Don't bother with collaborations

[Freemints30]

Cus most collabs are not collabs. They are request for an art slave to draw or write how they want with little input. And expectations of high quality with little cash.

Also I would say avoid using AI for art
Ignore the tech bros. They tried to force nft's art thefts on people a few months ago
The copywriter legality is dicey at best. And the webtoons with that style barely have subs from what I've seen.

Honestly might as well say get AI to write your story. Pretty low tier.

Best free collabs I've seen between irl friends or spouses or people who pay others and seem proffesional

[Spectorium_1]

Wow, dang. I mean, it's a stretch to say that most don't work out. By saying that, you're assuming that at least 51% of the ones posted here are duds, which might be the case since most of us are broke. Money is a big motivator in most cases.

While I agree with your point about teaching ourselves how to draw. However, it is extremely hard, and not everyone has the talent or money to make their own art or use AI art. Take it from the guy who's been kicking the wall for the past month, learning how to draw.

Old drawing:

New one:

However, I don't think that we should throw away Collabs and rely on ourselves. The ecosystem might be trash, but writers might also be the ones making it like that. I think that we might be going about Collabs the wrong way.

Essentially, most of us value our work highly. I agree with that, most of us have our own stories, and it's like a kid to us. However, we have to realize that others feel the same about their own works.

If you are a writer, but you don't have any money and want your work made into a comic, there are many ways that it could happen. However, posting a Collab that essentially says "my work is great, feel honored to draw it" then no work is put into it and it has a small amount of subs or following is not a way.

There are 3 clear ways and a fourth maybe.

The best way to get an investment is to have a clear plan. Write a summary, the plots, the arcs, the different characters, the setting and explain every aspect of your story. Also, sketch out your scenes and make a draft of your comic so that artists need to do the minimum amount of work, cause if you love your work that much, you should put into the effort.

And for the point that people always love to bring up about their work being stolen: It doesn't matter if you think that someone's gonna steal it, cause, for the same reasons artist won't draw your work, your work is more likely to succeed than get stolen, as nothing is proven, and thieves don't steal gems that look like rocks on the outside.

However, by posting your full work, you open up so many opportunities, and the benefit outweighs the cost by far.

1) you seem more professional and dedicated to your work
2) you're more likely to get artists interested in your work as they know every aspect of your story and only have to put in the minimal effort to just draw out your plans
3) you could get a sponsor who's interested and gives you support
4) people love quick wins

Essentially, love your work to death

[NickRowler]

Years ago I dealt with a frustrating collab, so I can understand being upset if something didn’t work out for you. But there are many situations where they do work.

Like others said AI is not the answer. AI art is built on copying other people’s art, it is not public domain or fair use. There is also very little control over what the program will spit out unless you are feeding in your own references images. If you just want generic images with no narrative connection to each other, then pay for some stock photos.

[TroyVSTheWorld]

Play Dark Souls so you can get rekt again and again and again until you git gud

[MickC]

For the AI thing, it won't work at all especially for making comics

I remember that one post on Twitter about a comic made by AI where people have to break down how a comic should have been written/formatted. AI may have inconsistencies on making a comic and it might possible that the comic might look blurry like the Dalle thing.

[officialgenesis]

So I recommend we start teaching ourselves to draw or even use AI to help make our comics for us.

Teaching ourselves how to draw? Um...some of us simply don't have the talent, not even with stick figures

I get where you are coming from. That is why it is important to select wisely in the collaboration process and lay out expectations as early as possible. Give creative room and flexibility for everyone involved in the collab even if you're paying them. Be open for inputs and suggestions.
Sometimes life just happens and we grow out of feeling as passionate about a project as we did in the beginning and that is okay.

If paying an artist long term is too much, try smaller projects with a limited budget.

I've had successful collaborations on here and do not agree with your statement that collabs should be avoided. Sorry you had a bad experience.

[Freemints30]

Looking through your post history.. @spiderbrahdfo13

Alot of the collabs you seem to try get into are the most shadiest set of people I ve seen.

Lots of "want a free writer" and then they proceed to argue they will pay with profit when asked about payment. which is... a red flag.

Even has people in those thread warning others to stay away in the posts immediately after the initial asking

No proffessional would make that kind of thread. Asking for 100 episodes for free from strangers at high quality. No mature person would ask these things of people.

I'm saying sorry but... if many have warned a thread and its filled with that many red flags. Low chances are already shown it's not gonna work out

[EncryptedWriting]

The last paragraph is on point. This entire comment.

I am in no way going to attach the author of this thread, but you said it yourself. I remember they have often complained about collaboration threads and how it hasn't worked for them. They have deleted a lot of their posting history from the looks of it.

[Kuma]

So I recommend we start teaching ourselves to draw or even use AI to help make our comics for us

I'm doing that, but to make better storyboard to collaborate with artists.

[Hipiticus]

it's a tool like any other. you can use it to come up with some nice backgrounds or good colour pallets

[Freemints30]

Yes so is google images. I wouldn't reccomend people take images and art off there with no editing and try to profit off it.

It's a tool for references and skilled photonashing. Not to make commercial art to sell as your own

[Freemints30]

Oh... then that explains every thing. I dont look at collab threads much unless they are asking for payment or more a community project.

But if this isnt the first time they complained and they kept involving themselves in that many obviously shady collabs and ignore people who warn and them then.. yikes..

[RedLenai]

By checking your older threads I'll be very honest on this, but I believe you need to know it because that attitude won't do much for you no matter what kind of path you decide to approach

1. You always seek the most shady, red flag, incomplete, unprofessional, from dead/inactive/sus accounts, obviously you won't achieve anything if you go after something that won't be serious in the first place. Read the other replies, read about those making all the right questions before jumping blindly just to have their expectations crushed be it because it went nowhere or simply they ghosted you or are no longer interested in a thread that the person probably did on impulse or the backlash finally got them and made them realize what they've been asking was unrealistic and unfair.

2. You always seem to be on a rush to get your projects done, YOUR stuff done. You're already in denial that you won't improve in art and even said that you're too late to start learning just because you've been doing this for 4 years without improving much, despite you were 17 last year when you complained about that. You don't need to be good to take an idea out of your head, you won't improve if you only focus on theory, a lot of it comes from the constancy, the practice and the compromise. A lot of people improve not because they study or watch a tutorial or are making doodles on their notebooks for 4 years, a lot of them improve when they are already working in a comic, be it theirs, with a friend, a collab, etc.

I believe, you should really re-read the advice from senior artists you've received on your other thread regarding collaborations and your skills.

You have so much time to learn new skills. So much time. My drawings were still absolutely terrible three years after I started trying to learn as well, it takes a long, long time. By saying you'll never improve, you're only creating a self-fulfilling prophesy. I have a friend in his mid 30's who only started learning how to draw a few years ago, also in order to create a comic, and his figures and perspective are only just now starting to come along nicely. He's still only working with pencil, …

But I'll say this because I'm the most skeptical artist over there. You say you're "experienced" as a writer and script writer, but I see no work of yours?
Not posting in Tapas or any writer-hosting platform, no free to read samples, no links, no nothing, to me if you don't have a portfolio to show then it's the same as having nothing, trying to dig up stuff through DMs is the same as wasting time, and a lot of people won't even bother in messaging you if they themselves can't reach your stuff.

Same for artists, I'll never get those who don't even use their own artwork as profile pics, banners or won't even have a link to their portfolio or where they dump their artwork but I believe it's more because I'm a "Provide everything in a golden plate" kind of person, especially when it comes to paid work or if I want to look professional.

And if you're too afraid that your story is going to get stolen, then buddy, let me tell you that unless you're very talented or very famous, no one is gonna bother. So, post your work before you get the chance to say that someone else stole your idea.

[candiedcotton]

I sure am glad there are a lot of good comments here because I'm not nearly as nice as these folks. I'll keep most of my thoughts to myself.

However, I will say I've worked in the industry for over twenty years. I've had two novels published-- not self-published, but by discovery from a publisher, with actual profits-- and I've also done commissioned art to pay my bills for a long time. I'm no Michelangelo but I've got a lot of experience.

I can say without a single doubt it has taken ten times more work to reach my current abilities in art as it has in writing. Writing tends to come rather naturally and though it can be lengthy work and even tedious, it does not -remotely- compare to the effort it takes (again, from my personal experience) to get to a decent level in drawing.

Perhaps you ought to appreciate your artists a little more.

I realize this may smell of bitterness but oh boy have I held back. lol.

[Lensing]

The only talent you need is a lot of motivation and a lot of time.
10 years to get basic skills and a rough overview over the fundamentals.
We all start at level zero. There are people who take a few steps faster in the
beginning but the beginning is the fun part, then the training starts.
There is really no other talent that some people have and others don´t have

[Kuma]

I've been going to classes to learn how to draw. But I'm not going to get as good as I wish to be easily (If ever)

You're right about different people with different talents.

[DiegoPalacios]

I don't think A.I. is the most efficient tool to write outside of surreal humor. The software uses a database with lots of content and generates a story based on it, but A.I. doesn't think.....it only connect dots exactly as instructed by the parameters set.

Many times it fails at logic, which leads to gems like this:
it's so hillarious someone even drew the script XD

[Lensing]

Really hillarious that someone drew this

I don´t feel different about this story compared to other superhero comics

[candiedcotton]

I think it should also be said that it's a lot easier to determine the quality of an artist's work ahead of time than that of a writer. While both can offer samples of their work, it seems like it's really hard to find proper scripts and synopsis in the collab threads I've seen. I'd also say maybe one in twenty or so have had stories I found worthwhile.

That isn't to say there isn't a ton of artists looking for work who should probably get their skills at a better quality if they want to find said work (it's probably the majority as well and this is in most communities with collab/for-hire posts), but it's easier to weed through them. Trying to determine if a script/story is worth sinking time in as an artist (especially if you aren't being commissioned) pretty much requires going over the whole script itself. And a LOT of the stuff coming from the "looking for artist" posts doesn't even offer an actual script or story at all. Over half of the few that do have no idea how to write in script format and the artist shouldn't have to take apart a novel to make it into a script themselves. Writing a book is not the same as writing a comic script. Scenes and events that read well in a book might translate very poorly when drawn in panels. So that really makes it incredibly difficult to find a decent writer.

Personally I would be thrilled to collab with a writer, and I'd be fine to do it for free just for the pleasure of the experience. It's been quite a long time since I've done so, however, because it feels like nobody has any idea how to script for a comic.

[officialgenesis]

Absolutely......!! I agree.