Comics / Cult Favorite

Bob Schreck, Part 2: Submissive Mail

By Philip Schweier
June 10, 2006 - 23:22

Every fan has one.

We’ve all got a story percolating inside of us, one that we hope that will convince the powers that be at Marvel or DC that we have what it takes to be the next Bendis.

Once upon a time, any hopeful fan boy could make a pitch to his favorite comics publisher, and quite possibly see his work illustrated by the likes of Curt Swan or John Romita, but those days are gone. Today, many publishers prohibit such proposals due to legal reasons.

“I can't look at that because we get so many lawsuits,” says DC editor Bob Schreck. “Too many people think that because they have an idea for Batman that they own it, therefore they have some copyright over Batman. No. Batman was around before you were born.”

Often a fan at a convention will take a writer or editor to task for mishandling their favorite character, but Schreck takes it in stride. “I kind of laugh and say, ‘Okay, sorry I'm not doing the job you like. Try and try me. I'll take a look.’ Most of them go away and kind of realize it's hard to do that.”

However, there are always those who will rise to the challenge, secure in their belief of the ease of working in what is often viewed as a juvenile medium. According to Schreck, “It's easy for them to go, ‘I can write better than that,’ because writing is ephemeral. It's easy. ‘I can write better than that.’ Oh, yeah? I'll be the judge of that.”

Schreck challenges aspiring comics writers by asking “Can you write art direction to an artist that makes sense so that when your words are juxtaposed with the image, there's an interesting dance there? It makes my mind think and see what's in between panel one and panel two, and makes me feel like I'm actually seeing a film in my head.

Schreck stresses the importance of demonstrating the ability to tell a story. “I have to be able to see the structure. That there's a beginning that makes sense that inter-relates properly with the middle, and that the both of them make sense when we get to the end.”

Current comics writers such as Brad Meltzer and Greg Rucka entered the business by being published novelists. While such credits may open the door wider than most methods, it’s not always necessary to be a published author in order to get your work in front of the right people.

Schreck recommends that aspiring comics writers find an artist they can work with and publish a simple low-budget comics through their local Kinko's. “Write a good story about Powder Man, or French Fry Man, you know, create your own characters. If you want you can have it kind of be like a certain other character. Then I can look at it and go, ‘OH! Look, French Fry Man. Gee, this guy might be able to write Batman.’ "

By putting together a Kinko's ashcan that is quick and easy to read, a really good writer may make a favorable impression in 10-20 pages. “You can do it if you're that smart,” Schreck says. “It's all about the juxtaposition of words and pictures. If you can do that, I'll look at it.”

Schreck goes on to say the quality doesn't have to be John Romita Jr. “It doesn't have to be anybody that good. If you're a good writer, you can take the clunkiest of artists and make your story interesting, and force the artist to draw something, no matter how rudimentary, that makes my brain believe you know what you're doing. Those words really inform that picture. They make me think beyond and between the panels. If you can do that, you got it sold.”

Unsolicited submissions present a thorny legal situation for comics publishers. Packages are often returned to the sender unopened because to just look at the contents may plant a subconscious seed in the mind of an editorial staff member. That seed may resurface in print at a later time, and the aspiring writer or artist may then believe they’ve been taken advantage of, leading to legal problems for all concerned.

However, one way around such a hurdle is by following a practice common among television writers. According to comics creator Howard Chaykin, who worked in TV for several years, a writer might submit a script for NYPD: Blue in order to get a job writing for a similar show such as CSI. This illustrates their understanding of how to write for television in terms of character, pacing and production.

So a similar approach may work for those looking to break into the comics business. “Yeah, you can send a Batman story to Marvel, a Spider-Man story to DC,” says Schreck. “I can't get serious because I don't publish them. So now we're safe.”

“Quite honestly, you hear in the world there's something like only seven stories ever told. It's how you tell it. If you're that good of a storyteller, tell one of the seven stories somewhere else,” Schreck advises.

“Go to Kinko's, create your own fun little ashcans. Tell stories. Tell stories in any format you can. Get anybody to publish you in anyway, shape or form, and then I can take a peek at that."

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12