i want to work it the comic book industry

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well i want to work for a comic company like marvel or something. probably with the English dept. does anyone know how one would get started in this field.

The first thing you need to do is develop your own body of work. This means lots of drawing and maybe a few practice comic books of your own. This becomes your portfolio for a job interview, or admission to an art program at a university. At most schools, you probably would be best served with a BA or BFA in Drawing, with maybe a minor in English. There are some higher-tier schools that offer programs specifically geared towards preparing you for working the comic industry (the school I attend is one of these, they offer both undergraduate and graduate programs in Sequential Art). A university degree will delay your entry into the industry for a couple years, but it will go a long way toward getting you a job when the time comes, both as a résumé item, and as way of developing contacts with various companies.

One thing to keep in mind is that at a large company like Marvel, you may wind up pigeonholed into doing a limited set of duties; if you want to be more involved in the process and have a broader range of responsibilities, a smaller company might suit you better.

What exactly do you mean by "English Department?" Writing? Editing text? Or just lettering panels? Whatever it is, don't underestimate the value of spelling and punctuation. It has to be flawless, just like the artwork.

Are you still in school? If so, try for an internship with a company that offers them. And yeah, definitely get a portfolio happening not only to develop your art chops but to show off your writing style...and the aforementioned grammar and punctuation skills.

Poke around the internet for some sites where you can post some of your work.
There's one called guru.com that people go to in order to find an expert. You could register as an artist (they have that category), and even bid on work that people post.
My self, I keep trying to write a good story for a graphic novel...

Comic book writers and artist are all independent contractors. They are not actually employees of a comic book company. Like Klick says you need to be building a portfolio of your work and shopping that around to comic companies.

i rally want to be an editor and tell them hoe to improve there comic. but i was planing to start at a smaller company

my sister (1oth grader) wants to be a comic artist when she grows up. she wants to work in japan. she sounds serious LOL, i'm not being mean but i'm not sure whether she's just boasting a little bit LOL.

Being an editor requires an excellent command of English. If you're still in school study English literature and creative writing. Also, read a lot (not just comics!).

Then, as the_incident suggests, a good command of English is important. However, since you will be working in a very visual industry, prospective employers will likely expect you to display some artistic talent, as well as an understanding of the process of making a comic book.

I do have a few questions to ask, if I may:

How far along are you in your education?
What sort of schooling are you willing or able to go through?
Do you currently have any contacts in the industry?

How far along are you in your education? just started collage
What sort of schooling are you willing or able to go through? i dont know as much as i need i guess.
Do you currently have any contacts in the industry? and i dont know any one in the industry.

That's good, it gives you some leeway in figuring out exactly what you should major in to work toward your desired career. I think you should visit an academic adviser at your school and ask for their advice. Talking to people in the Art and English departments wouldn't be a bad idea either. If you're really ambitious, you might want to transfer to a more specialized program at another school. The school I attend, the Savannah College of Art and Design, has undergraduate and graduate programs for aspiring comic and manga artists (though I don't know how well that would parse with your desire to be a comic editor).


You should probably be looking to get a BA at least; keep in mind that job markets can be very tight, so having a more extensive education than the next guy could help you land the job (the alternative is a pretty big uphill struggle). Whatever degree you get, it should be as directly related as possible to what you want to do (for example having a BA in cinema won't help you get a job in comic books, but a BA in graphic design or English might).


This is where a more specialized program may come in handy, because they tend to hire people directly from the industry, which means that getting to know your teacher helps you get a foot in the door. The down side is that these programs tend to be more competitive to get into, are more expensive (read: more loans), and can be extremely demanding. A lot of schools also have a career day, but I never went to the ones at my undergraduate program, so I wouldn't be able to tell you how useful they are.

The key thing is getting to know people in the industry who can inform you of developments.

Its very hard to get into an industry like this - but not impossible. I used to work in the film industry and got in via luck.

There were loads of grads who would do anything to get in; I used to receive letters every week.

Go to conventions; make contacts and do any small project work to get in the door. It will then go from there. You will get to private functions etc where you can get to hear about possible openings.

Good luck