Polly Vol 2
I’m currently beavering away at Polly volume 2. It hasn’t been decided whether it shall be a six-issue miniseries, a GN, or three “prestige format” issues, as I’ve been doing with Courtney. Interestingly, as a writer artist, I understand why artists get the big bucks and writers get the big recognition. Writing is 80% inspiration; art, 80% perspiration. With Polly, once I get a good head of steam going, I can knock out an issue script in a day. But it takes weeks of outlining, thinking and rethinking, doubting, worrying about the gun on the wall in Act 1 and whether I can work its discharge into Act 3. Still, it takes a month of work and worry to write a six-issue series, and six months to draw it. On the other hand, when I don’t have inspiration to guide me, no amount of work in the world will prevent a story from being utterly mediocre, as my editors will attest.
Discuss…
14 Comments
Lan Pitts
I had thought you had another artist with you on Polly. I figure it’d be less stressful for you to handle just the story and to establish a good artistic bond/rapport with your artist and make sure the story comes across the best it can.
I couldn’t fathom a story by you anything similar to mediocre.
tednaifeh
I was just talking in generalities. And I try to spare the world my mediocre work.
Lan Pitts
Oh okay, then. I agree. Writing is more inspiration, or at least more on that end. Then again, I’ve only done the writing part with some outlining, panel construction, etc. Though even when I get a great idea, the actual execution of it comes a lot more natural if I have an artistic partner. Especially someone in know of story flow and doesn’t rely on splash pages every other page. Then again, I’m easily inspired.
kitsune_rei
I ultimately prefer book form. The prestige format issues for Crumrin made me wonder if they were going to be reprinted as a book or not. Issues read too quickly, I prefer to read it all at the end. The prestige ones are a bit longer read at least. Is it more money if you make issues and then a book later or something? Although I can understand fans can read it sooner as issues as the whole thing doesn’t need to be done at once.
Artists and Writers… its a special bond to make a comic. If you’re both I guess it makes communicating that much easier 😀 A beautiful comic without a good story is just an artbook with some text in the way. Bad art can distract or dilute a good story by presenting it wrong though. Both require a good dose of inspiration. Is it more likely for artists to be formally trained, or are most writers as well?
tednaifeh
Writers should have training, but I assume many aren’t. I’ve done some study in the field, enough to realize how messy my early work is. The thing about writing is that, compared to art, it’s much harder to put your finger on what’s wrong. With art, it’s right there for the eye to see. With writing, it’s much more conceptual.
Most people tolerate bad writing because it may feature elements they like, perhaps a character they relate to or a setting they enjoy on a surface level. People enjoy badly written movies like Pirates of the Caribbean because the characters are fun, and the window dressing is flashy. And it has a good set-up, so by the time it falls apart, you’re too invested in the characters to care that it didn’t go anywhere meaningful. I went and saw it with my girlfriend’s thirteen-year-old sister. She’d already seen it three times and loved it, but by the time she’d gotten to her fourth, it was dawning on her that the thing didn’t have lasting appeal. If it’d been badly shot or badly acted, she would have noticed much sooner. storytelling gets a lot more leeway.
And I’ll admit I own Pirates. I’m not immune to is other charms.
Adrienne
“other” charms.
I like floppies. I know I’m in the minority but I have records. And a phonograph that works. I also like black and white comics. I like to see all that pain, sweat, blood and tears on the page, and not colored over. I guess if I could see every page in black/white and in color next to it or below it or something I would then be able to enjoy both artists at their best.
I’m also in the minority in that I *won’t* buy something for the writing if I can’t look at it. I don’t care how much you tell me certain artists in this industry are Important or Famous or Forward – if I simply don’t like their style then I’ll never finish it.
Anyhoo. You know me. Whatever it turns out to be, I’ll buy it and be happy. I’m simple. Me and my records. And your art.
😉
J3
Hey there Ted
Glad to see a Polly Volume 2 in the works. I enjoyed the first one tremendously, along with your other works. Can’t wait to see it in my hands.
tednaifeh
Thanks much. I’m probably not the only one to tell you your Batwoman work is un-fracking-believable. If I could draw like that… sigh.
J3
You are too kind. Your work is great! I really look forward to whatever it is you have coming up.
Derrick Fish
Great to hear that there’s more “Polly” coming. I’m curious, as an artist that’s also frequently your own artist, about your technique.
I find that I’m most comfortable writing with thumbnails and notes rather than pure words as I tend to think visually but I’m always interested in hearing how other creators work.
ComicBookDaily
Hey there Ted, my name is David Diep and I’m the News Editor for an upcoming website called ComicBookDaily. I was wondering if I could trouble you for an interview? Normally I would send this request directly to your e-mail, but I think your exact e-mail address was lost in your site transition. If you could be so kind as to respond back to me at ddiep at comicbookdaily.com, it would be most appreciated. Thanks for your time!
Brian M.
Very glad to hear there is more Polly in the works as I really enjoyed Vol. 1.
On the issue of time and format, I always vote for quality over speed and I am tending more and more, as the years go by, to wait for the trade, so I would vote for straight to the GN or the prestiege format over weekly books.
Cheers, Brian.
markboss
so sleepy but wanted to write this while I remember.
On Polly 2 I would like it if it was in single issue format.
This way I can open the book up fully without worry of breaking the glue.
You should also hit your comic shop and pick up
Cursed Pirate Girl, kinda Alice in wonderland.
Also you should do more Aloysius ones-shots. Their is some heart wrenching tails of wonder their. To have some much power and it still be to little (or someone holds him back, maybe himself? pride?)
Thanks again,
Mark Boss
tednaifeh
The new Polly WILL be in single volume format. I’ve seen Cursed Pirate Girl. It was okay (which is to say I immediately loved it so much I wish I’d done Courtney in that style).
Also, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, neither Courtney nor Aloysius have a tail.