CPI New York Comic-Con Wrap Up 10.15.21

I’ve finally recovered from my three-day odyssey in and around the Javits Center and dug myself out of the massive pile of unanswered emails, so it’s time for me to provide my rundown of the first major post-pandemic convention of the year.

There have been plenty of news stories about the con from a general perspective (check out this good one from Comics Beat), but I want to focus on the professional panels that will be relevant to CPI members. I’ll proceed day-by-day and provide links where appropriate.

Thursday

Panel to Publisher Legal Education Seminar: I was a panelist at this three-hour presentation designed for lawyers who want to get into comic book law. While it covered a lot of ground in terms of intellectual property, contract negotiation, technology impacts, diversity issues, and relevant court cases, there wasn’t a lot of practical advice for the comic book creator. Anyone who wants to do a deep dive into these subjects should pick up Thomas Crowell’s Pocket Lawyer for Comic Book Creators

How to Sell Your Books to Libraries: Libraries are a huge untapped distribution channel for comics. This panel provided some insight into how emerging and independent publishers can find the right libraries to approach and what kind of information they need to consider your story. Here are a few highlights

o   Libraries have several ways of finding comics to buy: This includes trade publications (like Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly), specialty blogs, and direct requests from library patrons.

o   There is a big opportunity for digital library distribution: Libraries like comic shops have limited shelf space. Digital books give them more ability to buy without reducing the demand for physical books. If you place your book into digital services that libraries use (Overdrive, Bibliotechia, Comics Plus, and Libby) you have a better chance of getting your book circulated in libraries.

o   Start small and build a network: Every library has different submission guidelines. Some have large comic collections, some have no comics and most are somewhere in between. To break into libraries, you need to visit the website of each library and see what the submission guidelines are. Once you break into your local libraries, you can branch out into different cities, states, and regions.

o   Information is Key: Libraries have to be very aware of the content and nature of your comic before they can consider it. They need to know where your book fits in the collection and who the appropriate readers are. Calling your book an all-ages graphic novel doesn’t help. Detailed information including target age group, detailed plot descriptions, metadata, ISBNs, and review copies are all helpful tools you can give the librarians.

o   Make the books easy to buy: Libraries don’t typically buy from Diamond. They buy from distributors like Baker and Taylor and Ingram. Adding another source for your books is key to tapping into this market.

o   New types of books needed: Libraries are looking for books that serve diverse audiences. That means they are looking for comics aimed at 18–24-year-olds, not just kids. They want books with non-European international perspectives. They want emerging and independent publishers, so now is the time to look into libraries.

o   If you want more information on library distribution, check out chapter 46 of The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing. (ICP)

Pitch Perfect: This panel offered tips and advice on how to pitch your comic ideas to publishers. The essence of the discussion focused on condensing your story into a short, single idea. This idea needs to encapsulate your entire story and create the kind of visceral, emotional reaction that will inspire someone to spend thousands of dollars and years of work publishing your story. There were also some guidelines on networking, building relationships, and the verbal skills that you need to make your pitch effective. If you want more information on pitching, see pages 41-42 of ICP.

Friday

Critical Comic Book Contracts: This legal panel focused more on the comic book creator than the lawyer. Many of the concepts discussed here can be found in chapters 20-25 of ICP and Lesson 7 in CPI, but the one new wrinkle they added was the importance of checking the social media history of people who you are working with to publish your comic. You don’t want to put years into a project only to find out your artist is the center of a firestorm on Twitter.  

Kickstarter Secrets: Crowdfunding continues to be a major source of distribution and revenue for emerging and independent publishers. This panel highlighted a lot of information you can find in Chapter 68 of ICP, but they also mentioned a book by comic book veteran Greg Pak called Crowdfunding Secrets that I think we all should check out.

Saturday

Comic Book NFTs: Non-fungible tokens have been in the comic news cycle for months, so this panel was both expected and well attended. Most of the discussion focused on the various opportunities for creators and publishers to use NFT’s to create community and generate ongoing revenue, but they also addressed decreasing the environmental costs of the technology to make it more sustainable. If you’d like a more basic introduction to NFTs for comic book creators, you can check out this post I made over the summer.

Overall, NYCC was a cathartic, enjoyable, and productive event for comic book professionals and fans alike.

CPI members who want to discuss these panels in more depth can jump into our open Q&A session next Wednesday at 8:00 pm Eastern.

If you’d like to join CPI, please visit https://bit.ly/IntroCPI

If you have questions about the business or legal aspects of your comic book publishing and you'd like a free consultation, please contact me and we can set something up that fits in with your schedule.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR COMIC PROPERTY, DISCUSS IT WITH A QUALIFIED CONTRACT ATTORNEY OR CONTACT C3 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

21 Business Books for Freelance Comic Creators

So far, I’ve spent most of 2021 doing research for my next book, The Business of Freelance Comic Book Publishing. While the manuscript won’t be finished until next spring, I’d like to share some of my source material for anyone interested in pursuing a successful career in freelance comic creation.

Some of these books are classics in the field. A few of them were published within the past year. Many of them aren’t about working in freelance comics specifically, but since there are broad business principles that apply to this field, I’ve included them to make this book as comprehensive as possible.

1.      The Business of Being an Artist by Dainel Grant (2015)

2.      The Business of Comics by Lurene Haines (1998)

3.      The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing by Gamal Hennessy (2020)

4.      Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port (2017)

5.      Business Law Basics by James Hart (2016)

6.      Comics Career: Tales from the Titans by Kirk Chritton (2020)

7.      Company of One by Paul Jarvis (2019)

8.      Do the Work by Steven Pressfield (2010)

9.      Don't Panic: A Legal Guide for Creative Professionals by Art Neill (2017)

10.   The Freelance Hustle by David Heredia (2020)

11.   The Freelancer's Bible by Alison Grade (2020)

12.   I Never Write for the Money… by Paul Kupperberg (2020)

13.   It's a Living: Surviving as a Freelancer by Cristian Aluas (2019)

14.   Making Comics by Scott McCloud (2006)

15.   The Practice: Shipping Creative Work (2020)

16.   Shop Talk by Will Eisner (2001)

17.   The Freelancer's Union Guide to Taxes by Sara Horowitz (2015)

18.   What They Don't Teach You in Art School by Will Terry (2020)

19.   Words for Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis

20.   Working for Yourself: Law and Taxes by Stephen Fishman (2018)

21.   Working in the Gig Economy by Thomas Oppong (2018)

If there is a book or a source that you think I left out, please let me know. I’m always looking for more information.

Have fun with your comic.

Gamal

If you have questions about the business or legal aspects of your comic book publishing and you'd like a free consultation, please contact me and we can set something up that fits in with your schedule.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR COMIC PROPERTY, DISCUSS IT WITH A QUALIFIED CONTRACT ATTORNEY OR CONTACT C3 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

Who is the Ideal Reader of the Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing?

One of the major ideas in my upcoming book revolves around understanding the ideal reader (See Who Is the Ideal Reader for Your Comic?). As we get closer to the release date*, it makes sense to take some of my own advice. This is how I define the type of person most likely to read The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing (ICP).

• Demographics: ICP was written for the person who is able to invest time and money into the process of publishing comics. You don’t need a six-figure income or twelve hours a day to devote to your publishing, but the ideal reader for this book is in a position to publish comics without creating negative consequences in their personal or professional lives.

• Psychographics: The ideal reader for ICP is a creative, independent, and motivated lover of the comics medium. The book can be helpful to the person who wants to use their comic as the basis for a Netflix series, but the book is designed to advise the person who wants to be successful in comic book publishing itself, however they happen to define success.

• Genre: ICP is essentially an entrepreneurial business book, but it doesn’t claim that there is one magical formula for comic book publishing. ICP examines different aspects of the industry (See What Information Can I Find in ICP?), and explores the pros and cons of your various options at each stage of the process. In that way, ICP is more of a choose your own adventure book than an instructional manual.

• Generation: ICP isn’t limited to a specific age group, but it does cater to certain age-related characteristics. ICP works best for the person who is old enough to know what they like in terms of comics and has the resources to invest in comic book publishing (See the demographics above). It is also geared towards someone who is young enough to be interested in potentially publishing comics for several years and keeping up with an ever-changing industry. If those traits apply to you, then you could be seventeen, seventy-five or anything in between.

Do you fit the ideal reader profile for ICP? If so, consider checking out some of the sample text I’ve shared in my blog and signing up for my free newsletter to get information on pre-orders and other announcements. Until then…

Have fun with your comic

Gamal

Disclaimer

* The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing is scheduled for release in early October of 2020.

What Information Can I Find in The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing?

The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing offers education, strategies, and tactics for anyone interested in publishing their own comics. Each of the twelve parts walks the reader through the process of publishing from the initial inspiration to exit strategy.

At the end of reading the book, the reader can have a unique business plan tailored for the comic they want to make.

The book is structured in a question and answer format. I raise relevant questions in each chapter and then offer relevant ideas and options for the reader to consider. The book doesn’t attempt to be a one size fits all solution. Because every publisher is different, I try to offer alternatives and the rationale behind each one.

This preview of the table of contents shows what you can expect to learn:

• Introduction

• Stage 1: Pre-Production

  • Part 1: Foundation

    • Chapter 1: What Are Comics?

    • Chapter 2: Why Do You Want to Publish Comics?

    • Chapter 3: Can Publishing Comics Fit into Your Life?

  • Part 2: Idea Management

    • Chapter 4: How Do You Manage the Ideas for Your Comic?

    • Chapter 5: How Can You Express Your Comic Ideas?

    • Chapter 6: What is Intellectual Property?

    • Chapter 7: Can You Turn Your Idea into Intellectual Property?

    • Chapter 8: How Do Register You Intellectual Property?

    • Chapter 9: Can You Make Comics from IP You Don’t Own?

  • Part 3: Investment

    • Chapter 10: What Is the Financial Investment in Your Comic?

    • Chapter 11: How Much Money Do You Need?

    • Chapter 12: How Can You Invest in Your Comic?

    • Chapter 13: How Can Others Invest in Your Comic?

  • Part 4: Business Management

    • Chapter 14: What is Business Management?

    • Chapter 15: Do You Need to Hire Professionals?

    • Chapter 16: Do You Need to Form a Company?

  • Part 5: Talent Management

    • Chapter 17: What is Talent Management?

    • Chapter 18: How Do You Distribute the Tasks for Your Comic?

    • Chapter 19: How Do You Find Talent for Your Comic?

    • Chapter 20: How Do Negotiate with Your Talent?

    • Chapter 21: Why Do You Need Contracts?

    • Chapter 22: What is a Collaboration Agreement?

    • Chapter 23: What Is a Work-for-Hire Contract?

    • Chapter 24: How Do You Manage Compensation?

    • Chapter 25: How Do You End a Deal with Your Talent?

  • Part 6: Marketing

    • Chapter 26: What is Marketing?

    • Chapter 27: Who is Not in Your Target Market?

    • Chapter 28: Who is Your Ideal Reader?

    • Chapter 29: What is the Competition for Your Target Market?

    • Chapter 30: What is the Size of Your Target Market?

    • Chapter 31: How Can You Expand Your Target Market?

    • Chapter 32: How Do You Build a Relationship with Your Market?

    • Chapter 33: How Can a Website Help Your Marketing?

    • Chapter 34: How Can Social Media Help Your Marketing?

    • Chapter 35: How Can a Mailing List Help Your Marketing?

    • Chapter 36: What Are Your Marketing Goals Offline?

    • Chapter 37: How Can Comic Shops Help Your Marketing?

    • Chapter 38: How Can Conventions Help Your Marketing?

    • Chapter 39: What Are the Other Marketing Opportunities?

  • Part 7: Distribution

    • Chapter 40: What Are the Major Distribution Channels?

    • Chapter 41: How Can You Use Web Comics?

    • Chapter 42: How Can You Use Comixology?

    • Chapter 43: How Can You Use Emerging Technology?

    • Chapter 44: How Can You Use Comic Shops?

    • Chapter 45: How Can You Use Bookstores?

    • Chapter 46: How Can You Use Libraries?

    • Chapter 47: How Can You Use Conventions?

    • Chapter 48: How Do You Select a Printer for Your Book?

• Stage 2: Production

  • Part 8: Production

    • Chapter 49: Where Do You Learn the Skills to Create Comics?

    • Chapter 50: How Do You Select the Form of Your Comics?

    • Chapter 51: How Can You Sequence the Different Formats?

    • Chapter 52: How Long Do You Want Your Story to Continue?

    • Chapter 53: How Do You Create a Production Schedule?

    • Chapter 54: How Do You Manage the Timing of Your Comic?

    • Chapter 55: How Do You Manage Team Communication?

    • Chapter 56: How Do You Develop the Script for Your Comic?

    • Chapter 57: How Do You Manage the Assets for Your Comic?

• Stage 3: Post-Production

  • Part 9: Advertising

    • Chapter 58: Why Is Comic Book Advertising Necessary?

    • Chapter 59: What Elements Do You Need to Advertise?

    • Chapter 60: What Are Your Options for Online Advertising?

    • Chapter 61: How Can You Use Endorsements?

    • Chapter 62: How Can You Use Sponsorships?

    • Chapter 63: How Can You Use the Comic Book Press?

    • Chapter 64: How Can You Use Print Advertising?

    • Chapter 65: When Should You Advertise Your Comic?

  • Part 10: Sales

    • Chapter 66: How Can You Measure the Financial Success?

    • Chapter 67: How Can You Make Money Without Selling Comics?

    • Chapter 68: How Can You Make Money Crowdfunding?

    • Chapter 69: How Can You Make Money Selling Your Comic?

    • Chapter 70: What is the Right Price for Your Comic?

  • Part 11: Revenue

    • Chapter 71: How Do You Collect the Money for Your Comic?

    • Chapter 72: How Do You Pay the Outstanding Costs?

  • Part 12: Growth

    • Chapter 73: Do You Need to Publish More than One Comic?

    • Chapter 74: What is the Next Step in Your Publishing Career?

    • Chapter 75: How Do You Adapt to a Changing Industry?

    • Chapter 76: What Happens to Your Comics After You?

    • Chapter 77: What Did You Learn in this Book?

Stay tuned for more information about The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing.

Have fun.

Gamal

Comic Book Attorney and Author Gamal Hennessy to Speak At Four Upcoming Industry Events

(Press Release) New York, NY July 2nd, 2019 - Creative Contract Consulting announced four upcoming comic book panels and speaking engagements for attorney and author Gamal Hennessy. The educational panels and seminars will be followed by the publication of his new book in 2020.

The first two of the panel discussions are designed to help attorneys represent comic book professionals.

●       On July 11th, he will participate in the Comic Book 101 webinar organized by the American Bar Association and Vanover Legal LLC.

●       On October 3rd, he joins Thomas Crowell at New York Comic Con for The Law and Practice of Representing Comic Book Creators.

The final two panels will focus on educating comic book creators on the business and legal aspects of their industry.

●       On October 25th, Mr. Hennessy moderates a panel on webcomics during the Diversity Comic Con at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

●       On October 30th, he will conduct a seminar on the business of the independent comics in partnership with Comic Arts Workshop.

Mr. Hennessy’s participation in these events occurred because of anticipation for his upcoming book The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing. The book is the result of five years of research and twenty years of experience in the comic book industry, and it comes at a pivotal point for the business as a whole.

“Comic book properties are some of the most popular and profitable forms of entertainment now, so the need for artists and writers to understand the business of comics couldn’t be greater.” Mr. Hennessy said.

“Attorneys can also benefit from an understanding of the business of comic publishing, in addition to their current potential in other media. Comic book law has its foundations in entertainment, publishing, and intellectual property law, but it is a unique industry that requires a unique perspective.”

About Creative Contract Consulting

Creative Contract Consulting (C3) is a boutique law practice specializing in comic book law and entertainment licensing. Gamal Hennessy has twenty years of legal experience in the industry, working for major clients including Amazon Publishing and Marvel Comics, as well as independent publishers like AfterShock and Mad Cave Studios.

For additional information or to schedule an interview, contact Gamal Hennessy at 917-370-7514 or by email on the C3 website.

Unnatural Talent: A Book Review

by Gamal Hennessy

I’m in the process of writing a book about different careers in the comic book industry (See Your Four Careers in Comics) so I’m reading a lot of books related to the comics profession. While there are a lot of books about how to create comics and how to self-publish them, few of them are as broad or as thorough as Jason Brubaker’s Unnatural Talent.

Brubaker is the creator of several books including ReMind, Phobos, and Sithrah. Unnatural Talent is the distillation of advice and lessons he learned while creating these books. The book walks a new comics creator through several steps of the modern self-publishing process including

• Creating and completing a comic
• Negotiating social media
• Finding a fan base
• Crowd funding
• Dealing with the technical issues of printing
• Getting your book into comic shops and libraries
• Creating both primary and secondary streams of revenue

When reading Unnatural Talent, you need to keep in mind that Brubaker’s process involves doing almost every aspect of production, sales, and marketing on his own. While this approach removes the obstacles of collaboration and work for hire deals, it also makes the process much longer, especially if there are creative/ and or technical skills you don’t have. He also focuses on finding an audience among current comic fans. The book was released in 2013, but since the overall amount of comic book readers is allegedly shrinking, an aspiring creator should also consider finding a new audience while they fight for market share in a dwindling universe of readers.

Unnatural Talent is a beneficial addition to the library of any comic creator. It explores the art and business of comics in a manner that is accessible, informative and realistic. It’s available on both Amazon and Audible.

Have fun.

Gamal

 PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE A LICENSING OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUE, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR LEGAL ADVISOR OR CONTACT C3 AT gamalhennessy@gmail.com FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

The Comics Career Interview Spotlight: Francesca Urbinati

By Gamal Hennessy

I’m currently writing a book about the business and legal aspects of being in the comic book industry. (See Your Four Careers in Comics). Part of the research for the book involves talking to people on every level of the business: creators, editors, publishers, distributors, retailers, critics and fans. Together with my own experience and research, the insights of all these perspectives will help more people understand and thrive this creative business.

The first spotlight interview I’m going to share comes to us from Italy. Francesca Urbinati graduated from the Istituto Statale d’Arte of Urbino and specialized in 3D Animation. She has worked for RAI and Mediaset, working with 3D special effects and she was member of the Adobe Guru for the digital video. She started to freelance in 2011, publishing the comic series “Niki Batsprite” and specialized in comics and illustrations. She also teaches comics and manga with Scuola di Fumetto Marche and cooperates in various projects: from movies in Europe.

I spoke to her about life as a freelance comic artist.

Gamal: Describe your process for finding work as a freelance artist. How do you connect with potential clients and work out a deal with them?

Francesca: Clients find artists in a lot of different places, so I try to make sure people can find me whenever they are looking. You have to have an online presence, but it is just as important to make personal connections with other artists and clients. Conventions are still an important part of being a freelance artist. People want to put a face to the people they work with and see that you’re a real person.

Gamal: How do your independent projects like Niki Batsprite help you find new clients?

Francesca: A finished product is the best business card you can have. I got more attention as an artist after I created issue one with my husband. But it’s best to have an ongoing series that will show improvement in your craft from one issue to the next. If you can’t sustain an ongoing series because of time or budget, then a mini-series is a compromise to satisfy potential fans more than a single stand-alone issue without giving you too much stress.

Gamal: Are there any special things you look for when talking to a potential client to ensure you work well with them?

Francesca: The main thing I look for from a potential client is respect. As an artist, I need to work with and for people who understand that sequential art is a profession and creating artwork requires skills that take years to learn and practice. When I’m at conventions and someone comes to my booth to ask me for a quick sketch, I almost always charge them something. It will only be a small amount because the image only takes a few minutes, but clients on any level need to understand that it takes years to learn how to do a sketch in five minutes. The effort and dedication needs to be recognized.

Gamal: How is the creative process different when you’re working on another person’s book and working on your own titles?

Francesca: When I’m working on my own books, I’m the art director, penciler, inker and client all at once. I have a clear idea of what I want, so the stages of development are more streamlined. When working for a client, I always include more stages of approval. I’m looking to give the client exactly what they want and it takes more time to understand and capture their vision.

Gamal: Tell us about some of the business lessons you learned in your early days as an artist.

Francesca: First, make sure you get paid. Exposure is not enough. Second make sure you get paid according to milestones that are set out upfront so you don’t have to wait until the project is over to get paid. Third, make sure you have a contract in place, even if it’s just the terms of service and NDA attached to your estimate.

Gamal: From a business and legal standpoint, what kind of situations and issues do you avoid as a comics artist?

Francesca: The main thing is being willing to say no to a potential job. Competition is very heavy in Italy, throughout Europe and in America. But working with a client who you can’t trust, or who doesn’t want to sign a contract, or who isn’t willing to pay or who doesn’t respect the work you do isn’t worth working with. You have a limited amount of time to create. Don’t waste it on the wrong clients.

Gamal: Beyond developing the creative skill, what’s your advice for understanding the industry of comics as a whole?

Francesca: Being a good creator is just the tip of the iceberg, especially in an era when cosplayers and youtubers can grow in popularity like supernovas. I think that artists need to work on public relations, having a positive attitude and marketing as hard as they struggle on their art. It's a 360° personal evolution. It’s not just about "getting better at drawing so publishers will hire me".

Gamal: What trends are you seeing in the industry right now?

Francesca: At first, self-publishers were perceived as "junk discarded by publishing companies". Later, people realized that publishers are offering refreshed versions of their old intellectual properties over and over again, while self-publishers are good authors with new ideas and styles. The comic market is going upside-down: publishers are not investing anymore, they recycle their IPs over and over. When a self-published author hardly collects enough attention and sales on his own, publishers show up to byte a piece of his cake: this is when you lose control of your IP in exchange of scraps. This trend can't be stopped, plus I know many authors disappointed by their publishers and going self, so I see a big rise in self-publishing in the future.

Gamal: So you think there’s going to be a rise in self-published work?

Francesca: Competition is always there and of course big IPs draw most of the budget. However, new opportunities are all over: just think about Netflix producing its original series, or Don Bluth's crowdfunding a "Dragon's Lair" movie. From abroad, the US is so superhero-oriented that other kinds of stories are barely taken into consideration. But there's a lot under the surface and tons of different ways to excite the audience! I think this is the big challenge we're going to face: bring original and brilliant stuff to life opposed to old refashioned mainstream stuff.

Gamal: Do you see independent animation projects becoming more or less popular as comic based properties gain mainstream movie attention?

Francesca: Manga style is here to stay and is spreading worldwide, even in US comics and cartoons.

Find Francesca Online:

Online portfolio: http://www.furbina.it
FB page:             http://www.facebook.com/francesca.urbinati.art
Youtube:             https://www.youtube.com/user/nime080
DeviantArt:         http://nime080.deviantart.com

Niki Batsprite website:                          http://en.nikibatsprite.com

If you want to read more comic career interviews as they’re posted, sign up for the Comic Creator Newsletter.

If you want a free consultation on the business and legal aspects of your own comics, send me an email at gamalhennessy@gmail.com

Have fun.

Gamal

PLEASE NOTE: NEITHER THIS BLOG NOR FOUR CAREERS IN COMICS ARE A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE A LICENSING OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUE, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR LEGAL ADVISOR OR CONTACT C3 AT gamalhennessy@gmail.com FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

Get Your Comic Book Career Handbook for Free

The world of comics is chaotic, complex, and on a certain level, crazy. Few other industries transform fantasies and nightmares into a profitable business. Like many fans, you have probably imagined yourself working in the industry at one time or another. Many of us are insane enough to pursue our passion as a profession.

I’m offering something writing a book to help make your journey a little easier. It’s called Your Four Careers in Comics: A Business and Legal Framework for Professional Comic Creator (which I’m calling YFCC for short). My goal is to explore the various aspects of each position to help you maximize your professional creativity. With luck, this framework, combined with your talent and determination, will lead you to a fulfilling career in the complex world of comics.

YFCC is currently scheduled for release in Summer 2018, but I’m offering the roadmap for that book to everyone who signs up for my comic book industry newsletter The Professional Comics Creator. Sign up now and learn more about the different aspects of the comic book industry and how you can fit into it.

PLEASE NOTE: NEITHER THIS BLOG NOR FOUR CAREERS IN COMICS ARE A A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE A LICENSING OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUE, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR LEGAL ADVISOR OR CONTACT C3 AT gamalhennessy@gmail.com FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

Top 10 Professional Panels for New York Comic Con 2016

by Gamal Hennessy

As one of the major pop culture gatherings in America, New York Comic Con (NYCC) is a great place for fans to connect, companies to promote their franchises and media to be consumed.  But it is also a good place for creators of all levels to connect, learn and network.

There are going to be hundreds of panels at this year’s NYCC. I’ve tried to spotlight five per day that will offer you the advice, ideas and tips that can enhance your professional career.

Thursday, October 6th                                            

1)     Writers Unite: Writing and Pitching Comic Stories with Charles Soule: 11:00 am in Room 1A18

2)     From Panel to Publisher: An In-Depth Look at Transactional Law for Comic Book Creators with Thomas Crowell, Esq. 12:15 pm in Room 1A02

3)     Using Tumblr to Sell Your Idea Panel: 5:30 PM in Room 1A24

4)     From Press to Social Media: Marketing Your Comic Book with Michael Molcher and Alex Segura 6:30 pm in Room 1B03

Friday, October 7th  

5)     How to Succeed in Self-Publishing Panel 11:00 am in Room 1A02

6)     Keeping Control of Your Comic Panel 11:15 am in Room 1A05

7)     Creator Connection: Facilitated Professional Networking Panel 2:30 pm in Room 1A18

8)     Breaking Into Comics with Andy Schmidt 7:45 pm in room 1B03

Saturday, October 8th

9)     Breaking In: How They Did It and How You Can Do It: 1:45 pm in Room 1A05

Sunday, October 9th

10)  From the Printed Page to the Silver Screen: Licensing Comics for Film and Television with Thomas Crowell 12:15 pm in Room 1A05

While I won’t be on any panels this year, I do plan to be in Artist’s Alley after 4:00 pm on Thursday October, 6th. If you’d like to meet me for a free consultation or just to say hello, please contact me and we can set something up.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed at an event like NYCC. I hope this list helps you find the information you need to understand the legal and business aspects of comics and make the most of your creativity.

Have fun.
Gamal

Success in the comics industry requires an understanding of the business, creative, and legal aspects of the medium.

Sign up for The Professional Comics Creator to get monthly e-mail news, tips and advice on how to get the most from your characters and stories

PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE A LICENSEING OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUE, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR LEGAL ADVISOR OR CONTACT C3 AT gamalhennessy@gmail.com FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

My Podcast Interview with Comics Pros and Cons

by Gamal Hennessy

Comics Pros and Cons is a podcast hosted by Derek Becker about the craft and creativity of comics. While most of his guests have been comics creators, he decided to bring me on to talk about the business and legal aspects of the industry. 

Our conversation covered a lot of ground, including a discussion of:

• Copyrights and trademarks
• The four types of comic book professional
• The fan art controversy
• When comics creators need to have a contract

We had a lot of fun recording the podcast and the topics will be of interest to anyone interested in the comic book industry. Feel free to click on the link below and subscribe to Comics Pros and Cons while you're there.

Gamal Hennessy interview with Comics Pros and Cons

Have fun.

GH