Is Your Portfolio Good Enough To Get You Hired at Marvel?
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- Опубликовано: 9 окт 2023
- Marvel Comics Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski shares with you the mistakes you should avoid making when creating a comic art portfolio! There’s advice on visual storytelling, developing a unique style, using reference wisely, and avoiding common mistakes. Cebulski also covers crucial artistic skills like consistency in character design, dynamic panel layouts, and guiding the reader's eye that you’ll want to focus on within a portfolio.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:08 - 1. Don’t Break the Panel Borders
00:51 - 2. Don’t Blacken Your Gutters
01:23 - Check Out the Premium Course!
01:42 - 3. Don’t Crop Out Tough Elements
02:23 - 4. Use Reference
03:25 - 5. Stick to the Grid
03:44 - 6. Consistency
04:20 - 7. There is a Fine Line Between Inspiration & Imitation
00:00 - How Many Portfolios Have You Reviewed?
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Instructional How to Draw videos for artists. My drawing lessons are approachable enough for beginners and detailed enough for advanced artists. My philosophy is to teach timeless concepts in an entertaining way. I believe that when you are having fun, you learn better. I take pride in producing high-quality videos that you will enjoy watching and re-watching.
CREDITS:
Artist | Instructor - C.B. Cebulski ( / cbcebulski )
Producer - Stan Prokopenko (www.stanprokopenko.com), Sean Ramsey (www.peoplewhodrawstuff.com), Patrick Bosworth (www.patrickdavidbosworth.com)
Production Assistance - Patrick Bosworth, Sean Ramsey, Stephen Clark (www.peppermintgentleman.com), Kristian Nee (www.kristiannee.com/)
Editing - Charlie Nicholson ( / shloogorgh )
Publishing - John Birchall, Alex Otis
Music Used with Permission from the ABC Music Library
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Can he stop zeb wells?... like or something 🤔 😕 🙄
Has anyone looked at a marvel book lately?? No way hes holding the current artists to these standards lmao
I feel like everything he said wasn’t bad it actually motivated tf outta me lol tbh
They have years of experience, worth looking at their advices
Because lowering their standards won’t get them more viewers?
Well i think it was much worse before covid because marvel was selling over 70 titles but now after covid where they sell much less comics monthly they mostly stick to better talent
@@eminor9196You have no idea what you're talking about
Generally sound advice that Marvel themselves often fails to put into practice.
I had a good laugh at the part where he said "don’t just trace it" as if they didn’t still have infamous tracer Greg Land on their payroll.
For real dude, another thing that pissed me off with this guy is how he's like Don't break these rules while he's displaying the work of other artists that broke the rules. This is why you don't take art advice from a writer, Although some of his advice was pretty good despite the fact it's basic comic knowledge. It's like if I went to Someone who builds figures as a hobby and was like, " Hey don't forget you need to make those things out of plastic!"
@@MightGuy15 It may be basic information to you but not everyone is at that level. Some people are just starting or want to learn.
I took it as, if you're a beginner stick to the basics. The people who are breaking the rules have been doing comics for years upon years, so they have the know how and the skill to pull it off. Where as beginners may just think it looks cool but not understand how to use it effectively (and it will show). He's not a writer, he's the editor in chief. As in the one who will oversee people's work and check for inconsistencies in the art and such. He is literally doing portfolio reviews so he knows exactly what to look for and how to pick up on the nuances of the art and overall work. Also he wasn't necessarily the one who chose those examples, he's just speaking on the topic.
@@MegaKenny9 He is a writer, he started out as an editor but wanted to write stories which is why he lied about being a Japanese man XD. And I agree it's good beginner advice despite the fact they don't abide by those rules themselves. "Don't mimic other artists too much!" He says as they continue to work with Greg Land who is infamous for artwork that looks like shit because he thought it would be a neat idea to start tracing sports illustrated covers and porn.
The issue is this advice is already advice people serious about advancing their craft should have known by this point. Look at the comments section. NOBODY learned anything, everyone is either saying this is good advice or are shitting on Marvel. Nobody is saying they learned anything new, because this information has been readily available for the past 5 decades through books, video tutorials, and schooling. Even worse, from a publisher no one even respects to the same extent as in the past anymore.
I won't go as far as saying this guy was probably lying about some of the submissions he's got, he's clearly learned lying is bad from when he pretended to be Japanese. I'm just saying it would have been more interesting if he would have shown some portfolios breaking his rules that got rejected rather than showing artists that already broke all of the rules he mentioned. Or maybe talk about what made the submissions they choose stand out from the pack. Go into the business end of things, talk about what art styles do they feel would be the most practical. But no, same advice people have been getting for years at this point. Tells people nothing new.
@@MightGuy15 I wont speak on him directly since i dont know much about him but i will agree the advice is very cookie cutter in that sense. Marvel especially in the past has hired some questionable people in terms of talent. Greg Land is one example but there is also Vince Colleta who was pretty bad at inking but he was hired because he was fast. Which shows that they will prefer speed over quality some of the times. I can understand it but I'm not a fan of it being like that.
It would've been nice to kind of see some portfolios that have been accepted and or rejected (or pieces from portfolios) in the past couple years. But I think it could come off a bit mean spirited to beat down a beginner's artist work to prove the point you know. So they have to be mindful. What they could've done is have someone with the know how show their own examples of pages that do it "right" vs "wrong". But i guess they have to keep the more in depth parts of it for the course lol.
@@MegaKenny9 That's a fair point too! I agree they shouldn't beat down on beginners although I imagine in such a situation they would ask for permission to discuss the drawing first because in my lil comic making circle I'm a part of I've noticed many artist crave improvement and criticism, but I agree doing it indiscriminately could hurt talent more than it helps. I also really like that idea of asking a pro artists the right or wrong way to do things, which begs to question why they went to this guy in the first place since he's not an artist. I just really wish he would have went in depth with what they are really looking for, because it's like you said, Vince was hired because he is fast. It would be interesting if he went into detail with how much quality are they willing to comprimise on for the sake of speed, or what they expect out of you once you actually make it in as an artist.
These tips he gave is probably not going to help many people because I can still imagine someone listening to all these tips and getting rejected for being too slow or changing too much about a characters design or maybe they have an artstyle that will make things difficult for them to print or keep up with deadlines. See what I mean? This is stuff I wish he talked about, but instead he's here like..."Tee hee, don't forget to not make the gutter black!"
Already in first "rule" I'm wrong. I do the panel border wherever way I want, I'm not waiting 20 years to do it the way I want. Glad I don't want to be hired by Marvel.
Neither you nor CB are wrong here! There are always going to be exceptions to general advice like yourself who do something that others have a hard time with.
We all know that a LOT of artists find drawing hands hard. But some people can do it with ease from very early on! Doesn't mean we should stop making videos on drawing hands for the people who do need the advice.
CB gives some advice on how to utilize a panel break that might help people do it successfully like you are. Hopefully, it becomes a thing no one has a hard time with doing well anymore!
@@ProkoTV Sure thing! Maybe I didn't express myself the right way. There's no wrong or right just different situations and purposes. I agree with everything he said regarding being hired at a place like Marvel other company. Each person or company has its own set of standards.
remember kids, if it says you pretended to be Japanese to get some work, you might just become editor in chief!
Lmfao I thought you're talking about someone else until I looked up this dude's name and what do I see? An article of him pretending to be Japanese. Wild shit. How comes nobody is talking about this?
Akira Yoshida
Very detailed explanation from Akira Yoshida
Konnichiwa my dude.
Great personal preferences- I mean, 'advice' Akira! My favorite part is when you said "I pretended to be a Japanese person to get hired at Marvel and now our entire comic division is being outsold by a single Japanese manga.". Just wonderful! I hear Image is hiring.
What are you talking about?
@@joseoh5856 Cebulski pretended to be a Japanese person by the name of Akira Yoshida to land a job at Marvel because, at the time, they wanted more Japanese style books. For the latter half of that sentence, Demon Slayer itself outsold the entire western comics industry in 2020. I'm not talking a small margin either, it was almost 10 to 1 when compared to comics.
anime fanboy
@@jonovangelion "My cartoons are better than your cartoons!!"
@@samtonnude941cry harder loser 😂😂😂😂
I’m old and have no interest in working for a comic company nor creating a portfolio.
That said, this is good advice for anyone wanting to create a comic.
This advice is similar to any artistic pursuit - less is more and focus on the fundamentals.
Thank you Proko for sharing content like this for free.
Less might be more, but hot dang you gotta grind those studies still.
Not C B cebulski telling me to go outside
i think people who say don't do things because you haven't been doing it for 20 years and your not allowed or you don't have a right too because you haven't done your time are really just shooting themselves in the foot because some of the greatest minds in science, art, and engineering have been breaking the "rules" or told you can't do that or it won't work and it does..... I'm not saying it always works but when it does its so special.
Wasn't this the same guy who got busted for writing under a Japanese pseudonym and pretending to be Japanese?
Other than that, his advice is...not good. At least the first two pieces concerning not breaking border panels and not using black gutters aren't good. They come across more as personal preferences rather than an understanding of how to compose a page and how each element traditionally works and why one would chose to do it a certain way. That's bad enough when it comes to helping comic artists figure out how to compose a page and tell the stories they want to tell as clearly as possible. But when he tries to fall on "experienced artists (who so happen to work with Marvel) can do it because they're experienced", as though they were veterans from the very beginning and didn't have to learn and make mistakes to do what they do, it's just insulting and makes his "advice" useless unless you're only in it to impress him.
The rest is just generic enough to be inoffensive. And what is the point other than "these are the things you need to do to impress C.B Cebulski?" And considering who he is and the state of the American Comic Book Industry and Marvel, is it really a good idea to listen to his advice?
“Akira Yoshida” it’s wild man
@@LimboSmith Apparently, Marvel doesn't care if you pretend to be another ethnicity so long as you hit them deadlines.
@@coreybass3231It's called a "pen name".
Pretty common practice even among "serious writers". What gets people so damn worked up?
@@DonVigaDeFierro He created an entire life-story and did interviews in that character and gladly accepted the acclaim of being a minority in a predominately White space while fetishizing a limited idea of Japanese culture for his benefit.
This was not some harmless pen name. This was Digital Yellowface and he is a scumbag for doing it.
4:28 #7 is especially important. I spent years copying my idols (McFarlane, Capullo, Mignola) without understanding WHY so it never developed beyond that until I broke free.
Glad you pushed through! Having influences that show in your art is great! but adding your own voice to that work is even better.
Good morning. Do you have social media where I can check out your artwork?
yes. literally any portfolio these days is good enough to get you hired at marvel, since clearly artistic ability isnt their main concern
Well, that's encouraging for amateur artists!
20 bucks says you haven't been in a comic store in ten years
@@toons8744 That's ok, no one goes to comic stores for comics anymore anyways
Marvel art is much worse than it was 10 years ago.
@@harrymason4300 its not. Thats a relative statement but... no it isn't. 10 years ago was 2013 and most of the folks working there now were just getting started. The folks must complain about were there already.
This is a great idea for another series on this channel. I hope Proko interviews Animation / storyboard recruiters.
Heard! Maybe someday!
I'm glad I wasn't the only thinking "good enough to get into a publisher in the midst of it's death throes?"
I love this advice but what I recommend the most is to simply make comics yourself and read and re-read comics until it goes from fun to study.
because a lot of things are difficult to learn until you do it yourself, do critiques or find someone to critique it for you and improve
Absolutely! One of the best ways to learn to make comics is to make comics.
You learn the "why" of the things you've seen on the page as a reader.
That's a big intention of this course. It's not just some videos you watch and try to learn from. There are real assignments that are like the jobs you'd get while working. Artists should develop their own work and post it online regularly, but the assignments are a great taste of the professional experience.
I love the artwork of Olivier Coipel. This artist is so talented. Mark Morales inking complements Olivier’s artwork so well. Olivier just does covers these days, which are great, but i would like to see Olivier and Mark return to creating comics again one day.
Mark Morales is my favorite inker - I loved him on Children's Crusade with Jim Cheung
Advice from master comics artist, Akira Yoshida.
This is extremely help for someone like me trying to break into higher publisher company! Thank you Proko for sharing! 🙏❤️
Sadly the high point for Marvel was in the 80-90s. I still crack a cover in the shops once in a while but I've all but given up on Marvel or even DC in recent years. The art is not nearly as up to scratch and the stories are just not nearly as entertaining.
Really great and practical advice for beginners. So many great artists at Marvel and DC these days, pumping out consistently great work. Would love to hear his thoughts on cover art and how it pulls in a reader today compared to years before.
Great and very detailed explanations! I wish he took it a step further and showed a portfolio that hit all the main talking points he spoke on.
Drawing comics is the hardest part of drawing it forces you to learn different parts of drawings
This is honestly helpful thank you, I’m currently rn working on a superhero type comic and honestly trying my very best on it.
and it’s my first ever actual complete story comic and trying to learn everything ofc the story and how it goes and flows with it and it’s amazing
If u have a dream, don’t give up on it, it’s not impossible because if others can do it and achieve it, so can you too as well! ^^
Thanks for the advices Akira!
Not only is Marvel not holding any of their own in-house artists to any of these standards, but Manga pretty much ignores all of this advice and outsells comics like 30 to 1.
Also…isn’t this the guy that pretended to be Japanese? Lmao he’s marvels EiC now? Embarrassing.
Maybe if I pretended to be Asian I would have a chance. I should show my portfolio to Akira Yoshida and get his opinion.
Listening to this guy? No thank you I'm good. 👍🏾👍🏾 I'll just do my own thing
Ok.
I agree. If he knew comics, they would be flying off the shelves. It's hilarious that Marvel is now trying to open "submissions" and help up and coming artist. It is absolutely insane.
1. Compared to what? 2. Marvel has actively scouted and outsourced from other countries at lower page rates including South America, Southeast Asia and so on. @@xombiekat13
@@mindandbody9427Yeah, if you manage to pass their purity test and actually get hired, you're forever locked in one lane. Black people work on black characters, gay people work on gay characters, etc. And don't even think about trying anything new. You're working on Secret Wars 15 for so little money you'll be begging for your rent on Go Fund Me.
Idc if he's from marvel, or dc or any other comic book company, he's giving really good advise for making comic books. I really enjoyed the lessons
well... he is from Marvel 😂
He literally said he's the editor in Chief of Marvel Comics in the very beginning. Focus Lemmy
I think they might have meant to type "idc". Y'all are savages about a typos in the comments lol
@@ProkoTV i know but i couldnt resist 😂 sorry. love you guys!
@@ProkoTVit was a typo.
I'm surprised he didn't mention changing your name to something Japanese to get work 😮
Yeah, I wouldn't wanna apply there. But good information nonetheless for those of us who want to be apart of the Iron Age 🤘 Hail to the creatives!
Isn't the same guy that pretended to be Japanese just to get work?
YUP!
Yyyyyup
Yup Akira Yoshida@@marczwaneveld2663
Dont trace. Yeah tell Greg Land that.
Getting hired at marvel these days is basically saying "I suck at drawing and hate making a livable wage, but love making people suddenly gay."
I read the thumbnail thinking that it was going to be a satirical video about what modern day marvel has become XD
How did this guy get his job??? How is he going to get the sales back up? Classic titles used to sell hundreds of thousands of copies every month. Now, lucky to sell 20k of any issue. I know what I'd do if I had his job.
In the realm where creativity thrives, one truth demands acknowledgment: the universe of an emerging comic artist extends far beyond the realm of MARVEL. While certain aspects of this statement resonate, abiding solely by these guidelines can't help but feel futile. Countless superior platforms and publishing avenues exist, ones that embrace your unique talents and essence, beckoning for your artistic prowess. Simply put, it's worth contemplating.
I agree the storytelling is king, but I also feel like the style Hass to connect with people. Because the best storytelling in the world isn’t gonna connect with me. If I don’t like the style or it doesn’t excite me. I think this is what made the 90s artists so big in their time.
skill comes before style
@@trahapace150 I don’t disagree.. I believe I mentioned something to that affect in my opening post.. But let me clarify by adding that my prior comment assumes all the basics are covered.
This mentality explains so much about how terrible Western comics are.
@@nmr7203imo the issue with western comics is the disconnect between drawing and story
In manga for example since the writer is also usually the artist the end result is that the art complements the story, the artists can use the art to enhance the narrative since he or she is the one with the entire concept on it's head and can mend the two seamlessly, the drawings themselves tell the story
In cómics meanwhile a single comic page goes through soo many hands that the story gets diluted and disconnected from the action which is why huge walls of texts are common place in comic books but a little rarer in manga because those are the only way to explain the story if the visuals arent helping because the page goes through 5 or 6 people before it's finished so the writer is 5 or 6 people disconnected from the end product
I always wanted to break into comics. I was never good enough to get in Marvel or DC. I got into the animation industry instead as a storyboard artist. It's still a fun job tho.
Nice! That's a fun field to be in!
@@ProkoTV all that practicing and improving to break into comics just got me into animation as a story artist.
@@OrFennSchuller That's the story of so many artists! You're training to be in one field but an opportunity to be in another comes up and the skills you're honing translate over.
Glad you found a place that welcomed you!
Thank you!
Actual great advice. These comments are bugging out.
Akira Yoshida!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
It's always been a dream to be a part of the Marvel universe. Thanks for the tips CB!!
thank goodness I'm an architect, and is easy for me to draw interesting buildings. The rest of the tips are very important: use the rules well before breaking them is always better. I like 90s comics too )))))
I think these sound more like “suggestions” rather than rules cuz I’ve seen a ton of Marvel comics break these rules all the time.
Absolutely! These are tips for beginners who are still building their portfolio. These things are done poorly by new artists whose work they've reviewed, not things to NEVER do.
Black gutters can be used for flashbacks or for other purposes. But for most western comics, that has a certain meaning and should be used for those purposes, unless it's a very intentional plan.
Every "rule" should be broken! But if you're putting together a portfolio early in your career, consider whether you're in the group of artists who are doing these things poorly.
Ahora, a donde tenemos que enviar nuestros portfolios? No hay E-mail, ni pagina web o red social para contactarse con el editor?!
They have a "talent relations" department. Not sure how to get in contact with them but hopefully, having that department title can help you out in your search.
Good Inspiration and Motivation.
So, how long do people working on comics have to write the story and whatnot after taking the job? I’m a slow worker and I don’t know if I could function under tight deadlines.
This really depends on the writer's experience, the book they're being brought onto and what step on the process they're brought in on. There's unfortunately not a blanket answer for that.
Some writers who are well-known can be working on a story for a long time because of their reputation. Other writers may be working on something that needs a fast turnaround because of a tie-in with another book or because they're jumping in where another writer left or couldn't fulfill their commitment.
As with all forms of contract-based work, it's goof to try to find a system for you to be able to lay down a structure quickly and then hone in the details afterwards, rather than discovering the structure along the way. This works for drawing as well as writing and finding that system helps you to create work you're happy with while doing it quickly enough for the companies you're submitting the work to.
Super useful information, it’s a great collab for PROKO the business… it’s a shame marvel is in the gutter, atleast from a PR position.
My goal is to make a portfolio for somebody like Marvel/DC when improved. Gotta work on backgrounds and poses more. Cropping hands and feet in a comic style is a tendency sometimes! Shout-out Rob Liefield lol
The best way to get better at making comics is to make them! You don't have to make work that you publish on any of the online web comic platforms but drawing some pages will be the fastest way to see where your weaknesses are so you can improve.
Good luck with it!
@@ProkoTV THANK YOU! I will get motivated to buff up my writing skills and art skills and try to put some pages out anywhere I can! Gotta take the leap and go from thinking to doing
I wonder how much artists get paid.
Good stuff, thank you
"If you don't like drawing it, practice drawing it"
Sh*t! Time to draw some animals!
Im making a portfolio for an upcoming review opportunity and ive been very excited to play with panels and breaking out if them. Now im worried ive made the wrong call.
That advice is a cautionary piece of wisdom, not the end all way to do things.
If you're motivating the panel breaks in the way he mentioned, you're probably doing just fine!
Thank you for your wisdom and great feedback to help me and other artists.
This is dope! 🤯 Perfect collaborators
As a former college artist who moved on with different career, I love hearing all of this wonderfully insight from Cebulski! Enjoying the high quality, keep it up!
#1 rule! There are no rules just personal taste!
None of the things said on here are hard "rules". Just suggestions about issues that are seen in a lot of beginner's portfolios.
Take the tips if you want or not. All up to you!
hmm i thought this was gonna be some great inside on how to make your portfolio by someone with a lot of knowledge about it, but this is just a how to make comics again :/
At the end of the day, making a comics portfolio is about showing you can make comics! These are common mistakes seen especially often in the portfolios editors review.
1. Hilarious he'd say not to trace when they have known tracers still employed.
2. Why is he so against drawing outside of the grid? "Let the people with 20 years experience do it"
Ok but if it looks good who cares? this makes me dread ever imagining working at Marvel if this is their attitude, no thanks lmao.
This advice is addressing common issues seen in beginner's portfolios, not a guide for your entire career. The 20 years experience is hyperbole.
There are always going to be outliers to what's a common problem, though.
Seems like in a video like this the examples used would follow the "rules" he laid out. Especially the last examples, but no. The last examples were a convoluted unreadable mess with panel breaking, panel blending, invisible panels and splash all over the place with zero idea where the characters are suppose to be going. Everything you aren't suppose to have in your portfolio, those panels had. Were you showing what not to do in a portfolio? If so that should have been stated.
Don't break the panel borders? Wouldn't it be best to advise something like learn how to break your panel borders?
This is general advice for newer artists who are still working to build a portfolio.
Early on, artists of all mediums and styles benefit from learning the "why" and "how" of common guidelines.
Most people aren't ready to break those "rules" until they have more experience under their belt. They need to learn what the panel break means to a reader and how best to implement it.
There are going to be some talented new artists who can, of course! But this is general advice.
He did very briefly touch on the correct way to break a panel border (as a device to lead the eye to the next panel or towards the bottom of the page).
@@dannycruz5446 and then he said leave that for professionals.
@@ProkoTV I'm a graphic designer. The first thing I was taught were the rules and the second thing I was taught after that was to break them. Even in my first year I was taught about David Carson. Best form of advice from a guy in the industry is to learn the rules and learn how to break them not to stick to the rules until you are a professional. That makes no sense to me. But what do I know. I don't work at Marvel.
meanwhile Todd McFarlane: "if you doubt then black it out"
He stated that when someone ask him why do comic artist hate to draw feet (taken from Wired on youtube)🤣🤣🤣
I just wonder if you want to work for Marvel, do you have to draw their characters or can make your own (personal work)? I mean if it still is a good portfolio can it make you hired?
If you mean can you have original characters in your portfolio, absolutely! Having your own original designs and stories in there is a great practice.
You should be making comics for yourself or other smaller publishers before trying to take a swing at the big companies. That's how you hone your skills.
Thanks! @@ProkoTV
Ok "Akira"
I aspire to become a manga artist and these tips are useful. Thanks
I've always been told I'm really good at art and I should go work at comics or game concept design. And I keep telling them I'm not good enough yet cause I can't draw everything I should know how to draw. But they just think I sell myself too short. Maybe this video of a pro who is in charge of hiring will finally make them stop bugging me about it.
No way! You only get to use this video to identify some things you might want to work on, not as a way to convince people to stop thinking you're skilled and destined for big things.
Identify what you need to work on and aim for the big goals you want and others see you being able to achieve. See the good in your art they do and remember that's part of what people see when they're shown your work.
No excuses for not trying! Go out and succeed!
@@ProkoTVI'm far from not trying. I never stop drawing but the problem is that with my 8-5 job and daily chores after work I barely have time to draw so I usually focus on one thing at a time which means progress is extremely slow. And also when I'm too tired I can't even focus enough to learn something new so I just default to what I draw best just so I draw something.
Can't really quit my job or work less to go full time art cause I got a mortgage and 2 loans to pay. Oh yeah and also I do it all myself cause I'm not married so no second income for support :/
Good morning. Do you have social media where I can check out your artwork?
Good tipds, but a lot of the examples near the end completely contradict what he says at the beginning, i.e. not breaking panels, sticking to grid, leaving space between panels, etc.
Yep! These are tips to address common issues that editors see new artists having a hard time with, not a guide for established artists who know where and when to change things up. A person who's already been working for a long time like Aaron, whose work is shown, will have the experience and knowhow to break those rules.
Comics are a storytelling medium that should have you breaking the rules to emphasize and add impact! CB gives the advice to not break the panel but also gives advice on WHY and WHEN to break the panel because it's definitely okay to do on purpose sometimes!
@@ProkoTV Also, s diferent in diferent contexts. European, or japanese, or more indi comics had diferent criteria on this points. He sounds very dogmatic as this is the only way possible, when is just one of multiple paths of doing comics.
shit advice to be told, "wait 20 years before doing something you enjoy".
We felt it was pretty clear this is exaggeration but, to make it clear, never wait to do something! But always consider whether you're doing something well when you're early in your career.
Try things you want to with your art! But when submitting your portfolio for comics work as a new artist, consider the strength of the work you're presenting.
He talks about how to break the panels well with intention and motivated by the content of the narrative. See if you are and take the advice from a pro if it applies to you!
I've been drawing since 1977 at age 9... I sent 12 package portfolios of sketching inking and coloring to Marvel since 1988-1996 I never got a called. I drew just as good as top artist at Marvel
Did you submit anything to Image Comics?
@@Johnny0lovely69 Yes in 2000
Do you have social media where I can check out your artwork?
@@resistancepublishing I'm 55 years of age now I'm done drawing
@@sinchman1 ok I understand. thank you
7:15 lol that page .
Great video. Makes me feel like I am close. Now just gotta find a publisher that wants an awesome artist
Self-publishing is a great route to start!
We have Eisner winning artist Daniel Warren Johnson in the course. He published a comic online as a way to learn and develop as an artist and it seems to have paid off!
You don't need to use any of the vertical webcomic platforms. You can post to your own site like Kill Six Billion Demons does. That led directly to them getting asked to publish their work with Image.
Good luck!
Good morning. Do you have social media where I can check out your artwork?
Idk why but his first 2 points sounded like “don’t give me no manga shit, we doin comic books” lol maybe it’s just because I grew up reading way more manga than comics even in America
Definitely not. This man loves his manga.
1st tip - guy doesnt know what hes talking about, and shouldn't be editing at Marvel. Maybe theres a connection to guys like this being in lead positions, and the failure at Marvel comics division?
He talks about how to break them with intentionality.
A common issue is people doing them poorly or without consideration when they're in a stage where they're still assembling a portfolio, rather than their pre-existing work speaking for their skill.
This was such an awesome insight, so inspiring!
They give you insane deadlines… 14h of work everyday. Who wants that?
Artists
Artists working for Marvel or any other publisher for that matter, don't have hourly commitments they have to do each day. Jobs are measured in pages.
Some artists, like Ryan Benjamin who teaches in this course, are absurdly fast. A lot of that comes down to experience or rendering style. But taking on a job at a certain page rate is different per artist, their contract or their managers. There's no one-size-fits-all pay rate.
If I broke all of these rules would I be considered eccentric? Revolutionary even?
Depends! These are common issues that early artists have in their portfolios, not guidelines on what to NEVER do in comics.
These things can all be done well and often are. But knowing why to do them and how to do them without giving a different implication to the viewer than what's intended can often come down to experience.
Black gutters can be used to show a flashback sequence, a clouded mind of the character or even to really drive home the darkness in a scene and more. But, like all things in art, we should choose to do things for a reason and know what they mean in the viewer's eye.
@@ProkoTV Thank you for the reply [:
These videos having been super helpful for me. I've been getting back into the swing of things after taking a bit of a break. Love the collab with Marvel.
Glad you're finding them useful!
Amazing guy 😂, thank youuuu
Good to see there will always be the stereotypical comic book guys in any community when it brings up comics lol.
Comic sales are dropping across the board, not just at Marvel and not because of any specific thing they're doing, because Marvel is still the best selling comic book publisher. People are just more excited about different types of stories now and that's reflected in skyrocketing manga sales.
This is still useful advice for aspiring comic book artists because even if you have a weird hate boner for Marvel, enough Marvel artists do work for different companies that it suggests there's still probably a general set of standards that would probably apply to most publishers in terms of portfolios.
I've been watching proko for a long time and it has never made me unhappy.
makes sense
Maybe some day this will be useful for me.
Use it today! It's portfolio day! What better day to start building one? 😁
I used to make comics for mine and my friends entertainment, if i ever pick it back up Marvel and DC are last places i will let scrutinize my work.
Most important rule of working for Marvel or DC don't Copy. That makes no sense as you have replicate an original existing entity within their universe.
Don't copy, but "reference". lol
Artists for pre-existing universes aren't expected to make everything exactly the same when they work on a book. There's tons of room for expression narratively and visually. That's why we have a million different versions of every character, even if that's just a new costume or something.
If it was all set in stone, there'd never be new characters or stories and there are tons of those every year.
@@ProkoTV Thats absurd. Its proves you are an AI bot. Because if this true which it isnt. This blue blob i made is spiderman from now on.
They should probably still be good ideas lol. But SP//dr and Peni Parker, who we saw in the Spiderverse movies were created in 2014 in a one-off issue where they also snuck in a bunch of references to anime they loved and more. Even those two character's designs were references to things the artist and writer love.
You can do fun stuff while working for a big company with its own IP!
3:18 greg land should take notes
Why the dig at 90's comics? The 90's was the high point for marvel comics.
Who would want to work at Marvel and DC in this day and age?
A lot of people! But there are plenty of reasons to keep yourself independent or only work with certain companies.
It's great that we live in a time where there are that many options!
Nice tips, thx
Stick to the rules for your portfolio and job for right now. Then break them later on.
This guy is good!
I’m genuine about understanding which set of rules he is implying but the restrictions he makes over what work it doesn’t work without he getting the draftsmanship it kinda feels just a judgmental, maybe an actual draftsman artist who give this advice could feel more constructive and more authentic imo maybe I’m in the wrong but as an artist feels weird and wrong such standards are implied by him without having the skill tools
Marvel comics having restrictive standards, who would've thought.
@@everblue1034 read again, I’m not against the idea but he is telling people learn anatomy or fundamentals of drawing when he is not an artist
@pablolarreategui9489 Do you need to be an artist for that tho? You are going to be selling comics to paying readers. People dont need to know art to be dissatisfied with it 😅
@@lavone5541 Yes as an artist valuable feedback is necessary and when a guy comes with vague ideas of what is not working is the worst. Believe me anybody can be a critic but not many could make an actual constructive criticism. Specificity is a must for an aspiring artist who wants to be in the industry
Yeah, maybe that's why Marvel is doing so well as a reading experience? LOL My 1st and foremost don't submit to Marvel or DC. Create your own work.
People should absolutely develop their own characters and worlds!
But even the most stylized artists like Tradd Moore, Ian Bertram and more work with bigger companies. Those big paying jobs help fund artists getting to take the time to work on their passion projects that we all love!
That's true of art throughout human history. We all want to see the great unique work people have in them but bills have to get paid in the meantime.
Love Tradd Moore, but I dislike the hiring practices of companies like Marvel and DC that gatekeep and make cliques over hiring great talent across the board and developing great stories that draw in readers/audiences. Marvel and DC are archaic and are in a doom loop that is barely sustaining themselves. kudos to you all for collaborating but this isn't what I'd considered breaking ground to help with submissions with pencilers, inkers, colorists or writers. Maybe he should show some examples? Do a review on camera of each? How about discussing page rates and the contract process. I mean if they're truly interested in being transparent in their hiring process
I still love your guys' content and channel, that won't change, but I hope you're getting a finders fee for the EIC of Marvel & DC.@@ProkoTV
These lessons are all intended to be evergreen advice for comics-making. We're aiming to make something that isn't only useful for now.
If we made a video about contracts two years ago, there'd be missing discussion for sections that artists need now for making sure companies don't use your art for training generative AI datasets and more. Same goes for page rates. Inflation would make all numbers mentioned meaningless in just a year.
You're bringing up things that people talk about collectively in different places online to provide industry transparency. Those are great and should ABSOLUTELY be discussed! But in a video series about making art that doesn't get updated with new information added to it every year, it's not really possible to include without doing a disservice to the artists who would try to learn from it later.
That's part of why we wanted to make this course. The older comics-making educational materials were all out of date! We want a resource that can be used for a long time by people who work in any software or traditionally. Also, Marvel doesn't see any of the assignment submissions for this course, just the instructors, other students and the Proko team. They're legally restricted by their own team from seeing the student submitted work. So, no "finder's fee". Just teaching how to make comics!
Rock solid advice on making comics.
6:18 I swear to God i thought he was going to say Frank Miller
I have no problems reading a comic if the panel borders are black. I mean todd MacFarlane's Spawn comics comic have black borders. 🤷🏿♂️
Yes
study john buscema.
this is just a list of this guys pet peeves lol. as much !s I appreciate that for its use and POV in the current ideology of Marvel specific business practices as of now, I feel a little click baited.
This is a list of common issues seen in portfolios reviewed by a high up editor at a big publisher.
No clickbait here!
@@ProkoTV well fair enough. I appreciate the channel and the insight, guess I just expected different content from the title. still useful content.
oh my god its akira yoshida
Sensible advice. Well done!
...would Steve Ditko be successful today as he was in the 60s?