Identify Yourself

While I may not be an authority, I do have some experience in book publishing, marketing, public relations, graphic design, and writing. I've had a few comics projects out there, and while none of them are extremely popular, they've found their specific audiences.

And I think that's what comics creators at this point in time need--specific audiences. And, as much as possible, creators need to present themselves not as comic book creators, but as genre creators. Because, as much as we don't want to admit it, "comic book creators" are most probably identified as folks who ply spandex stories. (Historically, just how many comic book writers who have made the jump to fiction novels can boast tremendous success?)

To many, words are just words, but semantics can be a powerful thing. Let's look at these two statements:

"I created a science fiction comic book."

"I created a science fiction story in a graphic novel format."

In the former statement, the creator would be tagged "comic book creator." In the latter, the creator becomes a "science fiction storyteller" who uses the graphic novel format.

Big difference, that.

If you like to make comics, follow your genre and not your medium. You can even say that you create science fiction stories using the comics format. In this sense, you're not putting emphasis on "comics," the word that relegates the medium to kids' fare. Instead, you're identifying yourself as a creator of science fiction stories.

At least, down the line, the "comics creator" label won't be difficult to shed when you decide to write prose. To your audience, you're a storyteller, not a comic book guy.

After all, storytelling still rules, even in comics.