Wednesday, April 01, 2009

S.A.S.E. - Send Another Submissions Editor

As I continue to travel from con to con on my never-ending quest to find the best talent the comic book world has to offer, I get asked a lot of questions about breaking into the biz, especially in regards to portfolio reviews. Eventually, someone always ends up asking about the worst portfolio review I've ever had/given and I usually chose to tell one of five stories that were particularly memorable for me. So memorable in fact that I once wrote a story about them all. A story that was even drawn and published! Then just yesterday, after inevitably being asked the same question at Reverie down in Dallas, I told a few of the stories, mentioning the fact that they'd once been published, when someone else inquires, "Have you ever thought about republishing the comic online so people can read it?". As this was a thought that honestly never occurred to me before, I immediately called the original publisher and got his OK to share the story with internet audiences everywhere!

So here now for your reading pleasure is S.A.S.E. (Send Another Submissions Editor), illustrated by Rob Guillory, artist of Image's upcoming CHEW series with John Layman, originally published in the Hero Initiative's ACTOR COMICS PRESENTS anthology in the Fall of 2006.








After reading this, please visit the Hero Intiaitive's website, find out about how they're so graciously helping comic creators in need, and donate to their cause if you can.

Thanks to Jim McLauchlin of the Hero Initiative for giving me his blessing to post this, to Rob Guillory for so beautifully illustrating my crazy con adventures, and to Randy Gentile for putting the words in my mouth with his impeccable lettering.

Enjoy!

24 comments:

Jason Copland said...

Great stuff, CB (and Rob and Randy)! Looking forward to buying you that drink, CB!

Kalle Malloy said...

Awesome! I'm never goiing to another con tho...

Matt Forbeck said...

Too damn real/funny. Thanks!

Nicole Cardiff said...

Hilarious! Makes me glad I'm not on that side of the table...

Michael E Wiggam said...

Hahaha. At least, I didn't make it in that lot. ;)

Rogério Ribeiro said...

Man, oh man, that's sooooo fine. Even spotted some of those at the line in your Lisbon stay at Forum Fantastico! :P

Best,
Roger

manyhats76 said...

kind of reminds me of my first day as an art teacher. oooo the memories....

Jennifer Juniper said...

Haha Love it!

Anonymous said...

Funny stuff.

Unknown said...

Dear god man... over beers sometime we'll have to talk about the influx of post-CBT "submissions" I got... oiy friggin vey.

Vickie Florschuetz said...

Hi, that was funny and good lessons in common sense. I am a portrait artist, but think the points made can apply to any artist breaking into the business.
Thanks

Achille said...

really really funny with a spark of poetry....

nothing here said...

Funny stuff! So what does an aspiring comic artist do when caught in the catch-22 of "need to be published elsewhere before here"? Prior published experience is hard to come by when that prerequisite seems to be the industry standard. What can the artist be doing to get their work in front of the right person(s) at Marvel (or DC) with the cold submissions avenue closed?

JCoelho said...

Hey C.B.!
Great piece man, loved it, honest and funny, delicious. The artist's great too!

Best!
JCoelho

Unknown said...

"...every man, woman and child who has ever picked up a pen, pencil, crayon, chalk or charcoal..."
¡Muy bueno!
Funny, really funny.
You should have it translated to spanish and share too...

Unknown said...

hello!

my name is luca casalanguida.

is it possible to have your email to show you my (comics)portfolio?

the mine is

casalanguidaluca@libero.it

thank you.

Annika said...

Funny stuff CB! Goes to show sometimes real life is funnier than fiction. I promise never to accost your eyes with my horrible stick figures!

oilsoaked said...

Way too awesome for words, but also wildly inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing!

Parka said...

Nice laugh/cry/? moments.

SUEDE said...

hi sir! nice stories and great art! those stories remind me of the first few episodes of american idol. i love this post! but just a close second to your food pictures!

Unknown said...

I liked the ending of your comic strip.

Alexa D said...

HA! All too true-- at NYCC I had a fellow con-goer show me his portfolio, and dear God. I can't draw a straight line if given a ruler and a stack of erasers and I can still draw better than this guy. And it was colored with colored pencil!

At least you're expected to be more honest than nice. I ended up just picking the least heinous of his strips and told him it would "work better" as a webcomic (where it could mire in sweet obscurity).

Nene said...

ahahaha!

Eric Ortiz said...

Thanks for the hilarious heads up C.B.