As some of you may know I do drawings and hope to create my own manga/comic (which will be released soon)...
The one question I have for you is
"How do you go about getting recognized?"
Like if I released my comic, what would I have to do to get you to read/ like it? I know you don't know what it's about, but just in a general sense.
any feedback is much appreciated.
The first thing is to create what is often called a 'portfolio.'
This is a fancy word for what amounts to 'any time you have drawn something.'
For example - let's say I want to market my skills/knowledge of electronic control systems - I would cite my work at my current job where I've designed and installed a few systems. This gives any prospective customer a look at what I have done and gives them someone to call to ask how my solution does. Did it meet expectations? Is it still working right? Do I respond to service calls?
While it's a different market - it's the same concept.
The best thing I can advise is for you to browse the many different requests for artwork. I would suggest looking on game forums where there are many mod teams looking for various artists of both 2d and 3d work. While it may not be directly related to what you want to do - when you can point to a name in the 'credits' section of a mod and point to your work in it - it gives you more to stand on than "So I hear you're looking for artists, I'm one of those."
One of my cousins did her schooling on computer graphics and has seen work with a few different local and regional businesses that have her design the graphical ads on websites, printed banners, magazine/newspaper ads, etc.
There are a lot of options - and you may have to be willing to do some things for free, at first, just to have something to point to and say: "they were very happy with it, ask them."
Submitting short comics to various competitions hosted by groups and organizations is also a way to get recognized. Being able to say: "I placed in the top 100 in a nation wide competition with over 5000 submissions" is not a bad thing. Sure - you may not have been in the 'big 3' - but you show that you deliver solid content and that you're looking to build yourself.
Posting short comics on a blog can help - but be mindful of how the Internet can both help and delude you. There are hundreds of sites out there where people post free artwork/short comics. While this can get their name out there - it also does not necessarily mean that the people who follow or are aware of your free work will seek out your paid work.
It would be like announcing on FanFiction.net that I'm publishing an original story. The greatest benefit to me is getting feedback on my style of writing. Not many people are going to seek out my paid work from FF.net - and very few people in the book store are going to go: "Oh my God! A book by Shane! He's the author of that one fan fiction story!"
The greatest benefit to me from writing is to get feedback on my writing and confidence that people enjoy my writing.
What most people have done in the creative field is to create a sort of 'legacy.'
Disney created Mickey Mouse.
Lucas created Darth Vader and the Light Saber.
Mallard Filmore
Peanuts/Charlie Brown
Far Side
Beetle Bailey
Wallace & Grommet
Many of those who have been successful in the artistic/creative fields have created a character that resonated with people. The art is actually what becomes famous - not the author of it.
Books are the only group that will break this trend with any kind of regularity. There are a few authors that can make a splash with their name (Crichton - may he rest in peace) and who write often unique/independent works. Though even then, the 'popularity' is often where the title of the work comes before the author. It is just that with books, people pay a bit more attention to the author - where as most people can't tell you who draws/authors cartoons.
Take Batman, for example. Who created it? Very little people know. But everyone knows who batman is and what he is about.
Superman? Same deal.
What about most people who watch/read Naruto?
One Piece?
Evangelion?
The works take on independent lives from the author, in most cases. While the author may need some clout to get publisher backing - it is not the author (or, often, even the publisher) that creates the popularity. It is the work that creates its own popularity and only need its presence be known.
A perfect example of this is Star Wars.
[video=youtube;ABcXyZn9xjg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABcXyZn9xjg[/video]
