Indy Comics Writer

I’m all for dreaming big when you’re building a writing career. We should all aspire to write the next Great American novel. We should all want to create the next blockbuster comic-book character.

But you have to be realistic, too. If you’re new to this business, if you’ve not yet proven yourself or if you’ve not even been published in the comics world, it’s probably not a wise use of your time to plan how you’d proceed if Marvel or D.C. gave you a call.

This is on my mind because of a recent thread at the Digital Webbing forums that asked the question: If Marvel or D.C. called, which of their characters would you like to revamp?

Now, it doesn’t hurt to fantasize about changing up Batman or Superman. And the thread is a fun one to read. But I seriously hope that no novice comics writers are actually worrying about one day tackling Wolverine or Spider-Man. The odds are extremely long that any of us will ever write for Marvel or D.C., even after spending years publishing in anthologies and independent publications. There just aren’t enough jobs at the big two for everyone who wants one.

I have little hope of ever working for either company. But that’s not the end of the world. The world of independent graphic novels and comics is growing. Other large publishers are also recognizing that kids and teens like graphic novels, and they are expending their own graphic-novel publishing arms.

It’s OK to dream of one day writing The Avengers. But it’s far more realistic to dream instead of one day seeing your own creation hitting the comic-book shelves, a creation more than likely published by someone other than the big two.

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