Phoenix Comic Con 2011 (doodles and notes)

What I dressed up as when I went to the Pheonix Comic Convention last month: Aspiring Artist, Here on Business. Thank you very much :)

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I only was able to go to the Saturday session, but here is a collection of notes and doodles jotted down as I sat in some of the panels that day, listening to writers and artists talk about their trade:

From the Saturday Morning Sketchoff:

"Do one drawing every day. Even if it sucks. You will get better"
"A degree can't teach you how to *keep* drawing"
"A business class is a must"
"perks of being an artist/writer: going to work in your boxers"

From the artists vs writers throwdown: "the audience comes for the art, stays for the writing.... a badly written book can be sold by good art.... no art can possibly match the image in my head... being good friends does not mean you will be good creative partners..."

From Wonderful World of Webcomics, Spike Trotman, Randy, Milholland, and DAnielle Corsetto:

"Nothing that I learned in art school applies to what I do right now. I had to draw, every night, alone to get here."

"Know your rights, pay attention to what you sign, learn the business"

"The lesson from the guy who created Men In Black: 'Exposure' is WORTHLESS (he didn't see a cent of the movie franchise revenue)"

John Layman and Rob Guillory discuss Chew:

John was "laughed at for sticking to his stoopid bird cannible story, so he did it on his own, no support"
Rob: "I didn't draw like anyone else, it was just me screwing around. I sucked at mainstream comic style"
John: "when every person in the business rejects you for 10 years, you get humble"
and also: the importance of having an end. Chew will end at issue 60. (Compare to Mainstream tendency to keep characters and stories alive indefinitely. "Comfort food comic reading")

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hmmm... well that ended up being more random than I anticipated: it all seemed very cohesive and, and *vital* as I frantically scribbled it down while sitting in the sessions. I guess that means you just had to be there. Which, I am very glad I was.


(More pics here.)