Published writer looking for a penciller

Troy Dye · 10-27-2021, 01:13 AM

Hi. I'm a published comic book writer and I'm looking for a kick @ss comic book penciller for a six-page pitch to submit to publishers. Bonus points if ink your own work.

WHO AM I? I wrote Funko Ghostbusters for IDW, as well as several stories for DreamWorks Animation: Shrek, Megamind, Puss-in-Boots, and Kung Fun Panda. I also wrote an original fantasy miniseries, called The Goblin Chronicles. Go to www.troydye.com to see some of my stories.

WHO AM I LOOKING FOR: Someone with a style like Steve Dillon (Preacher) would be perfect. I’m looking for someone with the talent, motivation, and discipline to be a published artist, but just hasn’t been discovered yet … someone who’s been previously published works, too. NOTE: if your art isn’t as good comic books being sold in comic book stores (or pretty darn close), publishers will not be interested. Having been a Submissions Editor in the past, I know a pitch lives or dies by its art.

You should also be able to commit to 1-2 penciled pages a week if the book is going to be published. If you can’t, the book will take forever to make, so please, only apply if you can turnaround pages weekly.

FUNDING: In short, Kickstarter. If you’re looking to make a lot of money in comics, chances are, you won’t (writers especially). For me, comics are my passion project. I love comics and want to keep writing them, but couldn’t pay my bills if I funded my own books. That being the case, I cannot fund the 6-page pitch, but should a publisher be interested in printing the book, funding will come from a successful Kickstarter campaign, which would also include payment for the six pages from the pitch. I’m not going to pay myself from the Kickstarter money. This is a labor of love for me, so everything goes towards making the book.

SHORT DESCRIPTION: An over-the-top, NSW comedy that’s like a buddy film featuring Jaime Lannister and Deadpool in Hyboria.

SETTING: The story takes place in a desert setting and that has more humans than monsters. The world is not one large desert, it’s just locale for the first story arc. Don’t get me wrong, there will be monsters, gods, and other fun stuff to draw, too.

FORMAT: A full-color, three-issue miniseries.

AUDIENCE: Adults (contains expletives and graphic violence, but no nudity)

CONTACT: If you are interested, please send a link to your work: troybdye@gmail.com

Thank you!

Troy Dye · 11-02-2021, 06:03 PM

Will need a colorist as well

Troy Dye · 11-03-2021, 05:25 PM

If you look at the art from Tomas Giorello in Darkhorse's Conan the Barbarian, that's exactly what I'm shooting for.

Troy Dye · 11-20-2021, 07:32 PM

Thanks to everyone who has submitted samples of their work. I have found my artist for this particular project, but I'm always looking for potential collaborators for future projects. There are quite a few. Doesn't hurt to start early.

I currently have two science fiction titles that are in the early stages of development. Lots of alien beasts. Not a lot of alien humanoids or ships, but plenty of alien predators and prey. One title is for children (G or PG) and the other is for adults (graphic violence, but no nudity.)

Like before, funds are dependent on crowdfunding. I will not pay myself via crowdfunding. All funds go toward the creation of the book. I have a day job and I absolutely love the creation process, so just creating the book is enough to make me happy.

I'm sorry for all of the requirements below, but it's necessary. Being a comic book submissions editor in the past has made me picky.

Just to reiterate and clarify on what was posted before:

Send a link to your website or Deviant Art page or blog or Webtoon, etc. to troybdye@gmail.com
Please don't attach files if possible.
I also need to see many samples, not just a few.
For the adult comic, I prefer a "real-life" look, but open to other styles.
For the kid book, I'm looking for more of a "Land Before Time" style, but again, open to seeing other styles.
Include your page rate.
Art must be at the level of currently published books or very close to it.
I'll need six pages in order to pitch publishers (you will be paid your full page rate for the 6 pages should funding be secured).
Must be able to complete a minimum of 1 fully drawn page per week should the book be published.
If you've been published, let me know which book(s)?

There's a lot of talent on Digital Webbing. I've seen many people get better and better over the years. I may not be very active here (like I once was), but this is the only place I want go to find collaborators.

Time to digress ...

Aspiring artists and writers ... DO NOT GIVE UP. I'm not saying you should keep bugging the same person when they say "no" to your art or pitch, but rather that you shouldn't give up on yourself. Get better. Switch it up. Keep coming to places like this to get critiques. Listen to positive people. I know that "don't give up on yourself" is a well-worn cliché, and that you've heard it a million times (one more won't hurt), but you would be surprised at how many people give up easily, don't try, get discouraged by others, or think that they aren't talented enough or smart enough to make their dreams come true. I know more people who think this way than people who won't let anything stop them. Getting my comic book published was my life-long dream ... and I needed to make it happen. So I did. Cost me a bit of money, but dream fulfillment isn't easy (or free in this case). Nothing worth doing should be easy.

On my first book, I got rejected from every publisher and was on the verge of giving up, but I decided to pitch just one more indy publisher ... and they said "yes." A long time ago, I was in competition with 15 or more other writers to write DreamWorks Animation comic books. DreamWorks didn't like any of our pitches. We went through at least 4 rounds of rejection. My writer partner gave up. Many of the other writers did as well. I WAS NOT going to stop there. But what could I do differently? I stopped being dumb. What? Yes ... I said, dumb The path was simple, but not obvious at the time for some reason.

What did I do that was different? I gave them exactly what they wanted. What they specifically asked for. They had provided vague notes on some of the pitches. We took that as a "no." Stupid. It wasn't. It was feedback. When the light bulb finally turned on, it was simple. Even though we may not have creatively agreed with with some of their notes (their notes turned out to be spot on), we listened to them and gave them exactly what they wanted to see. Couldn't have done that if I gave up with my writer friend. It worked. DreamWorks Animation green lit many stories after that. I didn't give up ... I simply switched tactics.

Why am I writing all of this? Well, because the world needs stories. We need artists and writers to entertain and inspire us. In short, we will always need people like you. Now back to me ... no one encouraged me. A lot of people did not have faith in me (actually, almost everyone). People told me to stop wasting time. They thought I wasn't good enough. That my ideas were stupid. They told me to "give up already." NO ONE believed in me (except for my writing partner, of course, and myself). But the negativity sapped my motivation and caused me to question myself for a moment. Maybe they were right? Wrong.

I wanted to get published so bad, I could taste it. I thought about it before I went to sleep every night. I hoped. I dreamed. I prayed. And I wasn't passive about making my dreams come true. I didn't have to be the next Brian Michael Bendis. There's only one of him. Not part of my mission. I wanted to just get one comic published. That's it.

I didn't expect to write a novel here, but I couldn't stop. My point? Make it happen. Won't be overnight, and may take many years, but keep going. I ignored all of the discouragement. You should too. The world needs you.

THANK YOU!!!

Troy Dye · 12-31-2021, 02:33 PM

Thanks to everyone who reached out! I am no longer in need of pencilers, but, I'm still looking at portfolios for a colorists, though, for one of my projects. Thanks again.

10-27-2021, 01:13 AM	#1
Troy Dye Fractured Entertainment Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 79	Published writer looking for a penciller Hi. I'm a published comic book writer and I'm looking for a kick @ss comic book penciller for a six-page pitch to submit to publishers. Bonus points if ink your own work. WHO AM I? I wrote Funko Ghostbusters for IDW, as well as several stories for DreamWorks Animation: Shrek, Megamind, Puss-in-Boots, and Kung Fun Panda. I also wrote an original fantasy miniseries, called The Goblin Chronicles. Go to www.troydye.com to see some of my stories. WHO AM I LOOKING FOR: Someone with a style like Steve Dillon (Preacher) would be perfect. I’m looking for someone with the talent, motivation, and discipline to be a published artist, but just hasn’t been discovered yet … someone who’s been previously published works, too. NOTE: if your art isn’t as good comic books being sold in comic book stores (or pretty darn close), publishers will not be interested. Having been a Submissions Editor in the past, I know a pitch lives or dies by its art. You should also be able to commit to 1-2 penciled pages a week if the book is going to be published. If you can’t, the book will take forever to make, so please, only apply if you can turnaround pages weekly. FUNDING: In short, Kickstarter. If you’re looking to make a lot of money in comics, chances are, you won’t (writers especially). For me, comics are my passion project. I love comics and want to keep writing them, but couldn’t pay my bills if I funded my own books. That being the case, I cannot fund the 6-page pitch, but should a publisher be interested in printing the book, funding will come from a successful Kickstarter campaign, which would also include payment for the six pages from the pitch. I’m not going to pay myself from the Kickstarter money. This is a labor of love for me, so everything goes towards making the book. SHORT DESCRIPTION: An over-the-top, NSW comedy that’s like a buddy film featuring Jaime Lannister and Deadpool in Hyboria. SETTING: The story takes place in a desert setting and that has more humans than monsters. The world is not one large desert, it’s just locale for the first story arc. Don’t get me wrong, there will be monsters, gods, and other fun stuff to draw, too. FORMAT: A full-color, three-issue miniseries. AUDIENCE: Adults (contains expletives and graphic violence, but no nudity) CONTACT: If you are interested, please send a link to your work: troybdye@gmail.com Thank you!

11-20-2021, 07:32 PM	#4
Troy Dye Fractured Entertainment Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 79	Thanks to everyone who has submitted samples of their work. I have found my artist for this particular project, but I'm always looking for potential collaborators for future projects. There are quite a few. Doesn't hurt to start early. I currently have two science fiction titles that are in the early stages of development. Lots of alien beasts. Not a lot of alien humanoids or ships, but plenty of alien predators and prey. One title is for children (G or PG) and the other is for adults (graphic violence, but no nudity.) Like before, funds are dependent on crowdfunding. I will not pay myself via crowdfunding. All funds go toward the creation of the book. I have a day job and I absolutely love the creation process, so just creating the book is enough to make me happy. I'm sorry for all of the requirements below, but it's necessary. Being a comic book submissions editor in the past has made me picky. Just to reiterate and clarify on what was posted before: Send a link to your website or Deviant Art page or blog or Webtoon, etc. to troybdye@gmail.com Please don't attach files if possible. I also need to see many samples, not just a few. For the adult comic, I prefer a "real-life" look, but open to other styles. For the kid book, I'm looking for more of a "Land Before Time" style, but again, open to seeing other styles. Include your page rate. Art must be at the level of currently published books or very close to it. I'll need six pages in order to pitch publishers (you will be paid your full page rate for the 6 pages should funding be secured). Must be able to complete a minimum of 1 fully drawn page per week should the book be published. If you've been published, let me know which book(s)? There's a lot of talent on Digital Webbing. I've seen many people get better and better over the years. I may not be very active here (like I once was), but this is the only place I want go to find collaborators. Time to digress ... Aspiring artists and writers ... DO NOT GIVE UP. I'm not saying you should keep bugging the same person when they say "no" to your art or pitch, but rather that you shouldn't give up on yourself. Get better. Switch it up. Keep coming to places like this to get critiques. Listen to positive people. I know that "don't give up on yourself" is a well-worn cliché, and that you've heard it a million times (one more won't hurt), but you would be surprised at how many people give up easily, don't try, get discouraged by others, or think that they aren't talented enough or smart enough to make their dreams come true. I know more people who think this way than people who won't let anything stop them. Getting my comic book published was my life-long dream ... and I needed to make it happen. So I did. Cost me a bit of money, but dream fulfillment isn't easy (or free in this case). Nothing worth doing should be easy. On my first book, I got rejected from every publisher and was on the verge of giving up, but I decided to pitch just one more indy publisher ... and they said "yes." A long time ago, I was in competition with 15 or more other writers to write DreamWorks Animation comic books. DreamWorks didn't like any of our pitches. We went through at least 4 rounds of rejection. My writer partner gave up. Many of the other writers did as well. I WAS NOT going to stop there. But what could I do differently? I stopped being dumb. What? Yes ... I said, dumb The path was simple, but not obvious at the time for some reason. What did I do that was different? I gave them exactly what they wanted. What they specifically asked for. They had provided vague notes on some of the pitches. We took that as a "no." Stupid. It wasn't. It was feedback. When the light bulb finally turned on, it was simple. Even though we may not have creatively agreed with with some of their notes (their notes turned out to be spot on), we listened to them and gave them exactly what they wanted to see. Couldn't have done that if I gave up with my writer friend. It worked. DreamWorks Animation green lit many stories after that. I didn't give up ... I simply switched tactics. Why am I writing all of this? Well, because the world needs stories. We need artists and writers to entertain and inspire us. In short, we will always need people like you. Now back to me ... no one encouraged me. A lot of people did not have faith in me (actually, almost everyone). People told me to stop wasting time. They thought I wasn't good enough. That my ideas were stupid. They told me to "give up already." NO ONE believed in me (except for my writing partner, of course, and myself). But the negativity sapped my motivation and caused me to question myself for a moment. Maybe they were right? Wrong. I wanted to get published so bad, I could taste it. I thought about it before I went to sleep every night. I hoped. I dreamed. I prayed. And I wasn't passive about making my dreams come true. I didn't have to be the next Brian Michael Bendis. There's only one of him. Not part of my mission. I wanted to just get one comic published. That's it. I didn't expect to write a novel here, but I couldn't stop. My point? Make it happen. Won't be overnight, and may take many years, but keep going. I ignored all of the discouragement. You should too. The world needs you. THANK YOU!!! Last edited by Troy Dye; 11-21-2021 at 04:10 AM.

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11-02-2021, 06:03 PM	#2
Troy Dye Fractured Entertainment Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 79	Will need a colorist as well

11-03-2021, 05:25 PM	#3
Troy Dye Fractured Entertainment Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 79	If you look at the art from Tomas Giorello in Darkhorse's Conan the Barbarian, that's exactly what I'm shooting for.

12-31-2021, 02:33 PM	#5
Troy Dye Fractured Entertainment Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 79	Thanks to everyone who reached out! I am no longer in need of pencilers, but, I'm still looking at portfolios for a colorists, though, for one of my projects. Thanks again.