: Dear Mr. Mack,
: I was surprised to come across somewhere that I could
: actually have a chance of communicating with you
: personally. I have been following you for a few years
: now and have been continually impressed with your
: ability to create such a high volume of diverse work.
: You can do pencilling, inking, computer alterations
: and "traditional" art equally well...I have
: often wondered where you found the time.
: Ever since I was in high school, I have continuously been
: creating comics, but it has only been in the last year
: or so that I became serious about breaking into comics
: as an industry. After making a practice comic in which
: I do all the pencilling, inking, and lettering and
: computer finishing, as well as the covers, I have come
: to realize that it is incredibly time consuming,
: especially if one has a job and a family. It takes me
: at least a day per page, if I screentone it fully, and
: with my work schedule I can really only do about two
: or three pages a week at most.
: I was wondering what being an effective comic artist
: REALLY entails in terms of time...if I am serious does
: that pretty much mean that I need to quit my job,
: spend less time with my family, and find some means of
: producing at a faster rate? Just what are the industry
: standards for someone like you, say, who did Kabuki
: all on their own?
: After working so much on it, I realize that comics is a
: lifestyle...but I don't know if what I am experiencing
: is the norm for a comic artist. I have looked through
: a lot of webcomic sites and the 2005 Artist's Market
: and other resources (which had a good interview with
: you in it) for when I attempt to find a publisher...do
: you have any personal opinions on what would be a good
: place to start? My genre, fantasy, and my age, 23,
: probably make a good start a bit of a challenge...but
: I'm stubborn as hell!
: I suppose this whole rambling letter could be summed up
: in one question (one you've heard enough I'm sure):
: What advice would you give an aspiring comic artist in
: my situation?
Hi Heather,
Thanks for the great post. I may include it and answer it in a future issue of Kabuki in the lettes collumn if that is OK with you.
There are a lot of interviews archived on davidmackguide.com that deal with my approach to my work and lifestyle and starting in the industry.
Those may be helpful to you.
For me, I do spend much of my day focused on my work.
But I'm sure that you can find a rythm and pace of work that accumodates your family schedule.
What is most important is that you do it, and keep doing it and follow something through to completion. Even if it takes longer than the regular monthly standard.
I find that just doing it puts the rest of the pieces in order and helps me find my schedule for the rest of the things in life. It even make me appreciate those other things more.