BICS this year continued the latter notion– and then some.

On Friday, myself and the other half made our way to the Panama Bar for the launch party. After almost half an hour of standing at the side of the room, like the social misfits we are, we finally made contact!

A huge thanks to Adam Cadwell and Chris Doherty for speaking to us on the Friday night (they were manning the excellent Manchester Comix Collective table all weekend).

I didn’t have a table in an official capacity this year (I don’t know many writers who do) but a friend, Mike Bunt, did. This was ‘basecamp’ for pretty much the entire weekend. Highlights for Saturday include picking up ‘Alan’s War’, ‘High Moon’ and the latest Zarjaz (which is pretty much a con staple for me now). I also got to meet Valia Kapadia at the Insomnia table. I picked up a copy her mini-comic 100% Mushy which looks great (looking forward to Snow!)

And then? Then there was the Cosplay competition.

The judges in this instance were Dan Boultwood and Tony Lee. If you were a witness to the crime against humanity that was their panel at this years Bristol then you know what to expect. For those more fortunate souls, it involved a detachable codpiece, a slightly tubby gyrating Spider-Man and pedophile jokes.

The evening consisted of drinks at the Briar Rose (I think pretty much EVERYONE was there) where we bumped into Chris and Adam again. Conversations about ‘The Wire’, Paddy Considine, and hilarity ensued. My face hurt from laughing so much at one point. I was tempted to move onto Subside with the rest but that pre-con crud was starting to creep back in at this point.

Sunday was a more sedate affair, consisting of me abusing my wallet even more. I also toddled over to the Futurequake table and spoke to Dave and Rich, both top blokes. I’m really looking forward to the next Zarjaz now, there’s some cool stuff coming up. It was great to hear that the majority of the FQ stuff sold out over the weekend. Good stuff fellas!

I also managed to grab a quick chat with Colin Mathieson of Accent UK about submitting work to some of their forthcoming anthologies.

All in all it was a great con (bar that launch party). I spent too much, laughed too much and met a boatload of new people.

What did you do with your weekend?

Next month I begin my studies towards an English degree via Open University which is both exciting and terrifying. Exciting in prospect of all the new things I’ll learn and just the notion of being in education again. Terrifying in the fact that time is going to be a very rare commodity for me over the next few months.

On the comics front, specifically Futurequake, I’ve had both good and bad news. The story I’ve done with Bryan Coyle (Insomnia Comics ‘Babble’) entitled ‘Edge of Creation’ has been delayed until the next round of new issues, which will be sometime early next year. The art for the story looks tremendous. I’m really proud of the way it has turned out, and it was a real pleasure working with Bryan (even though he sometimes, just every so often, sees dead animals. Don’t ask.)

The blow was softened though with the arrival of completed artwork for another FQP story ‘A Hobby a Day. . .’ Admittedly I’d forgotten about this story and thought it was quite some way from completion and seeing print. It was a nice surprise then to open up my email this week and see the finished artwork by newcomer and FQ virgin (we were gentle, honest) Matt Birks. For a debut effort the art is fantastic and I’m looking forward to Matt’s future work and hopefully a chance to collaborate again some time in the future. He makes me look cool. No easy feat.

Also finally, after much persistence on my part (and patience on the part of editor Troy Dye) I’ve managed to get a story accepted for the forthcoming UFO anthology by Ape Entertainment. I’m currently in the process of working with an artist to get the first few pages penciled for Troy’s perusal and approval. Details forthcoming.

So all in all it’s been a turbulent but successful few weeks. The next few weeks promise to be a masterclass in time management as I ease into my new day job, write and start study towards a degree (then of course there’s BICS in about 3 weeks). Of course when I crash and burn and become a hollow shell of a human being, you the ever faithful reader shall be the first to know!

Disclaimer: Before I start I have to point out that this is by no means definitive, but I thought it’d be cool to list the resources which I have found helpful in my (very) short time aspiring to write comics.

Whilst I have only written for the small press so far I thought it’d be useful for others starting out ,or those who are interested (Why?! Run for your lives!) in writing for comics, to make a list of the websites, podcasts, and books I’ve found useful so far.

Websites

Digital Webbing: The forums on this website are a great starting place for those looking to write (and draw, letter and ink) for comics. The forum members are a good mix of newbies and veterans, with sage advice being doled out by both. Unsure of script formatting? Looking for an artist or letterer? This is the place to start. A great resource and community.

Other places that are similar (especially in the area of assembling a creative team are the forums over on Deviant Art and Penciljack. Other assorted creative discussions can be found at Jinxworld, Standard Attrition, Whitechapel, Panel and Pixel, and the 2000AD Forum.

For those looking to break into the house that Tharg built, writing and submitting a Future Shock (a short five page story) will be your first port of call. Submission guidelines can be found here. A useful community to consider if writing a Future Shock is Scriptdroids, which provides a forum like atmosphere where one can post their story for feedback and advice.

An excellent ‘uber rescource’ is the Creator Help section of Caleb Monroe’s website. The page provides a huge list of resources covering all aspects of the comic creative process.

One way to understand formatting of comic scripts and to work out things like pacing and dialogue is reading professional comic scripts. Lots of them. This is where the excellent Comic Book Script Archive comes in. There are a large number of scripts to download from a wide variety of genres and writers and comes highly recommended.

A short while ago Optimum Wound compiled an excellent list of every comic book publisher and their submission guidelines. It’s yet another excellent resource that a great deal of care has gone into. Have a look here.

Steven Forbes runs a great column over at Project Fanboy that is geared towards the beginner, providing a step by step look at the creative process, genre, and even the business side of the industry.

Twitter

Twitter of course has exploded in recent months. As well as the more social aspect the service provides, many comic pro’s are more than willing to hand out sage advice from time to time. The following list is writer biased (there are many excellent artists handing out equally good advice) and contains people who have consistently handed out great advice and observations regarding breaking into the industry with an emphasis on writing.

• Neil Kleid
• Tony Lee
• Ron Perazza
• C.B Cebulski

There are probably people missing from this list but the above are people who have tweeted things that have really resonated and stuck with me personally.

Podcasts

Whilst there are no specific comic book writer podcasts (that I know of) there are many comic centric podcasts which touch upon or talk about the creative process.

• Word Balloon: John Siuntres interviews a comic book professional on a (mostly) weekly basis. His interviews with writers such as Matt Fraction, Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, Jeff Lemire, Jason Aaron are a goldmine of information and tips. They offer great insight into the minds of some of the greatest writers working in the industry today. I cannot recommend it enough, the archives are a veritable goldmine waiting to be discovered by the budding creator.
• Creative Screenwriting Podcast: Whilst not strictly comics centric this podcast like Word Balloon provides some great insight into the minds of some of the most talented writers working today. Mileage varies depending on the guest that week but again, the archives are your friend.
• Webcomics Weekly Podcast: A podcast run by Scott Kurtz (PvP),Brad Guigar (Evil Inc.), Dave Kellett (Sheldon), and Kris Straub (Starslip). This podcast, as the title suggests, has an emphasis on webcomics. Again valuable insight, tips and discussion are the order of the day.
• iFanboy and Around Comics: Whilst both are usually more geared towards discussing the latest releases and issues in the world of comics both shows sometimes run interviews with writers and artists that are a great source of information. Whilst not as meaty as the Word Balloon interviews they are still a great listen. Archives again, are where it’s at.

Books

There are a few books about comic scriptwriting on the market. What one person finds helpful another may not so bear that in mind when perusing the following titles.To begin with I’ll list the books helped me the most, my ‘essentials’ as it were.

• Writers on Comic Scriptwriting Volumes 1 and 2: These books contain interviews with a number of established and new comic writers. The interviews cover things such as breaking in stories, their working process and habits and influences. The majority of the interviews also contain script excerpts so the reader can see the different approaches one can take with a comic book script.
• Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud: This is to me is the textbook to really deciphering what comics can do as a medium. McCloud talks through such issues as comics history, structure and composition. He does all this of course via the medium of a comic book. Easy to grasp and absolutely essential. The sister volume ‘Making Comics’ is more concerned with the physical creation of the books but is still a great read.
• Story by Robert McKee: I’ve seen numerous professionals in all manner of creative industries recommending this book. Whilst I understand it isn’t for everyone I found it (for the most part) very helpful. McKee talks in depth on such topics as structure, character and dialogue and the principles of writing a strong story.  A rule of thumb for most of these texts: don’t take everything in them as scripture. Incorporate what YOU feel comfortable with, what makes you feel positive about creating something.

The above three titles are probably the books I’ve returned to time and time again, but there are others which I’ve read which are all helpful in their own way.

• Ultimate Spider-Man Scriptbook by Brian Michael Bendis: As mentioned before, it’s a good idea to try and read as many comic book scripts as possible. This book provides a good cross section from the ongoing USM series. Each script is prefaced by a piece of commentary from Bendis illustrating story choices and structure. Another good one to read to get a good sense of structure, pacing and especially dialogue.
• Alan Moore’s Writing For Comics: A small volume in comparison to the other titles on this list but, hey, it’s Alan Moore. Brief but insightful.
• The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler: I think it was Geoff Johns who recommended this in an interview. This book takes the stages of the Hero’s Journey (as laid out by Joseph Campbell) and talks about them in the context of constructing a story. The book is centered on screenplays but the principles and ideas can be applied equally to comics.
• On Directing Film by David Mamet: Bendis has recommended this in a number of interviews and it’s not hard to see why. It’s another brief book but Mamet is an excellent guide, talking about shot choice, character and dialogue in a very compelling manner. Again, it is geared towards film but the majority also applies to comics.
• On Writing by Stephen King: Part memoir part guidebook. This was the first book King completed after his infamous accident and I can’t recommend it enough. King writes in a direct down to earth style, getting across ideas and concepts that no writer should be without, whatever the medium.
• Best of Tharg’s Future Shocks by Various: This book is here for those looking in the direction of 2000AD. This volume includes works by future superstars Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan. There is no better inspiration or education for writing a good future shock than reading the best the concept has to offer.
• Strunk’s Elements of Style: A small, simple volume covering basic grammar and punctuation. The book also has a section on common mistakes which is worth the money alone. Small but essential.
• How to Make Webcomics: This volume from Image Comics is by the team behind the Webcomics Weekly Podcast mentioned above. The book covers almost every aspect of creating your very own webcomic from web hosting  to merchandising. Whilst the book is mostly geared towards the cartoonist it contains many useful sections for those looking towards the web as a publishing avenue.

The last two volumes are not comic centric but are two books that had a profound effect on my nonetheless.

• War of Art by Stephen Pressfield: I found this book via a recommendation in the afterword of “The Nightly News” by Jonathan Hickman. The book explores the notion of Resistance (think of it as a force, procrastination is just a sub section of it) and how it prevents us from undertaking creative endeavors. The term ‘life changing’ is bandied about far too often by some people. So I’ll merely say that it changed my attitude to the time I devote to creating and writing for the better.
• The Successful Novelist by David Morrell: This one was a recommended book by Tony Lee via his Twitter feed. Whilst some of the aspects Morrell covers in the book are done better elsewhere, there was one section in particular (concerning planning and outlining)  that has changed my work habits for the better.

As I said at the beginning this is by no means a ‘definitive’ list and I don’t claim to be any kind of expert or future superstar in the making. I, like many others, am merely trying to find my way in a creative field that many find daunting. This list is mean to provide a few pointers towards resources, people and texts that I have found to be insightful, interesting and inspirational. I hope that people will check them out and find them equally useful.

The germ of the idea started when I read the graphic novel ‘Shooting War’ by Anthony Lappe and Dan Goldman. At one point in the book there was a scene (you’ll have to excuse my lack of memory on the context) where a room full of soldiers were controlling some unmanned combat drones and robots. Whether it was the artists intention or not it reminded me of a LAN gaming event. Thus the world of video gaming and the future of warfare collided and an idea was born (As an aside I highly recommend ‘Shooting War’).

I came up with the basic idea of drone’s being controlled by video game players first of all and went from there. This was all before the rise of drone’s into international headlines. There were a few articles here and there in science journals and the like, that’s all. The first few drafts of ‘Iron Harvest’ (back then it was called ‘Fragfest’, naming it after the game was Rick’s idea) were in the vein of ‘All the President’s Men’ as a journalist tried to uncover the truth behind the relationship between a shadowy multinational and a games company. Personally I thought it felt a little flat and I went back to the drawing board.

It was around this point that drones started to gain a lot more traction in the headlines. A raid here, a raid there, and even a few pieces on how the pilots and technology to pilot drones were heavily involved with gaming. Clearly I was onto something. It was also around this time that Rick Ross became involved. I’d met Rick via the boards at Digital Webbing after he replied to an ad I’d placed (the project never happened by the way, but I think I got a good deal out of it ). Eventually, we got to talking about his website and its anthology like nature. I can’t remember who mentioned the idea of working together first (probably me, I have a lot more to gain by Rick drawing my stuff than he does writing mine I think) but I mentioned the basic outline of the idea of Iron Harvest to him. Rick liked it and encouraged me to work on it some more.

The title ‘Iron Harvest’ comes from the term of the same name. This term is an annual harvest when people collect and retrieve any ordinance that hasn’t been expended. I also thought the term sounded perfect for the kind of pretentious overblown titles, war video games are often guilty of.

It wasn’t long after this that I had the notion of not having a central character in the traditional sense. Instead the game was the strips star, permeating every page in one way or another. The idea that each page would take on the form of a different type of media also came about at this time. Rick cemented this further by suggesting that each page stuck to a strict six panel grid (a great touch I thought). Rick also played a huge part in crafting the pacing of the ending of the strip, moving panels around and suggesting a slower burn on the last page building up to the reveal itself.

During the time I was redrafting the strip, a book entitled ‘Wired for War’ by PW Singer began to get a lot of press (featuring in Wired magazine amongst others). The book covers the future of warfare with an emphasis on unmanned vehicles. Whilst I read the book far too late for it to have any direct impact on the strip it did open my mind up to the various directions a story on the subject of unmanned warfare could go. Almost as a result of this (and also via Rick’s suggestion) I’m planning to take some of the elements of ‘Iron Harvest’ and the research I’ve done post-strip and spin them off into something a bit meatier.

All in all I’m extremely happy with the strip. A large part of this is due to Rick’s splendid art (I especially dig the last two pages). I know this was a bit of an experiment for him with each page calling for something different and I think the final results are great. The best part of writing in the comics medium for me is that moment when you first a page or visual that has been in your head for months. The art for Iron Harvest was better than anything I could have forseen. Rick has a real eye for capturing expressions and mood and I can’t speak more highly of the work he put in on the strip.

Give Rick’s site a visit today and you’ll be treated to the first page of a brand new strip penned by Rick himself, ‘Varangian Guard’. It further illustrates Rick’s talent of being able adapt his style to a number of genres.

http://agitainment.com/ics

For those who are late to the party or just want to read the thing in one sitting, click here.

The plan is that later in the week I’ll post a bit about the influences of ‘Iron Harvest’ and maybe some future plans I have in store for it.

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/124431136034248.htm

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/124512770814051.htm

The link as usual is http://agitainment.com/ics.

I really love the way Rick has taken the original remit that each page (which are all six panel grids) is told through a different medium and incorporated it into the strip. I know that he’s used a lot of new techniques and tools for the strip and I have to say it’s impressive for a first effort. Of course Rick is no slouch in the pencils department. The complete stories such as UFO, The Gryphon and The Collector are all worth looking at and can be found on the same site as Iron Harvest.

When Iron Harvest concludes next week I think I’ll post a little about my influences for the story etc and how it all came about.

Click through to http://agitainment.com/ics to have a look.

In other news, this site was having a bit of trouble last week with all of the posts disappearing. A quick question on Twitter and it was fixed. The power of social media, eh?

Huge thanks again to Nicholas Butler for fixing the blog!

His home on the web can be found here http://www.loudmouthman.com/

Thanks to Benjamin Read for the assist too! (he can be found here http://www.benjaminread.co.uk/)

Both are top guys and worthy of follow status on Twitter too!

That’s all for now.

The second page of ‘Iron Harvest’ is up and we get a great look at Rick’s great art!

http://agitainment.com/ics/