Buddy Scalera is a comic book writer and self-publisher.
He is best know for his co-writing work on Deadpool and his solo story in Weapon X. He has contributed to X-Men Millennial Visions, X-Men Unlimited and other comics. He co-wrote and self-published Necrotic: Dead Flesh on a Living Body. He also recently published a multimedia CD-Rom titled Visual Reference for Comic Artists. Currently Buddy has a two-issue arc of Agent X in stores.
Scalera worked at Wizard Online for many years as the original Online Editor.
My friend Terry, who is a comic book writer, called the other night. He was telling me about a new comic project he was writing, and the topic turned (naturally) to artists.
Terry had discovered a talented new penciler who seemed too good to be true. Dynamic figures, realistic backgrounds, a solid sense of storytelling. One of those rare art talents that a writer dreams of discovering just before convention season.
Then he told me who it was.
I knew the name…in fact, I’d “discovered” the very same artist almost a year ago. Terry was intrigued…what had we done together?
Artist X and I had TALKED about working together. Hey, I even wrote a script for him. But for some reason, this young, eager artist never managed to turn in any pages. I think I got a nice sketch, but after that, nothing.
Nothing, no emails, no phone calls, no explanation. And then one day he announced that he was going to concentrate on his Epic proposals for Marvel.
So, I’d wasted a few weeks writing up a complete script, which was tailored to his art skills. Needless to say, I was bummed that I’d wasted my time and energy on a project that never saw completion.
Terry fell silent for a long time. This wasn’t the kind of thing a professional writer wanted to hear. Nobody wants to write scripts that sit in a drawer, especially when you can use that time to write something that will get published.
Then he perked up, and mentioned yet another young talent he’d found online.
And that’s it. That’s how an aspiring artist with potential lost a job without ever knowing it. All it took was that one short phone call.
Here’s the important part: I didn’t go out of my way to ruin Artist X’s reputation. I was just talking about a bad experience that I had with him. It was just a conversation between friends. Heck, I never even THOUGHT about Artist X anymore, until my friend mentioned his name. And as you know, the comic book business is built on names.
When I was trying to break into this business, comic books seemed to be unfathomably large. And maybe at the time, maybe it was. It was a bigger business 10 years ago. But now the comic book industry has shrunk to be a cozy, little business where everybody knows everybody else.
I’ve seen a lot of people come and go over the years, but one thing remains constant: People talk.
Much of the American comic book industry is clustered in a few places on the map. There’s a whole lotta people in the New York/New Jersey area, mainly because of Marvel and DC. There’s a bunch out in California, mainly because of Image. And, of course, there are a bunch down in Florida, thanks to CrossGen.
Most of the freelancers work in small home studios, emailing, faxing, and FedExing their work. But nobody is more than an Instant Message away from gossip, news, and information. And it’s not because this is a business full of mean, rotten people. Not at all. It’s because there are so many nice, friendly people that they like to stay in touch.
Years ago, Jimmy Palmiotti told me that there is an imaginary triangle that determines if a freelancer will get work. On the three points of this triangle there is: “Good,” “Fast,” and “Likeable.”
He explained that if you have any two of those, you’ll probably get work. If you have all three, you’ll always be employed. (Jimmy is always employed, by the way.)
Fans are often surprised when they meet a famous pro who is “really nice.” Of course they’re nice. Part of their success is probably credited to their personality. Simply put, people enjoy working WITH them. It’s a crucial ingredient to success.
In reality…fans should be surprised if they meet a successful comic pro who is NOT nice. It’s rare that a real jerk will break into the business.
And if someone is a jerk, everyone knows it. Seriously, word travels fast, both positive and negative. Just like it did when my friend called the other night to tell me about Artist X.
As I mentioned, I wasn’t trying to hurt Artist X. I never went out of my way to discuss him. Terry mentioned Artist X’s name, and I recounted a personal experience I’d had with him. End of story. For Artist X, at least.
Incidentally, I sent some links and portfolios of OTHER artists to Terry. (Terry’s a nice guy and people like to help him out.) The good news is that he actually found a talented artist, and they’re working on a comic book together.
People have good memories, especially for bad experiences. And this business is so small, that you cant really afford to screw people over, especially if you’re trying to break in as a writer or artist.
Everyone talks. And if you’re a jerk, eventually everyone will find out.
Buddy Scalera is a comic book writer and the creator of Visual Reference for Comic Artists. Check out his stuff at http://www.buddyscalera.com.
