The Billy Whizz strip in this week's issue is quite similar to the strip I was working on. What do I do now? It's not exactly the same, but I'm concerned it might be too much like it.
Don't worry about that. You're sending them samples, not work for use just yet. Think up a few more ideas though; not just Billy Whizz but other characters. Even invent your own. What editors will be looking for is how clearly you convey a story, consistency of style, and whether it has a humour or charm about it that will appeal to the readers. Good luck!
Thanks again. I'll make sure I finish my first strip soon and send it off. I might be able to post a Calamity James strip up here - it's probably not worth sending it off to DCT Towers given that with Alan in charge he's not likely to be in the fold.
Actually, did anyone notice how oddly similar some of the strips in the David Parkins (pre-tracksuit) era of Billy Whizz were to the ones in Trevor Metcalfe's Wacom tablet spell (2005-2007)? I noticed at least three stories which had a lot in common.
'Michael Owen isn't the tallest of players, but his height more than makes up for it' - Mark Lawrenson
DCT deal in formulae, Jonny, ---back in the 60s, many stories were recycled with alarming frequency, and basically I feel that THOMSON are putting out the material that readers seem to desire, and the whole shebang is an ever-evolving, ever-shifting mass of creativity.
Comics are almost unrecognizable from my youth. But I appreciate that they have to evolve in order to exist at all, and there would be something wrong if trends never shifted.
If you are submitting ideas to DCT, 2 finished pages and perhaps 2 pages of pencils of original stuff will give them a good indication of your potential.......they're a decent firm, and they should give you a personal reply.
Lastly, wait until you know your stuff looks OK alongside the 'greats'----even if it takes a wee while!
Jonny Whizz wrote:Actually, did anyone notice how oddly similar some of the strips in the David Parkins (pre-tracksuit) era of Billy Whizz were to the ones in Trevor Metcalfe's Wacom tablet spell (2005-2007)? I noticed at least three stories which had a lot in common.
That's nothing compared to two Stephen White drawn Winker Watson stories from Dandy Annuals of a few years back - they were complete remakes of 70s Dandy Book stories, redrawn to remove the cane and reflect the new art style for the character. They could've just blanked out the cane and reprinted the original versions!
I have one final question. I finished my Billy Whizz strip (I'm also planning to send one of a character I made up), but should Billy's tracksuit be inked in black or not? I certainly think it was originally, given the tracksuit was introduced more than a year before the Beano went full colour, and Billy Whizz was one of the last strips to go full colour.
'Michael Owen isn't the tallest of players, but his height more than makes up for it' - Mark Lawrenson
Just do whatever you think looks best, Jonny----black fill-ins always read clearly on the page, however, almost all modern BEANO pages are designed for colour to be added, so perhaps it's better just leaving it 'blank' [assuming your work is in b/w].
A tip, though: the artwork should still be clear in b/w, even if it's meant for colour.
Best of luck with your efforts, by the way [would love to see your stuff on here].....I know it's a big step-----it was 3 weeks before I first got a reply from DCT [way back in 1983].
