The Energon Pub

Yo, welcome to a day in the life of Bebop. Today we have one of my many indecisive moments that are likely to either a) affect my future endeavors or b) not do a thing.

So here is my predicament:

In my school I'm the only artist in the Junior class [by artist I mean majors in art]. And I've been selected for "Governor's School" which is a program in NJ for a higher education that a regualr school can't give you. Some are for science, video, music, but mine is for art.

My first problem is the work: I need to do 12 original works of art before March of '08. Knowing myself and my ability, this is quite the task.

Second problem is that the program is a 4 week stay at the College of NJ, at which I must stay in a dorm at all times during that period. Aside from staying there for 4 weeks, it'd kill half of my summer and cost me 4 weeks pay at my summer job [or possibly the job itself]. The program also won't center on the things I do. I've been drawing in a comic illustration style all my life, and what I've seen and read online has to do with all mediums of art and revolves around things like art history and solving problems through art.

I'm told that this program is a prestigious thing, and that just being nominated can be put on a college application/job resume. I know that my reasons for not going make me seem just plain lazy and selfish but I'm a person who wants to enjoy a vacation given to him. And I believe that the application/resume crap is over-rated besides the fact that I'm basically going to college for free anyway [another story altogether].

I've already convinced myself that I don't want to do it, but my consciousness is bugging me so I figured I would see what others have to say about this. Is it worth it in your opinion? Does anyone know from experience if this is worth my last summer vacation?

Thank you,
Bebop.

If you go, you can always drop out.

Jeep? wrote:If you go, you can always drop out.

Good point, but I know if I even bring myself to go there my consciousness is going to piss me off and make me stay there.

Okay, I'm going to say something crazy and inexplicable, but, with some effort and a lot of dumb luck, it SHOULD pay off in the long run:

If the only art style you like is your own, and this school is not for your own, don't do it.

I did some research: apparently it has no grades or credit. Apparently, the only thing you get out of it is the ability to say "Hey, I did this," which, in the Art World, isn't going to help. Word-of-mouth between friends and family does more than that. And the trade off for the school is four weeks of your life you could be using to make money.

I suggest getting someone who can write a good story (Not me, I'm taken), and start a webcomic. You show off your art, and though the hits are slow at first, and it costs $10 a month (If you aren't making ten bucks a month, you need to talk to your manager quickly), but if you give it the attention and effort it needs, you could make the comic an actual job.

Maybe, I dunno. I had five hours of sleep, three hours of Sam&Max, and way too much caffeine. My advice, while possibly applicable, is only one of many really bizarre ideas I though up in the past week.

Shadowman wrote:Okay, I'm going to say something crazy and inexplicable, but, with some effort and a lot of dumb luck, it SHOULD pay off in the long run:

If the only art style you like is your own, and this school is not for your own, don't do it.

I did some research: apparently it has no grades or credit. Apparently, the only thing you get out of it is the ability to say "Hey, I did this," which, in the Art World, isn't going to help. Word-of-mouth between friends and family does more than that. And the trade off for the school is four weeks of your life you could be using to make money.

I suggest getting someone who can write a good story (Not me, I'm taken), and start a webcomic. You show off your art, and though the hits are slow at first, and it costs $10 a month (If you aren't making ten bucks a month, you need to talk to your manager quickly), but if you give it the attention and effort it needs, you could make the comic an actual job.

Maybe, I dunno. I had five hours of sleep, three hours of Sam&Max, and way too much caffeine. My advice, while possibly applicable, is only one of many really bizarre ideas I though up in the past week.

That is actually VERY good advice. My style is my own and it's the only thing I know. I can't paint worth a damn. I knew that it didn't get me anything except a little prestige and the description of what you do for those 4 weeks sounds dumb as hell.

I know that in the comic world the only thing that can help you is connections or a good deal of talent, even then that's a dime a dozen.

As far as a webcomic, I've been reading LFG and it's a very big hit as well as the RoosterTeeth comics. That's not a bad idea at all. I sat in on a comic writing seminar with Buddy Scalera and I think I have a good grasp of how writing goes.

Thanks Shadow.

Cowboy Bebop wrote:

Shadowman wrote:Okay, I'm going to say something crazy and inexplicable, but, with some effort and a lot of dumb luck, it SHOULD pay off in the long run:

If the only art style you like is your own, and this school is not for your own, don't do it.

I did some research: apparently it has no grades or credit. Apparently, the only thing you get out of it is the ability to say "Hey, I did this," which, in the Art World, isn't going to help. Word-of-mouth between friends and family does more than that. And the trade off for the school is four weeks of your life you could be using to make money.

I suggest getting someone who can write a good story (Not me, I'm taken), and start a webcomic. You show off your art, and though the hits are slow at first, and it costs $10 a month (If you aren't making ten bucks a month, you need to talk to your manager quickly), but if you give it the attention and effort it needs, you could make the comic an actual job.

Maybe, I dunno. I had five hours of sleep, three hours of Sam&Max, and way too much caffeine. My advice, while possibly applicable, is only one of many really bizarre ideas I though up in the past week.

That is actually VERY good advice. My style is my own and it's the only thing I know. I can't paint worth a damn. I knew that it didn't get me anything except a little prestige and the description of what you do for those 4 weeks sounds dumb as hell.

I know that in the comic world the only thing that can help you is connections or a good deal of talent, even then that's a dime a dozen.

As far as a webcomic, I've been reading LFG and it's a very big hit as well as the RoosterTeeth comics. That's not a bad idea at all. I sat in on a comic writing seminar with Buddy Scalera and I think I have a good grasp of how writing goes.

Thanks Shadow.

It's not really difficult. It can easily be done with a small number of people, especially if someone pulls at least two different jobs.

You need one or more people doing:

Artist (Including penciller, inker, letterer, colorist, though these are usually done by one guy)
Writer
Manager/Accountant (Penny Arcade was, for a short time, owned by a guy in Alaska, because Gabe and Tycho couldn't do this themselves)
Webmaster (Including forum manager and site programmer)
And the guy who gives money and, by extension, beer.

everyone that responded gave some good points of advice. However, it is up to you to make the decision if you want this opportunity before going to college or having some free time over the summer with your job.

Cascadia wrote:everyone that responded gave some good points of advice. However, it is up to you to make the decision if you want this opportunity before going to college or having some free time over the summer with your job.

Well I'm only a Junior so I stil have another year before that. And my only reason for blowing it off is because my grades and class rank are high enough for me to go to the county college for 2 years virtually free and then any NJ college i want for another 2 years.

Shadow, I'm definately liking your idea the more and more I think about it. It'd be good experience for my art and possibly good revenue. As far as partners, would you recommend people from my are [i.e. school friends] or finding people over the internet and working over the internet?

Cowboy Bebop wrote:Shadow, I'm definately liking your idea the more and more I think about it. It'd be good experience for my art and possibly good revenue. As far as partners, would you recommend people from my are [i.e. school friends] or finding people over the internet and working over the internet?

If you have a big circle of friends, there's a large chance one of them is a writer with some skill. Make good friends with he/she (And note that a writer/girlfriend, should a break-up occur, will bring a surefire end) and make sure you have complete understanding that both of you have 50/50 creative control. You don't want a One Hit Wonder situation, do you, where the power gets to you, and you both go for a dual-ended power struggle?

Shadowman wrote:

Cowboy Bebop wrote:Shadow, I'm definately liking your idea the more and more I think about it. It'd be good experience for my art and possibly good revenue. As far as partners, would you recommend people from my are [i.e. school friends] or finding people over the internet and working over the internet?

If you have a big circle of friends, there's a large chance one of them is a writer with some skill. Make good friends with he/she (And note that a writer/girlfriend, should a break-up occur, will bring a surefire end) and make sure you have complete understanding that both of you have 50/50 creative control. You don't want a One Hit Wonder situation, do you, where the power gets to you, and you both go for a dual-ended power struggle?

Well I don't know any women who would be interested in this kinda thing so that eliminates that problem.
Here's what's been running through my mind so far:
My friend Fill could cover/split drawink, inks, color with myself.
I know a guy with a computer sketch thing that could be handy, equally creative/talented artist.
I also have a friend that I think could help me out with the writing. As for the webmaster part i can handle things like that myself. Got a lot of experience in web design and moderation.

Kind of a big staff but I figure the more I have the more the cost is split. Not worried about a profit until it starts affecting me financially. I jsut find it to be a good experience.

Your brain is telling you to NOT go, but your heart wants to do it. Which one are you willing to listen to?

You could still come away with new skills from a course like this, ones which would help in your comic style. On my course I have to do loads of things I never considered trying before, as I am mainly a drawing type person, but all the new styles and techniques have actually really helped with my drawing, I don’t really know how. I ain’t seen your course but it might have some helpful areas for you to gain new skills.

Webcomics or a site like Deviant Art would be a good way to get your art out there, but, I know a few people who have made webcomics which were such an epic fail it's not even funny. You need to make sure you can do it, and do it well, if you can and can dedicate the time, I would say go for it.

Did that make sense? Whatever you do just make sure you are fully behind the decision, you don’t want to regret it later.

@ Qicksilver: It's not so much my heart as my conscience telling me that I'll regret not doing this if it does turn out to help me. But I because of how my brain works in a logic-based manner, I'd have to agree with my brain.

@ Tangent: From what I read it seems that the course will teach me more about art [history and whatnot], not so much about drawing, painting, etc. I do have a DeviantArt and about 400 hits.

I'm curious, what made the people you know's comic fail? Was it the actual people working on it or the comic itself that caused it to flop?

Another question I just thought of is how would I make any profit off of webcomics? i know I said idk about that but I think about sites like LFG and their site is free...

Well, one guy failed as it was just him drawing and writing all of his own stuff, and it was just kinda...bad. No humour, art wasnt so hot, and it mad no sence. Like an injoke no-one else gets. So I would say it was both the comic and guy that made it fail.

The other fail was done a while back by three guys I used to know, two artists and one writer I think. But they all just argued and bickered about it. The artists didnt like the script, the writer didnt like the art or the artists arguing with each other all the time. I think they only actually got about 6 strips done in the end.
So I think that was the peoples fault, although I forget what the actual comic was about.


If you have fun mates and you all know what you want to achive then I see no real proplems. I just know alot of losers is all

OH, sometimes webcomics sell shirts for money! I know, I have some!

T shirts eh, sound like it would take alot of popularity to start makin mulah that way. I talked to my friend Fill about doing it and he's more interested in making money than anything

I've got a few ideas that might work out pretty well but I think I'd best not throw them out onto the internet yet.

I don't know how old you are, but it sounds like this is a High Scool thing or college (being a Junior it sounds like high schol, but saying "Major in Art" sounds like college)? Not for nothing, suck it up and do it. Experience is hard to come by and this is a way to get it. It's not like you have a mortgage and crap like that. And it's 4 weeks...I've spent more time away for busines travel. Do it, it will pay off.

GetterDragun wrote:I don't know how old you are, but it sounds like this is a High Scool thing or college (being a Junior it sounds like high schol, but saying "Major in Art" sounds like college)? Not for nothing, suck it up and do it. Experience is hard to come by and this is a way to get it. It's not like you have a mortgage and crap like that. And it's 4 weeks...I've spent more time away for busines travel. Do it, it will pay off.

Yea it's for high school and by majoring in art i meant i've been taking every art class available to me for my whole career. There's not even a gaurantee I'll be accepted in the first place so I guess I will go through with entering a portfolio. What I'll do after that I don't know.

I agree with GD. Your piddly summer job will be there waiting for you when you get back. If not, find another piddly summer job.

You sound like you have talent, a talent that can only grow with new experiences. You know what to expect from your summer job. A paycheck for four weeks. Governor's School has the possibility to open many more doors for you in the future as well as giving you new insight to a hobby you enjoy.

You may not need it to get into college, as you sound like you have that wrapped up. This opportunity being on your resume may bag you a decent job making many times more than that little summer job.

Do it. Go.

opportunities like this most likely do not happen around the corner. A similar thing happened to me when I was a senior in high school and I am glad that I did it (another story). Even though it sounds like you are guaranteed to go to 2 colleges but my situation helped me go to a really nice 4-year university that was difficult to be admitted.

So, what you need to ask yourself is do I want my summer job or experience this opportunity that could help you with a future job after college...

Something I've noticed in the last few months is that I try so hard in school, get the grades, get opportunities like this, and it really doesn't help me toward my goal.

Comic art isn't something you apply to like a regular job, atleast not from what I hear from others at DigitalWebbing. You have to find the hypothetical "backdoor" in to the business.

On a resume or job application, I can only put down that I was either nominated for it or accepted for it. The course will teach me things I don't need to know and won't give me any sort of grade or ranking, so its knowledge I don't need. "Visual arts" covers a wide range of things, and only one of them is my forte.

As for the summer job, the pay isn't bad at all and there's a girl or two that I'm interested in. The course sounds great and all but it won't help me into the comic world as much as graduating from the Kubert School of Art.

I know I'm trying to argue against going but I figure that if I can logically argue against it, it's the better decision. Vice versa as well.

In the end I really do not want to go and be locked in a college campus for 4 weeks learning things that won't help me and won't do me much good toward a job. But like I said, I'll keep researching it and apply for it. Again, I'm not even gauranteed to make it in, so there's no harm in applying. I was simply nominated.

Cowboy Bebop wrote:In the end I really do not want to go and be locked in a college campus for 4 weeks

Oh man, yes you do. You get locked in a college campus for four weeks, you won't want to freaking come home, dude.

Homer wrote:

Cowboy Bebop wrote:In the end I really do not want to go and be locked in a college campus for 4 weeks

Oh man, yes you do. You get locked in a college campus for four weeks, you won't want to freaking come home, dude.

Haha, I'm not party animal man. Not the most social person either. I'd miss my 360 and my friends too much.