Do you ever keep really bad submissions, just to laugh at them? If so, scans?

I just had a question about turn-around time for hearing back on submissions. Is there any sort of estimate on how long it usually takes?

Maybe I should rephrase my question...

For example, I know of someone who has a great idea for a new comic series and would like to submit his idea, but he can't draw. Would he need someone to draw his minimum five pages of the comic and also include his story in the submission? Because from what I understand, you can't just submit a story or new idea, you need art to accompany that idea correct?

I know this may sound a bit elementary, but I'm just a little uncertain.

I have a hypothetical question! OK, a hypothetical question on steroids!
What if I submiit a book,.. and for some crazy reason Image accepts it!
And the book goes through the levels, and finally it's out there on the books stands, and peolpe like it.(I told you on steroids )
So, it sells out again and again! OK,..and the plans are to put out at least five of them,... now what?
The Creators of the book obligated to promote the book, go to cons, talk to Newsrama, go to interviews or and answer interview questions are the Creators obligated to do all the that kind of interactions!
What does happen once(if) your book is accepted! Hypothetically speaking, of course!

I know that Image has the best deal out there for creator owned projects. This stems from the fact that (from what I’ve read and heard) you get signed, pay a set amount, and after that any proceeds are considered your profit to split between you and the people who worked on your book. Two questions:

Are there any other hidden type fees included or is it literally only a one time fee/payment and that’s it?

If you end up selling your idea as a movie (as most comics are now becoming) does Image have any say in where it goes and do they get any $$$ from the production? Also, are there restrictions on how long you have to wait before selling the book (i.e. – you publish a book and Image owns the option for “X” amount of years before you can outright sell it to a studio)?

I remembered questions like this being answered in the previous board, but I don’t remember the details.

hey eric i have a question for you. say i submit my book ( a 4 issue mini ) and image takes it on, how fast do i have to turn the books around? do we just hit the groud running when you say yes and start pumping them out (or can the art team say " we need this much time to make it hot!" and then promote after an agreed upon time line)? I'm asking because i'm a comic artist with a full time day job. if my book is chosen...i'd still be at my day job. so i'm just tring to see what kinda work load i'll be getting myself into. thanks for your time.
wes

Just to clarify -- and hopefully Erik can confirm -- creators don't pay Image a "fee" except in very special circumstances: Image takes printing and other costs out of money made from sales of the book (with the remainder going to the creators). Whatever "fees" there are are invisible -- you never have to pay Image directly.

does Image obtain full page ads in Previews for all of the books they publish?

It's cool to know there is a company that is upfront about all of their policies...thanks for all of the info in this thread Mr. Larsen.

Erik- are you sad theres no art/submissions in this thread yet? becuase i am.

I know this thread says submissions, but are you allowed to submitt 1 off drawings of your own creations? Full character sketches etc Does Image still look at this kinda stuff or is just purely finished comic material that they're interested in?

I once submitted my work as a 'collected edition of my strips' to Image three years ago. I got an e-mail from Jim Valentino telling me that it was not the right moment for that kind of project. After a while, a friend of mine told me that maybe it was because comics as a 'collection of strips', in this case, are not done unless they are requested by editors themselves just like PVP for example. Is that true or is it another 'urban legend of comics'?

I know that there is no set answer for this question, but how long on average does it take to look at a submission after Image has recieved it. Meaning does it sit in a pile of submission for a while or is it gone through pretty quickly?

I’ve read in previous posts that you should NEVER submit a proposal for a book if that artist isn’t signed on to complete the initial run. However, the project I plan on submitting is an OGN designed to look like a four issue TPB (the reason is that, if I don’t get picked up, this format works best for me in self-publishing). The problem is that my artist was just picked up by Hasbro to work on some of their advertising projects. He’ll be able to complete the first issue, but won’t be around for the remaining three.

Would it be possible to submit his section and my script or should I wait until I have the second artist lined up (to show you how the rest of the book should look)?

Also, is this even a wise decision? He is a week away from finishing a previous project and then he is going to start on mine, should I just cut all strings and keep the book consistent or roll the dice on having a book with various styles (similar to “New X-men”) - just curious.

Erik,

What role can convention appearances play in the submission process? I realize creators and publishers are busy at cons and their time is valuable, but is it at all feasible for aspiring Image creators to give you submission material at conventions?

Are there advantages/disadvantages to face to face pitches?

i ve been following this thread for a bit and had to throw in my question, thats if you get to dealing with image does there have to be interviews and meetings to do?

This is a question only Erik can answer. Mr. Larsen, considering Flight has done well as a full color graphic novel/anthology, how well do you think an ongoing story in graphic novel format would work out? As in, it's never released in monthly issue format. It's something I'm interested in for my comic.

Next question, I hope this hasn't been asked a million times, but how many pages would be allowed in a monthly comic? Since it's creator owned, I could go over 22 pages worth of story right? I read once, you posted this yourself, that Savage Dragon was almost what... 30 something pages a month? You might have said more. What if I wanted to do 42 pages, or even 60? As long as it's more story does it matter? Most of my individual issues to my comic are 24 pages.

One more thing, can you order Image books through Amazon?

Wow, Thats pretty confident.

haha! shit! didn't mean the green light from image. i ment that with the legal stuff, that i wouldnt get in trouble with it. and when it comes to spelling hell, thats what spell check's for.just dont pay so much attention to it when i post and things like that.

did you get what i was asking though, man?

erik I have a question to ask,first to say that I ain't that good at english 'cause I'm still learning it (another country another language you know)
now the question:
what if a guy from another country(from Europe) send you few pages(fully coloured) and the other stuffs and you like 'em,HOW ARE YOU GOING TO WORK WITH 'EM?

allright, forget what i asked you then. just answer me this, if you get a submision and you reject it, when you write back to the person tellling them it got rejected, do you also tell them what they should do to try and fix it up?

This is a situtaion that is very on the line.
1) Anyone who is out there trying to push there own book is doing so for 1 or 2 reasons...in this order.
A) for the love of it, and
B) to get paid.
Now with that said..anyone who has ever tried to do there own book knows that it is not easy. Most will fail, some will do well and a few will do amazing!
Becuase of this...most people doing comics will tell you to do it for reason
A) the love.
The love is the easy part. If you love to draw comics that's not going to change. The making money part is hard...and harder in comics then other art fields. (usually doing your own book means either you or someone else spends alot up front, and hopes to make it back. ( unless you work for marvel and dc...in which case you get a page rate...say for conversations sake 100 -200 per page) and even then you have to build a following, continue to work and promote your book, all while not seeing much cash yet) And those page rates from marvel or dc, for the amout of work you have to do really suck...I MEAN REALLY SUCKS! as an illustrator i get the same amout of cash for simple figure drawings and line art. i can get up to 5 times that or more for magazine illos and things of that nature ( which are simple 4x4inch illos, not 11x17 beast). you can make GOOD MONEY as an artist. But in comics it's a different story. This is why people say "do it for the love" - because if it's JUST ABOUT PAY go elsewhere- it's easier - if it's for the love STAY HERE - if it's for both - WORK YOUR ASS OFF to make what YOU LOVE PAY OFF!

Thing is that if you DO do well, it can be very good...but to may people
think they can just jump in and get paid, and it doesn't work like that. (not any more)
just my 2 cents
wes

Good stuff - I have an artist that will do 8 pages to create a submission package.

Erik - Do you want to see two four page scenes or rather eight full pages in a row?

Hmm how covert, what's this about?

Hey Erik, I'm interested in the process of digitally darkening pencils in photoshop to use instead of inking the page traditionally. How do I need to scan the pencils, (media type, dpi) and how then is the best way to go about darkening them, (levels, threshold, the burn tool), in order for them to be fit for print?

I know this is probably a stupid question, but I was just curious. I love reading comics and I love watching cartoons. Unfortunetly saturday morning is not what it used to be, so I realy on comics that imitate those types of stories in order to fill the void.

My reason for asking this question was to find out if many kid type comics or daily strip type comics are submitted. I thought Liberty Meadows was great (I loved it!!!) but a real rarity and still not quite saturday morning enough. Is there in fact a shortage of creaters in this area? Are creators afraid of cutesy comics because of being labeled "corny" or "childish"? I hope not.

If by some stray chance people are submitting this type of stuff, what is usualy wrong with it? Is it the art or the stories? I'd assume stories, because creating things that can be enjoyed by a younger audience can be very controversial. People read into children's entertainment looking for hidden messages all too often.

Anyway, this is more of an overall question if need be. What's the (avg)percentage of a few types of comics submitted. Is it 90% Superhero, 5% Action Adventure, 4% comedy, and 1% children comics? Obvoisly these are joke figures but I hope you understand what I'm curious about.

Oh, and I am not currently nor in the near future will I be submitting anything. I am just an avid comic book reader looking to add more variety to my collection.

? question, Erik: would "Image" be interested in publishing a book of concepts (50, 100?) - if they're top notch and have an underlying theme - say, the characters of an epic upcomming series, oriental fantasy setting, whatever? Thanks.

OK, my bad! I wasn't sure whether to use "concept art" or "character design" and I still am not! Maybe just "art" book is fine.

What I meant was a collection of drawings and (mostly) paintings by one or many (6 or 7) of my comics artists. Something along the lines of "The world of Arabian nights" or "The characters of (insert a series' name)".

Is it still a "no-no", Erik? If so, then fair enough. I suppose an artist (or artists) has to be famous already to have such project greenlighted.

I was offering something like this:



or more like this:



and even cover art like this:

I have skimmed this thread a few times to get an idea what kinds of questions were asked. I think it is terrific that all these creators show so much enthusiasm. Here’s some more questions that might help them along.

1. Since, it is abundantly clear that Image only takes a one-time fee from the sale of the comics it publishes, could a creator come forward with a project and offer to pay the fee up front. I am not indicating ongoing series; I am referring to one shots or graphic novellas. To some people $XXXX (if that’s still the fee) is a small price to pay for a comic of their own creation to be printed. Understandably, the Image logo might not be on such a comic.

2. How well are the black and white comics selling vs. the color comics (at Image)? I like both types equally well but ask on behalf of all those great inkers out there who can make a comic jump off the page without any color. Which types of comics work best for black and white?

3. Is there a best time of year to submit? I would guess there has to be a time when it is inconvenient like near the holiday season.

4. Also relating to time, what is the best time of year to release a new comic? This would deal more with actual comics than graphic novellas because those can sit in a bookstore for months on end and nobody seems to mind (at least around here). Monthly comics unfortunately take up precious space on shelves and they seem to be more selective.

5. How would a new comic deal with a letters page? How many months before the first inclusion of that page or pages? Where would the letters come from? Could they be answers to online questions instead of actual letters?

6. Some people have stated on this site that they really would not want to go to conventions. For the sake of being fair about it, how do completely silent creators do? I am not just talking about skipping conventions, I mean not showing up on boards, interviews, or any pictures. This is probably an unlikely scenario but I was just curious at what point creators become too reclusive.

7. Speaking of reclusive, what options are available for being contacted by Image? I know they can contact people in a number of ways, but what ways are required? If the creator really does not feel comfortable on a phone is that crossing the line or can all communication be on-line and through traditional mail. This may not seem like a problem for most, but some people work (and ultimately live) different shifts than their younger family members (their children) and some people are just plain nervous wrecks on a phone.

8. What type of lettering is easier for small teams (writer and artist), computer lettering or traditional? This again is a stupid question but considering all the submissions you receive, what looks best on most occasions. The obvious choice would be computer lettering but if done wrong I am sure it would be far worse. Plus, what software is standard for this?

9. What is the panel count generally supposed to be? On Disney comics (Gemstone Publishing), and older comics the standard was usually 12. Nowadays it seems to lean more toward 6. I should rephrase the question to read: What is the maximum average page count? Not all pages would reach max limits but what is normal?

10. What stands a better chance of being accepted, a one shot comic or a graphic novella? Personally, I would rather buy a novella over a one shot, because I like more to read. This may not be the case with other people.

Sorry for rattling on! Like I said, I read this thread and looked for questions not yet asked. I hope this helps get answers for some new creators out there. If not, I wasted everybody’s time and I apologize.

I'm sorry but that made me laugh.

Good stuff with the rest of the questions though Erik. Now tell us, if you will, how many issues you want in the can before solicitations for an issue 1 go out?

Right. And I saw that one coming to.

So you really don’t have any requirement then to have like 2 or 3 issues done before you start soliciting issue 1?

Thanks in advance for answering my question...again.

Any word on this one (sorry to double post but I thought you may have missed it).

ok, say i had a pitch going. then the artist backed out. full 8 pages done and everything. but the artist left. (it was still kinda preliminary anyways, we were going to work on it more). would it be a waste of time to send in the pitch saying the artist isn't attached just to get an idea if the PREMISE of the book would fly at image?

I am working on a submission that is shall we say mature. Should i feel okay about posting things here? i mean there is no nudity but the situations are somewhat graphic.

I just dont want any one to be offended by some colorful language that isnt any stronger than you would hear on t.v., just wasnt sure about the forums.

I have read the guidelines for proposals and have noticed no claim for artistic preference. I would assume most people are of the opinion comics are pencils or paints, but does Image restrict itself to just those forms?

Would you be opposed to computer generated images or other forms of medium to tell the story?

I am under the impression this might help a book stand out, thoughts? Would you be opposed to sitting through several issues of a story, or do you prefer just the few pages required in the guidelines? Thank you for your time.

Now there's a fine question.

Is the submission pile higher than Erik himself ? One time ? Three times ?

How does that translate into the number of weeks that we have to wait for a reply ?

Do you pick out the really eyecatching ones, or does every single one gets a number tag to go into the queue ?

So your book is excepted and is welcomed semi warmly.
What is the production schedule like in reality for a new series that has already one book out? Does Image set up a schedule with the creating team? Is there a preset roll out time? Can the Creator choose a deadline?

Also, is it bad to call/email to make sure your submission was recieved, like I would do to follow up with a resume/application for a job, to keep your face noticiable? Not to see if they got to it, just to see if it got there.

Last part I swear , Does Image at least reply to every submissoin excepted or not? Is this a no news is bad news deal (with considering judging time and shippment time, and understandable drowing in submissions time.)?

I really would like to know how many submissions you guys get in an average day. I really cannot estimate like that.

Do you have a system by now of how you tell which need a second look and which is "been there/done that" or no look nessicerry?

I am curious to know what those on the inside do to cope with something like open submissions.

So at this point, a submission sent in this week would run a relatively long time?

Would you consider publishing a story written by a 16-year-old?

I'm talking about legal issues.

Does the money generated by putting ads in your book get absorbed into the cost of the publication, or does that money get placed aside as part of the profits?

Ideally for me a comic book is successful when it has good artwork and even better writing. In the comic book industry and the number crunching, as well as with new submissions/books is it better to have sweet artwork, and average writing, or average artwork and sweet writing? I see a few books that get published that really have average (at best) artwork, but the story and writing is excellent...Image seems to have been more willing to publish excellent story and writing over artwork, is this still the case? OR has it gotten to the point where Image needs to be very selective and only accept excellent artwork and excellent writing?

So there are no out-of-house ads in an Image comic?

If an Image comic features only in-house ads, how many pages would this typically eat up? Say, if I have 22 pages of story, would I pay for printing a 32 page book to get in 10 pages of ads?

Also, does the number of ad pages depend on the amount of story pages? Would a 60 page comic feature more in-house ads than a 24 page comic?

What about the possibility of an ad-free book? Is that possible for an extra fee, or must all Image books carry the house ads if they are Image books?

Or are these specific terms that can all be negotiated when the Image fee is discussed?

Another topic I'm curious on is at what point the schedule to an ongoing series is discussed with Image. An earlier reply implied that it'd be enough to have just one issue completed before #1 goes into solicitations. But if you're waiting for the sales on #1 before deciding on #2, then there would be a huge gap between the two issues, wouldn't there? You would have to pretty much have three or so issues in the can, at least, on your own money, before any possible revenue starts coming in from #1, no?

Or could there be, say, a half year pause between #1 and #2, during which the creator would tally up the sales from #1, see if the property is viable revenuewise, and then get cracking on #2 if #1 sold enough?

I'm just wondering on the logistics of scheduling, and any illumination on this issue would be nice.

Does Image or the creator choose the printer and handle contact with the printer? If all Image books are printed through the same printer, does Image get decent rates? Again, if Image handles the printer connection, at what point would a creator be informed of the printing rates? I would assume that any exact amounts (how much a full color book of 22 story pages would cost to print) are too secret to be printed here, but at some point, a creator would need to know this information in order to draw up his business plan, no?

Ever consider bringing back a little inside Image column that would spotlight various books from the publisher?

Essentially 1 big ad that covered a half dozen or so books and a checklist.

Do the creators of the book have any say over which in-house ads are placed in the book? For example, could someone say "I want a Small Gods ad to run in the book". Or is that your discretion and would you group ads according to target audience?

first what do u think of this plot.
title: "clicks"

a nerd. a jock. a goth. an artist. a cheerleader. these unlikly team members join forces when a odd explosion at a middle school changes all of them forever.

want more?
email: comixscetcher@sbcglobal.net

Mr. Larsen, the way you look to the submissions that are shown to you, is it affected by writers wannabe like the one before, or can you separate it?

It’s fair that you get tired of this stuff…It’s too much, even for non published people, like me.

They dont hire you, you hire them. I might be wrong but it would be no different if you got in a cab, took a bus or ordered a pizza. You pay a fee for a service and that service is them being your publisher.

Please let me know if I'm wrong.

A quick question about simultaneous submissions: are they frowned upon? I know that in the traditional publishing world they tend to be, is the same true for Image?

Hi Erik, I was thinking of submitting my book to Image. I know the guidelines say a minimum of 5 finished pages are required but sending more is also allowed. Is there such a thing as sending too many pages? I know I shouldn't send a phonebook of pages in, but I picture my book as a 3 issue mini-series and the first 2 issues are complete. Would you be interested in seeing all of those pages? Thanks for your time.

When dealing with Studios I am told that you still consider each book separately. I was curious how that process worked. Would the studio typically submit each and every title and you consider each one individually or what?

In the submissions thread, it says make the synopsis one page, but concise. Should the synopsis be a full page of selling the story? Or should it just be a quick paragraph that gets straight to the point and the rest of the page is us explaining on why we think our book should be picked up as a one shot or mini or whatever?

Erik,

Hey, sorry to bug you about this...

I'm just wondering how long is too long when waiting for a response to a submission? Or, at what point should we assume it wasn't recieved and send it in again? I sent a submission in around four months ago and haven't heard anything. Just wondering whether I should begin worrying or not

Hi, Erik -

I have a graphic novel in production, the pencils and inks are almost done (and by “almost”, I mean there’s only eleven pages left, in an one-hundred and eleven page story), the first 24 pages are colored, with some minor changes needed, and the lettering proofs just came in.

I'd like to submit to Image now, but I'm concerned using proofs or pages needing minor changes may count against me.

In a situation like this, would you advise to wait until the finals are done? Or, would you agree that I could submit, adding a small comment that the pages aren't finalized or about where I am in production?

I have a question for Mr. Larsen. Hope it doesn’t sound too stupid….

Is it possible to submit an ongoing back-up project directly to Image and have Image select a suitable series for it from the titles that are being printed? Or does Image select projects as ‘packages’ that could include a back-up story or not?…

There are a lot of instances where the back-up stories gain as much relevance in terms of sales as the ‘main features’. Also, some comics authors don’t want to ‘slave off’ 22 pages or more per month and this sort deal is, usually, beneficial to both. But heck, everybody knows the advantages in these sorts of situations…

What I’m trying to know is if Image would accept ‘back-up projects’ (with original characters and plot) and negotiate them with artists publishing ‘ongoing titles’ or if this should be dealt privately by the ‘back-up project’ creators with the ‘ongoing title’ creators?

Hey Erik, a quick question for you.

I've been working on a 5 issue mini series for quite a while. Right now, I have a ten page prelude story detailing the life of the antagonist almost fully done with art. Would this prelude story be acceptable for a submission for the mini series along with a full synopsis of said mini?

As long as you meet the SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS , you're probably fine.

Hello! i have a question...which i guess is why im in this thread, but enough redundancy!!
In my comic, Beautiful Nightmare, one of the two main characters is based off of Gaston Leroux's character The Phantom. also the location is in the paris opera house. however other than that my comic is different from any phantom story, (or any story in general)
however, I hope to get it published someday, but would having a phantom as my main character stop me from getting it published?

What's the status with using characters that are based on archetypes but are fully developed in their own right, eg, series like Authority, Squadron Supreme, etc that take archetypes based on Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman etc and do something new with them so they're no longer identifiable with the original? There seems like a lot of creative development of similar type characters etc within the industry as a whole and at what level does this become a legal copyright issue?

Gah!! Im sorry i didnt mean to cause an issue! my story really is different even the character is unique, trust me

Any idea when the new submission guidelines will be posted? I am hoping to have a submission pack ready in time for WW Chicago, but don't want to put it together under the current guidelines if they're going to change.

well............. i am writing a proposal for image.... i have a question and i was hoping someone who knows could help me...

the story relies heavily on flashbacks... we learn vital things about the heroes through flashbacks up until the end of the comic...

Should the plot synopsis present the story as it would appear in the comic or in a a linear way? (for clarity)

(of course if i do the latter i'll have to write a second much shorter synopsis to show the story in the order it would appear in the comic)

1) Is it true that Diamond wants 60% off the cover price in order for them to distribute your comic?

2) Is it true that a Savage Dragon movie is in the works?

3) If motion picture rights are sold, does Image get a piece of it?

Are there any subjects that IMAGE would never touch?

Erik,
Is it up to me as an artist to decide on wether or not I want to lay my comic pages out on the computer? I mean, If I dont want to draw an actual comic page, but draw the individual panels, and assemble them in photoshop...is that acceptable?

1) If sales do not cover the printing and Image's flat fee, is the creator responsible to pay the difference?

2) If I am granted the comic book publishing license from an existing product, would Image be willing to give a page or two of advertising to the licensor to market those products in which the comic book is derived from?

ALSO....what is the standard TEXT size used in comics?

1) Is Image's "modest office fee" charged per issue?

2) Would hiring a professional kick-ass cover artist to do the cover of your submission help in any way, shape or form? I ask because my artist can do great sequentials ... but his covers suck.

3) Can I send 5 pages of sequentials without a cover?

How would you feel about a one shot with a collection of short stories?

Dear Mr. Larsen,

From reading a previous post, I understand that a 5-page prologue is okay in a submission. Is it okay if that prologue does not feature any of the main characters?

Ok, per the new guidelines it states you accept samples from artists. It also states you can send links, but you need to send hard copies for a greenlight for projects. Does this apply to artist samples as well or can they just send links? Thanks.

Do you know if bi-monthly releases are ever granted?

Any chance of seeing a sample submission package posted online for us aspiring scum to see. It would be educational to see what you guys think what a good one-page synopsis should look like. Heck, I'd even like to see a sample cover letter. Any chance? Please! Double dawg please!

How much money can a person end up owing Image (per issue) if their comic is not successful?

How about a sample submission package from a miniseries that has already been published ... with permission from the creator?

I really think a sample may help reduce the number of poorly constructed submission packages you receive -- giving us a better idea of what we should strive for.

Remember what happened to Todd McFarlane?

hello Mr.Larsen

I was wondering what sort of organization the submission should be in, given the parameters, I wasnt sure how some of the pages should be organized. As of now, this is how I have mine:

-cover letter: requested information ; self introduction ; project information ( how I want it to be, target audience, etc ).
-one page synopsis: series background, story arc, other story information.
-cover mock up
-6 page example
-concept/character art

what exactly is your most prefered, if any?

I was just wondering whether there was any benefit to publishing a comic in black and white instead of color? Ideally, I would want the comic I'm submitting in color. But I'm hesitant to submit it that way, because I know print runs have to be higher and the initial risk is greater on color books. What would you suggest we do in regards to color?

1what if i want to put out more comics under my company name, do i have to submit that.

2. do any of the people who have submited and made it have a website. i'd like to see other things done by other people.

3.will it become a comic book sold in stores.

4. if i want it colored, do i have color it? or will they take care of that.

5. is their any words i can not use, (such as the s word the f word and other things)

6. does it have to be a one page summary over the book. if i nowared it down to one page, it would probaly suck.

i also have another question. i have a name for a comic company which i want to use on my book. i have a logo and everything. will that be used on my book, or will it have "image" on it?

so i can put the name of company in the book, like malibu did with some of the older image books?

i want to publish my comics under image and have a name on them (like TMP and Shadowline) for my book.

Is spawn5061 talking about adding something to the actual i logo from image? Like Top Cow's utters under it's Image logo?

I think the question got lost earlier in the thread but...

Established artist: good or bad?

When I was eighteen or nineteen, I had Jason Armstrong onboard for a pitch to a major publisher. I didn't get anywhere and by the time I did, the response was unfortunately a "Jason Armstrong WHO?"

(I've lost touch with them but I hope Ferro City is reminding a few folks who he is. He has WONDERFUL design sensibilities and I was fortunate to even be a blip on his radar at that age.)

More to the point, the industry is overbrimming with artistic talent. If a new writer tracked down a strong but underappreciated veteran like a Herb Trimpe or a Kerry Gammill, would that add to the marketability of the pitch or detract from it?

I know this doesn't work for everyone or every project and that as soon as a writer finds an open window into the industry, it closes quickly.

I thought maybe there was an unspoken rule that new writers pair best with new artists. I'd guess the ultimate answer is that it depends. But a new writer with a strong story and a veteran artist stands a better chance than a new writer with an artist who is fun to look at but an otherwise unproven commodity, right?

When this thread started Erik seemed like he was eager to help us all, now I can practically hear him cursing us under his breath. I am honestly worried that by the time I finish my submission, Erik will have grown so pissed off at the amount of retarded and inappropriate questions here, that he will have convinced Todd to shut Image down.

Keep in mind that Image makes the same amount on a book whether the book sells 5,000 or 5,000,000; the profits (or lack thereof) go to the creator. So the decision to publish or cancel is one the creator would participate in.

That's awesome of you guys to put faith in a book like that. In a case like Invincible, those growing numbers later in the first year obviously told you there was an audience for a TPB.

Is the money/licensing/publishing deal on TPBs the same as regular issues? I assume there is some sort of circulation to be reached to justify taking a TPB to press as well...

Erik, when you say "we don't take an additional fee when a book goes back to press" do you mean that you don't take an additional service fee when an issue goes to second printing or when a TPB goes to second printing or both?

We all know that there is NOT a lot of money to be made in comics. Every one and their mother has told us so. You gotta do it for the love of it. But do I still want to know how I get paid? Yes, I do. Because you bet your ass that the artist, inker and colorist that I’m working wants to know. Or if I’m trying to get the licensing rights from an existing property … I need to include this type of information in my proposal to them. Am I putting the cart before the horse? Maybe ... but an informed mind is a prepared mind. I always like to be prepared before I do anything -- kind of like doing the research before writing the ol' college paper.

Kirkman not taking profits is NOT cause he doesn't deserve them. It's because he's being generous.

Just to clarify, I was asking for a professional's opinion on a fair split between the creator and the creative team -- which is a different matter than the business that goes on between Image and the creator. I know that "every deal is different" but I'm just interested in what Erik felt was fair.

Erik, would you say there are a lot of people out there submitting who are either an extreme of one, or the less-extreme of the other. Like for example; Someone puts way too much effort into writing or drawing a story that doesn't have much of an interesting grab to it. And then others who have a good idea, but don't put any effort into developing it.

It would be nice if there was a specific thread for critiques. Not for people to just post and think they've got the next golden ticket. I'm talking about something designed specifically with the intent of helping creators develop their ideas.

What genres is Image chiefly interested in at this time? Or in other words, because I know you're going to say if it's a great story Image will take it, what, in your opinion, is the market missing, what will sell, and what will entertain more than other genres/stories?

Does one have to pay any fees or put any money down when publishing with Image? If so, how much? And what is the minimum run for a comic book? Who pays for the printing? And does everything have to be completely set up, like even the pre-press/production work, etc.? Or does someone there do that?

]I've been crunching numbers.

If I had a mini-series published at Image, how would it WORK?

I'm seeing 5,000 copies an issue for a lot of books and around 1,500 for trades.

Say I have advanced financing for talent, is it workable with those kind of numbers?

Without getting too specific or too personal... Is this realistic? Is this what I need to be prepared for in a BEST CASE scenario?

I'm not asking if this is the case on Savage Dragon or even Invincible but is this common?

I would imagine that a lot of guys submit without necessarily having the numbers mapped out and a clear idea of where the money comes from for the guys working a flat fee.

I know the Image "i" isn't for sale and that a person has to pass the submissions process but what I'm saying, I guess, is... Should the creator expect to take a substantial loss upfront and make it up later?

But getting accepted, a person could still wind up with an artist who doesn't make a lot on percentage until the trade hits, am I right?

I imagine it gets easier the more experience (and success) you get.

I can't claim to speak for Image but I've known a few pros at other companies who have basically pitched stuff at a bar with their editor or in a room full of creators.

I imagine Kirkman wouldn't necessarily have to put his next pitch in the stack. He'd still have to fight for it but the process might change some.

And... I'm almost certain that Image partners, while they might discuss plans, wouldn't necessarily submit at all. I imagine that the partners have a lot more freedom.

Worry about the first book first. If it doesn't get accepted, you're worrying about nothing.

i have another question. on the five page perview for the comic, can you make the pages go front and back, or one page on each sheet?

I'm curious to know how does one submit a anthology? Since there will be various stories by different teams invloved, does Image want samples from each story in the anthology?

What is the Image fee and what does it cover? Printing included or no?

1. What would make a new superhero pitch standout from the pack?
2. What type of superhero pitches get rejected in a flash?

So wait...what happens if the sales on the book tank and there's no money to pay the printing bill? Does that have to come out of the pocket of the creators?

And you're saying that the cost of printing depends on the amount of copies that are printed. But is there a minimum amount of books that have to be printed? Or could someone only print like 500 or 1000 books?

Oh, and it's still kind of vague: is it okay to submit a one-shot? (I assume it is from Jason's post, but I just wanted to be sure).

Thanks Erik. Oh, so I see...you can tell before hand by pre-orders if you should even bother printing it. I get it now.

What about a minimum print run, though? Is there one? Or like I was saying, could you really print as little as 500 to a 1000 books? Or print just a little over what was actually ordered, thereby reducing the chances for an over-print?

1-- is it necessary to get my stuff officialy copyrighted before i submit it, or is that something that can be postponed to later, if i were lucky enough to get my idea green lit.

2-- not really a procedure question, but out of curiosity... do you often get submissions where the artwork of the sequential pages is great, but may be overhyped (that meaning, too much time and focus and effort, unrealistic on what can be produced on an actual schedule), that if green lit, the quality of the final product falls short of what the submission promised. What do you do with ones that may be like that. (note: mine is not one of those... but the art is still good)

Erik, why should one submit their creations to Image rather than, say, Alias, AP, Avatar or Darkhorse.

Are there benefits that Image can offer over those comic publishers, and if so, what?

I'm in the process of lettering a book, but I was wondering: do the creators have to worry about pre-production/pre-press stuff or does someone at Image handle all of that?

I know that different printers have different specifications, so is there some standard page sizes, etc., that Image requires? Or at this point should I not worry about that and just send you something that you can read? Or should I be sizing the pages to the correct production size and have them ready-to-print?

If you have a standard page size, please let me know. I was asking around in some other threads and Kep! gave some numbers:

6.875 x 10.437 for a full bleed page and that the letters should fit within 6.125 x 9.687.

Anyway, I just want to know if this is important at the beginning stages or not. I'd hate to find out later that I have to redo all of the lettering because of some technical detail.

Erik: (Or anyone else) Wondering if I could get an industry opinion;

Does size matter.... when it comes to number of story pages in a book. (Minus the ads) Basically do you think that a double-sized first issue is a gamble for an unknown book and team? Or even continuing the series between 32-48 pages a book? I definately understand the work load too, so I'm not going to be one of those guys who get caught off guard wanting to draw that many pages. Also, I am curious if there is an ideal page amount you as a professional are comfortable working with?

On an additional note, I hear constantly from some editors; "If it sells, we usually don't care how many pages the book is." But then others are telling me, "Never go above 28 pages, or you're asking for print costs to bite you in the ass." So either opinion seems to catch me off guard. One seems too hesitant and the other not really caring about my book at all.

Well Redjack, I can see you wish NEVER want to break into comics. Because from a business end: you need to know why before know how!



Because Diamond isn't the 'god' of selling comics...

There are less locations but the comic world is still making billions!

think, 48 states with DC is 49. Break NYC off NY(+1), TX in 2 and cali into 3 that's 55 (states) or areas. Say you want to make 30,000 a year. That's 12 months/issues a year or $2500.00 a month. Say you can only get .50 cents an issue each month you need to sell 5000 issues. That's 90 issues or [divide by 48 is 105]

Diamond will work direct with you but you need 2500 issues a month in sales. Hmmm, half way there...

other then having a good comic, it seems just having it with Diamond, REDJACK, means it could be rather easy...

and bankable...

I have spoken to several other publishers that dont quite have the coverage in terms on brand recognition that image does that wouldnt require the normal means of getting a project approved if we were the ones paying for it. There would be little to no financial risk to Image and a guarenteed packcheck every month from us.

The submission thread did not cover this specific situation and was just wanting to find out from an employee from Image that could clarify this.

You may be correct and thank you for trying to be helpful but it we would like to hear from an Image rep. just to make sure.

With the mock cover do you just need to see the art or you need to see a fully lettered mock cover with logo and box placements? Thanks.

EDIT - Well I answered my own question I think. The new guidelines talk about the logo, so I assume it should at least be on the cover. What about box placement and any additional lettering on the cover? Any need for that at this point?

hey erik, we'll we get to have a letter column in our book.

What type of inking style would be considered acceptable for a black and white book?

Inking has been quite difficult for me, and it's also equally difficult to find a style that works for me. But until then, I hope to develop it so I can finally have the confidence to send a submission to Image.

Hi, I'm new here. I too had an inking question. I'm not much of an inker, so I've been experimenting with laying colors directly over the pencils. My pencils are very tight and clean, with a lot of extra fine detail and shading to add variance in the shades of color. Occasionlly I will ink a few lines to really bring a certain aspect out, but for the most part, I let my pencils shine through the colors. I know this has been done on several comics before in the past and has actually looked good, if not better than some of the inked comics out there.

1. My book that I am working on has cover by guest artists. Now on the submission rules it says that this will show that you know how to design a cover or something like that...so what is your, I guess 'opinion' on guest cover artists? Good thing/bad thing/neutral?

2. I am planning on submitting my own stuff, but let's say further down the road that I want to do a mini about one of YOUR characters, for instance Star...or better yet, submitting to do back up stories like the stuff Anoma Lee is doing. Are the submissions anything different?

sometimes no response is the response.

I'm also new here, although I went through a Super-Hero phase ten years ago (even sent something to Eric, here! It was, wisely, rejected). Right now, I'm into d20 Design but I recognize the cross over potential of having my own comic. Yeah, I have a question to ask of you, Eric. I've been going over your submission guidelines, and is it true that I need somebody to be a partner in crime -- uh -- collaborator to do drawings and stuff?

I have a question...

Obviously Image is a COMIC book publisher, but is it interested in publishing materials that are more hybrid work? I know the guidelines ask for specifics on whether it is possible a graphic novel or prestige format book...

I'm trying to think of a good example. IDW did a mostly prose book by Steve Niles, with only a bit of art. Or maybe something like Signal To Noise, or McKean's Pictures That Tick.

Am I making any sense?

1- Is it necessary to trademark a project or the title of the project before to submit it to Image Comics? And if not, How that work when a project is green lighted, Is it Image itself that trademark the title or is this the owners/creators who have to do it?

2-The trademark seems to be an american specificity, so, if it's the owners job, what are their possibilities to trademark from France for exemple?

I just have a quick question. When Image accepts a project and green-lights it, how long are you willing to wait for the project to be completed? I know that Image will hold off on a project until several issues are completed in order to release a book on a regular basis, but how just how long are you willing to wait? Is there a limit to Image's patience, or do they give the creator as much time as they need?

Your informations are really helpful in my case.
Now i'm sure that the registering of the project is not something absolutly necessary. That's something i could manage later if that become really important... but not now. Here the goal is to do a good book... my main concern.

Dear Mr. Larsen,

Forgive me if this has been asked before. If an Imprint accepts my submission (for example, SilentDevil or Across the Pond) and pitches it to you guys -- will it usually get looked at for consideration before (or typically sooner) than the regular, unpublished creator submitted, slush pile?

I understand that being an Imprint does not guarantee that Image will greenlight everything they pitch and that titles they picth still have to uphold to the highest creative standards -- but I was just wondering if going through an imprint will get your submission looked at a bit sooner -- as it has already gone through the Imprints filter.

Thanks!

You have said that creative teams decide whether to run a backup story in their book and if so get to choose what one if they want. Does this mean that if I (and my creative team) have a story we feel would be a good backup story, should we contact the creators of a particular book directly or submit it to you through the regular submissions process and if you think it's worthy you will show it to different creative teams (who then decide for themselves if they want to include it) yourself? Thanks.

You don't need to ask permission to carry a submission package of your work around with you at a con. It's your arm. The point is that you shouldn't expect any publisher to take it from you and carry it around for the rest of the con and then home.

so you're saying we have to submit 5 pages from each of the first 5 issues, which shouldd be 25 pages each because 5 x 5 is 25?

Should the synopsis be double spaced?

Do you always give an up or down yes or no?

For instance, I went with flat colors. I could have gone with some of the top guys in the industry but they wanted several hundred in cash to work on the book.

I'm not gonna deny that their work might make for a much snazzier looking project but it's not something I would want to commit to on a book that hasn't been greenlit whose projected sales/profits I don't know.

Would you ever suggest a writer resubmitting with a different artist or provisional approval based on, say, different coloring?

There are people out there recruiting talent by claiming that their books are provisionally approved pending a new artist or whatever and I'm wondering if it really happens.

I'd imagine you could, say, look at a book and suggest that it needs better inking.

I'm going in intent on giving you the best product I can to review.

But I'm curious as to whether approval is strictly up or down or if you can look at something that's 99.999% GREAT, that REALLY stands out from the crappier submissions, and say, "This is great. Fix these two things and we'll talk."

This is a pretty "out there" question....

I know I'm not the only person around here that is really inspired by what Mario Gully has been up to with his comic. Bringing in major players from the original Image U, and really making it seem like "home" again....So my question is, how much attention must be paid to continuity details if I wanted, say, my submission to leave the door open for crossovers with major Image characters? I realize how precise and timeline sensitive Dragon has been these past 10 years....so I'm wondering...if my comic takes place on Earth in the present, and god willing, people enjoyed it enough, are there certain guidelines I would have to adhere to if I wanted to entertain that possibility?

Just a question I'd like to ask to get your honest opinion:

What do you think about a comic series about sports, say a series about a baseball drama? I have not seen a baseball comic done by American creators, but I know that they have been done. My inspiration comes from some of my favorite mangas such as "Touch," and "H2," which are classical icons in Japan.

My question is, how do you feel about this type of subject? And also, from your experience, will a comic about baseball have potential to be successful with Image comics?

I'd like to know what this means for someone like myself that has been waiting 4 months now. Does this mean my submission got lost or that it's passed the first gate and is in the "to be determined pile" or what?
I would hope submissions are looked at in the order that Image received them in the mail and are not just piled so that the last one received gets looked at first because it's on top.

Hey...what happened to my post?? Was it somehow breaking the new rules? I didn't post anything about my submission, like pages or links to a website or anything. Weird. It was just a post about the rejection e-mail I received and what I would possibly do to improve the book. So why was it deleted so swiftly?

...and now my reply to Erik's last post has been deleted! What the heck's going on here?! You's people is really clamping down around here, almost to the point of being ridiculous...

And if you're reading this post now, check back later and it will magically be gone! POOF!

I have an idea I am thinking of submitting, but it plays with page format and construction a bit. Similar to what the Clockmaker (i think it was called that) did. There would be some fold-outs, and possible die-cut shapes.

I know how to set this sort of thing up for production, but what is the best way to present it? Should I make full size mock-ups with tape and what not, or provide an exploded view, or both?

I know the story, concept and art are the basis of how the project would be judged, but I just want to sort of illustrate the physicality of the project.

If a submission is accepted, what happens if the original artist drops out, or a colorist is added?

I also heard back fast; within 5 days of sending my submission. Also rejected, but yeah, only took 5 days (sent from Canada too). Although I didnt get any 'reviews' or feedback or anything for mine, sounded more like an automated response or something, which sucked more than getting rejected...

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Once submitted, is a concept damaged good or do people ever rework something from the ground up and successfully resubmit?

The process of putting together my submission was a learning experience in many ways. The quick rejection suggests there's a lot broken...

But if I took the basic premise and characters from my rejected pitch and really tinkered with making it something different... and I went for a new team from the ground up...

Would that make a difference?

On one hand, what's done is done. If you didn't like it, I don't want to offer another helping of something that left a sour taste in your mouth.

On the other hand, your Savage Dragon concept evolved considerably over the years culminating in massive changes before it appeared at Image.

I realize Image isn't in the business of taking in extreme fixer uppers. But I'd like to think a pitch that had a dozen things wrong with it had a dozen things right too... And that while the things that were wrong might lead to rejection, a fresh start building off the basics of the rejected pitch MIGHT have a go..

Erik, do bi-monthly comics sell as well as monthly?
 

Erik, what would happen, if say, you received a proposal where the art wasn't good enough for it to be accepted but the pitch and story was extremely impressive and one of the best ideas you'd ever come accross.

?

Erik, what about if the story was equally bad? Then what would happen?

Erik, is it okay to post images on this thread, you know, that will be included in propasal?

I honestly couldn't bring myself to read every single post in this thread, so if the question I'm about to ask has been asked and answered already, then just ignore this post and I'll try to find the answer.

I read in the faq on the Image website that the creators of the comics published by image maintain all the rights themselves. All the copyright information and trademarks belong to the writers/artists. But do the creators of the comic have to make the copyright themselves, i.e. buy the patent for their property, or does Image handle this for them?
What if I submit a comic proposal that I didn't put any copyright on, and it's given the green light - can some random person then just walk up and buy the trademark for the characters/title/etc. and then I'm basically screwed?

Erik,
Not sure if you're allowed to answer this, but out of all the brand-new projects published through Image in 2005, what percentage actually made even a little profit for the creators involved?

Will you look at multiple titles in a submission package? or is it better to send one at a time?

It used to be that if your book was published through another company first, it was advantageous toward getting a book published through a larger company like Image. However, a company that's interested in my book ultimately retains the rights to reprinting any issues I do through them, to include TPBs. This sounds standard, but does this type of thing actually HURT the chance of moving to a larger publisher like Image? I'm thinking perhaps the old way of thinking may not apply to the industry today. Image does business differently than when it started, but I know others (example Mario Gully) have had titles through other publishers and moved.

Are these four things true or false?

1-you can not copyright a name

2-you can copyright a comicbook character, including appreaence, orgin, personality, etc..

3-character names are covered by trademarks

4-trademarks means you can't use it in a title.

(like cola, Pepsi fought Coke to use cola)

Does this mean I couln't name my comic book say "Wolverine and Aurora"? Or some other simple named characters?

I was just curious, Erik, what do you feel is appealing to comics audiences today. What do you consider a good book to reach the most targeted audience; males 13 to 24?

I know these might seem like weird questions but it could help me understand what you believe moves the market and is good for comics. I am trying to see the industry as a business as well as an artistic avenue, so I would like to focus on a pitch that has the ability to survive in the industry. Your knowledge would help me in creating a pitch or product that will see the light of day.

I have a question regarding marketing and advertsing.

Say you have said Aris we want to publish your book, and we had three issues in the can and it was time to solicit.

Does Image automatically take space in Previews. Do you discuss with the creators possible adverts in trade mags(wizard as an example), and place full pagers in other image books for a few months leading to the date the books actually come out.

If you do, is this an added expense? That the creators pay after and if the books printed sell? Or is this part and parcle of Image publishing your books?

Also, is there any policy regarding ad space in the title itself. Can I advertise what I want, more pages of image titles? Other publishers? My friends band? Or is Image in total control of this, and after receiving the finished pages decides how many pages of ads are placed in the book, where they are placed, including inside cover and back of the book?

Erik Larsan wrote:
 

I am not sure what you are telling me here. I am getting confused. In some posts on this thread it was said to look at this as a business and not as my own personal playground. And that is why I asked you those questions. I believe you have to know your audience to have a successful product. You have to supply them with something they want and/or need. The first person you have to sell the product to is you. You are the one that will decide wether or not the book/product will even see the light of day. You are the boss. That is why I believe your opinion about what is selling and what is not selling is more valuable then mine. Even if I like the pitch and loved the book doesn't mean it is something that can survive in this cut throat market. You have better insight into the market or you would not be where you are today. I am just looking for a little guidance into your world. What type of products appeal to you and give you the sense that they will succeed? So myself and my team do not spend six months on a pitch that isn't even close to what you feel will make it into this market. I just don't want to make any uninformed decision. I also understand that this is my creator owned product and I should do the stories I want to tell, but for me to tell those stories I have to get them to your standard first. Your insight will help me put together a pitch that will appeal to you and Image. If this is something that you are uncomfortable giving your opinion on, I understand, and thank you for your time and quick response.

And that is not an honest answer. Not anything will make it in this market. Even if it is well done. There are hundreds of books a year that are produced well and never make it. Never get a fan base or never get a publisher to push them. If you don't believe that go to a show and walk artist alley for twenty minutes. You will see some hot stuff that will never see print.

In the above messages you mentioned about "taking a chance" with artists so I'm wondering if you guys would ever be willing to take a chance on a really weird abstract - art type of comic. Visual poetry, if you will.
Just curious.

1. Can a book submitted to you have a studio logo on the inside cover, or ads for the studio in the book(I believe Artxilla did something like this(?).

What I mean by inside cover is as part of the credits, like "Produced by" or something like that, side by side with Penciled by and Written by?

2. When Images publishes a book, does it own any part of the Trademark? As an example, does a creative team have to consult and get your apporval to sell a script to Nickolodean(I mangled that spelling!!!) or to a toy company? Or is Image strickly involved with getting the books to print and to the distributer?

BECAUSE WE RECEIVE SUCH A HIGH VOLUME OF SUBMISSIONS, NO UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS/SUBMISSIONS WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE (and even then--it's unlikely).

Just to be clear -- if we don't need our submission returned, we don't need to include a SASE? Personally, I'd much prefer to hear back by email, if that's an option.

Well I think you are right with what you are saying but i don't think its the same amount for 4000 as it is for 100,000...it probaly the same percentage.

If a submission is accepted and the book is completed, how long does it take for the book to see print? In other words how long till the book gets onto the store shelves.

allright, i hope im not just being dense here, but i've been hearing people say "i got my story proposal accepted by image, so now i just need an artist!" and stuff like that. does that mean i can send in my story and see if it gets accepted, then go to doing the art work and then see if THAT gets accepted?

I would assume then, the book must be resubmitted as well if any other member of the creative team (writer, colorist, inker, letterer) were to bow out after the book had been accepted?
Sure, a creative team might not want the hassle of resubmitting, but these guys/girls are also not interchangeable with the average joe.
So if any member of the team is replaced it should be resubmitted? If it should only be resubmitted after an artist change that would be a double-standard I couldn't imagine Mr. Larsen encouraging. I wouldn't want to imagine Mr. Larsen stating that the rest of the team is trivial, he's too nice of a guy.

is image only confine to the traditonal size comic book size?i was just wondering if you'll approve a book( being excellent of course in writing and art ) in large format size (8.5 X 11) ?

What kinda time frame can I expect to hear something after sending my pages in?

Is it ok to post art(from submissions) in this thread?

Do you want to see the full scripts in the submission packages? Or just the Beat sheets, synopsis, Bios, and pages(including cover)?

I'd sent in a submission a little more than 5 months ago but haven't yet heard back. Should I assume it wasn't received and submit it again?

Two questions.
1. I'm not exactly sure of what you mean by beat sheets. Could you please clarify.

2.I sent a submission that was recieved right before the first of the year (I only know this from the postal tracking) that included a fully colored and lettered nine page story, but no cover. Is the fact that there is no cover image going to be seriously frowned upon.

So if someone like me, who likes to be a jerkass from time to time...(hey it's a lot of fun) submits a comic book would you shot it down simple because you know it came from a pain in the rear?

Would it be a problem (legally) if I had several characters from the "Arabian Nights" like Alladin or Sinbad in my pitch? I mean, the original characters and not the Disney version. Thanks.

Is there a submission email? Or Aris shut up already and send out the packages to the address on the "submission guide lines"?

I have a project that I am getting ready to submit to Image. I have six pages of completed/letterd art, colored character designs, pitch/cover letter, a completed colored cover, and other various promotional bits.

The question is do I put this together into a promo comic - stapled, printed the whole deal, or is it better just to put the stuff into a folder.

Exactly what kind of feedback would I get if I sent a submission proposal by e-mail first? I mean, do you give somewhat of a 'yes' or 'no' after reviewing online?

Is past comics experience a factor in getting a book greenlit?

Sorry if this has been asked before. I read that Image charges a flat fee for monthly comics of about XXXX an issue. Is it the same for 50, 100 or 500 page graphic novels?

This is just for personal interest and I don't know if you'd know the answer.

It seems like comic costs are skyrocketing with glossy stock and special stock papers being used. Has a creator ever reccomended that their comic be printed on flat paper with a flat thicker stock cover to save money (example: Jim Mahfood's Generation-X Underground) and lower the cover price for the buyer? Would Image be interested in publishing a book in this format to keep costs down for the reader, or would a change in paper not make a huge difference?

What if your legal name is Frank Miller, but you're not THE Frank Miller. Can you slip in on a technicality?