#9: Zuda Comics- A Tale of Five Submissions
Zuda Comics launched in October of 2007 to much interest in the comic world. Without spending a lot of time recapping Zuda's short history or the ins and outs (Wikipedia has you covered there, as usual) I'll just sum up it up in less than thirty words: Zuda is DC Comics' online imprint, boasting open submissions for original webcomics, hosting monthly competitions, giving the winner a paid contract to provide exclusive content for their site. (Whew! I need a breath.)
For many independent creators, Zuda provides an offer that sounds too good to be true- a chance to get paid a decent page rate to do creator owned work for a site backed by one of the Big Two. (Hell, you get into a competition and you get a check from DC Comics. Pretty damn cool.) However, there are many critics of Zuda. Some call Zuda nothing more than an intellectual property farm, looking to snatch up dozens of comic ideas each year for relatively cheap, in the hopes they can profit by developing them in other media. Others, enamored with the independent spirit that has characterized the field of webcomics, snub their noses at the corporate backed site.
Regardless of your disposition towards Zuda, given the success and quality of flagship titles such as Bayou, High Moon, and others, Zuda has established itself as a player in the comics world. Over the past year and a half, I've kept a keen eye on the monthly Zuda contests, both as a fan of comics and as a competitor. To date, I've submitted five comics to Zuda. I guess you could call me a submissions junky. Three of those submissions were rejected by Zuda editorial. Two were accepted for inclusion in a Zuda contest. And one of them is running right now, in fact! In this article, I will briefly recap my experience with each submissions, both my "successes" and "failures," and share what I learned from each of them.
Relentless (Story and Art by Tyler James)
High Concept: When the apprehension of a brutal serial killer ends in the death of a prominent political figure, suspended Baltimore Police Detective Michael Vaughn goes searching for answers. What he'll find is a conspiracy that threatens to alter the geopolitical balance of power forever.
Submitted: October 2007
Result: REJECTED by Zuda Editorial, January 2008. Reason given: confusing layout/storytelling, unrealistic anatomy.
Analysis: I started working on Relentless about one month prior to Zuda's official open date. Actually, that's not true. It was a story I started about ten years earlier, written in the back seat of my parents van on a long road trip. I was determined to have something submitted to Zuda as soon as they started accepting submissions. Rather than do something new, I decided to dust off this old story and draw it for the first time.
At this point, I really didn't have much knowledge of webcomics and I wasn't sure how Zuda's updating schedule was going to work. Sure, I was already drawing and writing Super Seed as a print book, and posting pages of that on the web whenever I finished them, but I really wasn't familiar with the conventions of webcomics, or their business model. I thought that a smart thing to do was to produce a comic that could update on a daily schedule. Thus, I decided to try a new art style that was simple enough that I could crank out about a page a day.
This, as it turns out, was an AWFUL idea. While I still think some of the images I produced in this sketchy, bleak, black and white style are cool (and would look good on a t-shirt), once I started seeing the caliber of art in the comics Zuda was choosing each month, it was hardly a shock for me that I got rejected. After getting the rejection email, I decided to shelve Relentless and refocus on getting the third issue of Super Seed finished and printed, before trying out another idea for Zuda.
Super Seed (Story and Art by Tyler James)
High Concept: Enter the doors of International Andrology and Cryobank, the world's first super powered fertility clinic. Welcome to Super Seed...Everything is conceivable.
Submitted: January 2008
Result: ACCEPTED for inclusion in April 2008 Competition. Finished 4th.
Analysis: As I was finishing up the pages of the third issue of Super Seed, an idea dawned on me. What have I got to lose by submitting Super Seed to Zuda? The work is already done. The worst that could happen is they reject it. Sure, I'd have to reformat the pages from traditional print size to the Zuda aspect ratio, and also reletter, but that would be a couple nights' work at most. I had seen a few months' worth of submissions on Zuda, and while I could concede that my art certainly wasn't the best to grace the site, it wouldn't be the worst either. And the high concept of Super Seed...hell, I was confident it was as good as anything they've featured.
So I sent it in. And a little more than two months later, I got an email saying Super Seed would be accepted for the following month's competition. I was thrilled! To date, this was my biggest accomplishment in comics, my first "published" work, etc. I was definitely a bundle of nerves and activity up until the contest started.
I quickly learned that when competing in a popularity contest, it helps to have an established fan base. Ilias Kyriazis of Melody certainly did, and was able to convert his fans from his Subart Comics work to votes for his comic (which, as it turned out, has been an excellent winner.) I also learned the ins and outs of advertising through Project Wonderful, and how page views are largely up to you, but they're costly and don't actually translate into votes or favorites. An even bigger lesson, I learned what it means to open your work up to the internet at large. While I received much positive praise, the crits were plenty as well. Studies show it takes something like five positive comments to have the same impact on the psyche as one negative comment. And as Super Seed was entirely my baby, every negative comment rested solely on my shoulders. While I knew the comments weren't criticisms of me, but of the work itself, it's damn hard not to take them personally. They can still sting. But, hey, this is part of the business, right?
Thick skin is a necessity.
I had two big take-aways from competing in Zuda. First, cracking the Zuda contest barrier isn't impossible. Hell, I just did it all by my lonesome. If I could do it once, with a comic that wasn't even designed for the Zuda aspect ratio, and thus started at a disadvantage, I could certainly do it again.
Second, I needed better art to win. The main focus of the criticism of Super Seed was on my art. I took it pretty hard, and actually took several months off from drawing after the contest. Rather than focus on improving my art, I decided to try collaborating with stronger artists instead. I realized while I only had the time to draw one comic, I could write multiple. And thus, I hatched a new plan. Hire three artists, to draw three different eight page submissions that I would write, and take three more cracks at a Zuda contest. And that's what I did.
CounterTERROR (Story and Colors by Tyler James, Art by Stefano Cardoselli)
High Concept: Counterterrorism specialist Dorian McCullough must stop extremists from releasing a deadly virus in Times Square on New Year's Eve. It's "24" meets "28 Days Later"... CounterTERROR!
Submitted: October 2008
Result: REJECTED by Zuda Editorial, January 2009. Reason given: Other comics are a better fit for our editorial needs at this time.
Analysis: The rejection of CounterTERROR surprised me. I was POSITIVE it had just the right recipe for success in a Zuda contest. First, I thought the pitch was very strong (which I explained in an earlier Creating Comics! article on "The High Concept") and incredibly marketable. Sure, I'm biased, but come on, "24" meets "28 Days Later?" That would sell. (Still might.) Second, this was a collaboration of two previous Zuda contestants. Artist Stefano Cardoselli, who collaborated with me on CounterTERROR, had made it through the Zuda barrier before with his submission Robodeath. As a submission, I thought (again biased) that CounterTERROR was better crafted than either of our previous submissions. So why the hell didn't it get chosen?
Well, the fact is, I don't know. I got the stock response from Zuda editorial, and it seems Kwanza and co. have stopped with the constructive feedback. (I'll have to ask them over beers sometime.) But what this did reveal was first, just because you've made it into one competition by no means ensures you'll make another one. It seems every month there are a few "familiar faces" of previous contestants competing. I think there is a perception that the "Zuda regulars" get more of a look than the first timers. I don't think this is actually true.
Second, no, Zuda does not in fact accept every zombie book pitched their way. Zuda has taken some criticism for having a disproportionate number of zombie comics in its offerings. Recognizing this, I went out of my way to not even mention the "Z" word in my pitch. In the synopsis for CounterTERROR, I talk about "a rage inducing, weaponized flesh eating virus." (Okay, so it's a zombie book in drag.) Still, I thought maybe Zuda editorial was done with Zombie pitches and was passing on them all. Of course, the next month, Safe Inside, a zombie book, won. So much for that theory.
Regardless of the reason, I had to concede either the writing, the art or combination thereof just didn't float Zuda editorial's boat. Despite the disappointment, I was proud of the work Stefano and I produced, and I'm still confident CounterTERROR could be a successful property someday.
Tears of the Dragon (Story by Tyler James, Art by Koko Amboro, Color by Paul Little)
High Concept: A well-traveled old man and his young grandchildren make a pilgrimage to return the ashes of his beloved to her homeland. To pass the time, the old man spins a grand tale of love, murder, magic, revenge, sacrifice, regret and redemption.
Submitted: January 2009
Result: REJECTED by Zuda Editorial, April 2009. Reason given: Other comics are a better fit for our editorial needs at this time.
Analysis: This rejection was on the one hand more disappointing than CounterTERROR, and on the other, much easier to recover from. This was partly because Zuda took more than 90 days to respond, so I knew it was a pass even before I opened up the rejection email. Also, my next submission was ready, so I submitted it the very same day Tears was rejected.
But rather than be disappointed, I viewed the rejection as a personal challenge. See, I LOVE Tears of the Dragon. I love the story. I love the characters. I really love Koko Amboro's art. With Paul Little's colors, these pages sing. This is a tale I've had in my head for a good ten years, and I'm happy I'm finally ready to tell it and have a great team to tell it with. It's important to me to have an all-ages tale in my canon, so I determined to continue TOTD despite the Zuda rejection.
In fact, I've set a personal goal to have the Tears of the Dragon property, when all is said and done, be more successful than anything that debuted on Zuda in the three months when it could have run. There. Gauntlet thrown down. Game on. And I sincerely mean this as no disrespect to any of those creators, or to Zuda staff. That's just how much I believe in the story and the quality benchmark I'm setting for it.
And this is something I hope other prospective Zuda contestants think about. What are you going to do with your babies if they get the door shut on them? Sure, the exposure and the paycheck are really nice. But are you passionate enough about your stories to make sure they see the light of day no matter what? If not, is this the story you should be working on? If Zuda folded tomorrow, a day before you were to complete your submission, what would you do? Think about it. I did.
Interrogation Control Element (Story by Tyler James, Art by Damian Couceiro, Color by Paul Little, Editor Steven Forbes)
High Concept: A brilliant senior interrogator trains the next generation of ';gators to break the nation's most dangerous prisoners, while a terrorist mastermind wages holy war on the West.
Submitted: April 2009
Result: ACCEPTED June 2009 and competing now! (As of Friday in 5th place with 80 favs, 23,000+ page views, and a 4.5 Star rating.)
Analysis: I'll follow up with my lessons learned from this contest in a later article, since this contest is FAR from over. But here are just two thoughts.
First, incredible art will almost always get you to the party. Damian Couceiro is an outstanding artist. I'm incredibly lucky that he was interested enough in the concept to agree to do work at a reduced page rate for the submission. Damian is a young comic artist from Argentina and personally, I'm voting for Interrogation Control Element to try to make sure the world gets a year's worth of free art from Damian. Because mark my words, in a year or two, he'll be working for one of the majors and you'll have to pluck down $3.99 for a floppy to see his gorgeous work. And ditto for Paul Little, who's one of the hardest working colorists I know, and who was also willing to work at a reduced page rate for the submission, despite having books to color for Image and other higher profile creators. Writers looking to dance the Zuda two-step, your best bet is to partner with the absolute top artists you can find.
Second, an editor can be a Godsend. Prior to finishing the eight page ICE submission, I hired Steven Forbes to edit my script. Now, if any of you read Steven's "The Proving Grounds" column at Project Fanboy, you know Steven isn't one to pull any punches. And, in his usual frank manor, Steven tore my script a new one. "Frankly, Tyler, I'm not impressed..." was how he opened his comments, I believe. I reacted as most people do when receiving criticism. I got defensive. But after cooling off, I realized Steven was right about a few things. It was overwritten, and I was going to be covering a lot of Damian's gorgeous art if I didn't edit it down. And while I talked up a good game in the synopsis about an exciting story, my first eight pages was mostly talking heads. Steven's comments convinced me that I needed to introduce my antagonist in the first eight pages with an explosive scene. This required commissioning two new pages from Damian, and potentially delaying the submission, but it resulted in a MUCH better opening for my comic. Think about it. Bendis has an editor. Millar has an editor. Moore has an editor. Do you really think you don't need one?
(And apologies to Steven for the full inbox of editing requests he's about to get.)
Thus has been my Zuda experience so far. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunities the Zuda editorial team have given me as I make a go of this comics thing. I'm even more grateful for the people I've met through their community, and the outstanding collaborators I've worked with in seeking that contract. Regardless of what happens in this month's contest, the lessons learned in the process of creating comics, of handling criticism and rejection, and of pitching and promoting my work on a reasonably high profile stage, will ultimately be more valuable than any contract.
It'd still be nice to win, though. J
NEXT: Creating Great Characters Part I (Or Why Wolverine is Everywhere)
Tyler James is the writer of Interrogation Control Element, a political action thriller COMPETING RIGHT NOW at Zuda Comics! Help Ty out by heading over to Zuda and giving ICE your VOTE, make it a FAVORITE, rate it 5 STARS, and leave a COMMENT.
Tyler also writes and draws Over, a romantic comedy online graphic novel updating every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. His comic Super Seed, the story of the world's first super powered fertility clinic, was featured at Zuda Comics. Last Tuesday, Tyler debuted Tears of the Dragon, an epic fantasy tale. He also teaches a series of workshops on creating comics for adults and children. When not making comics, Tyler works as a game designer and content producer for a software company, and currently resides in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Contact Tyler directly at tylerjamescomics@gmail.com, keep up with him at his blog, or follow him on Twitter.
Previous Columns
1: Big Goals
2: Resolutions
3: The Great Idea
4: Research Part I
5: Research Part II
6: The Killer Pitch Part I - The High Concept
7: The Killer Pitch Part II - The Synopsis
8: Pay Your Artists
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