Vger7

Question: If 1st Jane Foster as Thor is considered to be What If #10, why is 1st professor Hulk considered to be Hulk #377 and not What If #2? Is there a technicality that I'm not seeing? Thank you in advance for any replies.

I just completed a very smooth transaction with Ario. He paid when he said he would and made things quick and easy. He gets a 5 out of 5 stars from me. Thank you Ario!

Awesome... can't wait!

Should be a great show!!

Cool... can't wait!

I purchased a couple of books from Eric, but unfortunately, they arrived with cracked cases. However, I felt that the books were properly boxed up and padded with sufficient bubble wrap, which leads me to conclude that the package was excessively tossed around during commute. I sent some pics to Eric and described the damage and he was quick to reply with a resolution. We worked it out and he took action to conclude the matter for me immediately, which I appreciated. Professional and easy to deal with = Top score from me

Closed

I spent pretty much everything I made.

A little cheesy... but I like it.

Yep that's what got Neal Adams a job-the ability to see other people's opinion. Different time and place. The world has evolved since the 70's and there's a lot more good artists now. Ironically, comics being a commercial industry, there's is also less "real" art being produced thanks to tools such as Photoshop (note: "real" is in quotes because it's also a matter of definition for you fans of digital), but I digress. It's not enough just to be good these days. You have to be "likable". Hado is on point and reinforces what I was saying earlier. Jim Lee didn't become "Jim Lee" just because he can draw well. He also has the right temperament. Think Hollywood. Lots of great actors but very few make it into the industry elite. It's the way of the world today, which is why people with an "A" type personality tends to excel, which also ties back in to Malcom Gladwell's observations in his book Outliers. But this is all moot. As Kav has stated, he's retired and has no interest, which is a shame. But my message to younger folks is not to let the fire burn out. Stay active, hone your skills, learn to communicate, learn to promote yourself... because, "if you build it, they will come."

Over 3 years? $1900 a month? Even better! You probably already spend that anyways just hanging out. You can recoup that easily once you're back... even on minimum wage. Seems like a done deal to me... Go, learn, meet new people, sleep with local women, eat local food, open your mind, grow, become a better person, have fun. Send us a post card

Bad advice, or honest advice. You might be confused. I really think you should apologize. While I think the experience would be awe inspiring. I also think that you don't have to spend 70K to master your craft either. Isn't that really what kav is talking about? Art comes from within, not some diploma from a prestigious art school. 70k is chump change for an opportunity to be enlightened. We live for experience, not to hoard money. Motivation comes from within... art is a reaction to to experience. Without experience, what are you trying to say... Look how well I can draw? Lots of people can draw, it's how and what you communicate that matters. If you get fixiated on just drawing, you will fail as an artist. Go the Vienna. Work the system... get funding. Be great. Only people who do nothing have regrets.

I did not push against it I cooperated completely. Working as a comic artist you get a -script and you draw it. there is no real socialization involved. I was always flexible. One writer I drew 25 different covers for him till I got it the way he wanted. CP Smith told me he submitted for years-one day an artist dropped out right when he walked in the office-he was hired. It was 'luck'. I need no plan of attack-I have no interest in drawing comics any more. If Marvel contacted me tomorrow I would decline. There are hundreds of thousands of talented people that want to draw comics. If you think the only thing holding them back is their personality, you are mistaken. That's all fine but let's not get hung up on minutiae. Luck is helpful when you can get it, but you can't rely on it. The point is, if you want something more for your art, it can be achieved. It just requires some “promotional” effort. If you don't want it… that's okay too. I guess if you're retired, you probably want to kick back and take it easy. I think it's cool that you can draw and continue throughout your retirement, instead of ending up on a cruise ship.

Okay... let me spell it out for you. If you didn't like art school, it probably means you didn't fit into that community. You pushed against it so they pushed back. Suddenly, a teacher or fellow student doesn't like you and you don't know why. The result is a negative experience. I've met many people similar to you, who are very skilled but were stuck on the mechanics of art. They couldn't, and wouldn't acknowledge the BS concepts from an art school, because it didn't require any drawing skills. Triangles, squares, stripes, and splashes take seemingly no skill at all... but, it does require an open mind to appreciate what people like Pollack, Riopelle and Jack Bush was trying to accomplish. To these guys, anyone can learn to draw but finding beauty in chaos, order through randomness and the juxtaposition of color had a deeper meaning. I don't know how old you are but there are many paths in front of you. Your talent can reach people in many different ways. And if you are “likeable"... and assuming you can do the job, they will find a way to use you. And if they don't like you... no matter how talented you are, they will find a way to get rid of you. It's just how people are. Most famous people are acutely aware of the need to be liked and so they try very hard to be humble, flexible, inclusive, accepting, gracious and open to criticism. It's all a game. This is why don't see guys like Jim Lee on these boards raking some poor chump over the coals for breaking some unwritten code of comic book ethics. Is Jim Lee the best artist that DC has? NO. But he is likeable and knows how to play the game. You need a public persona and start building relationships. Luck is for people who have no talent. Is this you? People used to say the same thing to me when I was looking for work in advertising. All communities are a clique but I eventually broke in. Once I became a director, I started using the "luck" excuse on young designers so that their feelings wouldn't be hurt. You need a plan of attack, a strategy. Figure out exactly what you want and start walking and talking like the people who've have it so that you blend in. I guarantee this will work.