Contact research

So the deadline is drawing to a close, and Im yet to hear from my professional. I do blame myself for this though, I left the task waay too late, and wasn't exactly creative in my method of getting in touch. I do hope he still responds another time, but regardless, outside of 502, I absolutely should start sending work and questioning practitioners, there are clear benefits to the process.

Seen as I didn't get a response in time, I've been told to collate existing interviews with the creative and put the info found in to the 500 word report. I opted to have a more general overview of image for this though

What kind of work does Image publish?
Image covers every genre imaginable. You name it, image has it.

Where do image make their sales?
Image comics are primarily sold in comic book specialty stores, and can be found in book stores. If a specific title cant be found, there will be the choice to back order. There are also digital versions, with five page previews of each comic also available.

Does Image have a global presence (Outside of the UK and US)?
Yes, over 50 countries, 20 languages, with the numbers continuously increasing.

Do you have in house writers and artists to produce comics?
No. Since the overwhelming majority of Image comics and graphic novels are creator-owned, Image does not operate like a typical comics publisher. We do not assign writers and artists to the titles we publish; the creators determine who will be involved with the production of their individual titles.

Are image still accepting proposals, if so, who decides what submissions get approved?

Yes. Please read our submissions guidelines for more information (found on site). Publisher Eric Stephenson personally reviews every proposal. When he finds one he likes, it is passed around to the office staff for their input. The proposal is then reviewed at our weekly staff meeting.

On what criteria is a book reviewed?

There are several. First, we determine if the story and art reflect our standards. Is it professionally executed? Is there an interesting concept or an interesting, new take on an old concept? Is there a perceived audience for the work? Do we have a high degree of confidence that we can reach that audience.

Is there any particular genre Image is looking for?

No. Image publishes a wide variety of comics. We are looking for good, well-told stories and exceptional artwork that run the gamut in terms of both style and genre.

How does publishing a comic book or graphic novel through Image work?

Image was set up so that creators could do what they want with their creations, and reap the benefits financially. When a book is published by Image, creators are not paid up front. It can sometimes be two or three months before one sees money from a book. It sounds rough, and it most definitely can be. But if it’s done right, the payoff can be far more rewarding than producing a book in the conventional manner.

When the creator does finally get paid, they get paid on what their book makes after the cost of printing and Image’s modest office fee, which covers solicitations, traffic, production, and some promotion of the book. We make no more money off of our highest selling book than we do our lowest.

I also felt it best to see what Stephenson had to offer, with the image information, lacking anything personal and human about creative experience insights. 

How do you approach generating ideas?
I develop them over a series o years, thats how I like to write, developing core concept and characters, with the characters as one of the most important parts.

How much research goes in to creating an issue?
hIt varies on requirement, a example would be a poster used of Nigel the robot. This came from 'XTC -Making Plans for Nigel', we'd look at mag ads for that and similar to build the design, based on seeing those designs in my childhood.

You often play with format, why?
In my comics, theres a lot about the world to get accross, and only say 23 pages to do it. So its a way of showing more info within a confined medium. We include additions such as in story adverts to broaden the experience.

What was your start in the comics industry?

I read Mark Gruenwald's how to break in to comics Columns, and the advice that stuck was to go to conventions, speak to people and make contacts. Also as a writer, do as much writing possible, be it for comics or not. I sent out a series of letters for interviews, and they all got rejected, but a new company, wizard, came along, and I offered to cover interviews for them at conventions. They said yes, and through that I interviewed Jim Valentino, and continued to harbour a friendship with him. One day he contacted me, and reeled off all the big names in comics, and said we're making our own publisher, do you want in? So I joined image from the pre announcement days.

I have a fair amount to work with thanks to my research, finding a lot of answers to questions I would have asked. In a lot of ways, I'm relieved that I did this before the possibility of a response from Stephenson, as I will now be inclined to ask more out there, and informed questions than I would have originally.