Tyler James Comics

Brand New Tyler James Comics Website!

2009-12-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Just want to let readers of this blog know that I have an all-new, all-awesome personal website...the revamped and improved TylerJamesComics.com!

Blogger has been a wonderful host for my musings and content over the past two years or so, and the archive won't be going anywhere. However, it was time I moved to a new home with more features than Blogger could provide.

At the new site, you'll find a STORE with all of my books available for purchase. I'm also running a new bi-weekly column, The ComixStreet Recap exclusively at my site. tylerjamescomics.com will be the best place to keep up with me and my projects.

Thanks for reading, and we'll see you over there!

Best,

-Tyler James

November 2009 Projects Update!

2009-11-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long while since I've done a projects update. Guess that means I'm busy, huh? Let's dive right into it, shall we?

The 30 Characters Challenge

We're sitting here on day 24 of the challenge to create a new character each day for 30 days. Though we've still a week to go, I have to call the challenge a resounding success. Hundreds of new characters have been created and some of the artwork has been simply astounding. If you haven't checked it out, what the hell are you waiting for? Click here immediately!

I am looking forward to the completion of the challenge, however, because, low and behold, it IS a challenge... and I haven't even been cranking out top caliber artwork like some of the creators. But it's done exactly what I hoped it would...encourage experimentation and creativity. (Case in point, Jot and Nub here.)

Over

Over soldiers on. My first foray into online graphic novels continues to pay dividends. Slowly but surely, I'm adding readers and am always surprised to find how many people are digging my story. It's been a quality experience for me and I'm learning a lot committing to the story and delivering it consistently. Glad people are enjoying it as well.
That being said, Over will be taking it's longest break of it's run shortly. I don't want to post throughout the Christmas holiday, because let's face it, people have better things to do than read my comic. And I also want to break on a good stopping point...luckily, I have that stopping point, but it will probably be the second week in December that we pause our update schedule until the new year. The good thing about this is that it will allow me to build my buffer again. And the pages that will start the new year...they're some of the funniest stuff in the entire book. It'll start the new year with a bang.
I'm starting to do some prep work and research into printing costs for the Over graphic novel. My goal is to have the book ready for the New York Comic Con. We'll see if I can make that happen.

Tears of the Dragon

I want to finish chapter 1 starting mid-december, and have been coloring the new pages myself. I will probably need to pull on a new color artist to make it happen, and will be looking for one over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Received some dazzling new pages from Koko Amboro over the weekend. I love his art and I love this book. Hope you all do too.
If you haven't read any Tears yet, you can read the first 10 pages with a killer cliffhanger (literally) here.

Colosseum X

Colosseum X will be my next (and final?) Zuda Comics submission. The script is written and it's gotten positive feedback from a number of creators, which is great. I've delivered it to the artist and co-creator I'm working with, local talent Erique Savory, Jr. He's been working on concept sketches for characters (there are a TON of characters), and I have too. This is a "go big or go home," ambitious as hell project. If done right, it could be really huge. So, I guess we better do it right.

Creating Comics! @ Comic Related

You've been reading my articles, haven't you? If not, here's the archive. I'm 27 articles in.
I continue to get a lot of positive comments and feedback from people who tell me the articles are helpful. That means a lot, as do the retweets whenever I tweet a link to my latest column. Thanks guys!
Haven't announced it over there yet, but next week's column will be my final column for 2009. No, it's not that I've run out of things to say...it's more that I have some other things that I need to direct some effort into that will also help the larger comics community, and I need the writing time to do it. So fear not. If people have found my articles useful this year, just wait until 2010...I've got some BIG ideas I want to implement that I think will be a serious help to a lot of creators.

Other Stuff

TylerJamesComics.com will be getting a total facelift. I hope to unveil a brandnew personal webpage in time for the new year. Blogger has been a great home for the past two years, but it's time I stepped up my presentation to the world at large. I want a clearer, more professional site that showcases my comics, links more clearly to all of my work, highlights the colloboraters I work with, and has an appealing storefront for me to sell my wares.
Several projects are still sitting on the backshelf, including Super Seed, ICE, CounterTerror, and a very cool horror/sci-fi/mythology series tentatively titled "The Box" (although probably gonna have to change it since there's currently a big budget movie out with the same name.) If I had unlimited time and money, I'd be working on them all. Since I have neither, I'm just trying to pace myself. Once I finish the art on Over, I'll be taking a few months off from drawing to WRITE MY ASS OFF. In that time, I'd like to finish both the Super Seed and ICE screenplays and write at least 64 pages worth of "The Box." That way, I'll have those done and out of the way, and can turn my attention to drawing the remaining pages of the Super Seed graphic novel, without being held up by the writing of my other stories. Between that and writing Colosseum X for Zuda next year (play to win, remember) I'll be very busy.
Continuing to look to other avenues of getting my name and work out there in the public eye, and am lining up podcast appearances. I also hope to have an aggressive convention schedule in 2010. Should be a big year for me. Can't wait.

That'll do it for the update! Thanks for reading!

Lightbox Podcast Interview

2009-11-16T12:47:00.001-08:00

Rob Chandler, Chris Flick and Matt Stout were nice enough to have me on The Lightbox Podcast last week. I had a great discussion with those guys, and talked about my take on and experience with Zuda Comics, my Creating Comics! column over at Comic Related, and the 30 Characters Challenge.

Those guys put on an enjoyable show. If you'd like to listen to the entire interview, it's Episode 7, available on the widget below. And, for your added viewing pleasure, I made a video clip from the interview where I discuss 30 Characters along with art from all of the challengers.

30 Characters - 1 Week Down

2009-11-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

So, I've made it through the first week of the 30 Characters Challenge! So far I've continued to push out new characters for Colosseum X and did some designs for upcoming Over characters as well. The creations others are churning out are pretty amazing as well.

I was inspired to cut the following video. Check it out, then head on over to the site!

30 Characters is Live!

2009-11-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it went from a germ of an idea to a full-fledged month-long comics event in less than two weeks! That's right, November is 30 Characters Challenge Month.

We're up to 25 participants, and there are already 30+ characters posted on the site. How about that? Pretty cool, no?

My first two are up...characters from Colosseum X, my 2010 superhero slugfest I'm working on with Enrique Savoy, a local artist with major chops.

Check out Kurt Blackburn and Cason Cole, the antagonist and protagonist respectively.

30 Characters Challenge

2009-10-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, have I been busy. Another month without much in the way of TJC blog updates...what with webcomics and columns and twitter and the behind the scenes things I'm doing, yeah, this blog is getting the short shafterino.

Which is a pity, because this is really my place of record for my journey doing this comics thing. As such, I'd be remiss not to mention the upcoming "30 Characters Challenge" I've gotten off the ground.

Next month, myself and a group of [brave, ambitious, foolish, insane] creators are challenging ourselves to create 30 new characters in 30 days...one for every day in November.

Why? Because the world needs new characters! (And I'm sure a whole host of other reasons as well.) For me, it's going to provide a structure around which to get off my duff and start populating the characters for the Colosseum universe.

You remember Colosseum, don't you? It's getting off the ground in a big way, and as soon as art starts coming in, I'll fill readers in on all the details. I'm working with a very strong artist on the project and researching the heck out of the thing. I'm hoping it has just the right combination of catchy high concept, killer visuals, and edgy, in your face writing that will make it a hit.

Anyway, here's a link to the 30 Characters site. Check it out! And sign up, if you dare!

Baltimore Comic-Con Photo Flood- Part II

2009-10-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

More pics from Baltimore!
Had to throw up another shot of that Wolverine costume. This dude was not messing around.
Image had a big presence at this year's show, and the giant Image United banner could not be missed upon entering the convention hall.

I stayed for awhile to see the art auction held after the show ended on Saturday. Some serious money was being spent. You can't really see it here, but the auctioneer is holding up a Neil Adams Batman sketchcard. It went for $500. Wow.

Two really nice pieces. David Peterson was in attendance at the auction, and was there to hand it to the purchaser. That one went for around $500 as well.A Mike Oeming Thor. Apparently, this was done at the show. Someone handed him a marker and he just went to town on it. Dude has some serious chops. $450 or thereabouts.

And this was the highest selling item I saw at the auction. A fully painted Frank Cho Poison Ivy. Could have been yours for the low low price of $4250.

Baltimore Comic-Con Photo Flood- Part I

2009-10-13T04:17:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody!

Still catching up on sleep and rest after a wild Baltimore Comic-Con. I'll be doing a full write up on my con experience over at Comic Related, but here I'm going to post all the pics I took.

Here was my Saturday set-up. As you can see, I had a whole lot of merchandise to sell.

Early Saturday, this was the view from my table.

The happiest Sith warriors you'll find anywhere.

I don't think you can label where my table was as in Artist's Alley. It was more like we were in Artist's Lane, which was along the back wall of the convention center (near the restrooms) and close to the vendors.

Some really great costumes this year.
You know what they say...Couples that dress up as psychopathic super villians together, stay together.

This Wolverine was not messing around.

Back with more pics soon...

Interviews and Mentions in the Blogosphere

2009-10-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Don't we all love to feel relevant? Comics reviewer extraordinaire MPD57 had some nice things to say about my work over at his blog recently when he took up the Herculean task of recapping/reviewing every Zuda Comics competitor to date. Thanks Mike! (And by the way, if you missed out on Mike's recent post Thirty Golden Rules for Submitting to Zuda, it's must read stuff for anyone thinking of giving the Zuda gauntlet a try...and some generally good advice for comics creators.

In other news, I spent a good deal of time at the recent New England Comic-Con talking to Scott Harris from The Vault, a solid comics blog. So much time, in fact, he broke up our conversation into a two part interview. Read Part I and Part II at your leisure.

Attending the Baltimore Comic-Con? Get a FREE SKETCH!

2009-09-18T09:00:00.001-07:00

Saturday and Sunday, October 10th and 11th, you can find me in Artist's Alley at the Baltimore Comic- Con taking place at the Baltimore Convention Center. It's going to be a HUGE show, and as a special treat for con attendees, I'll be doing a number of absolutely FREE SKETCH CARDS!

Want one?

Here's the deal:

If you are attending the Baltimore Comic Con and would like a FREE SKETCH Card, email the following information to tylerjamescomics@gmail.com:

Your name
Sketch character request
The day (or days) you'll be at the Con

I'll be drawing FREE SKETCH CARDS for a limited of comic fans who request them, so act fast. First come, first serve!

All you'll have to do to get your card is stop by my table in artist's alley at some point during the show, say hello, and pick up your FREE SKETCH CARD. Not a bad deal, huh?

...WANT AN EVEN BETTER DEAL?

Get your FREE SKETCH CARD + a FULL CHARACTER SKETCH (7 x10.5 cardboard) for just $8.00. You name the characters! They'll both be bagged and ready to pick up and pay for at the show.

...AND STILL YET A BETTER DEAL?

Get your FREE SKETCH CARD + an ORIGINAL FULL CHARACTER SKETCH COVER to the Tyler James Sketchbook, Vol. 1. Have the character of your choice adorn an original cover to my first 32 page sketchbook of great pinups, cover designs, and sketches from the past five years. All this for just $15.00. Order now by email, and pick up and pay at the show.

Remember, the free sketch cards are being given on a first come, first serve opportunity, so if you're interested and definitely plan on attending the show, send me an email now at tylerjamescomics@gmail.com.

Look What I Made!

2009-09-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

With the help of two delightful gentlemen from Home Depot, I made this easy-to assemble, easy-to-break-down, easy-to-store, and lightweight banner stand out of PVC pipe! Total cost for the stand ~ $12.50. The thing stands a good 7 feet tall and is 3.5 feet wide...It's huge.

At the last convention I tabled at, there was a guy who was unable to find my table and thus went home without the sketch I drew for him. Ha! Never again!

How to Write for Marvel!

2009-09-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

No, don't take my word for it. Take Marvel editor CB Cebulski's. If you're an aspiring comics professional, you should really be following CB on Twitter: @CBCebulski He routinely drops absolute gems of knowledge.

Case in point, this series of Tweets on 9/4/2009:

Simply put, all Marvel editors handle their own writer recruitment on their titles & you need to get your PUBLISHED work into their hands.

Marvel no longer has an open submission policy. Do not send us your scripts/ideas. You can't submit to Marvel unless you're asked to submit

You get asked to submit by getting published elsewhere, or self-publishing, making a name for yourself and sending us your PUBLISHED work.

Then, if an editor likes what he or she reads from you, they may reach out and ask you to pitch them on Marvel comics. That's how it works.

And there you have it. There's no magic bullet. Hearing this kind of thing is really encouraging actually. It puts the onus on you and your work. No one is going to make you a star and no one is going to just hand you a job. It's about earning it.

ICE Gets Thumbs Up from Digital Strips Podcast!

2009-08-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across the Digital Strips Podcast the other day, and listened to their Zuda Watch review from July. As most of you probably remember, ICE was featured in July's Zuda competition. It was nice to hear at very positive review from these guys, and I think they put on an enjoyable show.

Listen here. (They start talking about ICE at the 17:40 mark.)

Attending Boston Comic Book & Toy Spectacular? Get a Free Sketch!

2009-08-23T20:20:00.001-07:00

Sunday, September 20th, I'll be tabling at the Boston Comic Book & Toy Spectacular taking place at the Boston Radison Hotel. As a special treat for con attendees, I'll be doing a number of absolutely FREE SKETCH CARDS.

Want one?

Here's the deal:

If you are attending the Boston Comic Book & Toy Spectacular and would like a FREE SKETCH Card, email the following information to tylerjamescomics@gmail.com:

Your name
Sketch character request

I'll be drawing FREE SKETCH CARDS for a limited of comic fans who request them.

All you'll have to do is stop by my table in artist's alley at some point during the show, say hello, and pick up your FREE SKETCH CARD. Not a bad deal, huh?

...WANT AN EVEN BETTER DEAL?

Get your FREE SKETCH CARD + a FULL CHARACTER SKETCH (7 x10.5 cardboard) for just $8.00. You name the characters! They'll both be bagged and ready to pick up and pay for at the show.

...AND STILL YET A BETTER DEAL?

Get your FREE SKETCH CARD + a ORIGINAL FULL CHARACTER SKETCH COVER to the Tyler James Sketchbook, Vol. 1. Have the character of your choice adorn an original cover to my first 32 page sketchbook of great pinups, cover designs, and sketches from the past five years. All this for just $15.00. Order now by email, and pick up and pay at the show.

Remember, the free sketch cards are being given on a first come, first serve opportunity, so if you're interested and definitely plan on attending the show, send me an email now at tylerjamescomics@gmail.com.

Over Chapter 2 Preview

2009-08-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've posted a new youtube video that gives a preview for Over Chapter 2, which will kick into gear next Monday.

Over Chapter 1 Finished! Read it Here:

2009-08-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

The first 34 page chapter of Over is finished! The first chapter is essentially act I of a standard three act story, and my task now is to get as many people as possible to read the first chapter. My wager is that the story will hook you in if you give me 30 pages or so.

One of the strategies for spreading the word about Over is to use some of the new E-Book reader technologies to deliver it. The cool thing about this tech is that the full comic can be embedded in other websites, just like Youtube videos. Check it out, you can read Over right here in the blog. (Use the fullscreen mode.)

Want to put Over on your site? Grab the html code right here and paste it on your blog or site.

WCRI Podcast Interview Now Up. Give it a Listen!

2009-08-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

Last month I chatted once again with Jamais Jochim of Webcomics Reviews & Interviews. We talked a lot about Zuda and I tried to plug my other projects where appropriate.

Listen to the full interview here.

Catching My Breath...Or Not

2009-08-12T10:48:00.001-07:00

It's been a few days since I posted something on this blog. Part of the reason is that I've barely had time to catch my breadth after last month's Zuda competition. Once again, my comic came up short and once again, I finished 4th. However, the reaction from the public at large was very strong to Interrogation Control Element and I think the team and I can be proud of our work on this project.

I can't say exactly what is next for ICE. I will be printing up a new version of the initial story and plan on talking to some publishers about it. I'm going to take a few weeks of downtime away from the project to clear my head, before coming back with a new game plan on it. But I'll keep you posted here.

Besides that, I'm plugging away at "Over" which is in it's third month of 3 times a week updates. I'm also writing more Tears of the Dragon, posting pages every Tuesday and basically executive producing that project. And I've recently dusted off "Friend Request" a horror short I drew but never completed last year. Looks like it's got another chance to get published by Arcana, so I'm doing my damnedest to get it done. And if all of this wasn't enough, my weekly column at Comic Related continues to keep me busy.

Yes, I'm a little fried. And yes, I could use a vacation. But, in the immortal words of Lil' Wayne "You ain’t grindin’ til you tired." And so it goes...

Pigs of the Industry Review of ICE

2009-07-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

RKB at Pigs of the Industry posted a review of Interrogation Control Element on his blog the other day. RKB has been a big supporter of my work in the past (He reviewed Over recently as well,) and I'm pleased to read from his review that I didn't let him down this time around.

Here's an excerpt:

Handles the subject matter better than some (allegedly) non-fiction books I have read

I've read any number of books, blogs, and saw any number of news reports about the real life policies/actions this story is based on. My view is I.C.E. does an excellent job at idealistic-realism. A fiction story, but what it's based on is all too real. I.C.E. follows in the foot steps of comics like Two-Fisted Tales, Front line Combat, and Blazing Combat. Comics are just as suited to this type of story as any other medium. Shallah (the other force of opposition) , is introduced on screen 5. The two guards we see could have just gotten the Star Trek red shirt treatment, but they didn't. A few lines of dialogue about how one character wanted to marry a girl (if the father agrees), showed readers this man had a life planned for himself. When he is killed in the last panel those words come back to you and give his death meaning in the story. It was also damn impressive to me. One problem with this page Ba-Boom! as a see through sound effect doesn't work. Either give it real impact by making it non-transparent, or go another direction and leave it out completely. Screen 6 shows use the villain Shallah getting out of jail and setting up the future conflict. [Could be a battle of wills forthcoming: can Trip 'break' Shallah?] These screens really added to making this a well rounded Zuda submission. Screen 7 had some more well written dialogue, but I'll believe Gitmo is closed when it happens -maybe a little too hopeful. It does provide a interesting contrast with how things are now in the real world. The dialogue on the last two screens is amazingly done, and so is the art to help avoid 'talking heads', and add to the drama. The resolution provided for 'what do we do with them?' shows politicians in this comic have more guts than real life -as of now. Its a bonus to this story looking at the comic, then looking back to the real world, and seeing just how much they diverge. Realism was the initial draw for me, but by the end it became something different. The real hook here for grabbing readers with this story isn't showing us the way the world is, but the way it could be. I hope the story lives on and thank you/congrats to all the I.C.E. team for a great read.

Read RKB's full review here.

Appearing Live! on Webcomics Reviews & Interviews Tonight!

2009-07-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! The crazy month of July is almost complete! As a nice capstone to this, probably my biggest month in comics, I'm going to be appearing on Webcomics Reviews & Interviews tonight (Wednesday July 28th, 8 PM EDT ) talking to Jamais Jochim about my Zuda experience, ICE, Over, Tears of the Dragon and anything else he wants to chat about.

Listen live and you can call in or chat in questions or comments about Over or any of my other projects.

Here’s the link to bookmark:

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=33290&cmd=tc

T-Shirts Coming Soon!

2009-07-23T05:44:00.001-07:00

One of the big things I plan on doing after the craziness of Zuda month dies down is opening up stores for both Over and Tears of the Dragon.

Both regular and Artist's Editions of Over chapter one have been sent to the printers, and I hope to do the same for the first chapter of Tears relatively soon.

In addition to print books, I'm planning on making some t-shirts available for purchase. Here is a preview of the first Tears shirt that will be available. Again, a special thanks to Andrew Jarvis for the killer logo design.

The ICE Robot 6 Interview!

2009-07-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I talked to the fine folks at Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources as they covered all 10 Zuda contestants. You can read the full interview here, but since this is my blog, I'm re-posting my portion of the interview. Give her a read...

*****************************************************************

JK: Tell me a little bit about yourself — is this your first comic-creating experience, or have you done other work in the field? What do you do when you aren’t creating comics?

Tyler: The Interrogation Control Element (ICE) creative team is four strong. It was conceived and written by me, Tyler James, who Zudaheads may remember from April 2008’s competition, where my comic Super Seed finished 4th (behind two eventual Zuda contract winners.) I’ve been writing and drawing comics for most of the last fifteen years, and am currently the writer/artist of Over, a romantic comedy online graphic novel that debuted last month, and Tears of the Dragon, a fantasy epic, which began its weekly run the 14th of July. When not making funny books, I work as a video game designer and content produce for a small software company, and teach making comics to kids and adults.

I’ve been joined on ICE by the kick ass art team of penciller/ inker Damian Couceiro and colorist Paul Little. Damian is an award winning artist from Argentina, who is most known for his work on Joe Casey’s Full Moon Fever, for AIT Planet Lar. Paul is a workhorse colorist who has made pretty such titles as Bomb Queen (Shadowline/ Image Comics), Dynamo 5 (Image Comics) and The Matriarch (Arcana Studios). (I’ve also grabbed him for work on Tears of the Dragon. He’s too good!) And rounding out the team is editor Steven Forbes, who is copy-editor of Warmageddon Quarterly, co-writer of indy hit Fallen Justice, and writer of two must-read columns for any aspiring comics writers, Bolts & Nuts and The Proving Ground.

JK: What’s your comic about, and where did the idea for it come from?

Tyler: ICE is a story that was inspired by a New York Times article about Deuce Martinez, the CIA interrogator who broke Al Qaeda mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Unlike his colleagues, who were using “enhanced interrogation techniques” to try to break prisoners, Deuce took a different, more cerebral approach. And he was incredibly effective and got the guy talking.

I thought such a character could make for a compelling protagonist. And as I started doing my research on interrogators in the war on terror, it was clear there was a very powerful story to be told here, and one that we haven’t seen much of in film or comics.

As for the story, ICE takes place in a post-Guantanamo Bay world and tells the story of Trip Higgins, a brilliant senior interrogator for the U.S. military. Trip was one of the most effective interrogators in Iraq and Afghanistan earlier in the decade, a by the book kind of guy who used his wits, psychological ruses, and other legal means to consistently break prisoners and provide valuable, accurate intel to his superiors. However, as other interrogators seemed to rely more on those so called “enhanced interrogation techniques” and his superiors turned a blind eye, Trip became disillusioned with his work and left the military.

Jump forward several years and a new administration, and Trip is chosen to become the senior echo (chief of interrogators) of a new Interrogation Control Element on American soil. Here, Trip will be training a young group of ‘gators how to break the nation’s most valuable (and in some cases deadliest) prisoners, within the bounds of the Geneva Conventions. Some of the young interrogators will be extremely wet behind the ears, while others have done this job in the past and may have a different view on the effectiveness and legality of enhanced interrogation, creating conflict with Trip.

Trip’s counterpoint is Fazul Shallah, a brutal extremist who, after an eight month stint in an Afghan prison, decides to eliminate the leadership of his multi-national terrorist organization and assume control himself. Once he’s solidified his control, Shallah coordinates a series of terrible terrorist attacks and soon becomes Trip’s team’s number one priority. When faced with such a ruthless enemy, Trip’s by-the-book tactics and respect for the rule of law will be tested, and the two men with diametrically opposed views are set on a collision course.

JK: How much of your story do you have mapped out at this point, beyond the eight pages that you submitted to Zuda? And how did you decide what to put into those eight pages?

Tyler: Well, there are another couple of pages already drawn by Damian and ready to go, but that was more because I decided I wanted to swap in a different short scene within my crucial eight submission pages. The story is mapped out. I’ve written it as if it were a limited graphic novel series or a feature film. So, all of the major beats, highs and lows, beginning middle and end, etc. are mapped out and a few choice sequences are detailed. Damian’s also been working on some character designs for the rest of our cast who didn’t make the initial 8 pages. But, should we win, I’ll definitely have some full-scripting to do. (But hey, that’s what they’re paying us for, right?)

As for what to include, I think I was able to squeeze as much story into the initial eight pages as I could without going overboard. I felt I needed to set up the world, firmly establish the protagonist, introduce the main antagonist, and set the table for what’s to come. It was important I also gave Damian the chance to show off his chops artwise, and I think he delivered.

JK: What are you doing to market your comic this month?

Tyler: What aren’t I doing to market this thing? I pretty much feel that’s all I’ve been doing for the past week. There’s Twitter posts and updates (you’re following me at @tylerjamescomic, right?) I’ve been doing some on the fly contests through Twitter and hooking people up with some gorgeous ICE prints. I’ve been running some Project Wonderful ads, but I’m determined not to blow my whole DC Comics check on marketing this time around. (That’s the sneakiest thing about the Zuda business plan. Their outlays paying contestants for their work double as advertising. Pretty brilliant.)

Additionally, I whipped up a super cool trailer that has gotten a ton of hits over on YouTube. Watch it. It’ll tingle those patriotic goosebumps Americans get when we here The Star Spangled Banner. I’ve banner ads on all my comic sites, and I’m currently running new content on FOUR different comic sites concurrently with the Zuda contest. So, check out Over, Super Seed, Tears of the Dragon, and CounterTerror if you need more comic goodness from me.

You know, despite the international nature of Zuda competitions, this is not American Idol. It doesn’t take a million votes to win. In fact, it’s more like a high school student body election. But you gotta work for those votes. The “best” comic has no guarantee to win. In fact, you can guarantee the “best” comic won’t win if they don’t match the intensity and hard work they put into the submission with beating the bushes to get the word out.

JK: So no matter how great all the submissions are in a given month, there can be only one. Even if you don’t win, do you plan to continue with your strip in another venue?

Tyler: That’s a great question. You know, the sad part of Zuda, is that there are a whole host of comics that were well-regarded, found an audience, clearly of quality, and yet came up short. The graveyard of Zuda runner-ups is full of a lot of good comics.

From a creator’s standpoint, something bugs me about creators putting a ton of work into their comic, promoting the holy hell out of it, getting positive, constructive feedback on it, and then abandoning it completely because they aren’t going to get the Zuda contract. As if Zuda is the be all and end all of webcomics.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Zuda and I think it would be a tremendous opportunity. But there are SO many other things you can do with your comic properties! For example, I launched Over, a webcomic I’m self-publishing on its own site, overcomic.com, last month and it ended up getting about three times as many page views in a month as Super Seed did when it competed on Zuda. And that’s without heavy advertising, the draw of the competition and the marketing might of DC/Warner Bros. Yes, Zuda is good exposure, but it’s still just a small portion of the vast ocean that is webcomics.

All that being said, we may not choose to go full steam ahead with ICE should we not win the Zuda contract. This is for two reasons. First, ICE is a hard book to write. Writing realistic fiction, dealing with highly controversial, straight from the headlines topics, without any supernatural, suspension of disbelief stuff, is very very difficult. Because, the more realistic the world setting you’re writing, the quicker people are to call bullshit on something that seems far fetched or inaccurate. With a jovial ribbing, this isn’t a problem with entries where you have a talking lab rat and a car-driving monkey. Pretty much anything goes at that point. (I am a fan, though, Mr. Bivens.) Second, ICE is an expensive story to produce. Regardless of whether or not ICE is your favorite submission, from the comments thread on Zuda, there is pretty much universal agreement that this is a professional, quality submission. Professional work costs money. Damian and Paul both cut me a deal on page rates for the Zuda submission and were awesome to do so. Guys, Damian is a star in the making and the sky is the limit for this guy. And Paul is coloring God knows how many books every month. These guys more than earn their paychecks. Unfortunately, at the moment it would be awful tough for me to pay them what they’re worth and foot the bill for a run of the full mini-series/graphic novel, without a publishing deal lined up. (Hint, hint, publishers.)

Regardless though, the story will get told. This will probably be the next feature length screenplay I write. (Everyone says you need at least two spec scripts…I only have one at present.) But I would absolutely LOVE to continue it on Zuda, and for the rest of the month, I’ll be doing everything in my power to make that happen.

Tears of the Dragon Starts Its Run!

2009-07-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

At long last, Tears of the Dragon, the fantasy epic I've been working on for the past year, has made its online debut. Tears is written by Indonesian artist Koko Amboro, colored by Canada's finest Paul Little, and written by All-American boy Tyler James (that's me.)

Tears of the Dragon will update with a new page every Tuesday! So add it to your weekly webcomics rotation, boys and girls.

www.totdcomic.com

ICE Covers ComicsNews.Info

2009-07-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to Gus Higuera, as his Interrogation Control Element interview was picked up by ComicNews.Info and featured as their cover story.

Very cool stuff. Read the article here.

How's the contest going? ICE is currently in 4th place. The first two comics seem to be doing a hell of a marketing job. It'll be interesting to see how this thing plays out.

Also worth checking out is MPD's review of ICE. Never one to gush, MPD has an interesting take. While ICE didn't quite work for him as a Zuda comic, as always, provocative thoughts and Zuda related conversation prevail on his site.

ICE Interview with Gus Higuera of Original Wonders

2009-07-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

I sit down with Gus Higuera of Original Wonders for an interview on ICE.

Give it a read!

Interrogation Control Element Needs Your Vote!

2009-07-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Follow this Link to read Interrogation Control Element.

Sign In to Vote, Rate, Make a Favorite, and Comment!

Every vote counts. Every Vote helps. Especially yours!

Thanks,

Ty

CC!TA+C@Comic Related #6: The Killer Pitch Part I - The High Concept

2009-07-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. I talk about the quick pitch or the high concept in my latest article over at Comic Related. Check it out!

1: Big Goals

2: Resolutions

3: The Great Idea

4: Research- Part 1

5: Research- Part 2

CC!TA+C@Comic Related #4: Research Part II

2009-06-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Another Creating Comics! article at Comic Related is now up. In it, I talk about the development of a research plan for Interrogation Control Element.

If you missed any of my earlier articles, you can always check them at over there, or follow these links:

1: Big Goals

2: Resolutions

3: The Great Idea

4: Research- Part 1

June Projects Update!

2009-06-22T04:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the monthly round up of all things Tyler James Comics!

Over

Kick-off month has been a success! With very little advertising outside of my Twitter/Facebook updates reminding folks a new page is up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Over has already gotten off to a promising start. Some 2000+ unique visitors have stopped by overcomic.com, and the story has yet to get into full gear. Additionally, I'm pleased with the response Over is getting, especially from folks who aren't your typical comic book readers.
I was also happy to have Over score a positive first review from RKB and Pigs of the Industry. If you haven't read the review, make sure you check it out.
I'm on schedule to wrap up the first 34 page chapter before the end of the month, and will then start the printing process. More details on how you can get your hands on a print copy of Over next month.

ICE

You know the old saying, "A trailer speaks louder than words?"

Tears of the Dragon

Still on schedule for it's July 14th kickoff. Colored pages are starting to come in from Paul Little, and I'm expecting another batch of pages from Koko very soon.
Here's just another glimpse at Tears for ya.
I need to budget some time to work on the script for the second issue of Tears, so that Koko can pick right up with it as soon as he finishes the latest pages.

Creating Comics! The Art + Craft

I'm now four articles into my run over at Comic Related. So far so good. It'd be nicer if I could get more comments and discussion going in the comments fields, but it's still early in my tenure as a comic columnist. Hopefully some people are finding my articles beneficial.
If you needs to get caught up on the articles, here is a link to the latest column.

Other Stuff

Sure, there's other stuff going on. Lot's of it. Another Creating Comics! class in the fall, conventions stuff to plan, promotions galore for my various endeavors. I'm a busy kid at the moment. But busy is good.

Pigs of the Industry Interview!

2009-06-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

In addition to his review of Over, which I mentioned the other day, Pigs of the Industry blogger RKB interviewed me for his blog, asking questions about Over and some of my other projects, and about how I do the voodoo that I do.

Read the full interview at his site here.

Over #3: Pigs of the Industry Reviews "Over"

2009-06-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

I just read Pigs of the Industry's review of Over, my romantic comedy online graphic novel that launched at the beginning of this month. Pigs' blogger-in-chief RKB usually reviews Zuda competition submissions, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear he was going to be reviewing my self published title this week.

RKB was a big supporter of Super Seed when it had a go in the April 2008 Zuda comp, and I was pleased to read in his review that he is also really enjoying Over. A snippet from his review:

The dialogue and Felix's interactions with the people he knows has some funny lines and real feelings in just the first few pages. What puts Over over the top with me is the color scheme, and the letters. The tonal coloring matches the moments in the story....

The best thing for me about the story is the 3-D characters I'm seeing on my flat screen. I have no idea how this story is going to end. Will Felix get Faith back??? I doubt it, but it could happen. Will Gwen become a new love interest for Felix? Will Sootch become a quaterback in the NFL??? Will Tony ever get those pages of 'Fire of the Pendragon'? The fact I care about what happens to all these characters (not just Felix), is proof Tyler did a amazing comic you should be reading.

Read RKB's full review here.

CC!TA+C@Comic Related #4: Research Part I

2009-06-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

My latest Creating Comics! article at Comic Related is now up. I discuss the importance of research and gives some tips for researching for your comic stories.

If you missed any of my earlier articles, you can always check them at over there, or follow these links:

#1: Big Goals

#2: Resolutions

#3: The Great Idea

On the Screen #6: Arkham Trailer

2009-06-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Pretty damn creepy for a cartoon, no?

Other Art

2009-06-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

I don't do a ton of art as a game designer at work. But every once and a while, I'll get to break out the artistic chops for one thing or another. Here is a piece I did for a small project we're working on this summer. This is Haley.

CC!TA+C@Comic Related #3: The Great Idea

2009-06-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

I did my thing again this week over at Comic Related. This essentially a revised and expanded discussion of what to do when that moment of inspiration hits and you have a killer idea for a story.

To read the full article, follow this link.

Tears of the Dragon #19: Another Sneak Peek!

2009-06-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

Happy to report that Tears of the Dragon is right on schedule. Just got an outstanding batch of pages from Koko Amboro in my inbox this morning. This project has been in the works since last summer, and while a few people have been able to check out Tears in the limited print run of Tyler James Comics Presents...Vol. 1 and the TOTD ashcans I've had at shows, the project has been largely under wraps. That changes Tuesday, July 14, when Tears goes live!

To hold you over, here is the sneakiest of peeks at some of the latest pages of Tears.

CC!TA+C@Comic Related #2: Resolutions

2009-06-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

The second installment of my new weekly column, Creating Comics! The Art + Craft debuted at Comic Related last night. As I mentioned last month, I'm excited about writing this column for the folks at CR and looking forward to reaching out to a broader audience.

In this week's column I discuss resolutions, the habits that make achieving your goals more possible. Check it out.

And if you missed last week's column, that's not a problem. Head on over and leave a comment.

Over #2: Launch Day!

2009-06-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

June 1 is here and so is Over! As I announced last month, I would soon be launching my first online graphic novel. The first page went live today. The site will update with content daily for at least the first month, and a new page will load every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

If you haven't checked it out, well, head on over to Overcomic.com and give it a shot.

May Projects Update!

2009-05-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, time really does fly. It's been a busy May and it doesn't look like there's any letting up. Here's the run-down of what I've been up to comics wise and what's coming up!

Over

As announced earlier this month, Over, the online graphic novel I've been working on since the beginning of the year, will debut this coming Monday, June 1. Over is a romantic comedy about the ridiculous lengths creative people sometimes go to get over a bad breakup.

Since I've committed to an aggressive three-times a week (Monday-Wednesday-Friday) update schedule, I've been hard at work on pages this month so that I can maintain that schedule. Once I knock out a page tomorrow, I will have hit my target of having at least 7 weeks' worth of content finished prior to "going live."
Speaking of going live, I've also been hard at work at polishing the Over website. The url is www.overcomic.com. I'll be putting the finishing touches on it this weekend, adding a few "cold open" pages of content, and then kicking off the comic with the first page on Monday. Hope you'll check it out.

ICE: Interrogation Control Element

Still no word from Zuda whether ICE does or does not "meet their editorial needs at this time." Technically, they still have about 37 days to make a decision, according to their policies and procedures, however if I haven't heard from them by the 20th of next month, experience has shown me that it's going to be a pass.
If Zuda passes on ICE...yeah, I'm going to be bummed. Last year, I made a calculated effort to take three cracks at submitting to Zuda. I was confident after getting Super Seed in, that all I had to do was partner with some great artists and produce stories that I could market effectively and I was a shoe in. Well, neither CounterTERROR or Tears of the Dragon made it past Zuda editorial, which did surprise me. If they pass on ICE, it'll be even more of a shock. But, it's out of my hands at this point. Damian, Paul and I produced a high quality submission that we are all proud of. Zuda's decision won't effect that in the slightest.
The topical nature of ICE is undeniable, and the torture/terror/prisoner debate continues to stay front page news. If you didn't catch this clip, it's really worth watching.

Tears of the Dragon

I've been doing a lot of research on castles of late, so that I can give enough reference information to Koko for this next batch of pages he's working on. Some of the best books on castles for my purposes are actually illustrated children's books, so I certainly got some looks from the librarian on checking out a stack of books from the kids' section. But this is what I do for my craft. ;)
Expecting to see pages from Koko any day. He received a shipment of art supplies from me earlier this month, and is working on professional comic book art paper for the first time, and enjoying it.
Still on track for a Tuesday, July 14th update. You will definitely hear me use the phrase "Tears of the Dragon Tuesdays" this summer. I'm all about the slogans and taglines.

Creating Comics! The Art + Craft

You caught the launch of my new column at Comic Related this Monday, right? Of course you did.
Seriously, I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the fine things the folks at Comic Related are doing. It'll be a good venue to reach out to a broader audience than my blog or other social networks reach and hopefully share some advice with prospective and aspiring comics creators.
The column will run every Monday for at least the next six months and hopefully longer than that. So head over and post a comment if you like what you read.

Other Stuff

I'll be submitting a revised course listing for my Creating Comics! adult class. I also plan on doing a better job of advertising my class to help ensure it meets the required enrollment numbers.
I've started researching and plotting work on a new superhero book with a cool historical hook. Not ready to announce it or give any more details about the story in specifics, but I have high hopes that this could be a big breakthrough book for me. Why? Well, it has a number of great things going for it. A short, catchy, clever, memorable title that evokes the subject matter? Check. An evocative and intriguing one sentence pitch? Check. An opportunity for strong visuals and even stronger characters? Check. A great artist attached? Yup, I've got one interested. What I'm working on now is trying to figure out who the main protagonist should be and narrow in on the major theme of the book. Right now, I have a strong idea with a lot of sizzle that'll get an audience to take a look. What I have to do is fill out the substance and decide what I'm trying to say by writing this book.
I'm trying to line up and schedule my convention appearances for the rest of the year. I'll be posting some updates on that in the coming weeks.

Alright, that's about it. You're caught up. Now back to the grind!

Creator's Toolkit #7: The Comic Book Script Archive

2009-05-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Comic Book Script Archive is a very cool link and resource for aspiring comic writers and fans who want to read original comic scripts.

I'll definitely be using this as a resource in my Creating Comics! classes, and probably be reading a few myself.

Worth checking it out.

On the Screen #5: Star Trek vs Terminator Salvation

2009-05-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Two big budget classic sci-fi reboots are battling it out for your box office buck this weekend. Terminator: Salvation will be the big winner in sales this Memorial Day, but Star Trek is continuing to do well, fueled by great word of mouth and strong reviews. I've seen them both, and am going to give you my take. In a head to head contest, it is no contest...Star Trek is a far superior film and a more enjoyable trip to the theaters.

First a note: I wanted to love Terminator, and I'm not a Trekkie. I never really got into the old TV show, and while my step-father was a huge fan of that show and The Next Generation, it was always take it or leave it for me. And while I saw most of the Star Trek films, I was never all that blown away by them. But Terminator...I've always been a huge fan of the series. I first saw the original in an edited version, sneaking up past my bedtime watching on pay cable...which makes every movie better. And T2...what a flick! I've been saying for years that the two most influential movies of the 90's were Pulp Fiction and Terminator 2. Cameron's film set the bar for every special effects heavy blockbusters to come afterwards, and set it high.

Furthermore, Terminator 2 was the first R rated movie my step-father ever took me to. I was 12 at the time, and remember fondly lobbying my mother with a series of reasons why she should let me go see it. (I believe I had to promise to close my eyes at any overly violent parts and agree to watch two G-rated movies to counteract the "effects" of T2. Gotta love mom.) But anyway, my step-dad and I went to it and we both loved it. He passed away almost a decade ago now, and silly enough that trip to the theater is one of the fond memories of him I carry with me to this day. So, note to all you recent fathers...you never know which moments it will be that your kids are going to hang on to. Do your best to make them all special, got it?

Okay, now, the reviews. The running theme of this post is that Star Trek got it right and Terminator Salvation didn't. Here's how:

The Two Protagonists Problem

Storywise, Star Trek is a perfect example of "The Hero's Journey." It's the story of James T. Kirk, first and foremost. The story moves, in swift and entertaining fashion, from the tragic circumstances of Kirk's birth, to him as a fearless yet reckless child, to an underachieving young rabblerouser, to a man who fulfills his destiny to sit in the Captain's chair of the U.S.S. Enterprise. There's no question, not for one second, that this is Kirk's story. Sure, there are other main characters, all of the popular ones from the classic series are there. And yes, Spock gets a lot of screentime (we even spend time with him as a child) and he has a hero's journey of his own. But Spock's main purpose, as it has always been, is to serve as that cool headed, completely rational counterpoint to Kirk's passion and bravado. Star Trek doesn't have schizophrenia. JJ Abrams knows whose movie Star Trek is.

McG, I'm afraid, does not. One of screenwriting guru Robert McKee's rules of story: Have only one main protagonist. Terminator Salvation has two. And as a result, neither character lives up to his or her full potential. Any Terminator fan went into the theater expecting for the first time to watch the story of John Conner as an adult, leading the resistence in the post-Judgement Day future. With mega-star Christian Bale as the lead, he clearly had to be the protagonist, right? Well, not really. Bale splits screentime with Sam Worthington, who plays Marcus Wright, a deathrow prisoner who wakes up 15 years after he was executed to find himself alive in the wartorn apocolyptic future. And the problem is, Worthington's story is far more interesting than Bale's. Worthington's character actually arcs...Bale's not so much. John Conner simply isn't given that much to do, and as a result, Bale's performance is largely one note. But, because Terminator fans are so familiar and invested in the John Conner character, it's kind of head scratching to wonder why we're spending so much time watching this other guy. For you sci-fi writers, keep this in mind...Two protagonists = one problem.

Lighten It Up

Good drama contains successive moments of raising tension, and then releasing it. Wax and repeat. Fundamentally, comedy is the same way. You put characters in an impossible, humorous situation and then watch the trainwreck ensue and the punchline delivered. Tension raised, tension released. Star Trek was not a comedy by any stretch of the imagination. But it was funny. Great directors and writers understand that the higher the tension and higher the stakes at play in action movies, the greater the impact of a well-placed gag or joke. Your audience needs room to breathe a bit, and a chuckle inbetween one perilous scene of impending doom to another goes a long way. Go ahead. Name a great action movie. Any one. I'll bet somewhere amidst the explosions and the life-or-death stakes, there were some good one liners. And Star Trek delivered them. Simon Pegg practically stole the show as Scotty.

Terminator Salvation, on the other hand...There was not a single moment of levity in the entire flick. Not one! The movie made the mistake of taking itself too damn seriously. Sure, I get that it's a post apocolyptic future with most of humanity wiped out and killer super-machines trying to murder the few who are left. Not exactly vaudevillian stuff. But one of the themes the movie was struggling to get across is that there's a difference between man and machine. And, one of those great characteristics of humanity is our ability to laugh in the face of danger, and make light of even the most perilous situations. This movie left some funny on the table, and as a result, we were never drawn as fully into the characters' plights as we could have been if we just liked them a little more. And the strange thing is, the early Terminator flicks understood this. Arnold's deadpan lines and lack of understanding of human culture made for some funny comedic moments. And that contributed to a better film.

Antogonists are Important

Now, Eric Bana's portrayal of Nero, the main villain in Star Trek, is not going to win him any awards. But at least Star Trek had a main villain. There was a reason James Cameron had Arnold play the Terminator and waited until the very end of the first movie before he completely removed his skin and went all machine. Simple fact is, it's easier to root for (and against) humans than generic killer robots. In Arnold's Terminator, we had a classic villain...unstoppable, unemotional, unrelenting. But who is the main villain in the new one? Well, it's Skynet. It's a computer. Now, sure, there were some cool new Terminator machines in Salvation. There were killer airships and killer motorcycles and killer robot eels and killer giant robots. But, there's nothing behind it, no big main villain, and without a human face to hate, well, it leaves the audience yawning.

Look at The Matrix. The Wachoskis understood this. The enemy was the machines in that movie too, but they created Agent Smith too give us a cold hearted bastard to root against. Salvation could have used an Arnold (and not the weird CGI Arnold they pulled out at the end of the movie), a Robert Patrick, or (uggh) even a Kristanna Loken.

There's Making the Old New Again...

Star Trek has always worked because, at the very heart of it all, it's a story about the power of friendship. And that, my friends, is a timeless theme. Star Trek paid homage nicely to the original, with cameos and lines and such that longtime fans would remember. But it felt fresh, a testament to both the screenwriters and the director. (And a hot young cast didn't hurt, I suppose.)

...and Then There's the New That Seems Old

Unfortunately, Terminator Salvation, as a movie, has nothing new to say. There are no timeless themes present in this flick. It's largely a soul-less movie. And as a result, even their efforts to pay homage to earlier films fall flat. Yes, I did like the fact that a teenage Kyle Reese's first lines in the film were "Come with me if you want to live." In fact, Anton Yelkin the young actor who played Reese (and also, played a young Chekov in Star Trek) did a pretty great job of sounding like a young Michael Beihn. But Bale uttering Arnold's most famous line from the first two films later on in the film just seems kind of tired. And furthermore, the revelation of what Marcus Wright actually is just wasn't that interesting. (Especially to Battlestar Galactica fans. Clearly John Conner has never heard of a Cylon.)

In sum, Star Trek delivers, Terminator Salvation does not. See 'em both? Love to hear your take.

Creating Comics! The Art + Craft at Comic Related

2009-05-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hey all. Just wanted to give you the heads up that this coming Monday, my new column, "Creating Comics! The Art + Craft" will debut at Comic Related, a popular comic culture, news, and reviews website.

Though I'm a relatively new to the Comic Related community, I've been checking them out ever since I was interviewed by Eric Ratcliffe, one of their most prolific columnists, at the Boston Comic Con. I've found on the site a nice combination of interesting articles and reviews, podcasts, comic previews, webcomics, and an all-around positive community, with a keen interest in supporting and promoting independent books and up and coming talent.

After completing my recent series on Writing Process here at my blog and getting some solid feedback from readers who said the series was an enjoyable read and both helpful and inspiring, I decided it was time I gave writing a regular column to a wider audience a shot. Luckily, Chuck Moore, the main man at Comic Related was enthusiastic about bringing me on board as a regular columnist.

So, hey, look forward to a weekly column from yours truly over at Comic Related! Hope you'll check it out over there and leave me some comments!

Tweet Tweet

2009-05-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

I'm a relatively new Twitter user, but yes, I am a tweeting. You can follow me @tylerjamescomic if you so choose. (Or, if you look to the left of this blog post, you'll see my Twitter feed featured on this blog, and can follow me by clicking on the Follow tab.) It took a little while for me to understand the hows, and more importantly the whys of Twitter, but I totally get it now.

I've been a Facebook user for years now, and the concept of the "status update" from your friends was a familiar one. But as I've heard it described recently, Twitter is also tool to get status updates from your friends, except all your friends can be celebrities if you want. And that's totally what it is.

While I'm following plenty of my close personal friends, it's definitely cool to follow big name artists and other creators I look up to. It's oddly interesting to know what Jim Lee had for breakfast, for example. Last week was the big annual Marvel creative summit. Monitoring Tweets from Brian Bendis, Jason Aaron, and others is about as close as I'll get to being there (for the time being, anyway.)

I also figured out how to rig it so I can text in Tweets, and did some of that while tabling at the Boston Comic Con. And then, I figured out how to hook it up so that my Facebook status would automatically be updated when sent a Tweet. Which means I can also update my FB status via text message. Technology is so freaking cool.

Tears of the Dragon #18: Exclusive New Wallpaper

2009-05-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hey there.

New Tears of the Dragon wallpaper available over at the new Tears of the Dragon Website. The site itself is under construction and won't go live until July 14, 2009, when Tears starts its regular weekly updating schedule.

But, as a gift to those who joined the Tyler James Comics Facebook Group recently, I've made some exclusive new wallpaper available.

But wait, that looks familiar. Yes, it's similar to the wallpaper displayed here before, with a few additions. The new image features the awesome Tears of the Dragon logo designed by Andrew Jarvis. You'll also notice that the fearsome dragon, Sythic, is now gray, and that's how he'll appear in the comic.

If you'd like to grab this exclusive wallpaper two, click here. The password is dragontears.

Also, if you haven't joined my Facebook Group, please do.

Over #1: New Online Graphic Novel Debuting June 1!

2009-05-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Announcement time! After months of alluding to it on my blog, I'm officially announcing the upcoming launch of Over, a romantic comedy graphic novel that will be debuting on the web June 1, 2009.

This is a project nearly six months in the making, one that began as a graphic novel, transitioned to a screenplay, has gone through more than four script rewrites, and has now been translated back into a graphic novel. The story is finally at a point where I can say with some confidence, "Yup, this'll work and I think people will like it."

Over marks my first return to handling both penciling and art chores on a book since the third issue of Super Seed was completed more than a year ago. (Wow. That's crazy.) I'm absolutely loving drawing again, and I better, because Over will be my most ambitious project to date.

When Over goes live on June 1, it will run on its own website, and update with a new page every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I also have a ton of original blog content to add to the Over site, so I hope to make it a fun destination for your weekly web-surfing. Expect to hear more about the project in the weeks to come leading up to its launch, but for now, here's a bit more about what's in store...

Over

Story and Art by Tyler James

Breaking up is the easy part…

Struggling to get over the woman who broke his heart, indy comic book writer Felix Hughes makes a graphic novel recounting every painful detail of the breakup. Convinced he’s created a work of staggering relevance and romantic brilliance, Felix expects the book to bring him fame, fortune, a visit to Oprah’s couch, and possibly even his ex-girlfriend back. Unfortunately, the graphic novel is completely unpublishable, and threatens to destroy his relationships, his career, and his chance at finding love again.

Join Felix and a cast of oddball characters, including Tony Tuttle, his irascible publisher and the Editor-In-Chief of Blam! Comics; Skate, his cocky artist partner on the hit fantasy comic “Fire of the Pendragon”; Gwen, Tony’s adorably flaky assistant who hangs on Felix’s every word; Jinx Jeffers, the only bum in this small New England town; Troy, Matt and Sootch, the neighborhood boys with whom Felix starts a war; and a dog named Stan Lee.

Free Comic Book Day Tomorrow May 2!

2009-05-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yup, you heard that right. Free! Every year, comic shops around the nation hand out tons of free comics on the first Saturday of May. This year, there are more than 40 titles being given out for free...pretty much something for everyone.

I'm planning on stopping by a number of shops during the day. I'm especially looking forward to The Avengers book by Brian Bendis and Jimmy Cheung. I heard Bendis glowing the other day on how this book has the best work of Cheung's career. I'm a big fan of Jimmy's work and think he's a phenomenal artist, so it's a must have.

The other blockbuster book dropping tomorrow is Blackest Night #0. Now, I'm not a huge fan of the DCU, and don't know if I've picked up an issue of Green Lantern since I was six years old. However, all indications point to this series being a blockbuster. I haven't read a ton of his work but Geoff Johns is one of the most respected writers over at DC. Likewise, I haven't seen much of Ivan Reis' work, but it looks pretty good.

Resurrection #0 by Mark Guggenheim, from Oni Press, looks interesting. And I'm definitely down with seeing what's up with The Savage Dragon these days.

Dark Horse is putting out a free Aliens / Predator book which could be fun. (Those comics always were better than the movies.) Arcana Studios Presents contains four stories in one, and has some Koni Waves written by a friend, Mark Poulton. Very cool for him to have his book get a high profile national distribution.

There's also a Wolverine book that coincides nicely with this weekend's big movie release. And, for the kids, there's Disney/Pixar's Cars #1, which I've heard is actually pretty great.

So, in short, hit up a comic shop this weekend. Take at kid along with you. You can't beat free.

To find a participating Free Comic Book Day shop near you, use this store locator.

The History of Comics Project

2009-04-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, I did a page for a very cool project on "The History of Comics" being orchestrated by Curtis Lawson, writer of Kincaid and founder of Broken Soul Press. Curtis wrote a script and has recruited different artists to each draw a page. This book will be collected in a comic and the art is going to be displayed for the public.

Here's my page. I wish I could have spent a bit more time on it, because Curtis' script gave me a lot of free reign to draw cool stuff. I think it came out okay. (Click the picture for a larger size.)

PAGE SIX (Four Panels)

Panel 1. This is a large panel across the top of the page with Paris standing in the foreground. In the background we see numerous golden age style heroes and villains battling in the back ground.

PARIS:

With the introduction of Action Comics #1, Superhero books exploded onto the scene. Super powered do-gooders could be found on every news stand, fighting for truth and justice.

Panel 2. Paris and some character that looks vaguely like Captain America are fighting Nazis.

PARIS:

Many of these early comic book heroes found popularity by fictitiously taking part in the American war effort against Germany and Japan.

Panel 3. Paris is standing next to the Captain America looking character. The captain has his foot on the prone body of a knocked out Hitler.

PARIS:

But after the war was won, American readers found their tastes to be drifting from costumed avengers.

Panel 4. A shady, criminal looking character and a sultry pulp vixen glare at a caped super hero and gesture him off panel.

CRIMINAL:

Get out of here, tough guy.

PARIS(CAP):

Although the superhero never went away, its popularity did diminish as readers were drawn to the darker world of crime and suspense stories.

My Writing Process Part X: An Artist Ready Script

2009-04-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

I made it! Several months ago, I committed to writing a ten part series reflecting on my writing process. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a lot of people have found my musings on craft helpful. Over the past few months, I've written about developing the Great Idea, conducting Research to develop that idea and and crafting a Killer Pitch. I've written about ways to write Characters That'll Make You Give a Damn, ways to make your stories Structurally Sound, and how to plot your tales Beat by Beat. I've written my views on what makes Scenes Memorable, listed rules for writing Sharp Dialogue, and given tips for attacking the Re-Write. At this point in the writing process, there's really not a whole lot left to do. You're almost ready to put your baby in the hands of other talent. Let's talk about those finishing touches.

X. An Artist Ready Script

A year ago, I didn't have much to say about this topic. Because I've always done all of my own drawing and lettering, I really haven't had much need to share my comic scripts with other people. But, last summer I made the decision to try to work with a few outstanding artists to bring some great new comics to life. Now I wasn't only writing for myself, I was writing for an artist. Because of this, it was important to take my scripts to another level of professionalism and quality. What follows are some suggestions of things you should do prior to sending your scripts off to the artist.

Proofread. Should go without saying, right? Unfortunately, it needs to be said. You're the writer. Proofreading is your job. It's not your artist's job and it's not your letterers job. It's not even your editor's job, if you have one. I'm shocked at how many people posts scripts online on sites like Pencil Jack or Digital Webbing for feedback or for artists to try their hand at sequentials who have God awful errors in spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and syntax. We're talking scripts that aren't even fit for a remedial high school English class. I'm not even including the content here, I'm simply talking about easily corrected errors. I can't count how many times I've looked at scripts online and haven't made it past the first line of the script without coming across a typo. And punctuation? From the looks of many of the scripts online, you'd assume there's a gene common to aspiring comic writers that makes them allergic to commas and periods. I even read one script that was posted online looking for feedback, where the writer said at the top, "Hey, I'm looking for feedback on this script. Don't worry about the spelling or English mistakes. I've got people who will take care of that for me later." Trust me. I didn't worry about it. Because after coming across 15+ easily correctable errors on page 1, I stopped reading.

No, it's your job to do the best you possibly can at proofreading your script before you put it in the hands of your artists. Look at it from the artists perspective. If you're an aspiring writer, you're likely partnering up with an aspiring comic artist. (I'd suggest partnering up with someone a little more seasoned than yourself...they'll make you look good.) Realize that when it's all said and done, they're probably going to put more time into the comic than you have, simply because it takes longer to draw than it does to write. Also remember, most of the time you're going to care about the script a lot more than your artist partner will. It's your baby. It's going to take the artist a while to get invested. So, if the artist gets a script that has typos and easily corrected errors, what's he going to think? Well, either, A.) You're not a great writer. (This is not good. If I'm an artist trying to make a name for myself, I want to partner with the next undiscovered superstar, ala Matt Fraction or Jason Aaron, and not some guy who doesn't know the difference between "there" and "their.") Or B.) You just don't care that much about this script. (Also not good. If the writer doesn't care enough to run his script through spellcheck, why should the artist. So, maybe instead of doing his or her absolute best work, he'll cut corners here and there, leave out little details, fake perspective, etc.)

You want the alternative. You want to send the artist a pristine, engaging, dynamic script that inspires him to do his best possible work. Be professional. Proofread.

Be clear. When you turn your script over to an artist, you are entrusting your vision of the story to another. The only way to ensure that your story is told the way you want to tell it is to be as clear as possible. When you're writing descriptions, you need to describe as best as you can, the precise picture of the panel you have in your head. Who is in the panel? What's the setting? What's the action? Where is the camera positioned? What is the focal point? The more of these details you include, the more likely it is that your artist will deliver.

Remember, with a rich and detailed descriptions, a strong artist can deliver the picture you have in your head. The more details you leave out, the more you'll get the picture in the artist's head.

Provide reference. Drawing comics is time consuming work. Think about it. Brian Michael Bendis can write five different comic books a month. How many can Bryan Hitch draw? Ten a year, maybe? Because penciling and inking is so time consuming, as a writer, you want to make things as easy as possible for the talent you're working with. You want them spending most of their time drawing. But, it you write in your script something like, "The sky is filled with a squadron of World War II-era planes," and leave it at that, what's the artist going to do? Most likely, he's going to spend time Googling old warplanes. Think about it? Do you want your artist Googling, or do you want him drawing?

Since you've done research anyway, (and if you haven't, here is why you should) providing links in your script or creating a shared online photo album with potentially helpful images should be easy. Cut your artist some slack and do some of this work for him. You may also find that a lot of the same reference material that inspires your writing on a particular project will help inspire the artist, too.

On ICE: Interrogation Control Element, for example, I wrote this in the script I sent to Damian Couceiro:

Panel 1- Full black panel, save a stream of water pouring down the center of the panel.

CAP (TRIP)- There are sixteen authorized interrogation methods consistent with the Geneva Conventions.

Panel 2- Close in on the face of Iraqi prisoner Number 240, HESHAM FARUK. He is strapped down on a table, with a blindfold over his eyes. There is a strap around his forehead, which is attached to the board he's lying on. The stream of water is filling up in his mouth and he is clearly in panic and pain. He's being waterboarded.

CAP (TRIP)- This is not one of them.

REFERENCE NOTE: This opening approach was inspired by this short clip. Watch for great reference. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/22/advertising.humanrights

Sketch a layout. Sometimes when writing comics, you're going to ask a lot of an artist. Maybe there's a particularly tricky action sequence that just has to be done right. Maybe there's a page with a heavy amount of dialogue, and every word truly matters. Rather than fire that page off to your artist and hope for the best, it's a good idea to try to layout the page yourself first.

Sure, easy for me to say. I've drawn a couple hundred pages of comics in my lifetime. So it should be no problem to layout a page, right? When I'm telling you to layout a page, I'm not asking for a beautifully rendered piece of art. Anyone can draw rectangular panels and stick figures. Below is a page from one of Jeph Loeb's scripts for Batman: The Long Halloween. You'll see Jeph did a quick and dirty layout for his artist, Tim Sale.

By taking a stab at laying out a page, you will better be able to answer questions: Will it all fit on the page? Will these panels have impact? What's the most important panel on the page? Where are my word balloons going to go? You want to have confidence that the script you send your artist will work as written. Doing some quick layouts is one way to get that confidence.

Do these things, and you're ready. Once you've proofread your work and are sure it would pass muster in English class, once you've been as clear as you need to be, once you've provided reference where helpful, and once you are confident the pages will work as written by sketching or laying out your page quickly yourself, you're ready to turn your work over to an artist. Congrats!

And now things get fun. You get to take off your writer's hat, and put on your producers hat, to shepherd the project from written page to finished comic. This brings up it's own set of challenges, and is outside the scope of this article series. But trust me, once those pages start showing up in your email box, all the work you've put into writing suddenly becomes so worth it.

Alright, that's it for this series on writing process. Thanks for reading. My enjoyment for writing this series and the fact that others have found it beneficial has lead to an exciting new opportunity. In a few weeks, I'll be starting up a weekly column titled "Creating Comics! The Art & Craft" which will run on the popular comic news site Comic Related. There I'll be expanding on the topics I've been talking about in this series, and hopefully bringing some tools, perspective and a whole lot of inspiration to a wider audience. I'll be talking more about that series as it gets closer to launching next month. Hope you'll join me there.

Tears of the Dragon #17: Chapter 1 Cover Layout

2009-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

I got a fresh batch of layouts from Koko Amboro, artist extraordinaire on Tears of the Dragon. A lot of good stuff from Koko. There are two pages I want to take a stab at re-laying out myself. I think it's my fault in that these two pages were trying to incorporate a lot of action. But for the most part the layouts were approved by me and Koko's ready to start cranking on those pencils.

For a sneak peek, check out this cover design for the print version of Tears of the Dragon- Chapter One: To Become King.

Pretty cool, no?

April Projects Update!

2009-04-24T11:51:00.001-07:00

Here's a quick update on what's going on in Tyler James Comics land. Though I'm seemingly busier than ever with comics projects, this is going to seem like the calm before the storm of what I'm anticipating will be a crazy summer. Here we go...

ICE: Interrogation Control Element

All quiet on the ICE front now that she's been submitted to Zuda. There's not much I can do but wait...Well, that's not exactly true. There's a marketing plan to create, banner ads to develop, I could do a production website...you know, I did all those things in anticipation of both Tears and CounterTERROR getting into a Zuda comp, and it may have jinxed me. So, for now, all I'm going to do is keep reading and researching.
If there's one thing ICE is, probably more so than any comic ever to appear on Zuda, it's topical. ICE is being helped by the headlines, what with the interrogation techniques memos being released recently and the torture debate flaring up again on cable news and talk radio. It's clearly a topic that gets people fired up. Right, Shep Smith...

Tears of the Dragon

I previewed the new Tears logo, designed by Andrew Jarvis, on this blog earlier in the week. I'm pretty jazzed about it.
Koko Amboro is cranking on layouts for the second half of the first chapter. I can't wait to see what he's come up with, and expect an email from him soon.
I put in a big art supplies order this week for Koko. See, Koko lives in Indonesia, and getting his hands on top quality art supplies is often a challenge. So, I'll be compensating Koko for his great work on Tears with some professional quality comic formatted bristol board paper, as well as some curve templates, pens, and comic drawing books. A lot more fun to go on a shopping spree for Koko than it is to just send him a check.
Expect Tears to launch as a weekly updating webcomic this summer. Launch date to come soon.

Screenplay/Graphic Novel Project

Except for a few close friends and family, I've kept the details to this project pretty close to the vest. Well, I'm not quite ready to go into more details yet, but next month, I will be. And shortly there after, I'll launch it as an online graphic novel.
In the last few weeks, I've started the process of managing my own websites. I've now got server space/hosting through Dreamhost and have started learning to manage a Wordpress site with the Comic Press theme. Luckily, it's been easier to learn than I thought, and I've already built the template site for my OGN. All I need is the content...
Speaking of which, I now have 3+ weeks of comic content completed for my site. I'm holding off launching until I have 7-10 weeks of content completed. Finding an audience and sticking to a regular, consistent update schedule is going to be crucial to its success, and I'm committed to sticking to one. I'm also planning on updating three times a week, thus I need quite a few pages in the bag prior to launching. Luckily, I'm really enjoying what I'm doing. Okay, here's one more sneak peak...

Super Seed

I recently finished up the Blood Thinning storyline over at superseedcomic.com. I'm going to hold off launching the next storyline, Poster Child, until I hear whether ICE will be in a Zuda competition or not. Basically, if ICE gets in a Zuda contest, then I want to run Super Seed updates concurrently, and run an ICE banner ad along with Super Seed, so that people who check out Super Seed at Webcomics Nation will be encouraged to head on over to read ICE as well. If Zuda passes on ICE, then I'll start Super Seed updates shortly after being notified.
I recently checked out my sales of Super Seed over at Indyplanet.com. I was pleasantly surprised to see a big jump in sales recently for all issues of Super Seed. I often forget those issues are being sold online, so it was nice to check in and see people are finding it and adding Super Seed to their stacks. I think my recent appearance at the Boston Comic Con and my podcast interview on Comic Related can probably take credit for the boost in online sales.

Other News

Next month, I'll be starting a weekly column on a popular comics news website. I'm stoked about it. Expect an announcement with more details about the site and the column soon.
I'm drawing a comic page for a pretty cool "History of Comics" comic for a writer I met at the Boston Comic Con. I've got to finish the page up tonight, but will share when it's done.
Bummed that my Creating Comics! class was canceled this spring, but I've been talking online with one of the people who signed up (he too was bummed) and it looks like we'll be getting together to talk comics sometime in the near future. So cool!
I'm looking into my next convention appearances, and expect to have some announcements about the next shows I'll be at shortly.

That about wraps things up over here. Wow. If this is a quiet month...

Till next time,

Ty

Tears of the Dragon #16: Logo

2009-04-21T05:11:00.001-07:00

Check out the cool new Tears of the Dragon logo, designed by my friend Andrew Jarvis. (Andrew got creative and tossed it on a mock up of a stone tablet, and seems to think it'll look pretty dang spiffy on T-shirts. I think he may be right.)

I hope to have a Tears of the Dragon "Launch Date" for when the webcomic will go live. However, I want to see at what kind of rate Koko is putting out new pages before I commit to any specific date. (I'm hoping no later than July.) I'm also planning on doing a fair amount of cross promotion with Tears and my graphic novel project, so I'm hoping one feeds the other.

This is going to be a big summer for Tyler James Comics. So, stay tuned!

My Writing Process Part IX: The Re-Write ('Cause First Drafts are Sh*t)

2009-04-20T04:36:00.000-07:00

Back again. Imagine, for a moment, that I've finished the first draft of a script. I've already nurtured my Great Idea by doing Research and formed a Killer Pitch. I've developed Characters You'll Give a Damn About, sketched the beginning, middle and end so that it is Structurally Sound, and then plotted it out Beat by Beat. I took time to write Memorable Scenes and obeyed the rules for writing Sharp Dialogue. At this point, much of the work is done. I've got a script that tells a story from beginning to end. That is an awesome feeling.

Now, the real writing begins.

IX. The Re-Write ('Cause First Drafts Are Sh*t)

Whenever you finish a first draft of pretty much anything you write more substantial than a Twitter post (follow me!) or a birthday card, you should do two things:

1. Acknowledge the accomplishment of finishing that first draft. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back. Kudos! Remember 95% of people out there with ideas for stories never make it this far.

2. And after your done applauding yourself, recognize that regardless of how you feel about your writing, it still needs work.

Ernest Hemingway once famously quipped, "The first draft of anything is shit." Now, if Hemingway recognized this in HIS writing, perhaps we too should not be so hasty to call a piece of work done as soon as we type "The End."

McKee elaborates on a characteristic of a quality writer, saying "He wants to destroy his work. Taste and experience tell him that 90 percent of everything he writes, regardless of his genius, is mediocre at best. In his patient search for quality, he must create far more material than he can use, then destroy it." Sounds harsh. Sounds like a lot of work. Well, yeah, it kind of is. But you've made it this far. Often times the difference between a mediocre piece of writing and something great is simply more time and effort. But where do you start?

First, you need some distance. If you've just finished a work of any reasonable length, you're too close to it to view it objectively. So back off for a bit. You need to separate yourself from your writing in order to come back at it with fresh eyes. The length of the work and the amount of time you've put into it should determine how long you stay away. A 10-22 page comic script? Put it down for a day or two and try not to think about it. A longer work like a screenplay, graphic novel script, or a novel. You need to put that puppy down for at least a week. When I was writing my screenplay, I was getting up a 5:30-6 am every morning and writing for a few hours and then again at night. I cranked out the first 93 page draft in about two weeks of writing fury. By the time I finished and proofread, I was way to close to the script to view it objectively. So, I let it be for two weeks.

Distance does not equal downtime. Okay, you're away from your script. Party time? Nope, sorry. You're a writer now. Writer's write. Sure, crack a beer or take a night off to celebrate, but needing distance is not an excuse to stop writing or working on your craft. Here are three suggestions for things you can do to be productive in your time away from your first draft.

Work on the next project. That first draft you just finished isn't your only story idea, is it? For most creative people, I assume the answer is no. This is one of the benefits of having multiple projects in various stages of development going at once. When you need time away from one, you have something else to work on. As soon as I finished my screenplay, I took a "break" by plotting out the full story for "Tears of the Dragon." I think it helped that Tears and my screenplay were entirely different genres. It really felt like a vacation to write. I was also able to give more energy and effort to some of my other comic projects that had taken a back seat while I poured everything I had into my screenplay.

Read a book on craft. If you've just written a novel, screenplay, or comic script, now is the best time to pick up and read a book on the craft of writing and storytelling. After you've written something is much better than before. You know, about six years ago, I picked up a copy of The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier. This is a great reference. Read it cover to cover as soon as I got it. And immediately after...I wrote nothing. Nope, despite being a great reference and have mostly everything I'd ever need to know to write a screenplay, it did not inspire me to write one. In fact, it probably intimidated me. This likely would have been the case had I picked up McKee's Story prior to writing my screenplay. I either wouldn't have gotten through it (boring, inaccessible) or it would have depressed me (how am I ever going to write something that satisfies all of his criteria for a good story?) However, I came to McKee immediately AFTER writing the first draft of my screenplay. Because of this, I was viewing everything he had to say through the prism of my screenplay. As a result, I read it cover to cover in a few days and was fired up for my rewrite afterward.

Provide feedback for other writers. This is one of the best ways to develop your critical eye. After finishing a work, you'll gain a lot by providing feedback to other writers. In fact, this is the whole concept behind the exceptional site TriggerStreet (highly recommended site for giving and getting feedback on your creative works.) When you read other's work, you'll have no attachment to the material, which allows total objectivity. But as you're offering critique, you may find that some of the mistakes that author has made are similar to your mistakes. By seeing the flaws in another's writing or seeing what they do that works, it can help illuminate a direction forward for your re-write that you might not have seen otherwise. Since finishing the first draft of my screenplay, I've read and critiqued 14 feature-length screenplays from other aspiring writers. I'm definitely honing my editorial chops, and it's making me a better writer.

Get some feedback. One of the best ways to improve your early drafts of a story is to get some feedback from others. While getting feedback is something you should certainly do, first a warning. You cannot rely on others to make you the writer you want to be. YOU have to develop your own internal editor. YOU have to learn to objectively evaluate your own work with the same critical eye you apply to others. Getting feedback from others does not free you from the responsibility of learning to edit.

Now that I've gotten the disclaimer out of the way, let's talk about the value of feedback. Well, it's valuable. Unless you're writing solely for yourself (which, if you're writing for comics you are most likely not) you need to be sure you're writing to entertain an audience. Getting an outside perspective on this is often necessary. It's much better to get feedback at the draft stage prior to publishing, filming or having pages drawn. After working with an editor on the initial pages of ICE: Interrogation Control Element, I realized that I needed to insert two additional pages to establish the antagonist to really grab the audience. This cost me money, and would have been cheaper had I figured this out PRIOR to having pages drawn.

There are two types of feedback I want to discuss. I feel both have their place, but you should know their strengths and limitations.

Feedback from Family and Friends - When you're just starting out, it's hard to find people excited about reading a first draft of your scripts. So, what do we do? We turn to the people in our lives who love us and can't say no. I've heard some writers advise completely against this. I say, go ahead. Just recognize what this feedback is and isn't.

Getting feedback from mom or your buddy Chuck is good for the old ego. And you know what, you just finished a first draft and you deserve a "thattaboy." Hell, you've created something. You've put something new into the world that didn't exist before, and there's no reason you shouldn't have people that care about you have the chance to read it and acknowledge it. So get your slap on the back.

This kind of feedback is also good for getting the everyman's reaction. Human beings are hardwired to recognize a good story when they read or hear one. If something is supposed to be funny and they laugh, you've probably done your job. Likewise, if something is confusing to them, you probably were not clear enough. Sometimes it helps to watch them as they're reading. If they're turning pages and engaged in the script, that's a good sign.

However, what feedback from friends and family can't provide is honesty. If a reader cares about you and has a stake in your emotional well-being, you can't expect total honesty from their critique. Most often, rather than getting what they truly think, you'll get what they think you want to hear. And that won't help you a bit. Also, most of your friends and family aren't writers in the genre or format that you are writing in. Just because someone has seen a few movies or read a few comic books doesn't mean they can ably critique a script for either. Family and friend critiques thus are a poor means to get serious, actionable suggestions and solutions for improving your script.

Feedback from Objective Professionals - I use both the terms objective and professionals loosely here. To a certain extent, we all have subjective biases that color our opinions. And by professionals, I simply mean someone who has done what you're trying to do. Want feedback on a comic script? Find someone who's actually written a couple of them. If you're just starting out, you're probably not going to get Brian Michael Bendis to critique it. In fact, I know you won't. But try to find someone who is both more accomplished that you and has no reason not to give you honest feedback

Now, there is a drawback to this kind of feedback. Strangers have zero stake in your emotional well being. A lot of time this feedback will come from someone you'll never meet, and the removal of distance and personal interaction made possible by the internet brings out many people's inner Simon Cowell. So, if you know you can't handle someone tearing your work to shreds in a not very nice way, don't try to get this kind of feedback. However, if you're not ready for this sort of grilling, you're not ready to have anything published either. Again, better to be eviscerated in the draft stage when you can still make changes, than publish and have the world take a collective dump on it.

What feedback from objective professionals can provide is a strong road map for an improved rewrite. People who know the medium can point out specific suggestions about what works and what doesn't and often can propose solutions to the problem areas. For this reason, this kind of feedback should be sought out.

Now, the best kind of reviewer is a combination of the two above types: a friend with professional expertise who isn't afraid to hurt your feelings and tell you the truth. These are hard to find, and if you find one, hang on to him or her and treat them well. Ideally, you'll have two of these sort of people. These are the people you want to show your very first draft. I'd caution putting a first draft out to strangers, simply because a complete and total slam critique at this stage could throw you off completely. So, find someone you trust who won't treat you with kiddie gloves.

After the feedback - LISTEN! Humans are defensive creatures by nature. Upon hearing criticism of your work, your baby, your instinct will be to come to it's defense. DON'T. Don't try to explain what you were trying to do. Don't make excuses. Just listen.

And when you listen, do so with the understanding that what you are hearing is one person's opinion. And that their opinion MAY be right. Not that it is right. But that it may be. And because it may be right, rather than defend, ask questions to clarify. Ask things like, what lines didn't work for you? Wouldn't it be funnier/scarier/better if I tried ____? Which character do you think needs the most work? Which scenes go on too long? Again, you need to recognize that your story needs work. Getting feedback is one of the best ways to assemble a game plan for a re-write.

You will need to kill your babies. Another famous writing cliche, but a truism that all writers know: In re-writing, you're going to have to destroy a lot of what you've created, even some stuff that you absolutely love. Maybe it's for reasons of pacing. Maybe it's because the scene stalls your story's momentum or doesn't quite work for the characters. This can be hard to do, but it's a necessary part of the writing process.

I'm going to share with you a baby I had to kill. This was a semi-important scene from the first draft of my screenplay. Given that my script is a romantic comedy, the beat is an important one- this is "the cute meet" scene. Read, then we'll discuss...

INT. AT THE BAR

Felix confidently strolls to the bar and tries to flag the barkeep unsuccessfully. He glances around the bar, checking out the talent.

He sees Faith for the first time, talking to a guy looking like a circa-1980's DON JOHNSON.

Felix and Faith make eye contact. Felix looks away, and tries in vain to get the barkeeps attention.

Felix looks back in the direction of Faith, and sees her leaving Don Johnson walking towards him.

FAITH
Hi.

FELIX
Hello.

FAITH
I just told that guy over there that
you were my boyfriend and quite the
jealous type. Will you talk to me
for a minute until he finds someone
else to bother?

Felix smiles.

FELIX
Not sure I can do that.

FAITH
(looking around)
Oh. Do you have a girlfriend?

FELIX
No girlfriend. It's just...I
believe that might technically
qualify as a cock block.

FAITH
(enjoying the banter)
So?

FELIX
So that's a clear violation of guy
code. It's in the manual. And come
on, he seems like a perfectly nice
and harmless dude. No visible
deformities. And a nice bonus, he's
channeling Sonny Crockett, so-

FAITH
Who?

FELIX
Guess that reference is a little
dated.

FAITH
Guess so. I'm young. But you don't
have to worry. It's not a cockblock
if he never had a chance.

FELIX
Ouch. Not your type?

FAITH
Not my type. And, I have a
boyfriend.

FELIX
(slightly disappointed)
Oh.
(looks around)
Why isn't he saving you from Sonny's
clutches.

FAITH
He's not here. Long distance thing.

FELIX
Got it.

An awkward pause, then Felix extends his hand.

FELIX
Sorry, I never got your name. I'm
Felix.

Faith slides in close, covering up the shake.

FAITH
You're really bad at this fake
boyfriend thing.

FELIX
Right. Sorry.

Felix tosses a hard glance over at Don Johnson, who has been watching them. Don catches the look, pretends not to notice, and walks away. Faith turns and sees him go.

FAITH
My hero. Let me buy you a drink.

Why did I kill it? Was it the best scene ever? Certainly not. But it served the beat...the guy meets girl and they hit it off. It actually survived another draft largely in tact, with some of the dialogue cut to be less chit-chatty. But this entire scene was rewritten in the third draft. The reason, my third draft's focus was the elimination of cliche. Guy meets girl in a bar. Been done to death. Sure, I liked the banter about the cock-blocking, and sure guys and girls do meet in bars all the time, but this scene just didn't scream originality. Additionally, about twenty pages earlier in the script, there was a much funnier scene that also takes place in a bar. Mixing it up would make for a better story. And finally, Don Johnson...worked for some, not for others. While I love people still stuck in the 80's as much as the next guy, it too was cliched.

So, this scene had to go. The beat is the same. The guy and girl still meet and hit it off. But I changed the setting, some of the dialogue and some of the characters. The result is a more unique scene that better serves my script.

So, good luck with your rewrites. Hopefully some of these tips are helpful as you comb through your story and put some solid effort into making it the best it can be. Next week will be the concluding article of this ten-part series. We'll talk about getting your scripts ready for your artist.

NEXT: X. An Artist Ready Script

Super Seed #22: Catch Up on Episode 2

2009-04-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hey, just wanted to point out that the Super Seed Episode 2: Blood Thinning storyline has completed over at the Super Seed website. If you want to read the whole story, check it out here.

A Double Dose of Bad News, and Why I'm Still Smiling

2009-04-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

I suppose yesterday could have been viewed as a bad day. Before it was over, I got not one but two pieces of disappointing news.

First, I found out that this Spring's Creating Comics: Writing for Comic Books and Graphic Novels would have to be postponed until the fall, due to insufficient enrollment.

Shortly after, I received an email from Zuda Comics, confirming that they were passing on my submission of Tears of the Dragon.

A one-two punch for sure. Both bits of bad news mean a loss of some cash, but more importantly, I was really looking forward to both teaching my class and for debuting Tears. I spent much of Sunday night revising my syllabus, and I was really pumped to teach the course again. And Tears is a story I absolutely love and have no doubt it would have found an audience if given a chance on Zuda.

Two bummers. So, why am I still smiling?

I wrote a blog a while back titled "Big Victories and Small Defeats" and I still feel much the same way. In the grand scheme of things, these are a few more small defeats. As far as setbacks go, they are minor. After some of the things I've had to work through in my personal life this past winter, hell, just about everything seems minor in comparison.

But it's the spring, and I'm all glass half-full. So, I'm focusing on the silver lining of these disappointments.

- Without my comics class taking up 3-4 hours of teaching and prep time each week, I'll be able to devote more time to my graphic novel project, which I hope to debut this summer.
- With Zuda passing on Tears, I'm still able to repurpose some of the art from Tears for use in my graphic novel. This probably would have been a problem had I won a Zuda contract.
- I get to keep all the rights to Tears, and can take full control over how that comic is dispersed.

A rejection from Zuda is only more motivation to make Tears bigger and better and a success. I hope to launch Tears as a webcomic on its own site in the late summer, so you'll be continuing to hear more about it.

And Creating Comics will be back in the Fall, better than ever.

Boston Comic Con: More Sketches

2009-04-13T04:40:00.001-07:00

And here are the rest of the free sketches I did for the Boston Comic Con.

Boston Comic Con: Free Sketches

2009-04-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

I ended up knocking out 10 free sketches for Boston Comic Con attendees. Here is the first batch of five I did.

Boston Comic Con Report

2009-04-09T04:55:00.000-07:00

What a show!

This past Saturday and Sunday, the Back Bay Events Center was crawling with comic book enthusiasts, creators and even a few super heroes. It was a great time. Each show I do, I seem to be stepping up my game in terms of table layout, products offered, and refinement of my pitch. As a result, I moved a bunch of books and talked to a lot of people. Here are a few highlights:

My Free Sketches campaign was a success. All but one sketch went unclaimed, and it seemed that everyone who recieved a free sketch was very happy with it. This is a promotion I'll continue to do at shows.
Debuting Tyler James Comics Presents...Vol. 1- This book sold well. I'm very proud of it, so it was easy to pitch.
Super Seed continues to attract a lot of interest. My favorite pitch was to a couple dressed as Green Arrow and the Black Canary. I said, "You know, some day you might be considering having children, and you might need the services of the world's first super powered fertility clinic." They bought a few issues.
Met some cool new creators. Ben Bishop, an extremely talented illustrator, was at the table next door. Ben's 300 page graphic novel Nathan the Caveman sold pretty well, and it made me realize the importance of having an item on the table that's a little more expensive and has a bigger profit margin than my $3-$5 books. Otherwise, it's very difficult to even break even at these shows...which is my next goal for a con.
I also met Curtis Lawson, writer of Kincaid, who had a table across from me. Curtis is working on a very cool project, a history of comics comic book, being drawn by a number of different artists. I'm going to do a page for that book. He sent me the script today and it should be a lot of fun.
Got my CounterTERROR pin-up from Chris Gibbs. It's pretty hot. I'll have to color that bad boy up soon.
Also got up from my table for a bit and got my copy of Wetworks #1 signed by Whilce Portacio and New Avengers Illuminati signed by Jim Cheung. Talented dudes, the both of them.
Several members of my family came through the con and stopped by. That was great.
And finally, I got my picture taken with Supergirl. You know you're jealous.

Boston Comic Con: Why I Love Comics Interview

2009-04-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

Still trying to recover after a wild Boston Comic Con weekend. (After getting back from the show on Sunday, I climbed into bed and slept for 13.5 hours straight.) I'll be posting pictures and a full con recap soon, but I wanted to post a link to a podcast interview that just went up.

Saturday I talked to Eric Ratcliffe of the Why I Love Comics column and podcast at the Comic Related website. Eric stopped by to talk about Super Seed, ICE: Interrogation Control Element and more things, well, comic related.

You can check out the interview, which I share with comics heavyweight Mike Allred (pretty cool), right here.

Boston Comic Con: This Weekend!

2009-04-03T06:51:00.001-07:00

The Boston Comic Con is this weekend!

I'm expecting a huge turnout at the Back Bay Events Center (180 Berkeley St, Boston, MA) this Saturday and Sunday. I'm expecting this to be the biggest show I've done to date, so obviously, I'm bringing more product to the show than ever before.

Here are five things I'm looking forward to:

1.) Debuting Tyler James Comics Presents...Vol. 1. This Boston Comic Con Exclusive book will be unveiled for the first time at this weekend's show. I love this book, and it represents a good portion of the work I've been up to over the past 8 months or so, and my first professional collaborations with a number of extremely talented artists. I'm actually kicking myself for not doubling my print run, because I think this book is going to sell very well. (Knock on wood.) Actually, I'd be surprised if there are copies left by Sunday. (Knock, Knock on wood.)

2.) Catch up with local creators. I'm looking forward to talking to a number of local creators who I seem to only see at the cons. I didn't get a chance to check out Chris Gibbs' CounterTERROR sketch at the last con I was at, but he's planning on bringing it to this weekend's show. I'm hoping to talk to some of the Boston Comics Roundtable guys and check out their new book. And I'm looking forward to meeting new people this year as well.

3.) Hand over those FREE SKETCHES. I said I was going to do five, I ended up doing ten free sketches to people who contacted me requesting them. So, I'll have a nice stack of sketches to hand out over the weekend. This was a thoroughly successful promotion. I got to draw some characters I've never drawn before (everyone from Rorschach to Kitty Pride to Darth Vader) and I'll be able to give some comic fans a one of a kind take away from the Boston show. Everybody wins.

4.) Talk to Whilce Portacio. The Image founder is going to be there. I'm hoping to get him to sign my Wetworks #1 (Vol. 1) and to pick up his new Spawn book and get an autograph on that as well. I'm a big fan of his work, and he was definitely a "big get" for the Boston show.

5.) Take my table to the next level. Each con I've been stepping my table up just a little bit. This show, I've had some high quality "Tyler James Comics" signs made, so I'll be easy to spot, and I'm going to be doing some things with my table arrangement to try to make it a bit more eye catching to attendees. I'll have pictures, don't worry. We'll see how it turns out.

My Writing Process Part VIII: Sharp Dialogue

2009-04-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

Back again, with the eighth installment of my ten-part series on writing process. In case you missed any of the previous installments, here are quick links to them in reverse chronological order. How generous of me, no?

Well, that's enough dwelling in the past. Let's get on with the new and exciting.

VIII. Sharp Dialogue

I'm going to come right out and say it at the top, because it deserves to be said: Writing great dialogue is extremely difficult. Sure, there are your David Mamets and Quentin Tarrantinos in film, and your Brian Bendises in comics. These are writers incredibly gifted at putting words in their characters' mouths. And while these masters of their respective crafts should certainly be studied, imitate them at their own peril. For there is a second statement that needs to be said: Writing bad dialogue is very easy. Hell, after Pulp Fiction came out, every new writer on the block was writing scenes with tough characters waxing poetic and riffing on pop culture...and it was ugly. Likewise, a disciple of Bendis runs the risk of writing a talking heads book, which is not something an aspiring creator should try to do.

No, let those creators do what they do best. What I'm going to say here is this: Don't strive to write great dialogue. Going for great with dialogue writing will probably make it look like you're trying to hard. For now, good is good enough. So I'm going to give you a number of rules that if you follow, your dialogue will, in fact, be good. What do I mean by good? I mean you'll write dialogue that at worst won't hurt your story and at best will help it a great deal.

And you want to know the best part? If you write good dialogue long enough and consistently enough...well, that's a great thing, a thing very few aspiring writers are capable of. And pretty soon, guess what word they're going to start using to describe your dialogue? Great.

Rule #1: Dialogue has a function!

Your job as a writer for visual media is not to put words in characters' mouths just for the sake of filling in those word balloons. Every piece of dialogue you script should have a function. What function? Well, here's a primer from Syd Field. What follows are all the functions dialogue can and should have in your scripts.

Dialogue should...

...Move the story forward.

...Communicate facts and information to the reader.

...Reveal character.

...Establish character relationships.

...Make your characters real, natural, and spontaneous.

...Reveal the conflicts of the story and characters.

...Reveal the emotional states of your characters.

...Comment on the action.

...Foreshadow future action or events.

That's the list. Stick to it. Often times, good dialogue will perform several of those functions at once. Here's a page from my comic CounterTERROR that I feel has good dialogue. (Genius? Certainly not. But it is solid.)

How many functions does the dialogue on this page satisfy?

1.) Moves the story forward- The previous scene was 15 minutes earlier and ended with a National Counterterrorism director contacting the New York FBI SWAT team. Now we've jumped ahead in time, and the dialogue establishes that the team is assembled and ready to move.

2.) Communicates facts and information to the reader- Here we find out a little more about their target.

3.) Reveals character- Montoya in particular. She's got a sprained left hand, but still cocky and ready to roll. That bravado will come to play throughout the story.

4.) Establish character relationships- The easy way Montoya and Dexter Mason interact suggests a closeness. This is a cohesive team. Also, Rivera texting McCullough, who is actually the story's main protagonist, introduces that character as a missing part of the team.

5.) Foreshadow future action or events- I needed to call out the brace on Montoya's left hand through dialogue, because I'm not sure it would have been noticed in the art. This is important, because that brace is going to save her life shortly.

So you see, I didn't just fill in word balloons. All the dialogue on this page serves one or more functions. Not bad, huh?

Rule #2: Don't write dialogue until your story is finished

What? What do you mean, Ty? How the hell am I supposed to finish my story if I don't write dialogue? Here me out. On this point, I have the great Alfred Hitchcock to back me up. Hitchcock once said, "When the screenplay has been written, and the dialogue added, we're ready to shoot." When writing for visual mediums like film and comics, nailing the imagery should be your primary task. Filling in those word balloons should be a secondary concern.

Think about it. If you were given a comic book with all the words removed, could you still follow the story? In most cases, sure. And if asked, you could probably add in words of your own and tell a halfway decent story yourself. How many movies can you follow with the sound turned off? Sure, they're not nearly as compelling, but you can still follow the action in most cases. You know who the good guy is, and often, you can figure out what he wants and what's standing in his way...all without hearing the dialogue. Even David Mamet, reknowned wordsmith though he may be, recognized this. "The story is being carried by the shots. Basically, the perfect movie doesn't have any dialogue," he said.

Now, please don't go out and write a dialogue free script. But definitely do consider the point, that the imagery and action in your story needs to be mapped out before you should be concerned with dialogue. McKee suggests, "The wise writer puts off writing dialogue for as long as possible, because the premature writing of dialogue chokes creativity." If you fall in love with bits of dialogue before you've had time to fall in love with your characters, or even know what happens to them in the story, this can hinder organic developments in the writing. Forcing words into your still developing characters mouths will stunt their growth. So the general rule is to figure out your story and your story people before you start making them talk.

Rule #3: It's okay if it sucks...at first.

When you first get rolling on the writing of your scripts, your dialogue probably isn't going to be very good. No, this statement isn't meant to discourage. Quite the opposite. I'm giving you permission to stink it up for a while. See, the first 10-30 pages of your script, you're still getting to know your characters, and it's going to take a while before you fully get a handle on how they speak and act. And that's perfectly fine. Your first crack at dialogue will likely be uneven and cliched, and will be difficult to plow through.

But plow through you must. Just keep writing. Now, what you want to do when writing your first draft is just steadfastly move your story forward. Again, you want to do this regardless of the verbal diarrhea spilling from your characters' lips. If you have to toss in awful catch phrases like, "Lock and load!" to convey confidence and ready for action, throw it in and keep going. (But good God remember to change it later!) Trust that writing dialogue will get easier, not harder, as you continue to write and become more familiar with the characters you've created.

As I mentioned in the last article on Memorable Scenes, content follows context. Sometimes writing the actual content of the dialogue (what is actually said, the words actually spoken) are difficult to craft, and risk holding up the writing. So, you know what? Just fill in something, anything, that speaks to the context (the purpose of the scene, the story moving impact of the conversation) and continue. As long as the context is strong and that story beat important, the story will stay solid. You can always go back and fix the dialogue in a later rewrite.

Rule #4: In these tough times, write economically.

You will write too much dialogue.

Trust me. You will. Writers like to write, and the words they put in their characters' mouths always seem like the most important words they write on a page. While action or panel descriptions are important, the dialogue and captions are the only words you write that the readers will actually get to see. As a result, many rookie writers tend to write way too many of them.

While writing economically is a central tenet of good screenwriting, it's even more important when writing for comics. In movies, fast talkers can squeeze in words, and a brilliant oratory performance can cover up wordiness to some extent. But in comics, every word you write actually has to fit somewhere on the page. For comic writers, just trust me and follow the Alan Moore 35, 25, 120 rule I've mentioned before:

- No more than 35 words per panel.

- No more than 25 words per word balloon or caption.

- No more than 120 words on a page.

As David Gallaher, writer of High Moon, shared with me, "The sad thing is...comics readers today don't love to read." David tries to fill his balloons with 15 words or less, and is a definite subscriber to the less is more philosophy of writing. Hell, he recently opened Season III with 4 completely wordless pages. (Note, this strategy is usually only effective when you're working with an artist as talented as High MoonHigh Moon's Steve Ellis.) But really consider the necessity of the words you put on a page. Remember, the more words you have, the more art you're going to cover. Artists work too damn hard to have their work covered with fluff. So be economical, and make every word count.

Rule #5: Write with subtext, not "on the nose."

One of the most common critiques of novice writers is that their writing is "too on the nose." This seemingly catchall phrase for bad writing describes dialogue that feels forced or unrealistic because it carries information the writer wants the audience to know, that is said in a way a character would not actually say it at the time being delivered.

Want a simple "on the nose" check? When one of your characters verbalizes EXACTLY what they're feeling, 9 times out of 10, it's going to sound "on the nose."

Wait? So my characters shouldn't say what they're feeling? Should they say the opposite? Not exactly. Here's where subtext comes in. Give us humans some credit. We have a tremendous ability to get what we want or convey our desires or intentions without actually saying them aloud.

Here's an example. Like a girl? You could try walking up to her directly and saying, "I find you extremely attractive. I find myself fantasizing about what you must look like naked. I would really like to invite you to my bed. Boobs."

Hey, I'm no pick-up expert. Give it a try and get back to me. (Note: Ladies, this approach might actually work with guys. Be "on the nose" with us all you like.) Kidding aside, this isn't how we do things. Instead, we'll strike up conversation about something completely unrelated to hopping in the sack. We'll invite the girl out for "drinks" or "a movie" or fire off a "Going out tonight?" text. And the funny thing about subtext, is that by not directly talking about what it is we want (sex, companionship, etc.) we are increasing the likelihood that we'll actually get it.

And it's the same with your writing. The more you can intimate what your characters think and feel BY NOT writing exactly what they think and feel, the sharper your dialogue is going to be. Clever dialogue is full of inference, intimation and innuendo. Your audience is smart, and a good approach is to always write as if your audience is just a little be smarter than you are. You don't need to beat them over the head with your point to make it. The days of the cliched, overwritten comic book dialogue are [hopefully] over.

Here's a very short snippet of a rewrite I did on my screenplay that will illustrate some of the points I'm making here.

First Draft

INT. STRIP CLUB

FELIX sits in a dingy, nearly empty club, drinking a beer and hardly watching a STRIPPER in her early 40's gyrate on her knees in front of him.

STRIPPER

Why the long face, handsome?

FELIX

I miss my girlfriend.

STRIPPER

Making men forget about their

girlfriends is my specialty, honey.

Re-written Version

INT. STRIP CLUB - NIGHT

FELIX sits in a dingy, nearly empty club, drinking a beer and hardly watching a STRIPPER in her early 40's gyrate on herknees in front of him.

STRIPPER

Why the sad mug, handsome?

FELIX

You're wearing her perfume.

STRIPPER

Makin'em forget about their

girlfriends is my specialty, sugar.

Note, there were a couple small changes to the dialogue made from first draft to latest draft in this short snippet of a scene. I changed, "Why the long face" to "Why the sad mug," just because the first sounded too much like the punchline of a bad joke. But really what I wanted to point out was Felix's line change. What is Felix feeling at this moment in time? Well, he misses his girlfriend. And, in the first draft, that's exactly what he verbalizes...to a stripper no less. While there's a certain empathy that can come from a character baring his soul to a stripper who could care less, it didn't feel right when I wrote it, and that didn't change.

So what did I do? I replaced that "on the nose" line with, "You're wearing her perfume." Notice, the subtext is EXACTLY the same. Felix misses his girlfriend. The stripper gets it. The audience will get it. But Felix did not have to say it. It's better because he didn't say it.

Rule #6: Aim for "realistic sounding" rather than realistic dialogue.

"Hello?"

"What's up, dude?"

"Hey, man, what's up?"

"Not much man. What's up with you?"

"Ah, not a whole lot."

"Cool. So, what time are people getting together tonight..."

The above is realistic dialogue. In fact, I've probably had that conversation, or something very close to it, thousands of times in my life. It's as if we as humans need to warm up before actually getting into the heart of a conversation with a lot of "What's up? What's ups?" Call it verbal foreplay or what you will. But just because this is how people actually talk, does not mean it's how your story people should talk.

Think about it. In a comic, that exchange would take up two panels at least, to fit in all those word balloons. Two panels of fluff that does nothing to reveal character or move the story forward, or any of those functions of good dialogue.

Listen to how people actually talk sometime, and try to capture it word for word. Capture ever grunt, ever pause, ever "um" and "like," every run on sentence or sentence that isn't finished. Real dialogue isn't fun to read. So don't write it.

As a writer, look out for chitty-chat in your scripts, and CUT IT OUT WITH A HATCHET. This is pretty much any dialogue that doesn't perform one of the functions listed above and does not move the story forward. Most conversation scenes in your script should be started mid-conversation. Doing this does two important things. First, it allows you to cut right to the important part of the conversation. Why is this exchange important to your story? If it's not important, it should be cut. If it is, let's get right to the good stuff and then be on our way. And second, entering mid-conversation draws the audience in. It taps into our eavesdropping proclivities. What are these people talking about? This trick engages the audience, which is exactly your goal.

So, there you have it, six rules of dialogue. Follow them to the letter and your dialogue will be good. Write good dialogue long enough, and who knows...it might just become great.

NEXT: IX. Writing is Rewriting

March Projects Update!

2009-03-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Almost let the month elapse without an update. Let's get to it.

Conventions and Appearances

Despite a small turnout and limited merchandise to sell, I had a good time at the Boston Comic Book and Toy Spectacular. It was really just a warm up to prepare me for...
The Boston Comic Con! I'm really excited about this show. It should be one of the biggest Boston has had, and I'm certainly doing my part to make it a great show. So far I've drawn 7 FREE sketches for con attendees, and have a few more still on my list.
Today, I received a shipment of books that I'll have for sale at the show... Tyler James Comics Presents... Vol. 1 collects three different stories, by four different artists, all written by me. It's a Boston Comic Con Exclusive book.
I have some family coming in for the big show next weekend, so that should just make things all the more interesting. I'm expecting my most successful show yet. Obviously, I'm pumped.

Tears of the Dragon

A good news/ bad news situation.

First, the bad news. Tears was submitted to Zuda Comics in January. I haven't heard from Zuda saying Tears was accepted into a competition. Since the three month acceptance/rejection decision is up in just a few days, I've concluded it's a rejection from Zuda.
The good news...I'm glad. I am so psyched about the promise of Tears of the Dragon that I'm going full-steam ahead with it anyway! I'm happy to keep full rights to the property, and a rejection from Zuda just makes me all the more determined to make sure Tears is a huge success. Koko Amboro is on board, and we're going to continue to bring this story to life. Most likely, it will debut as a webcomic, with print collections to follow.

ICE: Interrogation Control Element

My strategy more than half a year ago was to partner with three different artists on three different stories, giving me three cracks at a Zuda Competition. While I've produced, what I think, are three high quality comics, so far, I'm 0-for-2.
Regardless, it's been a great experience. I've worked with other comics professionals and managed multiple projects to completion. Thi is great experience.
ICE is my last hope from this initial strategy. Luckily, I believe that it is probably the comic with the most chance at success on Zuda.
I've sent out a few submissions packages to publishers, pitching ICE. So far, I've received no response. So, I'm prepping to submit ICE to Zuda as originally planned.
Paul Little has been coloring ICE and doing a bang up job thus far.
So, when I get the official Tears rejection notice from Zuda and can thus submit another comic, I'll be firing off ICE, and playing the waiting game once more.

Screenplay/Graphic Novel Project

Last month, I finished the third draft of my screenplay. So far, it's been reviewed by 6 readers, and the response has been very positive. My favorite response so far, from a complete stranger- "This is a movie I would go see, and tell my friends to go see." Yeah, can't ask for more from a review than that.
The script still needs work of course...if Nora Ephron had to do at least 6 drafts of When Harry Met Sally, lord knows how many drafts I'll need to do. I'm going to get a few more reviews before I start a new draft, though. And I'm currently looking into getting some professional coverage. However...
The biggest news of the month...I'VE STARTED DRAWING COMICS AGAIN! It's been months since I've completed a comics page. Sure, I've been coloring, and lettering and formatting and all sorts of other activities related to making comics. But it's been a long while since I've penciled and inked a comic page. But the hiatus is over.
Now, I've kept this project close to the chest for a while now, for several reasons, which I'm sure I'll get into over time. And I'm not ready to reveal anything more about this project at this time. But I can tell you that I'm 4 complete pages in, and loving it so far. And what the hell, here is the tiniest of sneak peaks.

Creating Comics! Classes

The new class starts up April 14 at the Newburyport Public High School. To register, head on over to the Newburyport Adult Education Center.

Other Projects

Nothing new to report on Super Seed or CounterTERROR, but hoping to have some news regarding those projects soon.
The article series My Writing Process will finish up next month, and then I'll move forward with my plans for a follow up.

In short, things are busy. A lot of plates are spinning and I'm enjoying what I'm doing. Can't ask for much more than that, right?

Boston Comic Con: A Full Sketch Queue!

2009-03-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to report, I've filled my queue for FREE SKETCHES for the Boston Comic Con. I hoped to do five sketches for con attendees, but it looks like I'm going to end up doing six. It's been a great experience, and has given me the opportunity to draw a number of characters I've never drawn before. Sketches requested have included Hulk, Deadman, Rorschach, Grendel, Harley Quinn, and a "my choice" request. Fun stuff.

I'll post them all after the Con.

Remember, the Boston Comic Con is April 4th and 5th, and should be a big show.

And if you were meaning to write me for a free sketch but haven't, I could be convinced to do a few more...tylerjamescomics@gmail.com.

My Writing Process Part VII: Memorable Scenes

2009-03-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. If you've missed any previous installments of this series on writing process, fret not. Parts I, II, III, IV, V, and VI are just a click away. Let's get started on today's topic...

VII. Memorable Scenes

When we remember movies we've enjoyed or comic books we couldn't put down, even the great ones, it usually is not the entire story from start to finish we recall. What we remember are scenes. Want your creative works to move people and stick in their heads long after they've put down the page or left the theaters? It's actually pretty simple. Fill your writing with a series of strong scenes and before you know it, you're going to have a story people remember and can't stop talking about.

Before continuing, let's talk briefly about what a scene is. The simple definition: a scene is where something specific happens, in a specific place, at a specific time. Remember that. Place and time. Two things every scene must have. If you change either place or time, guess what? You have a new scene.

Generally, there are two types of scenes. Action scenes (chases, fights, sex, etc.) and dialogue scenes (on the phone, over coffee, in bed, etc.) Most scenes in comics and film are a combination of the two. Regardless of the type, the purpose of every scene is to move your story forward. That's it. Simple right?

To illustrate the concepts and suggestions for crafting your scenes, I've included two very memorable scenes from movies. These scenes are very different and the movies are very different, but in terms of scene structure and craft, they are very much the same. So grab your popcorn, watch them both, and we'll then we'll continue. Sound good?

Scene 1 - Suicide Kings (1997)

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Scene 2 - When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Enjoy those? Good. Now let's deconstruct.

Why are these great scenes? Well, yes, the acting was strong. Dennis Leary and Meg Ryan both completely stole their scenes with strong performances. And certainly the dialogue was very well written. "...or me and Mickey Mantle are gonna pay you a visit." Awesome. (We're going to talk more about crafting strong dialogue next time.) Still, there's more at play hear than sharp dialogue and strong performances. How can we craft scenes this strong? Here are some tips.

First, start with CONTEXT. The first thing to determine when drafting a scene is the purpose of the scene in your story. How is it moving the story forward? When and where does it take place? What characters are in the scene, and what are they doing there. This is the scene's context. For most scenes, you can sum up the context in a sentence or two.

In the Suicide Kings scene, the context is that Dennis Leary's character needs to find the woman in order to help track down his kidnapped boss. In When Harry Met Sally, the context is that Harry and Sally's relationship changes when Harry sees her in a new, more sexual, light.

Now develop the CONTENT. What aspects of your character's lives do you want to reveal in the scene? How are you going to reveal them? What are you actually going to show? What is the most interesting and appealing way you can deliver what needs to happen to move your story along (the context) to your audience?

In Harry, it's not just Billy Crystal who is surprised. This is the first time the audience gets to see the sexual side of cute-as-a-button Meg Ryan as well. Dramatically and comedically, the best way to reveal that was to have her fake an orgasm in public. Yup, that gets the job done. In Kings, we get a bit of insight into Leary's character's past. Up until this point in the movie, we've seen Leary get very angry and threaten violence, but we've also seen him be charitable, and not actually commit any violent acts. Interestingly enough, his first response isn't to resort to violence, he actually sympathizes with the guy. But all the while, the audience suspects that if pushed, Leary's character is one who could fly off the handle. But none of us saw the toaster coming.

Two scenes. Each very different. Both extrememly mememorable. Here are some more tips to keep in mind when crafting your scenes.

All scenes need to turn. "Turning" is a phrase used a lot in storytelling. It's actually quite a simple concept, in that something specific should change in every scene you write. Think about the specific value at stake for the characters in your story. It could be love, forgiveness, revenge, you name it. Think about how that value is charged at the beginning of the scene (positive, negative, a little of both?) Then think about how that value is charged at the end of the scene? If the value remains unchanged from start to finish, then the scene has not turned. It's a non-event. And you'll need to ask yourself, why is this scene in my story?

Usually, when you have a scene that doesn't turn, the answer to why it's in your story is for the purpose of exposition. (ex. This is the scene where I reveal that Jack's dog was killed when he was six.) Professional writers know that that exposition by itself is not a good enough reason to include a scene. If the exposition is important, a good writer will find a way to include it amid the action of a scene that turns.

What turns in the scene from Harry? The scene starts with a confident and cocky Billy Crystal, gabbing casually about his one-night stand and sexual prowess, once again seeming to win an argument with Meg Ryan. But once she fakes her O, the tables turn completely. She wins the argument that women can fake believeably and Billy Crystal is left speechless. The scene opens advantage Crystal. It closes advantage Ryan. This is a scene that turns.

Scenes are unified around "Desire, Action, Conflict, and Change." This is a gem from McKee, and worth taking note of. If all of your scenes involve a character with a strong external or internal need or want (desire), who takes dramatic steps to achieve that want (action), meets formidable resistance to attaining that goal (conflict), and his internal or external course is altered because of it (change), you're going to have compelling scenes.

Foreshadowing is a powerful tool. Whether you're writing for comedy or drama, it's necessary that you set up your scenes. Lew Hunter says, "Anticipation is often as wonderful, or as suspenseful, as the realization of the end result." In Suicide Kings, the toaster scene was foreshadowed by Leary's earlier interaction with a bum who asked him for money. At first, Leary gave the bum some money, but when the bum pushed his luck, Leary got enraged and almost killed the guy, only to be stopped by his partner. This foreshadowed the altercation in the toaster scene. When the dirty old man tells him off, the audience knows there is no one to stop Leary from bringing the pain on this man, and we cringe with anticipation, even before we see him wrap the toaster around his hands.

Memorable scenes have "toppers." Toppers are the closing lines or actions that add one last bit of punch or umph to the scenes. So many great scenes have them, that it's worth considering adding them to your key scenes. In Harry, the topper is the old lady, having watched Meg Ryan in awe, tell the waiter, "I'll have what she's having." Funny. (And, interestingly enough, this line was not in the screenplay, but added on set, suggested by the talented Mr. Crystal.) And how about the Suicide Kings line? "Sorry about the toaster." After such a brutal scene, it's amazing how one line can induce a chuckle. And it makes the scene all the more memorable.

To illustrate how I've been trying to follow these principles, what follows is a short scene from my screenplay/graphic novel project. In the scene, three boys MATT, SOOTCH, and TROY, have lost their football in the neighbor's yard, which is guarded by BRUTUS, a mean old dog. Sootch, a tiny asian, is tasked with retrieving it.

EXT. NEIGHBOR'S FENCE - NIGHT

Sootch, Troy, and Matt compare twigs. Sootch's is the shortest.

MATT
Yes!

TROY
It's you, Sootch.

SOOTCH
Mine's the shortest?
Big surprise.

The boys stand next to the tall fence with a large sign that reads, "Beware of Dog."

Troy peers through the fence.

TROY
Don't worry, dude.
Brutus is totally asleep.

EXT. INSIDE FENCE

Brutus rests in the yard, eyes closed, just inches from the football.

EXT. OUTSIDE FENCE

Sootch pulls away from the fence.

SOOTCH
You positive, Troy?

TROY
Yeah. He's out.
Let's do this.

Matt and Troy boost Sootch over the fence.

EXT. INSIDE FENCE

Sootch lands silently, striking a cat-like pose.

SOOTCH (whispers)
I am ninja.

Brutus lets out a grunt, but his eyes stay closed. Sootch creeps toward the ball, eyes trained on the sleeping dog.

He carefully bends down and palms the ball, just inches from BRUTUS. He picks up the ball.

Brutus opens his eyes and for a moment, they stare each other down.

EXT. OUTSIDE FENCE

Matt and Troy are mortified.

MATT
He's dead.

EXT. INSIDE FENCE

Sootch hauls ass toward the fence with Brutus in hot pursuit. He tosses the ball over the fence, screaming all the while.

Just as Sootch is about to reach the fence, Brutus leaps at him, but is violently jerked back by his just-too-short chain. Sootch bounds up and over the fence.

EXT. OUTSIDE FENCE

The boys congratulate a panting Sootch. An angry Brutus BARKS through the fence.

TROY
You can't throw for crap,
but you sure can run.

Now, let's review my scene by running through my scene tip checklist...

- Did the scene turn? Yup, at the start, the boys were fearful and without the ball. At the end they retrieved the ball and were elated.

- Was there desire? Sure, they wanted the boal.

- Was there action? Yes, Sootch, though reluctant, took up the challenge of recovering the ball.

- Was there conflict? The angry Brutus definitely brought the conflict.

- Was there change? Sure, they have the ball, and Sootch, who up until this point in the script had been bagged on repeatedly for being a lousy athlete, got to be a bit of a hero.

- Was this scene foreshadowed? Kind of. We saw a beware of dog sign earlier in the script, and when the ball was lost over the fence initially, the look of fear on Matt's face suggested it was trouble.

- Was there a topper? Certainly. Troy's line at the end adds a little punctuation point to the scene, and is a nice counterpoint to Troy's first comment earlier in the script, about how there will never be an Asian quarterback in the NFL.

Is this the greatest scene in the world? Certainly not. It's actually a fairly small scene in the script. Still, for a small scene, it follows the conventions that have proven to make scenes memorable. Now, do all the scenes in my screenplay hold up to this scrutiny. Hmm...that I'm not sure about. Should they? Most definitely.

NEXT: VIII. Sharp Dialogue

Creating Comics #6: New Adult Class Starting Soon!

2009-03-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I just wrapped up my Creating Comics! Class for middle schoolers last Wednesday, so I suppose it's a good time to announce the next class!

Creating Comics! Writing For Comics & Graphic Novels will start up again mid-April, once again an offering of Newburyport Adult and Community Education Center.

The spring catalog of classes just arrived, and it was a nice surprise to see not only did I get quite the course write up, but they added a Super Seed image to spice up my course offering solicitation.

This will be the second time running the course, and while I'll keep the same basic framework, I'm planning to do a lot more exploration of story structure. And I'm also going to incorporate a small drawing component.

So, if you or someone you know lives in the North Shore area of Massachusetts and would be possibly be interested in the course, follow this link to register. If you have any questions about the course, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at tylerjamescomics@gmail.com.

Pin-Ups #4: She-Hulk

2009-03-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

Wow. Been a long while since I posted a finished pin-up on this blog. These past six months have been incredibly writing focused, and I definitely need to dust the cobwebs off my pencil, ink and color skills.

This is a pin-up I did for Steven Forbes, who writes the weekly Bolts & Nuts column over at Project Fanboy, and has done some editing for me. He said he likes strong women, and well, they don't come much stronger than She-Hulk.

Creating Comics #5: Jam Comics!

2009-03-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Only one more week to go for my Creating Comics! class with the students at Nock Middle School in Newburyport. It's been a good time, and the kids are incredibly creative. Here's an exercise we did in class that was a lot of fun...JAM COMICS! The directions were simple.

Each student was given a comic page and told to draw the first panel.
After drawing the first panel, the student would pass the page to the next student in line.
Each panel had special rules the students needed to follow.

Panel 1- Introduce a Main Character and Setting/Situation
Panel 2- Introduce a problem.
Panel 3 – Introduce a supporting character.
Panel 4 – The problem gets even worse.
Panel 5 – The character tries to Fix the problem.
Panel 6 – The resolution? Did he/she/it fix the problem.

4. Each page was six panels long, and told a one page comic story.

Here are some examples of the work done by the students...and I did a few panels as well.

Boston Comic Con: Want A Free Sketch?

2009-03-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

A FEW FREE SKETCHES STILL AVAILABLE!

April 4th and 5th, I'll be tabling at the Boston Comic Con. Soon, I'll be starting the art on my original graphic novel after several months away from the drawing table. To get my skills back up to speed, I'm going to do some sketches over the next few weeks. Want one?

Here's the deal:

If you are attending the Boston Comic Con and would like a FREE SKETCH, email the following information to tylerjamescomics@gmail.com:

Your name
Sketch character request
The day or days you'll be at the Boston Comic Con

I'll draw FREE SKETCHES for a LIMITED NUMBER of people who request them.

All you'll have to do is stop by artists alley at some point during the convention, say hello, and pick up your FREE SKETCH. Not a bad deal, huh?

While at the table, you'll also be able to check out issues of Super Seed, art from CounterTERROR, Tears of the Dragon, and ICE, and my new Boston Comic Con exclusive...Tyler James Comics Presents...Vol. 1.

Remember, this is a first come, first serve opportunity, so if you're interested and definitely plan on attending the show, send me an email now at tylerjamescomics@gmail.com.

Boston Comic Book & Toy Collector's Spectacular

2009-03-08T20:07:00.001-07:00

I had a good time this past Sunday at the Boston Comic Book & Toy Collector's Spectacular. There was a good group of artists in attendance, Billy Tan was there, and quite a few ladies dressed in super-heroine outfits (which was nice.)

I was a last minute addition to the con. As a result, I didn't have nearly enough Super Seed comics to sell, as my inventory was depleted after the last convention. I sold out of the issues I had around noon. Luckily, I still had some ashcans and prints to sell. I had prints of Tears of the Dragon, which got a very warm reception and a lot of interest from con-goers. I also managed to do a few sketches at the con. It was a small show, but a nice warm-up for the big show coming up next month. Hopefully, my books will be restocked and ready to sell.

I was pleased to talk to a few people who had checked out my stuff online here on this blog, and were asking specific questions about ICE and Tears. Very, very cool. I think this internet thing might just catch on.

These were a few sketches I did while sitting at my table. It had been a long time since I've drawn Yordania, the warrior princess heroine from Tears of the Dragon.

These ladies are performing a play called "The Super-heroine Monologues" next month in Boston. They definitely spiced the show up.

My table was set up next to illustrator Jason Casey. Jason produces some outstanding prints, mostly movies, comics and pop-culture stuff. A really nice guy.

ICE #11- Color Preview

2009-03-06T02:10:00.000-08:00

Colorist extraordinaire, Paul Little has managed to squeeze in some work on ICE (in between his gigs for Image/Shadowline and the many other creators eager to take him up on his services.) I think he's doing nice work with textures on these colors, and am really looking forward to seeing what he does with the rest of the pages.

Events, Appearances, Promotions #7: Appearing at the Boston Comic Book & Toy Spectacular

2009-03-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

Title pretty much says it all. I'll be taking up half a table once again at the Boston Comic Book & Toy Collector's Spectacular. This show is being put on by Monkeyhouse Entertainment in association with Primate Productions (I kid you not.)

Marvel artist Billy Tan will be there, and it looks like there's a small crew of other local comic book talent that will also be in attendance. Chris Gibbs will be there, who I met at the last Boston Comic Con, and he has a CounterTERROR pin-up for me that I'm excited to get a look at.

Unfortunately, I did not replenish my personal supply of books, so the merchandise I have for sale will be limited. Still, I hope to continue to make connections and build relationships with local artists and maybe do some free sketches for the first time.

If you're in the Boston area, think about stopping by.

The Details:

AMERICA'S LONGEST RUNNING

COMIC BOOK CONVENTION IN THE SAME LOCATION!

A FAMILY RUN SHOW IN A FAMILY FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE!

Come have a day of collecting fun and

meet other collectors!

THE BOSTON COMIC BOOK & TOY COLLECTOR'S SPECTACULAR

SUNDAY

MARCH 8

10 a.m -4 p.m

Boston Radisson Hotel

200 STUART ST. BOSTON

6^TH Floor Ballroom

Admission $8 children under 12 free

Advance passes available $12

allows admission at 9:30

Paypal only to monkeyhouse55@aol.com