Graphic novel

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  • Graphic novel

    I have an idea that is begging to be turned into a graphic novel- and subsequently make the path to cinematic adaptation a much more concrete investment for a lot of buyers. Because as we all know, intellectual property is king.
    Has anybody ever gone down this road?
    Is it a similar process to the film business where one has to present the idea to a publishing house and get commissioned? or does one find an artist and essentially do the whole thing on spec?
    And how do the rights work? Does the artist share ownership of the material 50/50 if it gets turned into a movie?

  • #2
    Re: Graphic novel

    For every person thinking this, there's someone thinking "Nobody will buy my book, I'll write it as a screenplay and then people will want to buy the book."

    Sure, it's possible, but unless you're willing to shell out a lot of money yourself to hire artists, or pitch it to comic book companies as a one-off when they make so much more money from pre-existing IP and longstanding series, it's just as long of a shot as writing a good script.

    Not trying to be discouraging, but I feel like so many writers try the "path of (perceived) lesser resistance" and try to turn their screenplay into a book or comic book or web series etc. thinking that'll be an easier sell when those channels are just as saturated.

    Even if it turned into a comic book, there's tons of comic books out there that haven't been picked up by anybody, so it actually may hurt your chances if the graphic novel doesn't sell well. The execs will say "nobody wants to read it, why would they go to the theater for it?"

    EDIT: Sorry for the speal, I've just heard this a lot. To answer your question, you basically have to hire an artist yourself or somehow know somebody who knows a publishing house (of which there aren't many) willing to take a risk on your original, non-branded story. Most graphic novels that fall outside the realm of pre-established IP were written by people either succesful in other facets of writing, or who had made their bones writing for Spider-Man, DC universe etc.

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    • #3
      Re: Graphic novel

      Levenger has it right. For the IP generator ie. writer or artist, they will find that the manner the GN business operates is uncomfortably similar to the film business, except for the resulting medium. (Note: There are definite advantages to the writer/artist combo or team)

      That is, for GNs you work your way through a blizzard of creative executives who'll leave you with a tiny percentage of the final outcome. I don't even know if there are GN-specific agents or managers, so that may be an(other) advantage to screenplays.

      I too had one project that seemed perfectly suited to a GN. I had a finished screenplay but was having a hard time getting it read by the film side, so I approached a few GN people.

      I thought that having a full script would help, even though the 'formatting' is a bit different from the GN screenplays. But without divulging the full sad story, I didn't get very far before, as Levenger says, I realized I had already produced an appropriate piece of IP and didn't need to delve into the 'alternate media' possibilities that the thing could obviously be exploited as. That's the investors' task. (PS. Of course, if you're willing to invest big $ then this discussion takes a different turn!)

      We need to be happy with our 1% of everything, and stop worrying about 100% of nothing.

      On the other hand, I've long been a proponent about doing as much OURSELVES, ie. even producing our own trailers or films, and branching into producing. If you're young enough and have enough bucks, I'd definitely do that.

      There are so many avenues to exploit/distribute those products, so it may be worth it. But a script by itself? Well, we need those other folks (unless we can do it all ourselves): actors and camera operators and etc. etc. on the film side, and artists etc. etc. on the GN side.
      Last edited by catcon; 02-15-2017, 05:46 AM.

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      • #4
        Re: Graphic novel

        Originally posted by TravisPickle View Post
        I have an idea that is begging to be turned into a graphic novel- and subsequently make the path to cinematic adaptation a much more concrete investment for a lot of buyers. Because as we all know, intellectual property is king. Has anybody ever gone down this road?
        All is not lost. I do comics full-time, so I can maybe help with some of this.

        People adapt screenplays to comics constantly, especially in the creator-owned world. And you're right, having the IP does help, and it doesn't have to be a best selling comic for it to sell. Proof of concept is what they're really looking for, and if there's a bit of an audience for the project that's also helpful because it shows the material can actually find an audience. The size of that audience isn't as big of a concern. However, it IS a concern if you're trying to sell comics, and a poor selling comic is a CANCELED comic, and that doesn't look good for your proof of concept.

        My advice would be to set out with a single goal of MAKING A GREAT COMIC, and you might just make a great comic. Great comics can sometimes make great money, but odds are you'll make some money if the comic is any good, and you'll then have something tangible to show around. From there, take some meetings and try and set up the film/tv rights.

        Just remember that producers will be reading the actual comic, not your comic script. They'll be judging the comic. Switching to a new medium won't make a bad story great, but it could make a great story look very, very bad. Horrible art, coloring, and/or lettering could make your story LESS interesting, because no one wants to read a bad comic.

        Originally posted by TravisPickle View Post
        Is it a similar process to the film business where one has to present the idea to a publishing house and get commissioned? or does one find an artist and essentially do the whole thing on spec?
        There are dozens of ways to set up a comic with a publisher, and I'm constantly hearing variations as publishers scramble for the best talent and hot projects. Not all publishers are open to pitches, many have gone to an 'invite-only' system of taking pitches.

        However, the pitch process is usually the same (or similar).

        • Cover letter with your intro, intensions, and goals
        • Solid one-page outline, script available upon request
        • 5 or 6 pages of interior finished artwork, colored and lettered
        • Cover artwork, colored and lettered, and usually with logo

        That's about it.

        Just my opinion, but a better approach here would be to make some decisions on how you want/need the deal structured, what you need to keep and what you're willing to give up: Rights, money, control, advance, etc. THEN approach the right publisher that matches up best with that plan. They're all very different. If the pitch doesn't get through with that particular publisher, then you might need to reconsider your variables again.

        Originally posted by TravisPickle View Post
        And how do the rights work? Does the artist share ownership of the material 50/50 if it gets turned into a movie?
        If you're paying a fair page rate, you might find an artist willing to do work-for-hire, and a 'fair rate' varies greatly depending on who you speak with. But some ballpark page rates for finished work (colored and lettered) would usually fall between $100 and $300 a page for newer/younger creators, and could probably get a team of solid pros that hit deadlines for about $500 a page. For seasoned professionals, the sky is the limit on page rates.

        You'll find that most creative teams split rights on creator-owned work, and the split varies greatly depending on who's paying who, and for what amount of work. Again, many variations on doing this kind of thing.

        If the rate is low or non-existant, you'll quickly find that most professionals won't touch it, and you'll be left to pick from a pool of aspiring professionals or student artists. The challenge here is that once the initial inspiration wears off and the workload gets real, your aspiring artist will likely give up on the project. Believe me when I tell you, this happens CONSTANTLY.

        If you have an ideal situation you'd like to try, I might be able to offer some tips.
        Kody Chamberlain

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        • #5
          Re: Graphic novel

          I actually was brought in to do a feature-length screenplay adaptation from an existing graphic novel.

          http://www.cosmicbooknews.com/conten...-graphic-novel

          https://m.comixology.com/H-G-Wells-T...s-series/10928

          The project has gone through two producers, as well as one concept artist who worked from the screenplay. Sad to say, it's unattached again at this time. But having a physical copy of the GN IP obviously lent a bit of extra "coolness" when pitching, even though the GN was not a major hit.

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