About The Site

No, it’s not to a girl, ha.

I’m writing up my proposal for Ego, the ongoing series that I started scripting last October. I cannot believe it has been that long since I began on it. I cannot believe that nearly a year later I am still passionate about this series and really want to see it get picked up. I cannot believe that nearly a year later I am working on the last step before I start sending it to publishers, for their consideration.

At the beginning of the year, I think, I started liaising with an artist in California, Jim Kagel. I’m pretty sure I got onto him through digitalwebbing. We discussed the series; story, character, theme, look, etc. I wrote a sample script, six pages, that would showcase four of the main characters. It would have quiet scenes as well as some fighting and blood.

Jim nailed some pages together and I now have them in high resolution jpeg’s. I also have character sketches for the four mains, as well as a cover idea to sell the companies on (were I able to add pics to these entries I would post them up here). All I have to do now is write up the proposal.

I’ve read Kirkman’s proposal for Invincible. It’s pretty short and I get the feeling I might not have all of it. I’ve just read Vaughan’s proposal for Ex Machina that is in the back of the first deluxe hardcover. It is pretty good, and I like the structure of it. I’ve looked at this page from Dwayne McDuffie that shows a stack of his proposals, which is really nice to look at. Being my first proposal I’m wondering what exactly has to be in there. The more I can see that has been done before the better I will feel about treading into this dark unknown.

When I started writing comics I read a lot of scripts, especially over the wwInterweb, but also collected in editions of different comics. I loved that there was such a variety of ways to get the job done. Now I see that there are many ways to set a proposal out as well. I guess that explains why so many guys watch porn, they’re just trying to cover all bases and make sure they’re getting the job done.

I know I have to get the premise out very quickly. The shorter the overview, it would seem, the better, so long as it is still interesting. Grab the editor before his triple latte wears off. I’ve looked on Image’s submissions page and seen what they expect. They want one page to sum up the story. They want to know what’s going to happen. Now.

I have the first year of Ego scripted, and a fair few storylines that would probably take me through another two to three years. I really see a future for this book, but not once in my head have I expected to actually sell. If that happens, giddy up, but I am going in assuming that the odds are against me and I should be prepared for that. I still think it’s an awesome series, and has some real room to move and shake, but I can’t help but be realistic. A first submission rarely sells in this business. That’s not going to stop me trying my ass off to get it out there.

Once I have shopped Ego, and if there is no love, then I will move on. I will start pushing Once Upon A Time In Atlantis on publishers. I will continue to draft out my space story. I really want to get my Hail HYDRA! story worked into some form of submission.

I am talking with an artist about Fate, and my purloined idea. I am also looking into self-publishing another short story this year, just in time for xmas, ha. I’m trying to keep as many irons in the fire as possible.

It’s exciting to do, but also scary as fuck. Look for me to get a lot more self-doubting on here when I actually have to send the bastard off. Yikes.

Posted on August 3rd, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: Writing, comics