MIKE DEODATO
I’ve had the good fortune to do comic book conventions all over the world. One constant, beyond mutual love for comics, is that every comic book convention has fans that want to be professional comics artists. When I sit at various publisher and agent booths, I see the interactions between fans and pros. Once in a while, I see a great meeting and bright smiles all around, but more often, I see would-be artists walking away, dejected. But! I also hear what those editors and publishers and agents have to say after the people leave. Here are four rules of what to avoid doing, based on my experiences.
1 Don’t announce that you kick ass. At one con, an artist, girlfriend in tow, came up to an editor, threw open his portfolio, and announced, “I kick ass!” I was sketching nearby and glanced over, curious to see precisely what ass-kicking art should look like. Little did I realize it should look a bit like stick figures surrounded by rubbery lines. The editor started to explain what type of art this fellow would need to submit, basic advice the guy clearly needed, yet the next words from the guy’s mouth were, “You’re not what I need!” And he scooped up his ass-kicking stick figure work and stormed off to the next booth.
2 Don’t make excuses for your work. One sunny Sunday at a con, an artist handed his portfolio to an agent, who carefully looked through every piece to get a feel for the work before commenting. I could see the guy on edge, dreading the words to come. When the agent finally began commenting, the artist interrupted with excuses about every piece. “I didn’t have the reference.” “I broke up with my girlfriend that week.” “The storytelling’s weak because I didn’t have a real script to draw from.” “That’s an old piece.” Finally, the agent asked, “So you’re saying nothing in this portfolio reflects the work you can really do right now?” “That’s right,” the artist replied. The agent closed the portfolio, handed it back, and said to the line of artists, “Next?”
3 Don’t compare yourself with the worst guy working. “I saw the latest issue!” an artist proclaimed to the book’s editor. “I can draw better than that.” “Yes, you can,” said the editor, paging through the kid’s portfolio, an amused look on his face. “But everybody I have working for me draws better than he does. I don’t need somebody better than my worst guy; I need somebody better than my best guy.”
4 Don’t lie about your credits. “I’m working on Wolverine: Origins #29 right now,” said the artist showing his stuff to my agent as I did sketches nearby. “No, you aren’t,” I said without looking up. “I’m drawing that issue right now.” “Ummm…I mean, I was supposed to draw it but I was too busy.” “Maybe you’re mistaken,” said my agent, “because that was always part of Deodato’s scheduled run.” “No, I mean it was a sample.” “So you’re telling me your best recent credit is a sample that you didn’t do?” Sometimes the truth can be merciless.
Understand that editors want to discover the next top talent. Fake credits, poor comparisons, sad excuses, and overselling your skills do nothing to make those sample pages better. For better or for worse, the quality of the work will speak for itself. So make it great!
One of Marvel’s top exclusive artists for many years, Mike Deodato started working in the American market twenty years ago, making his first splash with such titles as Beauty and the Beast, Lost in Space, and Quantum Leap. From there he went on to Wonder Woman, Batman, Wolverine, Spider-Man, X-Men, and various Avengers titles. His latest art book, The Marvel Art of Mike Deodato, premiered in 2011.