Tharg has rejected me...

[Jim_Campbell]

Of the top of my head and without a spreadsheet- Alec Worley and Mike Carroll both wrote for FQP before Tharg.

Make comics.

Didn't Al Ewing start off self-publishing his own little photocopied strips and hawking them round conventions?

Cheers

Jim

[Molch-R]

Didn't Al Ewing start off self-publishing his own little photocopied strips and hawking them round conventions?

He did. Also, after many slush pile rejections, Spurrier began his career after winning the Pitchfest at Dreddcon and Arthur Wyatt went from founding Futurequake to writing for Tharg.

[Bolt-01]

Oh, Art! as well, Sorry.

Also Gordon Rennie, PJ Holden and Rufus Dayglo were all contributors to Class of '79.

[Professor Bear]

Cullen Bunn wrote for FutureQuake and now he writes Deadpool comics, so it's not all good news.

[Old Tankie]

Hi Nic.  Whilst I completely agree with what's been said about small press, web-comics, self-publishing, and going to Comic Cons, you can get picked up by sending in sample artwork, so keep trying all routes.  As well as ability, you do need a certain amount of luck and being in the right place at the right time can certainly help.  Good luck.

[GordonR]

Oh, Art! as well, Sorry.

Also Gordon Rennie, PJ Holden and Rufus Dayglo were all contributors to Class of '79.

The C79 stuff was just a bit of fun and a favour for friends.  I'd been making a living in comics for about 10 years by that point.

[Jim_Campbell]

I'd been making a living in comics for about 10 years by that point.

And that was proper 'making a living', not Grant Morrison 'making a living' when attempting to backdate the start of your career to predate a certain Mr A Moore of Northampton.

Cheers!

Jim

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Alternatively, every single winner of the Thought Bubble portfolio competition has got paid work

*ahem*

On an unrelated note check out this amazing page for Gavin Mitchell's Trolltooth Wars recently successfully funded on Kickstarter.



He's a self-publishing legend that's sure to get a proper break soon.

[The Legendary Shark]

I love writing for Zarjaz, Dogbreath, FutureQuake, Something Wicked and Paragon. First, it gives me a real buzz to see my name on a Judge Dredd or Strontium Dog strip (where else would I get the chance to do that?) or on a strip of my own invention. That's the vanity side of it.
.
The best part, though, is the learning aspect. I've never written anything I'm 100% happy with. Only by seeing my work in print can I pinpoint where I can do better - the frames I put in that shouldn't be there; the frames or details that should be there that aren't; dialogue that isn't right; things I haven't described or developed properly... the list of my shortcomings is extensive.
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That said, there are also aspects of my work I'm happy with and sometimes even proud of.
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Writing a good script might seem easy but it really isn't - at least, not to me. Script writing might look easier than prose writing on the face of it because scripts use fewer words but I think that's deceptive. Prose writing is easier because you can use as many words as you like to get your ideas across but in a script you have to be brief and use as few words as possible, which I find very challenging. Every word in a script must be accurate and precise yet loose enough to allow the artist room to breathe and shine. I still struggle with this.
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The fact is that I often can't see the weaknesses (and strengths) in my scripts until they're published. That's why I love writing for Dave, Rich and Davey - they make me want to do better and, by giving me the opportunity, help me see where and how I can be.
.
Thanks, guys!

[Andy Lambert]

So just to clarify, there are alternative - possibly more successful - avenues to try to get into 2000ad, or comics in general, than the scripts you're required to download from the website?

[Alec Worley]

Um... I got in through the slush pile. Had been writing professionally for a good few years previously, but the Prog was my first pro creative gig. Had nowt else to my name at that point beyond lots of movie journalism.

Done a pretty exhaustive blog about it, if'n you're interested, Nic... http://alecworley.weebly.com/blog/my-future-shock-hell-breaking-into-2000-ad-and-what-i-learned-while-doing-it

[Jim_Campbell]

So just to clarify, there are alternative - possibly more successful - avenues to try to get into 2000ad, or comics in general, than the scripts you're required to download from the website?

You're not "required" to. I can see the sense of standardising the slush pile submissions to an easily comparable set of scripts, but that's not the same thing as saying: make other comics and fucking dazzle.

Cheers

Jim

[Andy Lambert]

So just to clarify, there are alternative - possibly more successful - avenues to try to get into 2000ad, or comics in general, than the scripts you're required to download from the website?

You're not "required" to. I can see the sense of standardising the slush pile submissions to an easily comparable set of scripts, but that's not the same thing as saying: make other comics and fucking dazzle.

Cheers

Jim

Fair point, sir.

[The Legendary Shark]

I guess what I was so long-windedly trying to say is that, unless you're extremely talented (like Mr Worley), you need to practice.

[Alec Worley]

I chose the Future Shock route because I didn't know any artists, didn't (and still don't) know the first thing about promoting/distributing my own work, and I wanted to get paid.

And many thanks for the kind words there, White Falcon, but I think success in Future Shocking has more to do with persistence and a willingness to learn.