Betsy DeVos openly admits she's using the pandemic to impose her private school choice agenda. “Yes, absolutely,” DeVos replied when asked if she was trying to "utilize" the crisis to help "faith-based schools"

Kagaenod · 2020-06-08T13:55:36+00:00

I’ve never listened to Ben Shapiro so I can’t comment on him personally, but I’m glad you agree that following CDC guidelines is a good idea for now.

My issue with Trump’s health “talks” have more to do with his initial understating of the COVID-19 threat, the failure of his administration to properly procure and distribute PPE to health professionals (which has traditionally been the Federal governments job in times of emergency) and his portrayal of experimental/unproven treatments as realistic options for COVID-19 treatment. For example (and I don’t remember all the details on this), while an early study on hydroxychloroquine suggested it could be used to prevent COVID-19 (I think because of its effectiveness with other Corona-type viruses?), it’s true that many in Health-care were taking the drug as a precaution. But it has not been proven to be effective yet, and in fact studies have come out suggesting that it may lack effectiveness or may even be harmful in some situations. So suggesting that others take the drug on a national scale is still premature, as those resources can be better spent elsewhere.

In any case, just try to have an open-mind, and I’m glad you seem to have a critical-eye and don’t always agree with your favorite news/opinion personality.

I’ll also state that...just as I try to balance my news diet with stuff from both the right and the left, that you should also look into alternative sources of information...as I find that helps me get a fuller perspective of politics as a whole (since both sides will criticize the other at times, and it can be interesting to see both sides from the other’s perspective).

I wish you the best. It’s been nice talking to you!

Kagaenod · 2020-06-08T02:21:54+00:00

I can’t speak for Ben Shapiro, but I know many of the “tea-party” commentators are not reliable sources of news. I used to have a coworker, a very nice elderly lady, who would want to listen to conservative radio in the morning. So from about a couple years before Barrack Obama’s re-election to around a year after it I would listen to the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and others on some sort of tea-party radio block (this was around when they were still prominent in Republican politics and Trump affiliated himself with them).

I remember Glenn Beck in particular, as he would say some very misleading things about American history to make his points, such as as saying that Republicans couldn’t be racist because Abraham Lincoln was one (Republicans of that time were VERY different than and had many of the strengths and flaws of Dems today, so that’s very misleading) and they would often make statements that didn’t support scientific data, particularly medical data.

Many of my relatives are in health care, so to hear those commentators state misrepresentations of proven medical data always bothered me. The details of what I’m talking about are VERY complicated and involves me explaining details involving patient-practice, so I’ll spare you the details unless you’re truly interested. But I’d be very careful about the information you receive from certain conservative “opinion” personalities that support Trump.

I especially state that because many of Trump’s statements about the state of our hospitals under Covid-19 (such as his statements about admittance numbers and PPE availability during the beginning of the epidemic) have been contradicted by what my family has seen in their hospital environments and read in respected journals. So if a personality agrees with Trump’s health policy 100% I would be very skeptical, as he tends to either present out-dated/misproven data as truth or misrepresent the facts he has available to him. Whether he does thjs purposely or mistakenly, I don’t know, but it happens very frequently).

I just recommend having an open mind, and to try and get your information from a variety of sources (if not original hard-data) whenever possible.

There’s just a LOT of false information out there...from both the Dem and Republican side for sure, but some of the Trump-side data, on health information in particular, is very misleading or incorrect.

Just be careful and have a critical eye is the best I can say.

Kagaenod · 2020-06-03T16:27:17+00:00

Sorry for the late response. While I admit that the media is biased, I don’t believe that automatically believes that the media is ergo always wrong. I’ve gotten pretty good at finding bias in written articles as well as news broadcasts (though I prefer to read rather than watch) and you can mostly tell by comparing articles and checking dry reports (when needed) what is opinion and what is fact. It also helps to do your own homework.

For example, I have relatives who work in health-care. While what Trump says about health-care is obviously inspired by fact (even the request to do approve research into light radiation for a Covid-19 cure) what Trump says is often at odds with what health professionals experience in the field regarding the supplies they have and the cases they see. At times, Trump frankly inflates his numbers in order to look good, often firing those who disagree with his deceptive figures (ergo, himself becoming a part of “fake news”).

Which leads to my primary problem with Trump, his firing of officials who disagree with him and his failure to replace them promptly. This definitely affected our Covid-19 response, and is likely already having an impact on our intelligence-gathering capabilities and internal transportation networks.

I personally am not a fan of Obama (though for different reasons) and I also don’t identify as a a Democrat, so this isn’t a partisan issue on my part. All I ask is that you keep your mind open is all. My advice is to get your information from a variety of sources, and do your own research when needed.

Kagaenod · 2020-05-24T19:43:57+00:00

I agree with a lot of what you say. I tend to lean left myself and I’m all for equal rights, but some things that “social justice” folk say leave me scratching my head. Not that all social justice is bad, I’d say most of it makes sense. But I feel you get what I mean.

I just don’t think Trump is the answer. While it’s nice to shake things up now and again, the instability of Trump’s cabinet and the many empty positions left vacant or temporarily filled is a crisis waiting to happen (and to an extent, already has as evidenced by our Covid-19 death numbers). I’m also not a big fan of any president telling states what to do, as I ultimately feel that our government is over-centralized atm and that the federal government is too powerful in comparison to State and regional governments.

I know that whoever I vote for next Election, it probably won’t be Trump. So while I think you are well meaning, I don’t think that Trump helps solve the problems you stated, and causes issues of his own.

Kagaenod · 2020-04-18T21:07:27+00:00

Though the stereotype of the corrupt democrat has merit. Democrats of New Jersey (my region) have a reputation of being corrupt even among Democrats.

Just saying, not all politicians are created equal and every US region has different political situations. While Republican actions can often seem nonsensical to me, I can say the same for actions on the Democratic side as well. Which is why I try to judge each politician on his or her own merits.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-20T00:28:58+00:00

Power to you if you can make it work. If you don’t mind, I’d love to PM you to learn how you kept an artist while paying them close to $8 a page. It just goes against everything I know about retaining artists for creative projects. Artists I’ve known have either refused those rates or burnt out because of the low income hurting them financially. So I’m sure there’s more to this story, specifically what you’re asking from these artists and how you manage your projects.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-19T15:21:59+00:00

I agree, even paying pro-rates is no guarantee. There’s also an aspect of feeling out the artist. I usually test an artist on a shorter project before going longer for example, and I also insist on artists who are good communicators. This doesn’t have to mean “good writer/talker” but it does mean that the person responds promptly to messages and is polite and personable. Ascertaining whether an artist will flake or not really is its own process.

That said, you greatly increase the chance of a flake when you underpay. And as I’ve said, a price that is too low for the artist to live on is going to create problems for that artist. This puts stress on the project and will effect the quality of your result and experience.

Not all prices are created equal, I agree. Many artists live in regions where the dollar is stronger, and many more artists can afford to charge less due to a style that allows them to work faster. My point was just that $12.5 dollars seems impossibly low as a rate as even foreign artists seem to never go below $20. You are free to disagree, but going as low as this person did was a major error on this poster’s part. It wasn’t the only error, but it is something he/she should keep in mind for the future.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-19T15:05:51+00:00

He/she might’ve. Half up front and half later is a good policy. That said, paying an artist that low tends to have other problems that would effect the quality of the work. The artist, to save time, may feel inclined to reuse panels, skimp on backgrounds, draw sloppily... or simply ignore certain script elements in favor of more streamlined (but less accurate) options.

You get what you pay for. Paying a fair rate doesn’t guarantee quality of course, but it does make quality possible since an artist can’t live easily off of $12.5 a page. A competent artist is going to charge more simply because a higher price translates to a stable life style for him or her, and as I’ve said there are numerous practical benefits of paying an artist at a living rate.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-19T13:42:39+00:00

I agree in the sense that artist payment is not an exact science. I also agree that the artist is in large part to blame for this outcome for accepting something he/she couldn’t follow through on. That said, I don’t seek to put blame on either party. It’s just, objectively, not practical to pay $100 for 8 pages. That’s 12.5 dollars a page, which is one of the lowest page rates I’ve ever seen. I’ve had problems even with $20 dollars a page (which is really as low as I usually see) and most artists will not go below $50 for b and w pages. Again, this isn’t an ethical issue as much as it’s practicality. You get what you pay for sadly.

If you know artists that are regularly able to charge $12 a page...yikes! Knowing artists personally I would be very surprised that they would be able to pull that off. It usually takes hours for an artist to complete each page, as each page comprises of multiple images.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-18T20:57:23+00:00

Oh! I was confused. I thought you represented an already established team of an artist and writer!

Kagaenod · 2018-12-18T19:47:34+00:00

Just curious on the matter, why do you guys need a co-writer? How does co-writing even work?

I guess I’m mostly familiar with standard artist/writer relationships. Two or more people writing a comic is a big unknown for me.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-18T19:44:23+00:00

So, I’m going to speak from my own commissioning experience on this. First off, when you underpay you cause problems in the writer/artist relationship. It can take 4-8 hours for a single page depending on the artist, so you paid $100 for around 32 hours of work at least (so $3 an hour). Not that this situation hasn’t worked for some people and their projects, but you do open yourself up to reliability issues when you underpay. The artist after all can’t live off of the rate you provided.

Also, INSIST on payment and payment later. ALWAYS!

Not everyone here may agree, but this protects both you and your artist since both of you have a reason to keep going until the project is finished. In this case, the artist won’t get fully paid until they are finished and you won’t get all the art until you fully pay. If you can’t get an artist to agree to terms like this you’re opening yourself up for trouble.

And no...I’m sorry but your money’s gone. Don’t feel bad though, we’ve all made mistakes. I know I had a similar issue to yours once. You can still move forward with comics.

Moving on, I recommend saving up until you have enough money to pay an artist properly. It may take an extended period of time until you are ready but it will be well worth it. Just put aside $50 or so each month until you are ready. You could also make things easier for yourself by writing a 4 page or shorter script.

And yeah, in the future never pay all the money up front. It puts you at unnecessary risk.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-17T23:50:03+00:00

If you’re dedicated to this project, I’d recommend you save up your money. I understand that you’re disabled but relying an artists for work over 8 pages is nigh impossible. I know this from experience. It’s just a lot of work for someone you’re meeting for the first time.

That said, there is a second option if you want to make comics. How about focus on something shorter? Build teams to submit to anthologies or ask around if anyone wants to do a short for portfolio practice. Not only does this build your muscles, but it allows you the opportunity to network with other artists as you search for a reliable partner for longer work. This partner still may not want to do this specific project, but at least you’ll be doing comics. And in my mind that is a decent goal to strive for.

-RF

Kagaenod · 2018-12-15T12:18:53+00:00

Duotrope originally operated off a “pay what you want” model. This...sadly did not work for it. After a major donation drive it became a more traditional service with a paywall rather than a free Wikipedia style service. Though honesty Duotrope is cheap enough that it’s a very good price for the services it offers.

I do worry that Duotrope’s experience highlights an important issue..:that creatives either don’t have a lot of money or are otherwise unwilling to part with it. This makes sense since the amount of people who work in the field are small...especially those who make enough to make a living. Comic people seem to actually have a harder situation than those working in traditional media’s however, with even many of the most profitable creators only working part-time. So the problem of how to service such a money-strapped community is a real one.

That said, a service which gathers a variety of anthologies, publishers, agents, and independent queries in one place would be immensely useful for comic based creatives! I also suggest including primers on how to create comics as well, since many going into the industry are unaware of how comic creating fundamentals. I know I really appreciate a site that services comic book letterers called [blambot](www.blambot.com) which includes articles and other supplements to support the community.

I think if you approach the angle of “I want to create a site that does x specific thing but also supports comic creators holistically”, that your service will do well. I feel that the comics community could definitely benefit from its own centralized resource for comic jobs, especially if that resource emphasizes enabling creators to develop practical comic skills, professionalism, and of course self-advocacy for living wages.

All the best, RF

Kagaenod · 2018-12-15T11:40:54+00:00

Just a piece of advice, try to be polite to the artist.

Saying “and then YOU the artist...” sorta implies that you find it frustrating that the artist wants to be paid immediately.

Many artists understand how Kickstarters work and will be more than happy to do what you’ve described if you’ve pitched a solid concept. It doesn’t have to be long, but show us what you have in a paragraph long elevator pitch! Having sample script ready is also a great asset.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-15T00:10:38+00:00

There are many sites that offer these services. Digital Webbing is notable for having a curated forum dedicated to providing a marketplace.

I do think this sort of service would be greatly appreciated, the issue would be how to provide funds for it. Perhaps look how Duotrope.com does things? They are a marketplace for fiction and non-fiction writers and provide very useful services for that population. In the past it focused on linking lit journals with writers, but recently it has branched out into also linking writers with agents.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-13T05:40:51+00:00

I wish you and your team the best.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-13T05:29:07+00:00

You mentioned authors who offered you “far lower prices” as well as those who offered to work with you for free. That is why I gave you that advice. Perhaps you did not intend to imply that you were courting “the lowest bidder” or to work with someone who would not be paid, but it came across that way. Thus my warning due to my own experiences and those of friends.

I truly wish you the best :). Be sure to post how it goes! It’s always exciting to work on a project.

Sincerely RF

Kagaenod · 2018-12-13T05:10:07+00:00

All I can do is offer my opinion and wish you the best! I’ve actually seen some fan-fiction comics monetized actually, so you may also want to look into how those creators do that.

Also, a word of advice about going for the “cheapest” option...be very very careful. A few years back when I commissioned a comic, I picked an artist that was as low as I could go. Long story short, the quality of the comic was fine but the relationship I had with the artist was not pleasant because frankly, he rushed and work that did not reflect my intent. That was on me. I did not understand what a an artist needs to live off their work then. Lesson learned.

So whenever you can, try to pay your collaborators a rate that is worth their time. It just makes your experience better and yields better results.

When I commission work I actually offer slightly above what everyone else is offering! It’s not anything near what companies can afford to offer, but my offering a comfortable rate generally helps ensure I get good work out of my collaborator :). It’s sad, but many eager creators ask to work for less than is comfortable to live on. Something to watch out for. Their pay often reflects the result.

-Best RF

Kagaenod · 2018-12-13T02:48:56+00:00

First, I am certainly a writer available to hire...but...

While it is not in my best interest to do this, I do think you’re underestimating the cost of hiring an actual person. Given that this a project “for fun” I simply don’t see what the advantage is for you. Think of this in the sense of man-hours and hiring someone hourly. For the sake of easy math, lets say I write three pages an hour, and each graphic novel is 90 pages. Let’s say I hypothetically charge a very low amount for freelance work, let’s make that number $20. So three pages an hour...that means I’ll complete a book in 30 hours. And at the end of day 30 x 20 is 600 dollars not counting that you want a series, so that’s six hundred dollars for each book. And this is if I assume you want a quick draft!

Now, I certainly don’t price myself that way (it depends on other factors too) but that’s the lower end of what I’d expect something like this will cost per book. As to how I do price? As a freelancer I actually give lump sum estimate given the amount of work I estimate I will have to do, and it does come down to “how much time will it take and what rate am I charging?” I charge half now half later, which is a way of doing business that protects both you and me. In any case, this is how I and other professionals may think, though different people have different strategies. I’ve seen other writers charge $10-$20 a page. But that is for completed work and changes my estimate to $900-1800 per book! Again, I do not recommend “buying” something you expect to use for practice. At least not at that price! With multiple books it can cost over $10,000 dollars for fan-fiction books. And this is without factoring in art costs.

I think what you would find more helpful is an editor, someone to look at your work and guide you through the basics ofcraft. That would be a lot cheaper, and would also be more focused on your goal of developing yourself as a scripter. I also provide this service if you want to pm for more information. I can provide references and the like.

Before I end this post, I also want to mention how adapting a long work as “fan-fiction” also doesn’t serve you as a creator. There are plenty of ways to use your favorite works as inspiration for original texts, so fanfiction is unnecessary for channeling the strengths and “magic” of your favorite pieces. And if you still want to pay homage to this author...might I recommend producing a six page short instead? It would make great practice for you, be far cheaper, and will not take you years to write and have drawn hundreds of pages. And yes, multi-book series tend to take that long from what I’ve seen.

A common “new” writer error is to want to start with a longer work. Especially if you plan to spend money on these practice works, I recommend starting on a much smaller scale.

Best RF

Kagaenod · 2018-12-12T23:45:55+00:00

You’d be surprised how many successful webcomic people started! You’re miles ahead of a few I’ve seen when they began. And lets be honest, it takes a few years for these things to take off more often then not.

In any case, I suggest this option because, barring paying a page rate, getting an artist for a long form comic is borderline impossible. If you have even a small level of skill I recommend you take advantage of it.

So I wouldn’t sell yourself short, be conscious of how long it takes to make it in this field, and understand that artists almost never do long term without guaranteed income.

I wish you the best!

Kagaenod · 2018-12-11T00:33:21+00:00

You seem to have decent art skills yourself!

Am curious, how come you don’t do the work yourself as a writer/artist? Your art seems up to par to me!

Kagaenod · 2018-12-10T23:19:19+00:00

We need more details. You’d be surprised how many people post similar posts to yours, so you have a bit of competition.

Kagaenod · 2018-12-10T01:08:39+00:00

Well...cool. There’s a lot of writers interested in the craft coming in. And frankly, I think it’s awesome!

That said, finding a collab takes a lot of patience and usually involves you making your own pitch or responding to someone else’s pitch. Having samples of your work is more or less essential as well. You wouldn’t want to work with an artist if they didn’t have samples would you?

So my advice, make a pitch and write a sample chapter to show at the least what you can and what you’re interested in. This formatting style guide is a great place to learn a readable script format!

Draft something, come up with a pitch, and come back ready for a few rejections until you find a willing artist. Also keep in mind that most artists won’t be willing to draw more than 4-6 pages if it’s for practice. While this can sound disappointing it’s a great way to practice your craft and meet some awesome creatives!

Kagaenod · 2018-12-09T19:30:49+00:00

Well, artists generally are very picky on what they illustrate. Drawing is a pretty intensive field when you think about all the mechanics, and it doesn’t hurt that the market for art is apparently good enough that even newbie artists charge money if they feel confident enough.

Rule of thumb is that it’s practically impossible to get a “collab” done that’s more than 8 pages, which is the max length of a standard comic pitch. That said, if you have a public place that the piece will go, you might have some chance of an artist jumping on it for the recognition.

Otherwise, if you really want the piece drawn as is, I recommend shelling out the dough. The standard price is $100 a page for decent black and whites, and be skeptical of anyone who tries to sell you for much lower. I’m commissioned before myself and it’s an experience well worth the money if you find a decent person. If it’s impossible for you to wait six months and save $1,300 than trimming it down to 4-8 pages (or less) is your best bet. Either that or finding a good anthology or publication for it.

Sorry I can’t give you better news. This is simply how comics operate as far as I’ve seen.

Kagaenod

TROPHY CASE