As a writer, my first and foremost task is to COMMUNICATE MY IDEAS with the primary tool at my disposal: words. That means, as I was taught by every good editor you ever heard of including Saint Goodwin, that art directions in scripts are put there to help the writer express himself to the penciller so that, AS YOU COLLABORATE–note that I did not say “as the writer gives dictation,” but AS YOU COLLABORATE–he’s CLEAR on what the writer’s ASKING for. Not “demanding”–ASKING for. And if you’d just put your f***ing ego or hurt feelings aside for a split-second, you might have to acknowledge that a writer’s attempt at making himself as clear as possible is not necessarily a personal assault on your capabilities. It is, in fact, what we should all be striving for.
Yes, there are writers who cram too much information into their scripts. There are, conversely, also writers who don’t give artists enough information to do their job. Upon reading and re-reading your screed, it would seem to me that your problem isn’t really with what you’re being asked to draw; it’s with writers who aren’t flexible or collaborative enough to hear you out when you say–as is not only your right but is your OBLIGATION TO THE STORY–that something doesn’t work. The latter is unpardonable, absolutely. The former (what you’re being ASKED to draw) comes–sorry, princess–part and parcel with the collaborative process.
Mark Waid thinks that it’s time to discuss the creative process with an artist who isn’t too happy with his experience with writers. Much more in the link, including Waid’s impressive ability to not rise to the bait; well worth a read.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:57 am
I’d sure be happy if we lived in a world where the writers had much, much more power than the artists.
April 5th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Dude, that was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while! =0 )
Wish there was more, or that I at least found out about it before posts started to be deleated…
April 5th, 2007 at 10:38 am
I don’t think I’ve ever seen as big a “disconnect” between someone’s public personna and their online presense as Mark Waid’s. The guy comes off as an absolute nutbar in so many of these internet exchanges, yet is so genial and professional in person.
It’s pretty startling to see Waid take that much time out of his life to respond to a guy’s opinion on some blog somewhere.
April 5th, 2007 at 11:27 am
It’s pretty startling to see Waid take that much time out of his life to respond to a guy’s opinion on some blog somewhere.
And if Waid does have that kind of time, how come he hasn’t shown up at my blog? I’ve posted enough speculative stuff there about the Legion that I’d love for him to confirm that I wasn’t just talking through my hat…
April 5th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
As someone who’s done a >tiny
April 5th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
In retrospect, of course, I regret having brought a grenade to a knife fight…but I thought it was important to take the hours to compose that response because (clearly) not enough is known about how the process works, and encouraging writers and artists to build bunkers rather than to communicate will not make for better comics.
I do need to learn, however, to stop being surprised when statements of exasperation like “…makes me want to settle for punching you in the face” translate to some as “an immediate threat of physical violence.” Despite its being made up of words, sentences, and language, the internet remains one giant Rorschach test, doesn’t it?
April 5th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Instead of threatening violence go for a sideways comment like, “…makes me want to crap in your dead mother’s mouth.”
April 5th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I think Mark can say whatever he wants* because he’s not some anonymous troll, and that will carry with it significantly more weight.
Also, post moderator, can you delete the slap-hitting each other… comment? That kind of homophobic profanity has no place here.
*to a certain degree, of course
April 5th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
It’s been deleted.
April 5th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I love Waid’s writing- love it- but brother needs to switch to decaf.
April 5th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
“…Waid’s impressive ability to not rise to the bait…”
Not rise to the bait?!?!? What bolg were you reading? He not only rose to the bait, he a-bombed it. Regardless of whether his points were valid or not, he killed his own credibility with the nutjob tone he used…
April 5th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Man, I love Mark Waid.
I like to see him take people to task because there are so many people out there in the internet comic book community throwing information out that’s either a.) wrong (but no one outside the business can prove it, so it’s taken as fact by many on the internets) or b.) abso-freakin-lutely ridiculous.
Good job to Waid, a fellow Alabamian (the Alabama part really has nothing to do with it, just noting)
April 5th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
“I do need to learn, however, to stop being surprised when statements of exasperation like “…makes me want to settle for punching you in the face” translate to some as “an immediate threat of physical violence.”
Yeah…who would ever associate a phrase like “punching you in the face” with physical violence?
The noive!
April 5th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Same kinda people who might, referring back to the original post, think that artists were actually borrowing a cup of sugar from the writer.
April 5th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Is this some new kind of American disease? Why is everyone suddenly so concerned with the tone? There’s an argument there which can be discussed, and as long as no side is lacing every single sentence with personal attacks it ought to be possible to ignore disagreements over proper style after having noted them once.
Seriously, it’s like crying for mommy or the referee every time someone’s phrasing is too rough.
… Or is this trolling 2.0 which the majority of users not only failed to notice but actually transfered to real life?
April 5th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
Civility — the new American disease!
April 6th, 2007 at 12:02 am
I’m kind of surprised that anyone misinterpreted Mark’s comments. I thought it was fairly obvious that he wasn’t threatening violence, he was telling the author that the tone of the original post *made* him angry, and that first post should have been expressed in a more constructive way. The original post is clearly responsible for making any further posts angry.
But then, maybe they didn’t interpret Mark incorrectly at all. I think some people just love a good argument.
April 6th, 2007 at 12:14 am
So if I ran up to Waid in a public place and said, “Steve Wacker is unprofessional!!!” He WOULDN’T attempt to maim me?
LAME.
(for the record, I don’t consider Steve Wacker unprofessional. I consider him very skilled and a cool guy for getting Colleen Doran to draw a special story in the new FNBSM Annual)
April 6th, 2007 at 12:46 am
I wouldn’t attempt to do anything to you, Dan, for anything you might say. I figure being Dan Coyle is punishment enough.
April 6th, 2007 at 9:08 am
ALL HAIL MARK WAID!
April 6th, 2007 at 9:36 am
“I wouldn’t attempt to do anything to you, Dan, for anything you might say. I figure being Dan Coyle is punishment enough.”
(sigh)
April 6th, 2007 at 9:54 am
“I wouldn’t attempt to do anything to you, Dan, for anything you might say. I figure being Dan Coyle is punishment enough.”
Oh SNIPPITY SNAP!!!
April 6th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
*”It’s pretty startling to see Waid take that much time out of his life to respond to a guy’s opinion on some blog somewhere.”*
That “oughta” tell you something. One of the biggest names in comics gave some valuable time and professional advice to [who is this guy again?] and it was thrown back in his face.
If the blogger’s tone wasn’t so @$$holish, Waid probably wouldn’t have been so angry. Anger for arrogance.
But I think he knew more than just [who is this guy again?] would read it.
April 6th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I think it’s mighty petty of both writers to be so juvenile towards each other. Fer crying out loud, get a life you two!
April 6th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Me and Waid should get in the boxing ring, like Uwe and Lowtax! WERD!