Breaking into comics writing is hard enough, but if you live outside the key catchment areas of the United Kingdom and the USA, you can almost kiss those dreams goodbye.
With western comics primarily coming out of either London or New York, those of us living in the Antipodes, such as myself, are unable to secure internships, acquire reputable mentors or network with the people capable of opening doors.
Thankfully, not all Australian amateurs admit defeat. Hero Central, a new mail order comic company based in Sydney, has decided to try to challenge the accepted wisdom and encourage fresh local talent to get published.
The goal is to initially release a compendium of comic short stories, allowing a few lucky creators to finally see print. Of course, no one is expecting overnight success and a springboard straight onto the pages of Spider-Man, but one of the first big steps towards a career in comics is to have a portfolio of published works.
Hero Central is looking for writers, pencillers, inkers and colourists, capable of collaborating on publishing a professional comic.
This is not the first time that Australian amateurs have taken matters into their own hands in the hope of gaining momentum towards the US and UK big leagues. There are many Australian underground comics published regularly, and some have even made it to the stage of newsagent distribution. But there are a few sad realities that have previously hogtied these attempts.
Firstly, the Australian newsagents have a very different approach to comics than they do in America or England. With comics distributed on a sale or return basis, the newsagent bears no risk in carrying the product and often displays them in the worst store positions. Newsagent comic racks are rarely seen, and comics are often piled in mixed batches as an after-thought, requiring a potential customer to sift through pile after pile in the sometimes vain hope of finding the one title they want. With Australian distribution being more haphazard, there is no guarantee that your favourite title will appear in the same newsagent every month, limiting the chances of building a loyal monthly audience.
Secondly, those creators who have managed to secure the money to self-publish their works are not often those most deserving of being published. Due to the lower population in Australia, the chances of finding all the elements to produce a winning comic – finance, strong writing, original art - are harder to assemble – and often the Australian comics that do make it to the newsagents have made it through the luck of finance and business skill rather than the application of creative talent. This means that Australian comics constantly dwell in a state of disappointment – unrealised dreams and stifled potential.
Thirdly, there is a sense of ‘worthiness’ that pervades Australian comics that is too often not born out by the quality of the finished product. Like a garage band that staunchly announces that they will never sell out their underground roots when it is plain they would never be offered a mainstream deal, many underground comics seem to defend their disappointment by constantly extolling the purity of the small press. Of course, this is not always true and there are many notable Australian small press comics, but with the combination of all three above factors in play, even the best Australian comics become no more than an expensive and time-consuming hobby for the creators that eventually dwindles. No one is quitting their day job yet.
But there is no doubt that there is untapped talent down under, deserving of mainstream success. The challenge is going to be in avoiding making the same mistakes as those who have gone before, and holding out for the best creative minds and best distribution deal. If all of these factors are not in place before publication, any new Australian comic could again end up having the overambitious print run handed out as freebies at Australian comic conventions for years to come.
So here is to wishing Hero Central success, who, with the support of the comics community, will hopefully balance a professional business model, appropriate marketing and a strong editorial approach with an eye to real talent.
