Molly Mahan is one of the best editors I have ever worked with, editing my Red Sonja run at Dynamite. I asked her what she looks for in an artist’s portfolio, what are the warning signs that the person isn’t ready. Good tips here!
MOLLY (EDITOR, VAMPIRELLA, RED SONJA) MAHAN
Two things that…
I’m not the greatest at drawing hands and feet, guess I know what I’ll be working on in the coming days/weeks.
Random sketches of Marvel & DC characters. Mostly Marvel, as I read very very very little DC. Probably missing out a lot.
Anyways, I love Loki’s expression. And the Joker is giving me nightmares.
Quick sketches of Elle, a character from an upcoming project.
Far Off Places, the literary magazine I cofounded with three friends from Edinburgh, launched on 9 March at the StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews, Scotland.
We’re currently selling single issues and subscriptions on our website. They’re digital copies, and coming soon, an iOS subscription as well (and we’re hoping to release a Kindle ebook version, starting with issue 2).
We hope to release a printed edition and pay our contributors! So that’s why we’re selling it.
Not content to take a break after our launch (or, more accurately, DURING production of issue 1), we opened submissions for our second issue, with the theme of the back of beyond. Submissions are due on 31 March!
Poetry should be no more than 40 lines (though we do accept short poetry as well), and short prose of 1,200 words. No serial novels/stories, etc, as the theme changes with each issue.
I did the graphic design/layout for the magazine! Like making our spiffy hot air balloon logo.
Oh dear, another month gone and I’ve not made any posts!
Life’s been very busy here. Job applications, interviews, working part time, and my current project of Far Off Places. I’m doing layout for the magazine, which is really exciting. It is very time-intensive, but coming along nicely.
We’ll be officially launching the magazine on 9 March at the STAnza poetry festival in St Andrews. Which means that I’m finishing up the magazine, and some individual pamphlets. It’s a lot to be doing, but a lot of fun.
Also really good for refreshing me! Placing things in InDesign is actually really calming.
I’ll have a link here when the magazine does go live.
Also! We’re now accepting submissions for Issue II! Theme is ‘the back of beyond.’ We’re accepting subs through 31 March (of the written variety, but I’ll also accept sandwiches and yellow submarines).
In looking back at the books I’ve read this year, they’ve been dominated by a genre.
Graphic novels.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me well. I’ve always enjoyed a graphic novel or comic between the massive classic tome, but this year I found myself reading graphic novels almost exclusively.
It’s been awesome.
I started this summer, reading Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Art Spiegelman’s Maus. This trend continued through the autumn, where I read some fantastic books like Craig Thompson’s Blankets and Grant Morrison’s dystopian epic The Invisibles.
Wow.
The thing I love about graphic novels is the art works so well with the story, especially in books like Maus and Blankets. The books have additional levels to them, and being a bookworm and art fanatic like myself, they are wonderful.
The stories are helped by the art, rather than hindered, making them more poignant and memorable. And I love them for it.
I can’t wait to start up my own graphic novel library. I’ve decided it will have Blankets, Maus and The Invisibles to start. What else?
Ned Wolfe 