column_breakout.gifWhat’s a column that gives out tips, information, and advice without some kind of spiffy acronym? These cute little mnemonic devices are great at giving people’s memories a little kickstart every now and then. I decided to go with an acronym that some comic book creators could easily relate to–BDSM. The following set of articles will show you how these four aspects–Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, and Masochism (yes, I purposely left out the middle “Domination & Submission” part of it just to make it easier to remember) can be tied to qualities important to making comics and breaking in. And remember, this is just an acronym to help you remember these attributes…don’t go out and take chains and whips to the editors out there (and it’s probably not a good idea to approach them at a con in one of those cute leather outfits either). So make yourself comfy (that chair with the large metal rings attached to it should work just fine), and let’s get things started with Bondage!

Bondage: 1: the tenure or service of a villein, serf, or slave 2: a state of being bound usually by compulsion (as of law or mastery)

So, what does that have to do with comics? Well, if you’re looking at “breaking in”, you probably want to work for one of the big publishers. When you work on someone else’s property, you’re bound by their whims and editorial control. Sure, they’ll allow you some creative freedom, but ultimately, the final decision on what makes it to print and what doesn’t is theirs. Sometimes, what shows up on the shelves might not even resemble what you originally intended. Its not slavery or serfdom, but if you’re not prepared for it, it might feel a lot like they’re putting some big old chains on your creativity.

Now, that doesn’t mean they need zombie workers that do whatever they say, but they will need people that can take their vision…their popular, fairly set-in-stone characters and run with them. They need people that can produce exciting work that sells with what they’re given. Some editors might not let you tell the story you really want to tell or let you draw the artwork you really want to cut loose with. But no matter what guidelines or restrictions they lay out for you, they’ll still expect greatness.

On top of all that (this affects the creator-owned/self-published projects as well), you still have to be aware of the boundaries that limit your work through copyrights, trademarks, synchronicity, and the like–the things you have to contend with when working in any artistic field. You have to be able to deal with all that and deliver quality work that has your distinctive style to it…those chains seem to just get heavier and heavier, don’t they?

Can you do the job with your hands tied? How about if you’re also blindfolded, gagged, locked in a moldy chest, and buried under a ton of pickled herring? If you’re flexible and imaginative enough to constantly deliver good work under any conditions, you’ll eventually get that big name and all the extra freedom that goes with it. Editors and publishers like people that will work with them–people that can be thrown an impossible mish-mash of ideas, thoughts, and requirements and honestly reply, “I can do that.”