Seeking Artists — Pay, Publishing, Profits
Thursday, December 4th, 2008(UPDATED THREE TIMES!)
My name is Bobby Crosby and I write Last Blood, Marry Me, and +EV. I hope to launch at least four new graphic novels in January, but I need your help, since I suck at drawing and I wouldn’t have time anyway, since I’d be, you know, writing seven comics. All of these comics, including the current three (same artists staying on for those), will be weekly, and my plan is to have one for every day of the week (Last Blood every Saturday!).
The new graphic novels, like Marry Me and Last Blood, are based on my movie ideas and are all in different genres, so I’m not looking for any one style of art. The goal is to print first issues (24 or 32 pages) for all of these in time for the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con (late July), where they will be featured at the Blatant Comics booth and seen by hundreds of producers, leading to things like this and this. All of these comics will also be on Keenspot at launch.
(I’m not involved in that second link at all, but it JUST happened and specifically mentions being found at Comic-Con. Pretty cool.)
If hired, you will receive:
* A bare minimum of $15 per page, more for covers.
* A large percentage of the profits from the comics (online and in print) and also a percentage of the profits from anything the project makes outside of the comics, like movies or TV shows.
* As many free copies as you’d reasonably want of your published work.
(If you are an incredible, experienced comic book artist, I’ll listen to all proposals and it’s possible that I’d pay over $75 per page, but then your profit sharing would most likely be less. I’m not giving specific, clear cut terms because this call is for many different projects and many different artists with many different possible offers.)
All of these graphic novels will be published by Blatant Comics and distributed by Diamond. As a Keenspot comic with major links from all the comics I’m associated with, each new comic will begin with thousands of readers, possibly tens of thousands (probable Keenspot newsbox at launch).
The best example of my writing right now is Marry Me, but feel free to check out +EV and Last Blood as well. My scripts are usually very detailed, often including funny little layout sketches like this one, if deemed necessary or if I’m bored.
These graphic novels are expected to run anywhere from 60 to 120 pages, which means 14 to 28 months on a weekly schedule, although we might update more often at times, if possible or necessary, and finish sooner. Would be nice to have the finished graphic novels at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con. Marry Me was 91 pages and Last Blood was 112. Please don’t apply unless you’re very confident that you could meet a weekly schedule for a high quality comic for the next 18 months at least. Sequels (or at least fun side stories, like the ones we’ll be doing for Marry Me) are possible for most of the upcoming projects, but you would not be obligated to sign on for anything past the first graphic novel.
To repeat, the plan is for these to be weekly, but if you’re a great versatile artist with time to kill, it’s very possible that you could be hired for two or more of these projects. I would love to find someone like that. Or, if I’m unable to find multiple good artists, there’s a chance I could do two comics as MWF instead or one comic five times a week even and have the full graphic novel done for this year’s Comic-Con. But the goal is at least four new weekly comics. I have over a dozen solid film concepts still waiting to be made.
If you’re interested in illustrating any of these projects or if you have any questions, please e-mail me at bobbyc512@gmail.com. You may also instant message me on Yahoo at Bobbyc712.
If you’re going to ask a question, please first read this entire post. Other than producing quality art on time, your main job will be following very detailed scripts that will sometimes be longer than this post, so if you can’t get through this and understand it, I can’t work with you.
MORE DETAILS
I strongly prefer an artist who also letters and colors, but that’s not a requirement (the first Last Blood graphic novel was entirely black and white and I’m open to doing that again). It would certainly give you an advantage. It would also give you an advantage if you already have a popular comic online, but again, not at all required. I’m open to hiring a great artist who has never been involved in comics before.
Don’t hesitate to send me examples of your work, preferably as links. Send me whatever you want and tell me whatever you want — now’s the time! I’m reading everything carefully and I’m hiring! I will eventually (within a couple weeks probably) respond to everyone who e-mails me.
The projects are in various genres and various ratings from G to R. An artist would be chosen for a project based on whatever the best fit would be. The goal for one of the comics is a Pixar type CGI-animated film, for example. Another is a political action thriller with lots of murders, and so on.
A popular question is what program the artist should work in and also what all the job would entail. I prefer the artist to work with whatever programs can get results that will be of a similar quality (not necessarily style, but quality — professionalism) of Marry Me or Last Blood. The job simply entails doing whatever is necessary to produce work like that, and to do it on time, of course.
Your age doesn’t matter, your location doesn’t matter. Artist jobs with me will always be available, since I have a million more projects to do. Some will begin this month and some will begin ten years from now. I am always looking for artists. So don’t worry about if the positions are filled yet.
But to answer your questions about that: No deals are done yet (night of December 4), but it’s looking likely that two of the spots are already filled. That still leaves a lot of jobs left, including at least two that I’d like to start as soon as possible.
There are about eight ideas that I’d be comfortable with starting as new comics very soon — meaning I know enough about them that I could start writing them right away. Of those eight, there are a specific four which I’d like to launch first, while probably holding off the others for future projects, since I don’t want to be writing eleven comics simultaneously (including the current three). So I’m mostly looking for artists for those top four projects, but if I don’t find good enough artists for those, I’d consider bumping the others up the schedule. Several of these comics could conceivably be drawn in various styles, but of my top four choices, three of them should probably be realistic, while the other could be cartoony or even 3D (it’s the Pixar type).
One project features lots of hi-tech sniper rifles and Washington, D.C. landmarks and lots of guys in suits. One features a gigantic monster and lots of views from space — the Earth and the moon. One’s set in World War II with a significant focus on life in Japan. The cartoony/3D project features trillions of little aliens.
If you think you can draw like Last Blood artist Owen Gieni and you’re actually right about that, you’ll probably be hired. If you can draw like Jeff Smith (Bone), you’ll also be hired. Same for Sergio Aragones. Same for Charles Schulz. Same for Sarah Ellerton (The Phoenix Requiem). So please don’t ask me what style I’m looking for — just show me your art!
UPDATE #1 (December 7)
One done deal so far and another deal almost certainly going to happen. Still leaves many projects available, including at least two that I’d like to start right away!
UPDATE #2 (December 14)
Still only the one deal done so far. Keep those submissions coming. Eventually I’ll reply to every e-mail.
UPDATE #3 (December 27)
Same situation still — keep submitting! I apologize if I haven’t yet replied to your e-mail — that’s probably a good sign, though, at this stage, meaning that it’s not a definite no yet. Current goal is to reply to everyone by January 10.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
huzza!
December 4th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
YES!!! Thank the gods, I had almost given up hope…
December 5th, 2008 at 12:38 am
*Explodes with joy*
December 5th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Good to hear!
I look forward to the updates.
Now quick, everyone hunker down and prepare for the rage comments of people who are gonna bithc because he’s waiting ALL TEH WAY TIL JAN THIRD, OES NOES!
I shall eagerly await the updates and not check back here until my buzz from New Year’s passes
December 5th, 2008 at 3:43 am
I haven’t check in in a while, but why isn’t Owen drawing it again?
December 5th, 2008 at 3:51 am
He is drawing it. No one ever said otherwise.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
FINALLY!!!!! I was just thinking last night of posting “I officially declare this comic dead.” in the comments of the last page. I’m so happy that I didn’t, ’cause now this amazing webcomic is back!!!
Also, just wondering, any updates about the movie?
December 5th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Cool, great news about the upcoming updates and new comix! One wonders what new ideas Mr. Crosby is bringing to the entertainment table? It’s gonna be a blast finding out! (Insert Nerdish Glee Here).
December 5th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
the wait will be over soooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnn!!!
December 5th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Wow. No wonder there was a hiatus. 7 comics at once, Bobby? You sound just like me with my writing projects (the obvious difference being that I never get anything done
)
December 5th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I could never get into a rage over lack of new pages, otherwise I’d have long since destroyed something because of other comics that have went from “no longer updating” to “deader than a twice-killed zombie even though it’s in the middle of a storyline.”
December 5th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Wow, 11 quotes and Anko hasn’t posted yet. Wierd
December 5th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Hooray! Thank you!!!
December 6th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Wonder if Anko has given up on it. o.o
December 6th, 2008 at 5:18 am
Awesome first post.
Great news about the comic updates!
December 6th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Ok so checking this site every couple days has been worth it. A couple months off was worth the wait even if the new pages are only half as good as the old.
December 6th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Go figure, right on the day I check the site thinking:
“Fuck this guy, I’m tired of his attitude, tired of waiting, and tired of giving hits to his comic when I’m just using his link to check Sore Thumbs.”
I look forward to what you have planned. Good luck to you.
~HotShotX
December 7th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Hah! I had been thinking the same exact thing, HotShot.
December 7th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Christmas came early, nuff said.
December 7th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
And that’s why i check out all my webcomics regularly. ^_^
*Not good at drawing*
Oh well, can’t wait for 2009 then. =p
December 8th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Brilliant, light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks Bobby for not giving up on the story, I know you’re sometimes not happy with it so always appreciate when you return to provide us with another look at the world you created.
Fraid art was never one of my strong points, thus can’t offer my services in that direction, so will just be the sad individual at the end of the food chain, not involved, but happily consuming both online and in comic form. So glad Owen will be continuing, always enjoy seeing his work and how it improves over the run, let hope its a long one.
Rgs from cold and shivery Scotland
December 9th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Eagerly wating for the grand return
December 9th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Wow, I would definitely be interested in drawing some of Bobby’s work. Unfortunately, I have a hard enough time getting my own comic done. At 15 dollars a page I just couldn’t make the commitment.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:51 am
The first new artist that I just hired is getting at least double that amount per page, plus large profit sharing.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
My day went from absolutely bloody terrible (flu+backlog of homework) to absolutely bloody AMAZING with just 5 words: “Last Blood returns January 3rd”
All hope is NOT gone!
I’m trying really hard not to translate the extremely large fangirl moment I’m currently having into text, because then I’d become one of those “omg lolz wtf” people. Yuck.
Instead, I’m just going to say…
This is the best news I’ve heard since I found out that ‘Serenity’ was being filmed and/or that ‘Last Blood’ itself was going to become a movie.
In short, pretty much the best day ever.
This probably wasn’t very coherent–utter elation+flu=gibberish–so I’m going to go away now.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
1. Last Blood is coming back.
2. Last Blood and The Phoenix Requiem were mentioned on the same page.
3. Bobby Crosby is doing even MORE awesome-sounding stuff.
Basically, all of these combine to make this all totally and completely awesomely amazing.
And to think, I almost didn’t come check the site today….
December 10th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
“Last Blood and The Phoenix Requiem were mentioned on the same page.”
If you like that, your head should explode at the next big announcement.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Scooooooooooooore!
And, as always, whatever brilliant installment comes next will be worth the wait. Suddenly I don’t even care about my calc test tomorrow morning. Or didn’t, for a second.
I freaked when I read the advert though, for a second I thought Owen had quit or something.
Anyway: go Last Blood!
Uh, what “next big announcement” are we going to be so thrilled with? Did Rage secretly win the election somehow? That would be AWESOME!
Exultantly yours,
Sci Guy
December 10th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
“Uh, what ‘next big announcement’ are we going to be so thrilled with?”
Don’t know if you’ll be thrilled, but Lord Byron will. It’s not LB-related. It’s to do with one of the new projects. No real reason to keep it secret, but for some reason I’m holding off on telling it now.
December 11th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Whoooohooooo love you !! ^^
now, we can finally read further ^^
thank you to continue ^^
December 11th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
It would be cool if the first comic came out on midnight at New Year’s Eve
December 11th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Now I’m really intrigued. Almost fatally curious. Argh, the suspense!
And I hope my head doesn’t explode.
I just finished supergluing it back together again after seeing the LB announcement/New projects announcements.
Oh well. Probably can’t be helped. And It’ll be worth it.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
i came.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Ohh, the phoenix requiem and LB, The Secret? I’m following Lord Byron on this going nearly fatally curious…
So glad the comic is starting up once more, though I hadn’t expected otherwise! I had my fangirlish moments reading the announcement, skimming the hiring and up until comment 28… So I’m just going to say ‘Awesome to have you back!!!!’ and hope you’ll forgive my absence…
all the best,
HummingBird, The Absent
December 15th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
o_O
I saw…
December 15th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Ugh…
I am going to quite possibly kill a little part of my soul and work up some fresh concept art to send in. I’m so ridiculously out of practice that the idea makes me bother nervous and giddy. Fingers crossed as to what my results will be.
December 17th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Knew there was a reason I kept checking back. Double plus good and can’t wait to see the new artwork.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:26 am
I stumbled onto Last Blood last year and I’ve been a dedicated bleeder…er, reader, since. When things started to slow down and went from B&W to Color, I thought “Alright! This is finally starting to seriously rock!” Then I noticed that the time between one page and another page was getting longer and longer…maybe go back to B&W, I thought? One sacrifice for the greater good. The B&W pages add something in the classic venue of horror comics. Here we have ‘good’ vampires, bad zombies, and an actual plot involving humans and vampires interacting.
I love the work, concept, and detail put into the characters, and I seriously hope that you find the artists who will do Last Blood justice.
Good luck and looking forward to January and all the new Blood.
Streehbach
December 17th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
To repeat, Owen will continue drawing “Last Blood.” And the color had nothing to do with the slow pages. I simply wasn’t writing the scripts in a timely manner.
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:31 am
Well, that’s good news. Another month, and I’d be at the end of the hunger pains, ready to head out and turn Bobby into a zombie. Figuratively speaking of course. Hunger pains are longer than this.
It’s great to hear that the awesome duo is back to work. Good luck guys.
December 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I LOVE!
Finally, LB is comin back!
December 27th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Well I submitted my work, now I just sit back and wait for the bad news
-M
December 30th, 2008 at 10:06 am
First of all, yay!
Second, does this meen you got some love back for the LB series bobby?
December 30th, 2008 at 11:01 am
“Bobby Crosby Says:
December 10th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
“Last Blood and The Phoenix Requiem were mentioned on the same page.”
If you like that, your head should explode at the next big announcement.”
…
I noticed on Sarah Ellerton’s DeviantArt page that she did two commissioned covers for something called “Dreamless”. (Yeah, I’m on Christmas break. I have too much free time on my hands.) It looks entirely awesome. Does it have anything to do with the big announcement that will make my head explode?
December 30th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Try to find a familiar name in the comments for one of those covers.
January 1st, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I saw that you commented, Bobby. That’s what tipped me off.
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:38 am
YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!! Last Blood, Marry Me, and No Pink Ponies are all working again!!!!! Life is great!!!!!!!!!!! This is going to be a hell of a year!!!!!! Thanks Mr. Crosbby, I wish you good luck, and thanks for making this 2009 a good and entertaining new year.
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 am
Days past so quickly eh?
Happy new year.
1 day to the update =p
January 2nd, 2009 at 6:27 am
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!!! Yay
It’s been so long, I should go back and refresh my memories of what happened in the last 50 pages or so…
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Oh gawd, this is epic.
I’m totally looking forward to this
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 am
Gonna probably have to wait one more day, sorry. I got the script to Owen later than I should have and he’s been extremely busy. Hopefully it’ll be the 3rd still in some timezone in the world when it goes up, but probably won’t be.
January 3rd, 2009 at 3:52 am
Probably be asleep, 7:49 pm in singapore already =p
We can wait one more day XD (since i am sure some of us will forget)
January 4th, 2009 at 3:17 am
*puts up a 4 paragraph post about Bobby being a liar cuz it’s the 3rd and there’s no comic even though he explained the situation ragearagehate*
Sorry, I couldn’t resist that. Looking forward to the update. *stretch* must sleep now, sun is rising…
January 4th, 2009 at 6:57 am
okay goddammit i’ve waited for fuck knows how long now i get told it was gonna be the 3rd and now it is the goddamned 4th and still nuttin….. this sucks donkey nuts bloody bi-curious hamsters
January 4th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Well, i -did- cry like a little girl when i saw it wasn’t up, but now that I am done I suppose another day won’t kill me.
January 4th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
*pouts*
No comic yet?
January 4th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Wow… no surprise here
January 4th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I understand that i takes a lot of work to get this page done , you’ve got personal problems and so on… sorry for being an asshole.
And I suggest that we’re gonna wait god-knows-how-long you better make a sketch of rage tearing his shirt or cuting his arms with a razor (or sth like that) and give big text above – “in RAGE about waiting for new page and being fucked?” ” You can start calming down now because you’re gonna have to get used to it”
DAMN i written quite a bit sorry one more time but please get it done !
January 4th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
sadness, despair, longing and some withdraw symptoms. I need more!
January 4th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Ew, holy shit. Rage’s teeth are all pretty much sharp. I didn’t even notice that.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
It only takes one day for some people go completely nuts, Im fine with waiting, ’cause I know it’ll be worth it!
March 15th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
A political action thriller set in DC with sniper rifles? Are you kidding me? Are you going to kill off actual politicians? Sign me up! Check out my site! Sign me UP!!!! I would do such an amazing job on a project like this that we’d both get landed in jail for conspiracy to commit murder and sedition! I emailed you twice mate. I hope to god you’re still looking for artists for that job.
March 15th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I liked the post and your writing style. I’m adding you to my RSS reader.