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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2019 14:06:02 GMT -5
Bleeding Cool articleMandrake is a regular instructor at the Joe Kubert School these days, but has been having trouble getting projects from any of the major (or even minor projects)-his one stipulation it looks like is a page rate not a back end deal (which eliminates some creator-owned projects or crowdfunded projects). Mandrake has drawn some of my favorite runs, it's a shame that the industry seems to have passed him (and his style) by. A robust industry has room for lots of different styles, not just one or two house style emulated ad nauseum by the crop of working artists. There are a lot of good artists among the young generation of artists, and I like a lot of them, but with so many books being published by so many publishers, there should be room for a variety of different artistic styles and there is no "good" reason talented, reliable, and proven artists like Mandrake (and others too numerous to list) shouldn't be able to get work if they want a regular gig. Some may not want the grind of a monthly book, some may want ownership or participation deals, and that may limit options, and that's a different animal-those may qualify as "good reasons" for not getting work (and that's debatable, but understandable). But there are those who want to work and have the track record to show they can handle it... -M
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Feb 9, 2019 14:38:50 GMT -5
That's a bummer. I'm a big fan of Mandrake also. I supported and really enjoyed he and Ostrander's crowdfunded book, Kros: Hallowed Ground. But I can definitely see where that is not a steady source of income. I'd likely try any book he was drawing.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2019 15:50:52 GMT -5
There are a lot of good artists among the young generation of artists, and I like a lot of them, but with so many books being published by so many publishers, there should be room for a variety of different artistic styles and there is no "good" reason talented, reliable, and proven artists like Mandrake (and others too numerous to list) shouldn't be able to get work if they want a regular gig. Some may not want the grind of a monthly book, some may want ownership or participation deals, and that may limit options, and that's a different animal-those may qualify as "good reasons" for not getting work (and that's debatable, but understandable). But there are those who want to work and have the track record to show they can handle it... -M I agree with this. There are a plethora of books on the stands in different genres and different styles. You would think the publishers would want someone with a proven track record that can make deadlines.
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Post by Icctrombone on Feb 9, 2019 16:42:19 GMT -5
He probably costs too much as compared to the artists coming out every few months.
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Post by Icctrombone on Feb 10, 2019 11:48:26 GMT -5
Here’s a question, does the comic industry still care about deadlines?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2019 14:53:55 GMT -5
Here’s a question, does the comic industry still care about deadlines? Enough so for the big 2 that they rotate artists and use jam issues to make the deadline on some titles, or at least DC did through the new52 and Rebirth. Special projects, where the creative team is staying consistent and fill ins would hurt sales or force Diamond and the publishers to accept returns, not so much. Creator-owned books are rarely monthly. Many put out an issue a month through a story arc usually and take a break between arcs to get a few issues in the can before starting the next arc starts. But they are no longer using fill in inventory stories or reprint issues to make those deadlines as the big 2 did through the 70s-80s. But again deadlines are mostly an issue with a periodical publication, and the periodical format is a dinosaur and only sells to the hardcore existing audience that craves their monthly fix more than they desire a quality consistent product. -M |
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 13, 2019 7:59:28 GMT -5
Same story, new artist. Comics have a long history of dumping talent for new, younger, cheaper people. It was bad enough when it was a mass medium; now, when it is niche product, controlled by corporate entities who do the same thing in their other platforms, it is even worse. Jerry Ordway couldn't get work from publishers. JERRY ORDWAY!!!!!
It's the same reason why companies will hire a 25 year-old schmoe, with no experience, over a 45 year-old with a ton; hire cheap, dispose and repeat.
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Post by Icctrombone on Mar 13, 2019 8:41:00 GMT -5
It reminds we of the NFL, I read somewhere that your average NFL player lasts less than 5 years in the league. I can't imagine that most of the artists get paid enough to keep them from leaving for a higher paying gig. It just shows you that the Image guys and the people that preceded them in owning their creations were right.
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Post by brutalis on Mar 13, 2019 8:45:42 GMT -5
This is the usual and normal in most businesses and sad to see it occurring in comics now. Hire the yound and cheaper over the older/established more expensive. In the "old" days of comic books Stan made it a point to maintain the established with a mix of new and Editor's went to and utilized those they held in a strong regard or wanted to help. Today it is all about the new and toss aside the proven. Sad sad sad.
This old fart is just waiting for that day to eventually arrive in my own job...
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Post by Cei-U! on Mar 13, 2019 8:48:50 GMT -5
Same story, new artist. Comics have a long history of dumping talent for new, younger, cheaper people. It was bad enough when it was a mass medium; now, when it is niche product, controlled by corporate entities who do the same thing in their other platforms, it is even worse. Jerry Ordway couldn't get work from publishers. JERRY ORDWAY!!!!! It's the same reason why companies will hire a 25 year-old schmoe, with no experience, over a 45 year-old with a ton; hire cheap, dispose and repeat. It's the same thing I experienced in the IT field. Nobody wanted to hire a 40-year-old when the schools were flooding the market with 20-somethings happy to work an 80-hour week for a 40-hour paycheck. That was twenty years ago, and I'm told it's even worse today. At 61, I can forget about ever returning to work in that area.
And, seriously, when Jerry Ordway and Tom Mandrake don't have publishers breaking down their doors to hire them, something's clearly f'ed up with the comics industry.
Cei-U! I summon the involuntary obsolesence!
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 13, 2019 10:39:17 GMT -5
Same story, new artist. Comics have a long history of dumping talent for new, younger, cheaper people. It was bad enough when it was a mass medium; now, when it is niche product, controlled by corporate entities who do the same thing in their other platforms, it is even worse. Jerry Ordway couldn't get work from publishers. JERRY ORDWAY!!!!! It's the same reason why companies will hire a 25 year-old schmoe, with no experience, over a 45 year-old with a ton; hire cheap, dispose and repeat. It's the same thing I experienced in the IT field. Nobody wanted to hire a 40-year-old when the schools were flooding the market with 20-somethings happy to work an 80-hour week for a 40-hour paycheck. That was twenty years ago, and I'm told it's even worse today. At 61, I can forget about ever returning to work in that area.
And, seriously, when Jerry Ordway and Tom Mandrake don't have publishers breaking down their doors to hire them, something's clearly f'ed up with the comics industry.
Cei-U! I summon the involuntary obsolesence!
Same here. I'm 52 and got pushed out at Barnes & Noble, because I cost them too much. A lot of veteran employees found themselves under a microscope and fault was found with everything we did. I finally had enough of dealing with the different set of standards and quit; but, I soon found that most places only wanted to talk to younger people (without openly saying it) or didn't want to talk to me because I hadn't moved far enough up the ladder for their liking. I've gone through a few jobs, since then, though I'm coming up on 3 years at my current, though with seemingly few prospects for real promotion. At this stage, I'm just trying to survive until I can draw social security and supplement from there, assuming that doesn't get gutted. |
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