Neville Ever Growing Old?

[thenevshow]

I began the Nev Show comic strip in 1997 after dropping out of university, then spent the next 12 years making very slight changes to it before putting it back in my drawer for several months at a time (I'm hoping some people here can relate to that). Just so we're clear, I did other things in the meantime, but this is the strip that taught me to draw, where I learned about layouts, characterisation etc. Anyhoo, in 2008/9, after another attempted rewrite, I finally decided there was more value in the story of the comic strip than in the strip itself. (O.K, truth I wanted to destroy the **** thing, I hatehatehate it...(phew) Breathe...) Hopefully, now I can move onto other things...my drawer is still full!

Neville Ever Growing Old? A lesson in taking too long to do too little OR How a comic strip took over my life, is now available as a 40 page pdf. I really enjoy reading the feedback on this site (positive/negative doesn't matter), so while I'm attempting to earn a few pennies from the book, I'd like to offer anyone from the Comics UK forum a free copy. Just follow this link, and click on the image to download (it's low res, but still pretty hefty). If it doesn't work for whatever reason, just send me an email, and I'll mail one accross. http://www.thenevshow.co.uk/#/comicsuk/4533653697

Until now, only my girlfriend and a friend who said 'Yea it's good...but what does it mean' have seen The Nev Show (most of my website hits have been me I think ). As an amateur I have no real point of reference for things I've done well, things people particularly like etc. I'm hoping you'll take a few minutes after looking at the site to tell me what you think - it would be useful to know if you think £2 is a bit cheeky as well.

Thanks everyone.

Rit

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Hiya, RIT, I have looked thru' what you have done on your strip, and I think you have an original style that is not especially 'culled' from many contemporary generic 'product' [for lack of a better word.]

What size are the original strips? I apologize if I missed this on your data......you seem to be aiming for the syndicated newspaper market, which probably means you will have to approach the US market; as you're doubtless aware, there are around 5 major syndicates who deal in this type of strip, the bad news being that only a handful of strips are selected per year from these all combined, with only a year or so been given to achieve the magic '100 newspapers subscribing' or being dropped if this doesn't materialize.......

The syndicates recieve an awful lot of derivative junk, with FAR SIDE-clones still snowballing in even to this day............happily, the fact you have spent a long time honing your skills will put you ahead of the majority of entries, which are made up of a quick 24 examples knocked out with no real quality behind them......

I myself have been working on a strip on-and-off for a few years, and am finishing off the 'last 100' before sending off a grand total of possibly 500 strips!

The irony is, I want to start even more new strips, but I can't, it's ridiculous.......no more!!!! So there are others who are doing this also. But knowing when it's good enough to reveal to the waiting world is hypothetical in some respects.........you should definately submit this material, however, as it's as good as some professional syndicated work.

best of luck.

[thenevshow]

Thanks very much for that. I remember downloading the guidelines for Kings Features Syndicate years ago (I notice someone posted them on the forum a little while ago), but I didn't take it any further than that. I did at the time however adhere to their sizing policy (I had also the size of a 'standard' daily strip from a teach yourself cartooning book - tho' I now see you can buy books of ready sized daily comic strip paper). The strips as they turned out however are whatever size I wanted to make them within the boundaries of an A4 sheet (I got sick of buying A3 pads, so 'liberated' copier paper from work) - completely unstandard, and probably impossible to get published anywhere.

Anyway, the plan for me now is start again, do it right, finish it, then move on regardless. New project every 4 or months (unless someone starts paying me to think otherwise!), is the only way to stay sane.

Good luck to you too!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I think a lot of cartoon artwork is prepared at home nowadays and 'transmitted' by scanning to the publishers, with the original artwork never leaving the artist's house! So it doesn't really matter which form of paper you use: much comics work is still done on thicker card [or 'bristol board'], however, as it's more durable.

Many magazine gags are done on decent typing-paper, so there is no set rule,, obviously.