The Greatest Job in the World...

By Tony Lee

I was reading a few of my previous posts the other day while working out what to write about for this column, and I noticed that I do talk a lot about the large amount of hours I work, or the fact that I'm continually busy, no social life etc. And I've had the occasional email or IM after these columns going 'Jesus, if it's that much of a nightmare, why do you do it? Even Doctors have a day off...'

Well, I may have shown you the 'bad' side in my columns, but the truth of the matter? There really isn't a better job in the entire universe than being the guy who writes comics. On a scale of one to ten? It's about three hundred. No, really.

There's something wonderful about being your own boss. Granted, you work for the publishers but if you need to get up at nine am one day? You just get up at nine a.m. You don't need to commute, you don't need to rise at dawn, and you work the hours that suit you.

And of course, working the hours that suit you also means that you end up working more hours—because as a writer? You can write where and whenever you like. On average, over fifty percent of my workload is written between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.. From 2 p.m. onwards? It gets a little hazy. I usually spend this part of the day doing chores, going to the bank, watching West Wing and The Sopranos. etc. And then I'm often writing from about 5, 6 p.m. until midnight, unless I'm out.

But, the joy of writing comics means that this isn't necessarily the case all the time. I might spend a week working nine to five, I might wake up one day and go 'you know? I'm not going to script anything today. ' I might wake up and realise that I have three full scripts in my head, and I'll work a fifteen hour day just to get them out.

But the best thing about the job isn't the fact that I can write what I want, when I want – although that is indeed fun. It's not the fact that I can write for characters like Spider Man, or Doctor Who (or, to be more specific, The Doctor) even though that ranks highly&msdh;it's the fact that this is also a job where at occasional points of the year, I get to attend gatherings where people who buy and indeed like my work can actually appear and tell me of this. And I can sign things for them.

We of course call these conventions. And one of the biggest ones in the calendar happens in less than a week. In fact, this column comes out on a Monday, and on the Tuesday of this week I'm flying out to New York City to attend one of these very shows.

The New York Comic Con is a slightly different beast to the more known San Diego Comic Con. In the latter, comic creators from all over the world invade a west coast town and fill up all the hotels. Pretty much every editor, writer, artist, colourist, letterer, fluffer, ninja, booth babe and marketing guru who attends is staying at a hotel and away from home. But at New York, the two major publishers, DC/Vertigo and Marvel are based there, all of their employees live there, and as such the hotels are spread across Manhattan—and the entire week becomes more businesslike. Which for a professional is better, as you're more likely to have a more businesslike meeting – but at the same time, because every NYC based editor is there? Thousands of creators will descend on them like screaming vultures, cawing for blood. Or at least a five part miniseries involving one of the Bat Family. I should know, I'm one of them.

So you have to think clever at NYCC. You have to turn up with your game face on. Or, you're in danger of being pushed back into the crowds once more, where, battered and bruised you need to recuperate before the next convention. Which of course is about three weeks away.

Convention season is both a blessing and a nightmare. It's a blessing because if you're at that convention, you get to see your editor face to face. It's a nightmare because if you're not at that convention? Your editor is pretty much out of the office for most of the week. Which is a little annoying, I will tell you.

But a convention is what you make of it. Personally? I've had my best moments in comics at conventions. And I'll never stop doing them because they mean so much to me. Especially as it's one of the few times a year I get to see my American chums.

So where am I at New York this year? Well, as I said last week, I'm signing at the Markosia booth, I'm appearing on the Tuesday night at Comic Book Club between 8pm and 9pm at the People's Improv Theatre (and possibly making it to the CBLDF art thing the same night), on Wednesday I'm in the press box at Shea Stadium watching the Mets game and then on Friday at 7pm I'm on the Comic Experience 'Breaking Into Comics' panel. So if you are at the convention, come by and say hi. It's always good to meet new friends. Especially if you want to buy me a drink.

And so because of this my week hasn't been all deadlines and writing, mainly as I've been packing. Yeah, I know – it shouldn't take a week to pack, but this is one of the few times that my OCD kicks in, to the point that I have to have an Excel Document with everything I'm going to need on it, which I highlight in a new colour the moment it's packed. Yeah, I'm that bad. And I'll worry over the smallest things – I've had some new business cards made – they were due Wednesday. They didn't turn up. Wednesday night I get an email going 'so, when are you sending us the back art so we can print these? ' Considering the fact that I had sent it eight days earlier, I was understandably unimpressed. But, they couriered the revised design across to me Friday, so I'm good to go. I have The Sopranos on my PSP. I have books and comics to read. I have my laptop and my HTC ready to go. A large variety of shirts, ties and waistcoats. I have my ipod primed. I have every tablet known to pharmaceutical knowledge in my bag. I have money, and a freshly minted business account VISA card for in case I lose the money. And another card in case I lose the business account VISA card. Yeah. I'm that anal. But you know what?

I'm ready to go now.

No, hold on. Let me just unpack this bag and then repack it, just to make sure...

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So this comes out on the Monday, and it's not often I pimp another column, but I seriously suggest everyone read Rich Johnston's Lying In The Gutters column on Comic Book Resources on Monday night. He came to me this weekend with some concerning news about the Eagle awards, which I shall go into more detail on next week, but both surprised and infuriated me. Part of the reason was a lack of respect for Dan Boultwood, but I'll keep schtumm on that. What I will do is say that we can finally announce that "The Prince Of Baghdad", the weekly serial that Dan and I are doing? It's a four page a week series and it'll be out in the summer as part of The DFC, the weekly new comic for kids by David Fickline / Random House. More information on the comic can be found at www.thedfc.co.uk

But I wouldn't tease you and then not show you anything from it! So here is the concept art for it, courtesy of Daniel Boultwood...

And of course, if you haven't already, feel free to go to the Eagle Awards Voting pages at www.eagleawards.co.uk/vote.asp and vote for me as Favourite Newcomer Writer, and Hope Falls as Best New Comic...

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A few weeks back we had an Easter special where a variety of professionals gave us answers to some of the most important questions on pitching out there. One of the people asked, Kieron Gillen wasn't able to get it out to us in time, but considering the fact that the main reason for this was because he was interviewing me and Dan for ImagineFX, we can't really complain. So, we thought we'd print his answers regardless for you...

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PITCH?

Not as important as the thing it's describing. I think, especially for writers looking to break into comics, there's an unhealthy obsession over pitches. Yes, you need to do it - but actually having something worth reading in the first place is infinitely more important. Concentrate your thoughts there. Compared to a good comic, a pitch is the piece of the pissing.

WHAT DO YOUR PITCHES CONSIST OF?

There's two kinds of pitches that emerge from my PC. The first are painstakingly intricate works of art, made entirely of wood-cutting and baroque designs. These are the results of years of thinking about an idea, and desperately tries to offer a platonic snapshot of this pulsing creature that's been growing inside of me. The second kind is something I've been asked to pitch by an editor, which I hammer out at great velocity a couple of hours before the stated deadline. And, of course, they only asked me three hours earlier.

The first sort is normally about 3-4 pages of A4, and are carefully structured. Title with sexy tagline then Concept then some bios then an issue-by-issue synopsis of the thing. I generally pitch at people who've requested to see a pitch, so I don't stress the one page thing. The concept stuff includes what's basically the core issues of the comic - the Phonogram one was that Music-is-magic-no-really rant which you may have seen me paraphrase in every interview ever.

The second sort are somewhere between a page and two. About half the time they're a straight synopsis and the other half, they're basically a rambling letter to the editor. Worryingly, I think these sort of pitches actually get much better results from editors than the meisterwerks.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE STORY AT THE HIGH CONCEPT STAGE?

I don't do high-concept style pitching, so I don't have much experience here. Actually, there's an exception - when I'm talking to artists, we tend to be talking about really abstract ideas which will somehow eventually become the story. Generally speaking, even if you don't know every single beat, you need enough to give a reasonable answer to any "What about this..." question an editor may throw at you. It needn't be a complete answer, but should at least show that you've thought about this. A High concept is a selling device for something else, not the thing in and of itself.

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT AN EDITOR COLD?

I'll do pretty much anything to avoid contacting an editor cold. Network to death and get an intro.

WHAT'S YOUR BIG NETWORKING TIP?

"Get your round in" is generally a good one, but don't be too oppressive about it. But I'm a heroically bad networker. My networking has all been happy accidents; in other words, I suspect you're best if you don't think of it as networking. If you genuinely enjoy hanging around with comic people and talking nonsense, you'll go far.

IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS. YOU'VE HEARD NOTHING. WHAT DO YOU DO?

Cry.

Depends what kind of pitch I'd sent and whether they've requested it and all that sort of stuff. If it was a coldish one, I'll just ignore it. In fact, I've probably forgotten I sent the pitch in - and there's few things funnier than suddenly getting a mail from an editor after 6 months about something that has slipped your mind. Especially if they start talking about sexy money and your enormous genius. If it's an editor who you've bounced mails in the past, I've been known to do cheery passive aggressive nonsense like sending a mail about something else - normally showing them something that I've done relevant to stuff we've talked about ("Hey - cover of Phonogram series 2. Look at Pretty McKelvieism!"). That has been known to act as a reminder, and everyone likes seeing shiny art.

If it's a pitch I want to take elsewhere, I'll drop the mail asking about it once. If I don't get a reply from that, I'll send another and say that I wanted them to know that I'm taking it elsewhere and thanks for their time, etc. Very politely, because I'm English and scared of all human contact.

And then Cry.

Comics is the sound of tears hitting paper, mark my words.

WHAT ONE THING WOULD YOU TELL ANY ASPIRING CREATOR TO DO?

Just do.

WHAT ONE THING WOULD YOU TELL ANY ASPIRING CREATOR TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS?

Lightning.

Cheers Kieron and sorry for the delay in getting it up. For more information on the man himself (and if you haven't read it, I seriously advise you to read Phonogram) go to his workblog at www.kierongillen.com.

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In Doctor Who: The Forgotten news, Chris Ryall of IDW posted some information to the Forbidden Planet blog last week which pretty much gives the solicit and Nick Roche's incredible cover to issue #1, out in August. For those who missed it...



"Stranded in a strange Museum that's dedicated to him; and with no TARDIS in sight, The Doctor and Martha must make sense of their surroundings, hindered by one small fact - The Doctor has lost his memories of every one of his previous incarnations! With items relevant to each Doctor in their possession, The Doctor must try to use them to regain his memories before it's too late, starting with his earliest incarnation's memories, involving Susan, Barbara and Ian. This all-new series written by Tony Lee (Starship Troopers) features artist Pia Guerra in her first monthly comic since Y The Last Man!"



And for those who missed the teaser poster that's doing the rounds...

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And that's it for another week. I will point out though that I'll be attempting to update my Livejournal blog every day from New York with photos and news, so keep an eye out on http://users.livejournal.com/_tonylee_/ as the week progresses.

And on that note, I'm out of here. Because I have to go play in the sun.

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Discuss this column at the Only A Forum forum.
© 2008, Tony Lee

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