelein.  Okay, I love medieval stories, and I have never gotten over my love of animals as characters.  Even in my days of playing D&D, I’ve rarely played pure humans, preferring to play Maldretch (A wolf-like humanoid), Half-Ogres, gnomes and elves. 

The mice in this story are not the fearful, cowering mice like the rats in the NIMH books, but are trained warriors, medicine makers, merchants, everything that is needed in their society.  In the book I have, which is the first book in the Winter: 1152 series, I even see them facing down an owl on the hunt for supper, and coming off the best for it. 

If I were to give stars, this one would get all five of them -  one for story-telling, two for the art, three for the coloring, four for the characterization, and five for the believable setting.  This isn’t just another cute, fuzzy animal story.  These mice mean business!