The Wing
Generally speaking, we’re not nice to those who are just coming into comics.
Whatever the reason, we look upon newbies with disdain, very often forgetting that we were there once ourselves.
Don’t get me wrong–some of the newbies deserve disdain, because of their know-it-all attitude. However, they are few and far between.
Instead, newbies should be taken under someone’s wing and shown the ropes. They should be directed toward resources that can help them to grow. They should be nurtured. This is important, because while the jobs are finite, the voices are not, and the industry needs new and different voices.
The difficult part is choosing who you’re going to take under your wing. Everyone wants to have the belle of the ball. However, it isn’t always possible.
Growing up black in the 80s, I heard a phrase that I don’t hear anymore: each one teach one. I take that to heart. Teaching is part of the reason ComixTribe was started. I have taken an editor under my wing, and I may take another. Teaching is a part of my life.
How can we make comics better? By using our wings and teaching new creators what we know, and hopefully learning from them as well. Creators who have been around a while are very tied up into conventional wisdom and thinking, and there are times when that thinking has to be challenged. Most of the challenges are from new creators.
We all have wings. It’s often worth the effort to take a new creator under it.
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Category: Columns, The Daily Dose