Pencils down

As a few knew, and even few saw, I was working to be accepted into the DC Comics Workshop in November which is the first step into acquiring a job with DC Comics. The workshop was open to all, amateur artists and professionals alike. Upon acceptance one would work alongside DC personnel among the likes of Andy Kubert and Jim Lee in Burbank, CA. This was an opportunity that would be a dream come true.

I failed. The deadline is tonight at midnight but I already know where I stand because I did not
complete the works needed to submit.  The submission asked for 5 pages and three had to be sequential artwork. DC even provided scripts to use for the sequential art. I did not complete them, therefore my submission would not be accepted. At the time of me writing this there would be no time to finish my submission therefore I fail be default.

I failed however I was not defeated. I failed but I failed forward. I say that because I learned something along the way. I learned about my time. My time was one of my most valuable resources. I learned who had respect for my time and my desire but I also learned who had some of the least. I can't point fingers at anyone and I can't blame anyone because the one who was always in control was me. I allowed myself to be derailed. I decided to sleep all day because I had a headache. I didn't turn my cell phone off. I have no one to blame but myself.

I'm reminded of the quote by David McCollough Jr, "Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”

I realized I enjoyed the process. Let me take this time to be honest for a minute. I tried to acquire a job in the comics industry when I haven't drawn much of anything in more than a year. Everything I did was a learning experience. Every step I took was new, be it setting up a comic page based on a script down to the needing to learn the characters. I'm not gonna lie, I don't read DC Comics, I didn't grow up reading DC comics. I don't really know the characters. Everything was a challenge and I had to work for it but I loved every minute of it.

During my time working I was grinding and I was grinding hard. I applied a lot of pressure to myself and I hated the person I was becoming. I was closed off and angry all the time. I wasn't easy to get along with. I was cynical and petty. I loathed every single day but it was worth it. We can't change and mold ourselves into what we want to be without pressure and chipping away at our old selves.

I'm free now. I'm free from working on a script from characters I care nothing and know nothing about. I'm free to work on my own art that inspires me, works and characters that I love. I passed up on two pieces that I wanted to work on at the time and now I am free to do so.

I have two things to close with.
One, my original script for this submission was gold. I filled up the dialog with words just to establish tone for the characters. It was crudely drawn because it was done really fast. I personally feel I would have had a lot more fun with it. That being said, I'll share it here.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Secondly, this isn't my end in dabbling with that professional world of comics. I jumped. I had to. But now I know where I am, where my strengths are, and where they aren't. Next time will be different. I promise you this is not the end. "You don't have to be great to get started but you have to get started to be great" I have my own works to work on and I still have a future to strive for in comics and I will be relentless.