# Comics  > Image Comics >  OFFICIAL Top Cow Talent Hunt 2015 Discussion Thread

## CBR News

Hello!

This thread will serve as the Top Cow-sanctioned official discussion thread for all matters relating to Talent Hunt 2015. Feel free to discuss your submissions with your fellow participants, or ask questions of Top Cow President and COO Matt Hawkins -- who will stop by this thread periodically as time allows.

Full rules, submission agreement and sample scripts are available for download here.

Thanks, have fun, and good luck!

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## Bevan

Previous talent hunts have included particular guidelines about the format of the story, such as it being a story told of a past Darkness or Witchblade wielder or the tale of a minor artifact wielder after reality was rewritten. I don't see any such story guidelines this time. Does that mean that we have free reign to tell any kind of story we wish as long as we restrict ourselves to the particular characters on the list?

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## hotroddii

Does the link work for anyone?  

Computer says "NO" to me :-(

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## Pauul

> Previous talent hunts have included particular guidelines about the format of the story, such as it being a story told of a past Darkness or Witchblade wielder or the tale of a minor artifact wielder after reality was rewritten. I don't see any such story guidelines this time. Does that mean that we have free reign to tell any kind of story we wish as long as we restrict ourselves to the particular characters on the list?


According to the pdf (click the link in the article to download) we can use any character; past, present or future.

Also, along with the Artifact characters (Witchblade, The Darkness, The Angelus, Tom Judge etc) we can use any characters featured in the 2012 - 2014 versions of Cyber Force and Aphrodite XI.

My question for Matt is... does this mean characters from earlier versions of Cyber Force and Aphrodite XI cannot be included? Obviously, these characters are no longer in continuity, but can we reinvent characters from the previous series and use these new versions of them?

Now, time to do some research and formulate some ideas.

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## adamsoandso

> According to the pdf (click the link in the article to download) we can use any character; past, present or future.


Actually, Pauul, it says you can use only those characters listed but past, present, or future VERSIONS of them are allowed. Not any character at all. Still a pretty big list.

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## flashparker

The pdf doesn't specify how many sequential pages should be submitted by artists. Is there a specific amount or range?

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## jmo

Hey Matt, have a question, for artists, do we need to draw the full script or just certain amount of pages?, also, in case an artist participate in another contest, lets say in the spawn fan art contest and he win, does that makes him unable to participate in the talent hunt?

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## Pauul

> Does the link work for anyone?
> 
> Computer says "NO" to me :-(


I'm not having any trouble downloading, but here is some of the information included in the document.




> Actually, Pauul, it says you can use only those characters listed but past, present, or future VERSIONS of them are allowed. Not any character at all. Still a pretty big list.


While Cyber Force and Aphrodite XI are specific characters, the thirteen Artifacts have had multiple bearers.

Unless you thought I meant any characters at all? Then yes, it does say they need to be Top Cow Universe characters. No Batman, Superman etc.

As with the last Talent Hunt, you can create original characters to feature in the story but you are discouraged from doing so as your script will be considered derivative work and thus, Top Cow will take ownership of said characters.

You're also encouraged to focus on a single character.

The list of characters that can be used are;

Witchblade
The Darkness
The Angelus
Heart Stone
Wheel of Shadows
Coin of Solomon
Ember Stone
Pandora's Box
The Glacier Stone
Spear of Destiny
The Thirteenth Artifact
The Rapture
The Blood Sword
Aphrodite XI
Cyber Force

Script should be twenty-two pages long, no synopsis to be submitted.

There are sample scripts included for artists, but obviously I can't re-post those here. However, if you're a writer and are having trouble downloading, that should be enough to go on for the moment. The pdf is pretty similar to the previous versions of the Talent Hunt. If anything, we just have more freedom.

Yeah, that's a lot of characters. I'm somewhat overwhelmed with all that we can choose from. This should be a lot of fun, though.

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## Harry Koverr

The rules about which "characters" we can use are a little confusing.  At one point the PDF says that any submissions that feature *"those characters [listed] AND other characters not on the list will not be reviewed and their submission will be disregarded."* Taken literally, this would suggest that there can't be supporting characters in the script that are not existing Top Cow characters included in the list given. Can this actually be what is meant, or am I taking this too literally? (When the rules say that violations of the rules won't even be reviewed, and will be thrown away, it makes me want to make sure I understand the rules properly!)

Then later it says *"In past years I've been asked if writers can create new characters. Yes you can do this but you are STRONGLY encouraged NOT to."* Now this, taken literally, not only seems to give permission (even if it's discouraged) for "new" supporting characters, but it could even be taken to mean "new" LEAD characters. And yet that would contradict the rule that only characters from the list can be used.

A further source of confusion is that "artifacts" are being called "characters". Obviously a past or future bearer of an ARTIFACT as is probably a new CHARACTER--in fact, IIRC, last year we were _supposed_ to make up a "new" past or future bearer of one of the artifacts. That's certainly what I did. And yet other people in this thread are saying things like *"As with the last Talent Hunt, you can create original characters to feature in the story but you are discouraged from doing so..."* This makes me wonder if I misunderstood the guidelines last year. Were we strongly discouraged from creating original CHARACTERS (not ARTIFACTS)? I thought we were _supposed_ to create original _characters_ using existing _artifacts_.

I'm not trying to seem difficult here, I just find that there are a lot of nuances here to keep track of, and the use of "characters" and "artifacts" as interchangeable terms doesn't help.

I just want to make sure my entry isn't discarded without even being looked at. At this point I'm not even 100% sure that isn't what happened last year.

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## AlexThompson

Will there be another major discount at the Top Cow store for those seeking research material?  I think last time the code was "TAL3NT14" and ran from Sept to Nov?

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## Harry Koverr

Another question. Last year someone asked in the forums if we are allowed to submit more than one submission. At first the answer given was "no", and then this was retracted and changed to "yes". I've just looked through the guidelines for this year and can't seem to find this addressed, so I'm wondering if multiple submissions are allowed again this year.

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## prismablue

Do artists need to work from a sample script?

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## Javia

Couple of questions. How many pages are we allow to summit? How many time can we summit work? Whats the deadline?
I already downloaded the documents and I didn't see any info on those questions.

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## Shawnmilazzo

*Dear Top Cow Team, I was wondering if I could use parallel realities for my writers submission.* I see that the rules are "We've decided to open it up a bit this year and your submission can feature any present, past, or future versions of the Top Cow Universe characters using 13 Artifacts from this list or any of the characters featured in the 2012-2014 publications of Aphrodite IX or Cyber Force." *But was wondering if a parallel universe could be allowed? Specifically a past use of an artifact with a new character set in a parallel world.*

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## Andrew1

Hello, for the sample scripts for the artists to work from, most of these are full length scripts, except for Artifacts 6 which is 6 pages and Artifacts 8 which is 10 pages. Were there page ranges for the others you guys had in mind but got missed or are you waiting to see how many people hand in something that's not Artifacts 6?

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## hotroddii

Thanks so much Pauul ... I really appreciated that :-)

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## Pauul

> A further source of confusion is that "artifacts" are being called "characters". Obviously a past or future bearer of an ARTIFACT as is probably a new CHARACTER--in fact, IIRC, last year we were supposed to make up a "new" past or future bearer of one of the artifacts. That's certainly what I did. And yet other people in this thread are saying things like "As with the last Talent Hunt, you can create original characters to feature in the story but you are discouraged from doing so..." This makes me wonder if I misunderstood the guidelines last year. Were we strongly discouraged from creating original CHARACTERS (not ARTIFACTS)? I thought we were supposed to create original characters using existing artifacts.


I used an existing historical character last year, but yeah, I've taken it to mean that you can create a new past or future bearer... they just need to be the bearer of an existing Artifact.

The main reason that new characters were discouraged last year (and again this year) is because Top Cow would assume the rights to the character. And this is something a new creator might not be aware of or want. And, obviously, Top Cow doesn't want creators claiming that their characters have been stolen. This is why it has been made so clear.

Personally, I wouldn't use any characters that I've previously created and want to hold onto. But I would create a new character if I came up with one for a story set in the Top Cow Universe that demanded that a new character be created. I wouldn't be worried about Top Cow having the rights to such a character because I would've created said character for the Top Cow Universe.




> The rules about which "characters" we can use are a little confusing. At one point the PDF says that any submissions that feature "those characters [listed] AND other characters not on the list will not be reviewed and their submission will be disregarded." Taken literally, this would suggest that there can't be supporting characters in the script that are not existing Top Cow characters included in the list given. Can this actually be what is meant, or am I taking this too literally? (When the rules say that violations of the rules won't even be reviewed, and will be thrown away, it makes me want to make sure I understand the rules properly!)


I think they are referring to characters like Batman here. Like, say, if you were to write a Darkness/Batman crossover. That wouldn't be allowed. The stories need to be based on these characters (and by these 'characters' they mean bearers of the Artifacts, pre-existing or newly created), not other existing properties or entirely new properties.

So, you can create a new character if they are the bearer of an Artifact or a cyborg existing alongside Cyber Force but not an entirely new concept.

That would be my interpretation, anyway.




> Couple of questions. How many pages are we allow to summit? How many time can we summit work? Whats the deadline?
> I already downloaded the documents and I didn't see any info on those questions.


It says it's a twenty-two page script (although, this usually results in more actual pages being written as part of a word document).

I don't know if we're allowed multiple entries or not this year, although it has been allowed in previous years. If you're referring to a single entry, they'll only want the final finished document. Only submit it once, if you're unsure and think you might want to rewrite it, wait until the deadline to submit.

The Talent Hunt will run 10/15/14 to 03/15/15 (or 15/10/14 to 15/03/15, if you're British like I am  :Stick Out Tongue: ). That means we have until the 15th of March next year.

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## jamesmmo

> Do artists need to work from a sample script?


I am very confused about this as well.  In fact, I understand how to submit a comic script..so if I wanted to submit for writing I am all set, that is all well explained.  Unfortunately, I wanted to submit as an artist/penciller and after reading the rules I still have no idea what I am supposed to be doing?  I cannot open any of the samples scripts.  Can anyone let me know what to use?  I tried using Adobe and Windows Doc and neither worked.  Am I supposed to pick one of these scripts to draw from?  Do I just make up my own Witchblade story and draw that?  And do I have to include the script I wrote?  Very confused and I have no idea how to start this at all.  How many pages??

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## Harry Koverr

> I think they are referring to characters like Batman here. Like, say, if you were to write a Darkness/Batman crossover. That wouldn't be allowed. The stories need to be based on these characters (and by these 'characters' they mean bearers of the Artifacts, pre-existing or newly created), not other existing properties or entirely new properties.
> 
> So, you can create a new character if they are the bearer of an Artifact or a cyborg existing alongside Cyber Force but not an entirely new concept.
> 
> That would be my interpretation, anyway.


What makes me nervous is that we should have to _interpret_ the rules at all, since a _mis_interpretation would result in disqualification.

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## jamesmmo

So

1. How do I open the sample scripts? What type of app/program do I need?
2.  I want to send in pencils/art.  What script am I supposed to be referencing? Do I just pick any one I want out of those made available (which I still have to figure out how to open)
3. How many pages do they want us to submit?  What is the minimum? What is the maximum?

The rules basically spend most of their time telling you to only use certain characters and not to use original characters that aren't background civilians, etc.  but other than that....I have no idea what we are supposed to be doing???

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## Pauul

> What makes me nervous is that we should have to interpret the rules at all, since a misinterpretation would result in disqualification.


To quote 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' - "Don't Panic!"

The people at Top Cow aren't trying to catch anyone out. They're doing this to give new writers an opportunity, not to trip them up. They're not going to be looking for ways to disqualify anyone. If you write a really awesome story, then they're going to want to publish it.

Just use common sense. No world changing events, nothing that will disrupt Top Cow's current plans for their titles etc and don't use characters which Top Cow don't own (DC Comics own Batman, so Top Cow won't be able to publish a story that has Batman in it. Common sense). Create a story based on one of their existing concepts, as listed.

As for the new character thing, I can say with absolute certainty what they're worried about is a writer putting a character into a story that they don't want to lose the rights to. That is why that warning is there and for no other reason. That involves a lot of hassle for both parties, which is what they want to avoid.

If Top Cow were going to disqualify people for creating new characters, then they wouldn't give people the option of creating new characters. This is purely about you giving up the rights to any new characters you create.

That, and, you should be creating a story based on a Top Cow property. Yeah, you can create new characters, but they don't want you to create a story where we see the Coin of Solomon for a single panel and then the rest is something entirely of your own invention. If you write an Artifacts story, make it an Artifacts story. If you write a Cyber Force story, make it a Cyber Force story.

Again, most of this is common sense, and things most people would do anyway. They're just spelling things out to avoid potential problems in the future.

You can put a new character in, just be aware that Top Cow will own that character, should they choose to publish your story. If you're cool with that, then use new characters. If not, then stick to the characters Top Cow have already created. There are plenty to choose from.

This is an amazing opportunity Top Cow is giving everyone. Yeah, you should take all the rules on board but once you've done that, stop worrying and just focus on writing the most fantastic story you can.

I'm sure Matt will be on in the next few days to answer questions. Based on what I remember from the previous Talent Hunts though, I'm pretty sure most of what I've said is right. There were pretty similar questions at the start of the previous Talent Hunts too. Hopefully my memory isn't too far off, and I've at least been a little bit helpful  :Smile:

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## nebezial

Pauul pretty much covers it  :Smile:

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## Brian83

> So
> 
> 1. How do I open the sample scripts? What type of app/program do I need?
> 2.  I want to send in pencils/art.  What script am I supposed to be referencing? Do I just pick any one I want out of those made available (which I still have to figure out how to open)
> 3. How many pages do they want us to submit?  What is the minimum? What is the maximum?
> 
> The rules basically spend most of their time telling you to only use certain characters and not to use original characters that aren't background civilians, etc.  but other than that....I have no idea what we are supposed to be doing???


1. If you're having trouble downloading the files, you need an app to unzip it. If you're using an iPhone or iPad, then download one from the App Store. I used FileApp. It's 99 cents.

2. If you're drawing from the script (which I highly recommend ) then draw all pages within that specific script. There are plenty of scripts to choose from. Coming up with your own story to illustrate might not be the best thing to do. I would just stick with the sample scripts. I particularly like scripts written by Ron Marz. He's very clear in what is going on panel to panel. The Cyber Force script is great also which is written by Silvestri especially because it's short and it's all up to you on creating the environments and camera angles. Which is helpful if you get hooked up with a writer that is not so detailed.

3. If you're drawing from the sample scripts then draw however many pages are in that script. If the script has 12 pages to draw then draw 12 pages. Every script is different. The sample scripts will test you on your storytelling as well as camera angles, perspective etc. so every script is different and contain a different amount of pages to draw. So I suggest you find one that will really show your strengths.

I was fortunate enough to receive a runner up for artist last year and had almost the same exact questions as everyone here. I'd bug Matt on Facebook and Twitter all the time.

Good luck!

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## jamesmmo

> 1. If you're having trouble downloading the files, you need an app to unzip it. If you're using an iPhone or iPad, then download one from the App Store. I used FileApp. It's 99 cents.
> 
> 2. If you're drawing from the script (which I highly recommend ) then draw all pages within that specific script. There are plenty of scripts to choose from. Coming up with your own story to illustrate might not be the best thing to do. I would just stick with the sample scripts. I particularly like scripts written by Ron Marz. He's very clear in what is going on panel to panel. The Cyber Force script is great also which is written by Silvestri especially because it's short and it's all up to you on creating the environments and camera angles. Which is helpful if you get hooked up with a writer that is not so detailed.
> 
> 3. If you're drawing from the sample scripts then draw however many pages are in that script. If the script has 12 pages to draw then draw 12 pages. Every script is different. The sample scripts will test you on your storytelling as well as camera angles, perspective etc. so every script is different and contain a different amount of pages to draw. So I suggest you find one that will really show your strengths.
> 
> I was fortunate enough to receive a runner up for artist last year and had almost the same exact questions as everyone here. I'd bug Matt on Facebook and Twitter all the time.
> 
> Good luck!


Thankyou Brian.  That answers my questions on what to reference perfectly.  However, I have the download file unzipped and can read the rules and regulations and contact through adobe.  It is only the document files...the scripts, the word docs...that I cannot open.  But they are not zipped.  So I am a bit confused still.  I am also using a laptop Toshiba.  I have WinRAR.  So I have extracted all of the word documents scripts but I still cannot open them with windows doc.  Would Epub or CeltX work???

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## Temujin

about deadline: Top Cow's Talent Hunt opens today, and runs through March 15.

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## Brian83

Hmmm, not real sure. If they're unzipped then the scripts in the folder should open in Word. ePub should open it as well. Maybe try re-downloading the zip file and doing it again. Sorry, I'd be more helpful if I had the laptop in front of me.

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## Qithos

The script for Witchblade 134 has a few words missing from the script.

Page 7 of the word doc but Page 6 of the comic, Panel 5, line 3: Sara is examining the ...?

Page 8 of the word doc but Page 7 of the comic, Panel 3, line 2: Gleason gestures toward or points to the ...?

That's all I found so far.

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## theMASman

> 1. 
> 
> 2. If you're drawing from the script (which I highly recommend ) then draw all pages within that specific script. There are plenty of scripts to choose from.



Given that there's a good amount of scripts to choose from, I'm sticking to what will work with my style best and going for the Witchblade one since I'm more familiar with those characters anyway. Having said such, that particular sample script is 21 pages long. From here until the deadline that's more than ample enough time to crank out 21 pages of pencils....which is roughly a full comic anyway. But if I chose that particular script, will ALL 21 pages need to be penciled and submitted?.... or will a portion/maybe half of that will suffice? Everything else seems pretty clear I just wanted to know so I wont be disqualified or looked over.

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## ksayed

First, thank you guys so much for hosting these talent hunts, it means everything to us little guys that you give us these opportunities. Second, and I'm not sure if this is a stupid question or not, I did read that the files need to be sent as PDF or in Final Draft files, but when I was looking at references to study from publicly posted scripts(from the link provided), will you accept scripts sent in using/looking like the scripting format from Final Draft? with the dialogue centered in the middle of the page? Or do they have to be done EXACTLY like how the formats are shown from the links you provided?

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## Temujin

Iam in the mood to draw a Darkness centered story, any suggestions which script I should read first?

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## Brian83

> Given that there's a good amount of scripts to choose from, I'm sticking to what will work with my style best and going for the Witchblade one since I'm more familiar with those characters anyway. Having said such, that particular sample script is 21 pages long. From here until the deadline that's more than ample enough time to crank out 21 pages of pencils....which is roughly a full comic anyway. But if I chose that particular script, will ALL 21 pages need to be penciled and submitted?.... or will a portion/maybe half of that will suffice? Everything else seems pretty clear I just wanted to know so I wont be disqualified or looked over.


Yes. Submit all 21 pages of it. But let's just say things in your life kinda slow you down or get in the way and you're approaching the deadline, I would still submit anyway if you didn't complete all 21 pages

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## Stampy

Hey there, I'm new to the CBR forum. If any penciller is looking for an inker for their submissions to the Top Cow Talent hunt, I've got a Dropbox link below with a pdf. document with my ink samples. If anyone likes what they see and would be interested in a collaboration, email me. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/liz0bshewv...0inks.pdf?dl=0

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## Arju

Hello to all , I'm a new entry .

For pencillers  : I have afraid to did not understand  how many pages we have to draw for the contest if 1 compleate script or just some pages from one of them, ( and ìf, how many)  

Thank you!

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## ertitomontana

Hi, 

Sorry to insist on this point but then I can submit the sequential art of the script  "ARTIFACTS Chapter 6" that it have only 6 pages?

Thanks

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## astrakhan

Can I just say kudos to Top Cow for releasing a Witchblade guidebook the day the talent search link went live? I know nothing about the Top Cow universe to be honest, but I'm a writer who'd like to give it a shot, so that Case Files issue and the Top Cow bible should hopefully be enough to give me a head start.

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## afrankjr

Hi Matt,

This will be my third Talent Hunt. One thing I've been very curious about is continuity; have the winners' submissions chronologically fit in the timelines of their respective books? Or have their submissions just earned them the opportunity to write a new issue within the timeline? I've been trying to kind of balance the two, and I'm not sure which way to lean continuity-wise, between timeline-sensitive and completely isolated.

Thanks for any answer you can give.

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## Samy Stop

Hi everyone
How much pages pencillers have to draw ?

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## Arden Belfry

Thank you Top Cow and CBR, this is a great opportunity.

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## Bevan

> According to the pdf (click the link in the article to download) we can use any character; past, present or future.


Yes, I did notice that part. My question was not about what characters we can use but whether there were any restrictions with regards to the plot and flow of the story. Talent Hunt 2013 had very particular guidelines on what sort of story we should tell, while this one does not appear to have any guidelines about the story (outside of what characters we can use). I just wanted to double-check if that were true and that I hadn't missed anything important.

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## mhawkins

> The pdf doesn't specify how many sequential pages should be submitted by artists. Is there a specific amount or range?


8 pages minimum of sequential work.  That was in the PDF might have been cropped out, sorry about that.

Matt

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## mhawkins

> I am very confused about this as well.  In fact, I understand how to submit a comic script..so if I wanted to submit for writing I am all set, that is all well explained.  Unfortunately, I wanted to submit as an artist/penciller and after reading the rules I still have no idea what I am supposed to be doing?  I cannot open any of the samples scripts.  Can anyone let me know what to use?  I tried using Adobe and Windows Doc and neither worked.  Am I supposed to pick one of these scripts to draw from?  Do I just make up my own Witchblade story and draw that?  And do I have to include the script I wrote?  Very confused and I have no idea how to start this at all.  How many pages??


Yes, artists need to work from one of the provided sample scripts.  The sole exception is if an artist teams up with a writer FOR the Talent Hunt and they illustrate 8 pages of that Talent Hunt script.  If this is done, both need to submit together and both submissions should indicate that this is what was done.

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## mhawkins

> Hi everyone
> How much pages pencillers have to draw ?


8 pages of sequential art

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## mhawkins

> Yes. Submit all 21 pages of it. But let's just say things in your life kinda slow you down or get in the way and you're approaching the deadline, I would still submit anyway if you didn't complete all 21 pages


Again, sorry this got dropped out of the PDF but it's a minimum of 8 pages.  That's roughly a page and a half a month.

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## mhawkins

> I used an existing historical character last year, but yeah, I've taken it to mean that you can create a new past or future bearer... they just need to be the bearer of an existing Artifact.
> 
> The main reason that new characters were discouraged last year (and again this year) is because Top Cow would assume the rights to the character. And this is something a new creator might not be aware of or want. And, obviously, Top Cow doesn't want creators claiming that their characters have been stolen. This is why it has been made so clear.
> 
> Personally, I wouldn't use any characters that I've previously created and want to hold onto. But I would create a new character if I came up with one for a story set in the Top Cow Universe that demanded that a new character be created. I wouldn't be worried about Top Cow having the rights to such a character because I would've created said character for the Top Cow Universe.
> 
> 
> 
> I think they are referring to characters like Batman here. Like, say, if you were to write a Darkness/Batman crossover. That wouldn't be allowed. The stories need to be based on these characters (and by these 'characters' they mean bearers of the Artifacts, pre-existing or newly created), not other existing properties or entirely new properties.
> ...


This was added as a response to people asking me why they could NOT create new characters. In the first year we specifically forbade it because why give away your own creations?  You can't use characters from other companies.  Our preference would be you use the existing characters.  I added this last year specifically by request. I would not do it.  No way I'd create new characters for a company on a pure work-for-hire basis, but that's me.  Some people don't care.  I just want it to be clear that if someone DOES create a new bearer for the Witchblade and that person DOES win then they are giving Top Cow that character as part of the rules of the contest.  I think the language might have been me trying to be too clear which made it confusing.  Sorry about that.

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## mhawkins

I will be on here probably 3-4 times a week between now and the end of the contest (5 months).  I'm new to the boards so I'm not sure if there is an email system within it, but I may not check that right away so post here and Ryan or I will find it.  I'm not sure yet what Ryan Cady's log in is, but he'll chime in.  Thanks all for participating and good luck!

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## mhawkins

> Hi Matt,
> 
> This will be my third Talent Hunt. One thing I've been very curious about is continuity; have the winners' submissions chronologically fit in the timelines of their respective books? Or have their submissions just earned them the opportunity to write a new issue within the timeline? I've been trying to kind of balance the two, and I'm not sure which way to lean continuity-wise, between timeline-sensitive and completely isolated.
> 
> Thanks for any answer you can give.


We've been lenient on this.  If something dramatically counters continuity we've dropped it in the no pile.  My best suggestion would be to do something easy, a story based on character and a single plot point or two.  Keep it simple.  I really liked the Artifacts 39 story from the last year's Talent Hunt.  That winner wrote a bedtime story where Jackie told Hope about the first Darkness bearer.  At the end of it when she asked if that was true, he said nope, he made it all up.  That's in Jackie's character, kind of funny and works well as a one shot story.  Nominal nods to continuity or storylines of the comics is good, but don't do anything earth shattering.  Don't blow up a city, kill a major character, do something that we'd have to explain in the regular books.  The only two you really need to worry aboutthat with are Aphodite IX and Witchblade.  There aren't regular publications of the others.

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## Andrew1

> 8 pages minimum of sequential work.  That was in the PDF might have been cropped out, sorry about that.
> 
> Matt


Hey Matt, thanks for the clarifications on artist's pages to draw/paint. (8 pages minimum) It's very cool that you're taking the time to run this contest, I really appreciate it!

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## flashparker

> 8 pages minimum of sequential work.  That was in the PDF might have been cropped out, sorry about that.
> 
> Matt


Thanks Matt!

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## Top Cow Ryan

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to step in and introduce myself. My name is Ryan Cady, and I'm the Editorial Assistant here at Top Cow! Basically, I write the articles for the website, I help edit all the books, etc. - additionally, I'll be assisting Matt and Marc in all aspects of the Hunt itself - so stay on my good side! (Just kidding. Mostly.) I'll be checking in on this discussion fairly regularly to answer your questions and ensure that discussion is going swimmingly. I'll be going through and answering all of the previous questions, as well, so never fear - answers are here!

I should be getting ADMIN flair at any moment, but until then, proof that this is really me and not an elaborate attempt at trolling is on my Twitter account: @rycady. 

I'm more than happy to interact with all of you on Twitter/other social network sites (I'll probably make a few Talent Hunt-related announcements on Twitter as well as on this forum), but let's try to keep all of the Talent Hunt-related questions to the this forum. It'll keep everything together, and undoubtedly, if you have a question, someone else probably has the same one, so we're killing two birds with one stone. Additionally, if you happen to have the email for any members of the Top Cow crew, PLEASE do not email us your questions (or spread our email addresses around). For the same reason, as well as keeping our email clutter down. 

Okay, that's it for all the rules and regulations - let's get on to the fun stuff!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

*ANNOUNCEMENT #1:*

_Artists_
If you were planning on drawing the Cyberforce for your submission, you might want to redownload the scripts/rules! The script in that bundle was mainly lettering, and not really conducive to an art submission. 

We've reuploaded the script bundle to now include the original plot script for Cyberforce #1, which is definitely what you should be working from.

Apologies!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Previous talent hunts have included particular guidelines about the format of the story, such as it being a story told of a past Darkness or Witchblade wielder or the tale of a minor artifact wielder after reality was rewritten. I don't see any such story guidelines this time. Does that mean that we have free reign to tell any kind of story we wish as long as we restrict ourselves to the particular characters on the list?


Essentially, yes! This is your opportunity to tell a self-contained story within the Top Cow Universe. Matt's advice on creating new characters (be wary) and messing with continuity (usually a bad idea) within the rules are the best advice we can give concerning what story you'll tell.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> The rules about which "characters" we can use are a little confusing.  At one point the PDF says that any submissions that feature *"those characters [listed] AND other characters not on the list will not be reviewed and their submission will be disregarded."* Taken literally, this would suggest that there can't be supporting characters in the script that are not existing Top Cow characters included in the list given. Can this actually be what is meant, or am I taking this too literally? (When the rules say that violations of the rules won't even be reviewed, and will be thrown away, it makes me want to make sure I understand the rules properly!)
> 
> Then later it says *"In past years I've been asked if writers can create new characters. Yes you can do this but you are STRONGLY encouraged NOT to."* Now this, taken literally, not only seems to give permission (even if it's discouraged) for "new" supporting characters, but it could even be taken to mean "new" LEAD characters. And yet that would contradict the rule that only characters from the list can be used.
> 
> A further source of confusion is that "artifacts" are being called "characters". Obviously a past or future bearer of an ARTIFACT as is probably a new CHARACTER--in fact, IIRC, last year we were _supposed_ to make up a "new" past or future bearer of one of the artifacts. That's certainly what I did. And yet other people in this thread are saying things like *"As with the last Talent Hunt, you can create original characters to feature in the story but you are discouraged from doing so..."* This makes me wonder if I misunderstood the guidelines last year. Were we strongly discouraged from creating original CHARACTERS (not ARTIFACTS)? I thought we were _supposed_ to create original _characters_ using existing _artifacts_.
> 
> I'm not trying to seem difficult here, I just find that there are a lot of nuances here to keep track of, and the use of "characters" and "artifacts" as interchangeable terms doesn't help.
> 
> I just want to make sure my entry isn't discarded without even being looked at. At this point I'm not even 100% sure that isn't what happened last year.


Fret not. You ARE taking things a tad too literally. I see other members have effectively answered your questions, but I also wanted to reassure you - *NO* entires were discarded without being looked at. I read through every single one of them.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Another question. Last year someone asked in the forums if we are allowed to submit more than one submission. At first the answer given was "no", and then this was retracted and changed to "yes". I've just looked through the guidelines for this year and can't seem to find this addressed, so I'm wondering if multiple submissions are allowed again this year.


It's not against the rules, but I wouldn't say it really increases your chances of winning.

Personally, I'd say to focus on making one really solid submission that will stand out above the rest.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> *Dear Top Cow Team, I was wondering if I could use parallel realities for my writers submission.* I see that the rules are "We've decided to open it up a bit this year and your submission can feature any present, past, or future versions of the Top Cow Universe characters using 13 Artifacts from this list or any of the characters featured in the 2012-2014 publications of Aphrodite IX or Cyber Force." *But was wondering if a parallel universe could be allowed? Specifically a past use of an artifact with a new character set in a parallel world.*


I would *STRONGLY* advise against something that intricate, Shawn. Especially since in our continuity we haven't really explored parallel realities all that much.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> I used an existing historical character last year, but yeah, I've taken it to mean that you can create a new past or future bearer... they just need to be the bearer of an existing Artifact.
> 
> The main reason that new characters were discouraged last year (and again this year) is because Top Cow would assume the rights to the character. And this is something a new creator might not be aware of or want. And, obviously, Top Cow doesn't want creators claiming that their characters have been stolen. This is why it has been made so clear.
> 
> Personally, I wouldn't use any characters that I've previously created and want to hold onto. But I would create a new character if I came up with one for a story set in the Top Cow Universe that demanded that a new character be created. I wouldn't be worried about Top Cow having the rights to such a character because I would've created said character for the Top Cow Universe.
> 
> 
> 
> I think they are referring to characters like Batman here. Like, say, if you were to write a Darkness/Batman crossover. That wouldn't be allowed. The stories need to be based on these characters (and by these 'characters' they mean bearers of the Artifacts, pre-existing or newly created), not other existing properties or entirely new properties.
> ...


Pauul gets it.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Can I just say kudos to Top Cow for releasing a Witchblade guidebook the day the talent search link went live? I know nothing about the Top Cow universe to be honest, but I'm a writer who'd like to give it a shot, so that Case Files issue and the Top Cow bible should hopefully be enough to give me a head start.


Kudos to YOU for picking up Case Files. Vince and I worked really hard on that book and it means a lot to us that people want to read it, fortuitous timing aside.

Good luck with the Talent Hunt!

----------


## Marko Svraka

Hi.
Just checking if it is all right to submit digital pencils/inks.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi.
> Just checking if it is all right to submit digital pencils/inks.


Of course! Send 'em on over!

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## Subt1e

I'm thinking about writing and drawing a "Cyber Force" story, but using the original incarnation of the group not the new version.
I would include both the script and obviously the penciled art. Just making sure that would be all right...

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## Top Cow Ryan

> I'm thinking about writing and drawing a "Cyber Force" story, but using the original incarnation of the group not the new version.
> I would include both the script and obviously the penciled art. Just making sure that would be all right...


Subt1e, I'm afraid that for art submissions, we're only considering submissions based on the scripts we sent out in the rules zip.

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## Temujin

I have a question. Is it ok if I pick pages from more than one script. For exampe 5 pages from the Witchblade sample script, the 5 pages from the Cyber Force script and then 5 pages from a writer (Colaboration) who is also going the talent hunt? And then send these 15 pages as single submission?

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## Top Cow Ryan

> I have a question. Is it ok if I pick pages from more than one script. For exampe 5 pages from the Witchblade sample script, the 5 pages from the Cyber Force script and then 5 pages from a writer (Colaboration) who is also going the talent hunt? And then send these 15 pages as single submission?


Hi Temujin,

As for including multiple story submissions, well, we need at least 8 sequential pages from the same story.  If you'd like to do 8 of several that's fine but we HAVE to have 8 pages of the same story, to accurately gauge consistent and varied storytelling on our terms.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

*ANNOUNCEMENT #2:*

Hi all - quick note. I may have personally given some false information in replies to a couple folks.

We ARE allowing artists and writers to team up - if you want to write a 22 page script and have your artist buddy draw at least 8 pages of it, that's A-OKAY. Just remember - at least 8 sequential pages per story.

Sorry for any confusion caused on my part!

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## Subt1e

> Subt1e, I'm afraid that for art submissions, we're only considering submissions based on the scripts we sent out in the rules zip.





> *ANNOUNCEMENT #2:*
> 
> Hi all - quick note. I may have personally given some false information in replies to a couple folks.
> 
> We ARE allowing artists and writers to team up - if you want to write a 22 page script and have your artist buddy draw at least 8 pages of it, that's A-OKAY. Just remember - at least 8 sequential pages per story.
> 
> Sorry for any confusion caused on my part!


So, I can write and draw my own submission then?

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## Temujin

> *ANNOUNCEMENT #2:*
> 
> Hi all - quick note. I may have personally given some false information in replies to a couple folks.
> 
> We ARE allowing artists and writers to team up - if you want to write a 22 page script and have your artist buddy draw at least 8 pages of it, that's A-OKAY. Just remember - at least 8 sequential pages per story.
> 
> Sorry for any confusion caused on my part!


Awesome and thanks for answering so fast!

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## Temujin

> So, I can write and draw my own submission then?


As I understand it only if you are also submiting as an artist and writer following the rules of both

----------


## afrankjr

> We've been lenient on this.  If something dramatically counters continuity we've dropped it in the no pile.  My best suggestion would be to do something easy, a story based on character and a single plot point or two.  Keep it simple.  I really liked the Artifacts 39 story from the last year's Talent Hunt.  That winner wrote a bedtime story where Jackie told Hope about the first Darkness bearer.  At the end of it when she asked if that was true, he said nope, he made it all up.  That's in Jackie's character, kind of funny and works well as a one shot story.  Nominal nods to continuity or storylines of the comics is good, but don't do anything earth shattering.  Don't blow up a city, kill a major character, do something that we'd have to explain in the regular books.  The only two you really need to worry aboutthat with are Aphodite IX and Witchblade.  There aren't regular publications of the others.



Thanks very much for the response! And yeah, that is a great one shot idea...shame I didn't think of it XD

----------


## Lightningmax

Thank you for this opportunity.  I am a big fan of some artists, so I have some reference books -- HunterKiller/Cyberforce, Cyberforce Mini... Is there a reference series or book(s) that lists the heights of the characters? Relative size charts?  I remember reading the Witchblade Characters' heights somewhere -- but I can't recall where and some characters I am less familiar with like the Artifact bearers. Thank you in advance.

----------


## Carmdq

@mhawkins @Top Cow Ryan. Hi, I'm going through the Withcblade #134 script and I'm confused about the following: 

-In page 6, panel 5 it reads: "...as he turns to look deeper in the panel, where Sara is examining *the*." What is she examining? 
-In page 7, panel 3 it reads: "Gleason gestures toward or points to *the*" What is he pointing at? 

English is not my mother tongue, but it seems there's some text missing on those lines. Can you clarify? 

Thanks.

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## Temujin

> @mhawkins @Top Cow Ryan. Hi, I'm going through the Withcblade #134 script and I'm confused about the following: 
> 
> -In page 6, panel 5 it reads: "...as he turns to look deeper in the panel, where Sara is examining *the*." What is she examining? 
> -In page 7, panel 3 it reads: "Gleason gestures toward or points to *the*" What is he pointing at? 
> 
> English is not my mother tongue, but it seems there's some text missing on those lines. Can you clarify? 
> 
> Thanks.


Answer from Ron Marz at Twitter:

...as he turns to look deeper in the panel, where Sara is examining the... *THE BATTERED DOOR*!!!!


...Gleason gestures toward or points to *the*" What is he pointing at...
*JUST STRIKE THE LAST SENTENCE!*

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## RamblingBeachCat

So I have to be honest...I'm not terribly familiar with much of the source material  :Frown: 

Is there particularly a good place to start for a relative newcomer to Top Cow properties?

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## Temujin

Maybe Tom Judge is a good beginner Character.  http://www.comicvine.com/tom-judge/4005-52130/
He has not so many appearances (His own Universe mini series and Artifacts are a good point to start)

Another good start is Cyber Force rebirth (it is a reboot of the series and only 10 issues to read)

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## Top Cow Ryan

> So, I can write and draw my own submission then?


Yes, I was mistaken when I said you couldn't.

Just be sure to submit both the script as a writer, and the art as an artist (obviously).

----------


## Eva

Hi, I want to team up with some people as a colourist. So please let me know if you want a colourist.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Thank you for this opportunity.  I am a big fan of some artists, so I have some reference books -- HunterKiller/Cyberforce, Cyberforce Mini... Is there a reference series or book(s) that lists the heights of the characters? Relative size charts?  I remember reading the Witchblade Characters' heights somewhere -- but I can't recall where and some characters I am less familiar with like the Artifact bearers. Thank you in advance.


Those MIGHT be in the Top Cow Bible. That's the only book I can think of that would have such a list/comparison.

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## Temujin

Maybe Iam interested to team up with an Inker and a Colorist. You can find my work in my profile (go to hompage).

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## A76

Hi, as to future Witchblade bearers: I'd like to know if the rights of Takeru (from the manga) and Masane Amaha (from the anime) characters are with Top Cow and are thus usable.
It's not a problem if they're not, just narrowing down options.
Thanks in advance.

----------


## Carmdq

> Answer from Ron Marz at Twitter:
> 
> ...as he turns to look deeper in the panel, where Sara is examining the... *THE BATTERED DOOR*!!!!
> 
> 
> ...Gleason gestures toward or points to *the*" What is he pointing at...
> *JUST STRIKE THE LAST SENTENCE!*



Thanks! Let's hope those are the only uncorrected things in that script.

----------


## jamesmmo

Where do we download the new bundle to get the new Cyberforce script?  I tried going back to the link on the first page but the link will not let me download anymore.  I still cannot even open the word documents from the old one.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi, as to future Witchblade bearers: I'd like to know if the rights of Takeru (from the manga) and Masane Amaha (from the anime) characters are with Top Cow and are thus usable.
> It's not a problem if they're not, just narrowing down options.
> Thanks in advance.


Unfortunately, Takeru and Masane are not canon Top Cow characters, and I would advise against using them.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Where do we download the new bundle to get the new Cyberforce script?  I tried going back to the link on the first page but the link will not let me download anymore.  I still cannot even open the word documents from the old one.


If you're having trouble downloading the bundle, CBR may have been in the middle of an update or something. But if you can't open the word documents, that has nothing to do with the bundle itself - they're standard .doc files and the problem may be on your end.

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## A76

> Unfortunately, Takeru and Masane are not canon Top Cow characters, and I would advise against using them.


OK! Thanks, Ryan!

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## Dark-Flux

> Unfortunately, Takeru and Masane are not canon Top Cow characters, and I would advise against using them.



Masane was actually confirmed as canon in a recent issue of Witchblade. Well, not "confirmed" exactly but it was said that the events of the anime could be entirely possible with the comic canon.

----------


## Harry Koverr

> This was added as a response to people asking me why they could NOT create new characters. In the first year we specifically forbade it because why give away your own creations?  You can't use characters from other companies.  Our preference would be you use the existing characters.  I added this last year specifically by request. I would not do it.  No way I'd create new characters for a company on a pure work-for-hire basis, but that's me.  Some people don't care.  I just want it to be clear that if someone DOES create a new bearer for the Witchblade and that person DOES win then they are giving Top Cow that character as part of the rules of the contest.  I think the language might have been me trying to be too clear which made it confusing.  Sorry about that.


So wait, I'm still a little confused about last year. (I know it doesn't matter at this point, but still.) The way I understood the instructions last year was that we were _supposed_ to make up our own past or future bearer of one of the artifacts, and that we were specifically told _not_ to use the actual present-day bearers from the Top Cow comics. Did I get this wrong? I'm relieved to see Ryan's post saying there were no disqualifications last year, but I'm still kind of baffled to think that I might have misunderstood the instructions to such an extent.

----------


## Harry Koverr

> It's not against the rules, but I wouldn't say it really increases your chances of winning.
> 
> Personally, I'd say to focus on making one really solid submission that will stand out above the rest.


Let's say hypothetically that I finish the first script I start writing, doing everything I can to make it as good as possible, not rushing at all, but I still have time left over to write another script with an equal amount of care. Let's even say hypothetically that I have time for three or four scripts. Wouldn't this increase my chances because the people reviewing the scripts might just not be into what I was trying to do in one script, but one of the other scripts might appeal to them more, based on their own taste or mood, or even based on which of the scripts comes closest to nailing the themes and style that Top Cow is looking to publish?

----------


## jamesmmo

1.  Re-downloaded and the doc files now work fine.  Yay!! Finally.  Reading cyberforce script, and one character is described as being Asian?  It does not specify if they mean East Asian or South Asian.  Am I supposed to be drawing a woman who looks like Bipasha Basu or a Maggie Cheung type?  Or perhaps Sonya Coulling??  I have Asperger's Syndrome so this is a very serious question, I am not making a joke.  Please let me know which Asian race they want.  

2.  Re: drawing a minimum of nine sequential pages...does this mean we have to draw nine pages as they are written consecutively (like pgs. 1 through 9, or pages 9 through 18) or can we draw nine pages from any points in the script (like 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 18, 19, 21,)?  I assume we should do a consecutive block of pages...I will chomp down on one through nine...and then perhaps pick a few other random pages that I think will showcase my strengths and distinctive style...like the splash at the end with Ballistic.  Also, should we do a cover possibly...or do they not care at all about that?

3.  What is a good approach to panels? I have never done sequential art before.  When should I be using normal squares, and when should I be using jaggedy ones that float around and do not necessarily connect with each other's edges??  

4.  Should I order the exact book I am referencing a script from...or will that be a negative influence?  I have cyberforce v4 issue two...I did not get a chance to see the first issue.  I am worried that if I look at the actual issue that I will end up creating something too similar...and that any unique aspects of my art and storytelling would be too influenced by the actual rendering.  Or should I use it as a reference, since I am so green at this type of project?

5.  I have standard comic sheets of board-paper to work on.  If I mess up, for example, on the last panel of a board- but the rest of my page is the way I want it...do I have to start all over again? Or perhaps can I use another piece of board and just re-make the bad panel and cut and paste it over the original?

6.  Does anyone have good tips for how to use references?...I often use my hands as a reference.  Can anyone post me to a link of a webpage that shows how to properly reference an image? I have never drawn a drone plane or a dog before and would really like to know how to use a reference for when I have to draw them in.

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

Odd/potentially stupid question:

Do we need to provide some type of recap/intro page? My story referencing something that happened in a recent Witchblade issue, so I wasn't sure if that needed to be added to the script.

----------


## Harry Koverr

Question: I was brushing up on some of the minor characters in Cyber Force and realized that a few of them were based on real-life Kickstarter supporters. Are we allowed to write about these characters, or does Top Cow have some kind of agreement with the supporters regarding how they will be portrayed, how many appearances they'll make,or anything like that?

----------


## Lightningmax

Question: If we get professional work before the end of the contest, does that disqualify us from participating in the contest?

----------


## Daniel Oliveira

_removed_removed

----------


## Lightningmax

> 1.  Re-downloaded and the doc files now work fine.  Yay!! Finally.  Reading cyberforce script, and one character is described as being Asian?  It does not specify if they mean East Asian or South Asian.  Am I supposed to be drawing a woman who looks like Bipasha Basu or a Maggie Cheung type?  Or perhaps Sonya Coulling??  I have Asperger's Syndrome so this is a very serious question, I am not making a joke.  Please let me know which Asian race they want.


When most Americans use the term Asians, they mean East Asians, when they mean South Asians -- they use the term Indians.  




> 2.  Re: drawing a minimum of nine sequential pages...does this mean we have to draw nine pages as they are written consecutively (like pgs. 1 through 9, or pages 9 through 18) or can we draw nine pages from any points in the script (like 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 18, 19, 21,)?  I assume we should do a consecutive block of pages...I will chomp down on one through nine...and then perhaps pick a few other random pages that I think will showcase my strengths and distinctive style...like the splash at the end with Ballistic.  Also, should we do a cover possibly...or do they not care at all about that?


Covers are the cream of the comicbook illustration world -- usually reserved for name artists, because of the fans.  This is a sequential contest, to find new storytellers, style will play a part, but so will storytelling.  The minimum page count is to show that you have the ability to complete enough pages for it to be a full story -- while maintaining a similar level of quality throughout the whole sequence.  For instance if you are excellent at action sequences, but are horrible at people sitting down, there are enough variations in the pages to show your weaknesses.  You have plenty of time to get better, draw ALL the pages and you will learn a lot about your strengths and get better. Do consecutive blocks.




> 3.  What is a good approach to panels? I have never done sequential art before.  When should I be using normal squares, and when should I be using jaggedy ones that float around and do not necessarily connect with each other's edges??


The general answer is there are excellent books on comics and storytelling: Will Eisner comics and sequential art, Scott McCloud Understanding Comics... The specific answer would be panel shapes should be reflective of the meaning and emotion of a panel.  Jumbled panels should be used to reflect emotion, but clear enough so the reader knows which panel to go to next. 




> 4.  Should I order the exact book I am referencing a script from...or will that be a negative influence?  I have cyberforce v4 issue two...I did not get a chance to see the first issue.  I am worried that if I look at the actual issue that I will end up creating something too similar...and that any unique aspects of my art and storytelling would be too influenced by the actual rendering.  Or should I use it as a reference, since I am so green at this type of project?


Go to the original reference material to see how things look, but to tell the story you have to decide how the referenced material will fit with your style, and maybe redesign it to match.  Like Kevin O'Neill's (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) character designs, in a Mike Mignola (Hellboy) drawn book, the designs would been to be changed to maintain the cohesiveness of Mr.Mignola's art.  Readers are buying your interpretation of reality.  If they just wanted photos, they can get those anywhere.  They want to see the world through your drawings.  In real life there are no Black shadows in daytime or the whites of eyes shining in the dark or glowing knives of mental energy, but your drawings are to make the unreal real and to make the real dynamic.   




> 5.  I have standard comic sheets of board-paper to work on.  If I mess up, for example, on the last panel of a board- but the rest of my page is the way I want it...do I have to start all over again? Or perhaps can I use another piece of board and just re-make the bad panel and cut and paste it over the original?


Patches are common.  Editors will request a patch if a page is not clear enough.  Perhaps an artist will see a new way to do a page or forget a panel and need to add one in there, so they'll create a patch.




> 6.  Does anyone have good tips for how to use references?...I often use my hands as a reference.  Can anyone post me to a link of a webpage that shows how to properly reference an image? I have never drawn a drone plane or a dog before and would really like to know how to use a reference for when I have to draw them in.


See above.  I have never been a fan of heavily photo referenced art -- pencils traced on top of photos or paintings drawn on top of photos.  I prefer to use the photo, computer image, sketchup as a reference, but not as an element in the drawing. So I don't light table it or computer composite it, I "refer" to it, but don't paste it in my art.  There are times when a pose gets thorny for me, I get internet reference and sometimes I will use my camera phone to take a picture.  I use Google maps for streets, because they have it available for most big cities.  References are tools, use them as you see fit, but if everything on the page is from a computer and NOT original computer generated imagery, then you are not an artist you are a compiler. A mirror is a helpful tool. These are all personal preferences. Hope this helps.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Let's say hypothetically that I finish the first script I start writing, doing everything I can to make it as good as possible, not rushing at all, but I still have time left over to write another script with an equal amount of care. Let's even say hypothetically that I have time for three or four scripts. Wouldn't this increase my chances because the people reviewing the scripts might just not be into what I was trying to do in one script, but one of the other scripts might appeal to them more, based on their own taste or mood, or even based on which of the scripts comes closest to nailing the themes and style that Top Cow is looking to publish?


There's no rule against submitting multiple scripts - I'm just giving you advice based on the years of submissions I've read. Hypothetically, write as many as you want.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> So wait, I'm still a little confused about last year. (I know it doesn't matter at this point, but still.) The way I understood the instructions last year was that we were _supposed_ to make up our own past or future bearer of one of the artifacts, and that we were specifically told _not_ to use the actual present-day bearers from the Top Cow comics. Did I get this wrong? I'm relieved to see Ryan's post saying there were no disqualifications last year, but I'm still kind of baffled to think that I might have misunderstood the instructions to such an extent.


*LAST YEAR* you were supposed to frame your narrative as if Jackie/Sara were telling/hearing/reading/dreaming a story SPECIFICALLY about a *non-present-day bearer.*

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> There is the information on page http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=56336  that on link we could find five sample scripts for artists to use and the submission agreement, but there are seven (Artifacts #8, Artifacts #7, Artifacts#5, Artifacts #6, Artifacts#12, Cyber Force #1 and Witchblade #134) and six of them appears the following message on the top: "This is a recap page using art from previous issues, so nothing for you to draw here." I want to know if it is correct, can I use anyone of these samples scripts for my submission?


Daniel,

You would not draw a recap page. When a recap page appears in a script, the editorial team takes care of that.

Any of the scripts we have for download in this link are fair game.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Masane was actually confirmed as canon in a recent issue of Witchblade. Well, not "confirmed" exactly but it was said that the events of the anime could be entirely possible with the comic canon.


I would advise against using Takeru and Masane.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Odd/potentially stupid question:
> 
> Do we need to provide some type of recap/intro page? My story referencing something that happened in a recent Witchblade issue, so I wasn't sure if that needed to be added to the script.


Just note that as the first page being a recap page.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Question: If we get professional work before the end of the contest, does that disqualify us from participating in the contest?


If you get professional work after you've turned in your submission/submission agreement, this shouldn't be a problem.

However, if you've got a professional gig right now and you're already locked into it (even if it's not being published until after the submission), that does sort of go against the spirit of the thing, now doesn't it?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Question: I was brushing up on some of the minor characters in Cyber Force and realized that a few of them were based on real-life Kickstarter supporters. Are we allowed to write about these characters, or does Top Cow have some kind of agreement with the supporters regarding how they will be portrayed, how many appearances they'll make,or anything like that?


Feel free to use them.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> When most Americans use the term Asians, they mean East Asians, when they mean South Asians -- they use the term Indians.  
> 
> 
> 
> Covers are the cream of the comicbook illustration world -- usually reserved for name artists, because of the fans.  This is a sequential contest, to find new storytellers, style will play a part, but so will storytelling.  The minimum page count is to show that you have the ability to complete enough pages for it to be a full story -- while maintaining a similar level of quality throughout the whole sequence.  For instance if you are excellent at action sequences, but are horrible at people sitting down, there are enough variations in the pages to show your weaknesses.  You have plenty of time to get better, draw ALL the pages and you will learn a lot about your strengths and get better. Do consecutive blocks.
> 
> 
> 
> The general answer is there are excellent books on comics and storytelling: Will Eisner comics and sequential art, Scott McCloud Understanding Comics... The specific answer would be panel shapes should be reflective of the meaning and emotion of a panel.  Jumbled panels should be used to reflect emotion, but clear enough so the reader knows which panel to go to next. 
> ...


Thank you, Lightning. That about covers it.

----------


## Pat_M514

Hello,

Does any antagonist also have to be a Top Cow veteran if we write conflict into our scripts? Such as, if we create a conflict between two characters, would it have to be The Darkness vs The Angelus? Can we create an original antagonist to be defeated by the Top Cow character/s.

I understand the creation guidelines stating that anything created for this submission is Top Cow's property and won't lead to future compensation.

Thank you!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello,
> 
> Does any antagonist also have to be a Top Cow veteran if we write conflict into our scripts? Such as, if we create a conflict between two characters, would it have to be The Darkness vs The Angelus? Can we create an original antagonist to be defeated by the Top Cow character/s.
> 
> I understand the creation guidelines stating that anything created for this submission is Top Cow's property and won't lead to future compensation.
> 
> Thank you!


Knowing that anything you create is Top Cow's property, it's perfectly acceptable to create original antagonists.

----------


## ksayed

Hey @TopCowRyan, not sure if my post was responded to or not, I searched but probably overlooked it. Anyway, I was looking at the scripts in the download and the guidelines and rules for the submission and noticed that the scripts should be submitted in the format provided in the examples on the link of the rules page, and on the acceptable files it says PDF or Final Draft. My question is if I(or any one else using Final Draft) submits the script(s) in will it be accepted if it is submitted using the default Final draft format, action and descriptions in normal page format, Character dialogue center of page, or do they HAVE to be submitted in the scripting format of everything written left of page?

----------


## Lightningmax

> If you get professional work after you've turned in your submission/submission agreement, this shouldn't be a problem.
> 
> However, if you've got a professional gig right now and you're already locked into it (even if it's not being published until after the submission), that does sort of go against the spirit of the thing, now doesn't it?


Thank you for your answers.  I do not have any professional work, but I think that in completing these pages I will improve greatly.

----------


## jopua

Hi!

I gave the questions that were answered so far a quick read so, hopefully, I didn't miss anything and this was answered already.

I know you can make a story about past bearers and it should use one of the 13 Artifacts. I'm just a little confused about the continuity? So, let's say I'll write a story starring Danielle Baptise. Am i allowed to make a story set in her time as the Witchblade? Or even as the Angelus? A little one shot during that era/time of her life? Or does if  I want to use her, does the story have to follow her as she is know in the current "world" with Finch as the Angelus? 

Another question, can we play around with things like the bearers of certain artifacts in a new way? For example, I want to write a story about Danielle Baptise getting a hold of the Wheel of Shadows for one issue? Would that be acceptable as well?

That's all I have for now. Thank you so much for taking the time to help us out!

----------


## Pat_M514

> Knowing that anything you create is Top Cow's property, it's perfectly acceptable to create original antagonists.


Thank you for the quick reply, Ryan!

----------


## Nezotholem

Hi,

I downloaded last version of cyber force script on 20th but I'm not sure if it's a good version or not. (I tried several times to download it to see if the file has been corrected as it was mentioned above in comments but it doesn't seem changed).

1. *PAGE#3* - On the third page of the PAGE#3, it's not specify if the text starting by _"Let’s not do a family beat here. We can save {…} the rubble"_ is a new panel. It seems that yes but someone could confirm it?
CF-PAGE3.jpg

2. *PAGE#4* - It seems that some panels are missing on PAGE #4.
CF-PAGE4.jpg
CF-PAGE4bis.jpg

3. *PAGE#6* - Explanation of Panel #1 is missing too… Is it a black panel?.


_(Sorry but english is not my mother tongue. I hope it's understandable)_

----------


## jamesmmo

> Thank you, Lightning. That about covers it.


Thankyou Lightning that was very helpful.  I will definitely save your answers and look back at these tips.  I will draw East Asian women.  On a side note, facepalm at Americans calling all South Asians "Indians" even if they might be Bhutanese, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, etc.  But I guess they used to say Chinese for all East Asians regardless of if they were Japanese, Korean, etc.  *Shudder*  Rinse, Recycle, Repeat, I suppose.  
Very happy to know that patching is something that is actually done.  I think that will help my art a long way.  

I suppose I will try and futz around with some references.  What I have done in the past is I will draw from my head, with no reference, and then when I get stuck or draw a part poorly, I will look up a pose/photo on the internet to use as a reference to help me with anatomy or a texture I want.  That is usually all I do.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi!
> 
> I gave the questions that were answered so far a quick read so, hopefully, I didn't miss anything and this was answered already.
> 
> I know you can make a story about past bearers and it should use one of the 13 Artifacts. I'm just a little confused about the continuity? So, let's say I'll write a story starring Danielle Baptise. Am i allowed to make a story set in her time as the Witchblade? Or even as the Angelus? A little one shot during that era/time of her life? Or does if  I want to use her, does the story have to follow her as she is know in the current "world" with Finch as the Angelus? 
> 
> Another question, can we play around with things like the bearers of certain artifacts in a new way? For example, I want to write a story about Danielle Baptise getting a hold of the Wheel of Shadows for one issue? Would that be acceptable as well?
> 
> That's all I have for now. Thank you so much for taking the time to help us out!


Writing pre-Rebirth is okay, but the more within established continuity, the better. I wouldn't discount a story outright, for example, if it featured Dani as the Witchblade/Angelus - but suppose I had two stories of equal quality: 

One features current continuity Dani as Detective Baptise and Finch as Angelus, and the other features Dani as the Witchblade in the pre-Rebirth continuity. If both of those stories were written equally well, I'd probably select the current continuity one over the pre-Rebirth one. Make sense?

Dani getting the Wheel of Shadows might be cool - but remember, the more you futz with the continuity, the more you're playing with fire.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey @TopCowRyan, not sure if my post was responded to or not, I searched but probably overlooked it. Anyway, I was looking at the scripts in the download and the guidelines and rules for the submission and noticed that the scripts should be submitted in the format provided in the examples on the link of the rules page, and on the acceptable files it says PDF or Final Draft. My question is if I(or any one else using Final Draft) submits the script(s) in will it be accepted if it is submitted using the default Final draft format, action and descriptions in normal page format, Character dialogue center of page, or do they HAVE to be submitted in the scripting format of everything written left of page?


They don't have to be written left of center if you're using Final Draft.

*Personally, I would really prefer files to be sent as .doc, .rtf, or .pdf.* Final Draft is kind of a pain in the butt, since not every computer has it. That being said, I _will not_ discount or mark down anyone for using Final Draft. Just stating a preference as it can kind of inconvenience me as the script-reader. But if you have a lot of experience in Final Draft and prefer using it, go ahead.

----------


## Andrew1

Hey Ryan, what format would you guys like the art submissions to be? Your rules state you want an email submission and the max size of attachment is 10mb.  As an example, would it be best to compile the pages into a pdf with the first page the signed submission agreement. Or is an external link actually preferable? And is there a naming convention for the files you guys would prefer for organization, ie RyanCady_TopCowTalentHunt2015.pdf?

----------


## jopua

> Writing pre-Rebirth is okay, but the more within established continuity, the better. I wouldn't discount a story outright, for example, if it featured Dani as the Witchblade/Angelus - but suppose I had two stories of equal quality: 
> 
> One features current continuity Dani as Detective Baptise and Finch as Angelus, and the other features Dani as the Witchblade in the pre-Rebirth continuity. If both of those stories were written equally well, I'd probably select the current continuity one over the pre-Rebirth one. Make sense?
> 
> Dani getting the Wheel of Shadows might be cool - but remember, the more you futz with the continuity, the more you're playing with fire.


Okay, I got it! Unless an idea comes up that I can't pass up, I guess I'm writing Detective Baptise then.

Thanks so much for the speedy reply!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey Ryan, what format would you guys like the art submissions to be? Your rules state you want an email submission and the max size of attachment is 10mb.  As an example, would it be best to compile the pages into a pdf with the first page the signed submission agreement. Or is an external link actually preferable? And is there a naming convention for the files you guys would prefer for organization, ie RyanCady_TopCowTalentHunt2015.pdf?


Lo Res jpgs in compressed .zip file are pretty convenient, as are lo res PDF. External links can be a little inconvenient for this sort of thing. That naming convention is perfect, except make it TalentHunt2014, since that's the year in which we've begun.

----------


## Harry Koverr

> There's no rule against submitting multiple scripts - I'm just giving you advice based on the years of submissions I've read. Hypothetically, write as many as you want.


I appreciate the advice. Sorry if my follow-up questions seem annoying. It just seems to me that in any given year, there are scripts that just barely don't make the cut (I think Matt has talked about how the first year there were around 30 writers he considered capable of writing professionally, and last year he had you narrow down a top 40, which he then further narrowed down.) So it seems like if one of those writers had written multiple scripts, maybe one of their other scripts just barely _would_ have made the cut, you know what I mean?

In regards to my confusion about the creation of new characters--again, I'm not trying to be difficult or nitpick the rules just for the fun of it. It just sounds like people are saying that every year participants have been _strongly discouraged_ from creating new characters, even though last year, aside from the Jackie/Sara framing narrative, the idea was to use a non-present-day bearer which in most cases would _require_ creating a new character (if I understand correctly, many of the artifacts don't even have any canon non-present-day bearers yet.) Which makes me think maybe I don't understand what is meant by "creating a new character" (like, if I were to write a script for DC in which some new person I made up ends up with a Green Lantern ring, does that not count as creating a new character, because the character is the ring and its associated powers, not the person using it?) But, I'll drop it, since I seem to be the only one who doesn't get it. My apologies for being a little slow.  :Confused:

----------


## hunter_peterson

Hey, just a quick question (you guys are doing great at covering most of it): if you do a future story, can it be large in scope like the Edge of Spiderverse mini Marvel is doing now? One of my story ideas would have to be set in a very different world. And if we want to do a fake recap page, does that count towards the page count? No problem if it does. 

Also, I'd just like to say that researching for this contest has been pretty fun! I really like the potential stories you can pull from the Artifacts... though one-shots are harder to pull off, I think.

----------


## jsnyder1979

Hi, Ryan,

Last year, I found out too late about the talent search to have time to put together a script, so I promised myself that if there was another talent search this year, I would submit. I have a few questions, though.

1) In the talent search guidelines, I noticed that there was a list of publishers that excluded someone from participating. If we've been published by a comic book company, and that company was not included in that list, then I assume submitting a script is fair game. Is that correct?

2) For the twenty-two-page script, you mention including "recap page" as page one. Does that go toward the twenty-two pages? In my mind, the recap page does not count, but I wanted to make sure Top Cow had the same perspective on the idea of story pages. 

3) In the e-mail that we send our script, would you like a short bio/background section in terms of writing experience or past publications, or do you simply prefer a "Hi, my name is ______. This is my script for the Top Cow Talent Search" and simply attach the script in a document?

Thanks again, Ryan!
-Jason Snyder

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey, just a quick question (you guys are doing great at covering most of it): if you do a future story, can it be large in scope like the Edge of Spiderverse mini Marvel is doing now? One of my story ideas would have to be set in a very different world. And if we want to do a fake recap page, does that count towards the page count? No problem if it does. 
> 
> Also, I'd just like to say that researching for this contest has been pretty fun! I really like the potential stories you can pull from the Artifacts... though one-shots are harder to pull off, I think.



Spider-verse style stuff is tricky - alt-universe is pretty unlikely to be chosen, as that's not technically past-present-or-future. Recaps, fake or otherwise, do count! As for large in scope, well, just remember - the more you play around with continuity, the more dangerous the game becomes. After all, _Aphrodite IX_ and _IXth Generation_ take place in the future of the TCU, so there's a whole lotta timeline goin' on.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi, Ryan,
> 
> Last year, I found out too late about the talent search to have time to put together a script, so I promised myself that if there was another talent search this year, I would submit. I have a few questions, though.
> 
> 1) In the talent search guidelines, I noticed that there was a list of publishers that excluded someone from participating. If we've been published by a comic book company, and that company was not included in that list, then I assume submitting a script is fair game. Is that correct?
> 
> 2) For the twenty-two-page script, you mention including "recap page" as page one. Does that go toward the twenty-two pages? In my mind, the recap page does not count, but I wanted to make sure Top Cow had the same perspective on the idea of story pages. 
> 
> 3) In the e-mail that we send our script, would you like a short bio/background section in terms of writing experience or past publications, or do you simply prefer a "Hi, my name is ______. This is my script for the Top Cow Talent Search" and simply attach the script in a document?
> ...


You're on time this year!

1. If it's not on the list, you're good to go!
2. Recap pages do count as part of the 22.
3. A short bio wouldn't hurt you, but generally a greeting is all that's required.

Cordiality is key!

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Spider-verse style stuff is tricky - alt-universe is pretty unlikely to be chosen, as that's not technically past-present-or-future. Recaps, fake or otherwise, do count! As for large in scope, well, just remember - the more you play around with continuity, the more dangerous the game becomes. After all, _Aphrodite IX_ and _IXth Generation_ take place in the future of the TCU, so there's a whole lotta timeline goin' on.


Sorry, I had a brain fart. :P

I meant as in the world is fully established in one issue, but despite story threads being left, is a one-shot/contained story. Probably a better example would be the Swamp Thing Future's End issue. I didn't mean alternate reality, just a drastically changed near future Top Cow universe.

Thanks for the quick response!  :Smile:

----------


## jsnyder1979

> You're on time this year!
> 
> 1. If it's not on the list, you're good to go!
> 2. Recap pages do count as part of the 22.
> 3. A short bio wouldn't hurt you, but generally a greeting is all that's required.
> 
> Cordiality is key!


Thanks for the quick reply and clarification, Ryan!

----------


## Temujin

Is it possible to see the submissions from last years talent hunt somewhere?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Sorry, I had a brain fart. :P
> 
> I meant as in the world is fully established in one issue, but despite story threads being left, is a one-shot/contained story. Probably a better example would be the Swamp Thing Future's End issue. I didn't mean alternate reality, just a drastically changed near future Top Cow universe.
> 
> Thanks for the quick response!


I _loved_ the Swamp Thing Future's End issue. 

That's the sort of thing where, if you do it well, I could see it being a winner. But you'd have to do it really, _really_, *REALLY* well, cause that sort of stuff is full of potential continuity pitfalls.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Is it possible to see the submissions from last years talent hunt somewhere?


We won't be releasing them to the public, as they were all sent via email and uploading them somewhere would be a logistical nightmare. 

Individual submitters are more than welcome to post their scripts online, as long as those scripts were not winners, or if they've already been published.

----------


## Andrew1

Hey Ryan, how much leeway do artists have in terms of script interpretation? As in, the script calls for a 5 panel page, but I think it'll work as a 4 panel with 2 panel actions/descriptions condensed into one panel?

----------


## hunter_peterson

> I _loved_ the Swamp Thing Future's End issue. 
> 
> That's the sort of thing where, if you do it well, I could see it being a winner. But you'd have to do it really, _really_, *REALLY* well, cause that sort of stuff is full of potential continuity pitfalls.


Challenge accepted! I have a lot of reading to do, then...

----------


## Harry Koverr

Question: The rules say we're not allowed to resubmit a script submitted in previous years. Does this apply to only the exact same manuscript, or also to rewrites? For instance, with the rules opened up this year, what if we were to take our script from last year, remove the framing sequence, and use the extra couple pages that would free up to do a 22 page rewrite of our main story? (I'd also like to know, if this is allowed, if it's another "allowed but heavily frowned upon" case.)

----------


## kate-n-bd

Hello,
first of all - thank you for this Talent Hunt, it's so inspiring!  :Smile: 
And my question is - is it important what exact size pages are (is it ok to go with 10x15 inches?) and if the colors are made in cmyk or rgb? Or it doesn't really matter?

----------


## OneHabitRabbit

Hi Top Cow Ryan,

I want to write a story based on the Magdalena (Spear of Destiny).

1) Is Patience the current bearer?

2) With 3 volumes, which one(s) are set in the Re-Birth universe?

3) Is there one issue that best describes the character and/or the Artifact?

Thank you.

----------


## Lightningmax

> Hello,
> first of all - thank you for this Talent Hunt, it's so inspiring! 
> And my question is - is it important what exact size pages are (is it ok to go with 10x15 inches?) and if the colors are made in cmyk or rgb? Or it doesn't really matter?


I am certain that all of the numbers are used because this is a print contest.  The larger size format is so the art can either be bled to the borders or shifted around as necessary.  For the same reason the colors should be CMYK or equivalent.  Printed RGB pages can be dark and sometimes will not print as the color chosen at all -- gamut ratings in Photoshop shows that sort of thing.  Furthermore, if you are a total digital artist and never have had your artwork printed before, print is an altogether different medium it will effect how your artwork looks, you could try to do some research on how your artwork prints.  CMYK are the color inks printers mix to print a document, RGB are the lights a monitor mixes to view a document.  These two facts change the experience that readers get from each medium. As well as paper brightness, saturation... Printing from a home computer will not be the same as printing with a professional printer.  Just a little heads up.  Hope this helps.

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hello Guys,
I have a question. Since the Rebirth of the Top Cow universe, do we know the new origin stories of less known artifacts bearers such as the Wheel of Shadows, the coin of Solomon and  the thirteenth artifact? Or do you know in which books they might be mentioned?
Thx

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I am certain that all of the numbers are used because this is a print contest.  The larger size format is so the art can either be bled to the borders or shifted around as necessary.  For the same reason the colors should be CMYK or equivalent.  Printed RGB pages can be dark and sometimes will not print as the color chosen at all -- gamut ratings in Photoshop shows that sort of thing.  Furthermore, if you are a total digital artist and never have had your artwork printed before, print is an altogether different medium it will effect how your artwork looks, you could try to do some research on how your artwork prints.  CMYK are the color inks printers mix to print a document, RGB are the lights a monitor mixes to view a document.  These two facts change the experience that readers get from each medium. As well as paper brightness, saturation... Printing from a home computer will not be the same as printing with a professional printer.  Just a little heads up.  Hope this helps.


Lightning's on it again. Doin' my job for me  :Wink:

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello Guys,
> I have a question. Since the Rebirth of the Top Cow universe, do we know the new origin stories of less known artifacts bearers such as the Wheel of Shadows, the coin of Solomon and  the thirteenth artifact? Or do you know in which books they might be mentioned?
> Thx


Based on the events of Cyberforce/Aphrodite IX, it's been heavily implied that, in the current timeline, Cyberdata's chairwoman may have the Coin of Solomon. Wheel of Shadows shows up in Artifacts #35. 

If you read the end of Artifacts #13, there's a grid page that shows all of the Artifacts Bearers in the Rebirth universe.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi Top Cow Ryan,
> 
> I want to write a story based on the Magdalena (Spear of Destiny).
> 
> 1) Is Patience the current bearer?
> 
> 2) With 3 volumes, which one(s) are set in the Re-Birth universe?
> 
> 3) Is there one issue that best describes the character and/or the Artifact?
> ...


Hi there.

1) Yes.

2) The ones that aren't "Magdalena Origins." Although I think Patience's pre-Rebirth origin is the same as her Rebirth origin so it's sorta technically canonical.

3)I mean, those Magdalena standalone stories make for pretty good source material. Any particularly basic questions about her and the Spear you could find with a Google search.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey Ryan, how much leeway do artists have in terms of script interpretation? As in, the script calls for a 5 panel page, but I think it'll work as a 4 panel with 2 panel actions/descriptions condensed into one panel?


That's a thing that comes up in the professional circuit - in which case, usually you'd check with the writer first (which isn't really an option, here).

I'd say that it's a personal choice - if you REALLY think it makes the page look that much better, go for it, but know that you're risking a deviation from the writer's vision which is quite a gamble.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Question: The rules say we're not allowed to resubmit a script submitted in previous years. Does this apply to only the exact same manuscript, or also to rewrites? For instance, with the rules opened up this year, what if we were to take our script from last year, remove the framing sequence, and use the extra couple pages that would free up to do a 22 page rewrite of our main story? (I'd also like to know, if this is allowed, if it's another "allowed but heavily frowned upon" case.)


If I can tell it's a rewrite, it will be rejected.

----------


## Lightningmax

> Hey Ryan, how much leeway do artists have in terms of script interpretation? As in, the script calls for a 5 panel page, but I think it'll work as a 4 panel with 2 panel actions/descriptions condensed into one panel?





> That's a thing that comes up in the professional circuit - in which case, usually you'd check with the writer first (which isn't really an option, here).
> 
> I'd say that it's a personal choice - if you REALLY think it makes the page look that much better, go for it, but know that you're risking a deviation from the writer's vision which is quite a gamble.


This is the immortal question!  I don't think there is a right answer.  If writers could draw they wouldn't be writers.  I don't mean that facetiously.  Writers sometimes have good ideals, but do not understand the limitations or advantages of this medium.  Limitations:  This is a static medium, the images do not move. Advantages: Pages turn, each turn can be a surprise.  Pardon my Marvel, when do you end the page, when the Thing throws the punch or when the punch lands? When the Thing throws the punch!  Why?  Say the Thing has caught Dr.Doom dead to rights and is about to land a haymaker.  Bottom of the page he throws that haymaker.  Before we turn the page we ask, "Will the punch land? Will Dr.Doom catch it in one hand and laugh at the Thing's audacity thinking that he would engage in fisticuffs with such a brute?  Will the armor fly apart revealing it as a Doombot?  The possibilities are endless before the page turns.  Some writers understand this, some don't.  Some writers are so busy moving through the story that they don't worry about individual story beats.  The best advice is don't make all the pages into splash pages!  Try to get your panels to move the story forward, sometimes it requires combining panels, sometimes it requires adding panels, try to find the most important aspect in the panel -- the point of the panel and make that the focus of the panel.  This is where good draftsmanship and professionalism pay off:  Will Eisner and Joe Kubert in two separate books on comicbook storytelling and art  recommend doing an at print size layout drawing [ my term they both use different terms].  This technique allows you and the team that youre a part of flexibility in seeing that everyones vision is expressed, without taking away your creativity.  Draftmanship  youre able to show the editor or writer, what you intend to do before you go too far.  Professionalism, if you do so in a timely manner, you can still get the pages completed on schedule.  Thanks Ryan for doing your job.  :Wink:

----------


## gmac06

I have a quick question: If I were to write a story and draw the pages of that story, how many pages would be needed to be submitted? And would you require a script along with the pages I've drawn? Let me know as soon as you're able.

----------


## Pauul

I asked this question earlier, but I don't think that it was answered.

If we're writing a story for the new iteration of Cyber Force, can we reinvent characters from the previous universe? For instance, could we create new versions of Emil Zadrok or Mother May I?

Also, has Major Dolorossa been given a first name yet?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I have a quick question: If I were to write a story and draw the pages of that story, how many pages would be needed to be submitted? And would you require a script along with the pages I've drawn? Let me know as soon as you're able.


8 pages of sequential art would need to be submitted...but you'd need to submit a full 22 page script.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I asked this question earlier, but I don't think that it was answered.
> 
> If we're writing a story for the new iteration of Cyber Force, can we reinvent characters from the previous universe? For instance, could we create new versions of Emil Zadrok or Mother May I?
> 
> Also, has Major Dolorossa been given a first name yet?


Go for it - just don't make them feel out of place!

----------


## Temujin

Are flashbacks allowed in the rebirth universe? For example Tom Jugde on his early years as a priest? Or a story showing why Baptise became a Cop and not a dancer?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Are flashbacks allowed in the rebirth universe? For example Tom Jugde on his early years as a priest? Or a story showing why Baptise became a Cop and not a dancer?


Heck yeah!

----------


## kate-n-bd

Thank you very much Lightningmax for reply and Top Cow Ryan for confirmation  :Big Grin: 
"this is a print contest" - that's the information that I missed, thanks!  :Smile:  And as for pages size I meant the measures of working area, I'm from Europe so basically A4 and A5 are in use here, I know that American formats differ from ours so I wasn't sure if 10x15 inches would be ok.

----------


## jale

Thanks for all of the great information thus far Top Cow Ryan and other helpful responders. Quick question from the rules PDF:

"We’ve decided to open it up a bit this year and your submission can feature any present, past, or future versions of the Top Cow Universe characters using the 13 Artifacts from this list or any of the characters featured in the 2012-2014 publications of Aphrodite IX or Cyber Force."

Just to be clear on the underlined part: if we use Aphrodite or one of the Cyber Force characters--do one of the 13 artifacts need to be part of the story?

Thanks again!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thanks for all of the great information thus far Top Cow Ryan and other helpful responders. Quick question from the rules PDF:
> 
> "We’ve decided to open it up a bit this year and your submission can feature any present, past, or future versions of the Top Cow Universe characters using the 13 Artifacts from this list or any of the characters featured in the 2012-2014 publications of Aphrodite IX or Cyber Force."
> 
> Just to be clear on the underlined part: if we use Aphrodite or one of the Cyber Force characters--do one of the 13 artifacts need to be part of the story?
> 
> Thanks again!


They can be, but there's no need for them to be involved at all!

----------


## AmericanAstronaut

Are writing teams acceptable? I didn't see anything in the rules, but I'm also an idiot. I assumed it was alright, so long as both writers turned in copies of the Submission Agreement. 
Thank you for your time, talent, and this unbelievable opportunity.

----------


## fcoesquivel

I got a question. As an artist I know i have to submit 8 sequential pages using the test scripts you have provided, after I read them I've decanted for that scene of Jin killing that gang of "badies" but its only 5 pages length. the next 3 pages is a figth of CF and it seem like a mess without beginning nor ending. I like to draw another scene from the test scripts to complete the minimun of pages for review. Can I do that?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Are writing teams acceptable? I didn't see anything in the rules, but I'm also an idiot. I assumed it was alright, so long as both writers turned in copies of the Submission Agreement. 
> Thank you for your time, talent, and this unbelievable opportunity.


Nothing wrong with writing teams. You're good!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I got a question. As an artist I know i have to submit 8 sequential pages using the test scripts you have provided, after I read them I've decanted for that scene of Jin killing that gang of "badies" but its only 5 pages length. the next 3 pages is a figth of CF and it seem like a mess without beginning nor ending. I like to draw another scene from the test scripts to complete the minimun of pages for review. Can I do that?


Unfortunately, we're holding firm on at least 8 sequential pages at least per script.

----------


## jopua

Follow up questions/clarification!

It says in the guidelines we can use any of the past, present or future bearers of any of the Artifacts. Does that mean a character who's currently using the artifact has to be the main character?

1.) Like, let's say, if I want to make a Detective Baptise solo story where Finch/Angelus isn't featured (or just briefly seen), is that okay? Can I just do a story featuring and exploring the character of Dani in the reborn universe? Or does one of the bearers of the artifacts have to be at the very least, co-featured?

2.) If I read the rules right, this is probably acceptable, but if we find new ways for specific Artifact users to use their powers/minions in a way they haven't done before, but it doesn't exactly go against their powers/the rules of their powers, that's cool right? Experimentation, trying to explore new stuff with these characters is okay, right?

That's all I have for now! I'm sure I'm probably going to come up with another question or two down the line, so I just want to say thank you in advance for taking the time and helping us out.  :Smile:

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Follow up questions/clarification!
> 
> It says in the guidelines we can use any of the past, present or future bearers of any of the Artifacts. Does that mean a character who's currently using the artifact has to be the main character?
> 
> 1.) Like, let's say, if I want to make a Detective Baptise solo story where Finch/Angelus isn't featured (or just briefly seen), is that okay? Can I just do a story featuring and exploring the character of Dani in the reborn universe? Or does one of the bearers of the artifacts have to be at the very least, co-featured?
> 
> 2.) If I read the rules right, this is probably acceptable, but if we find new ways for specific Artifact users to use their powers/minions in a way they haven't done before, but it doesn't exactly go against their powers/the rules of their powers, that's cool right? Experimentation, trying to explore new stuff with these characters is okay, right?
> 
> That's all I have for now! I'm sure I'm probably going to come up with another question or two down the line, so I just want to say thank you in advance for taking the time and helping us out.


1) Of course.

2) Perfectly acceptable!

No problem.

----------


## hunter_peterson

Another question: Cyber Force and Aphrodite IX are in the near and not-so-near future, right? So the timeline is Artifacts in the present, Cyber Force in the near future and IX in the far future? It's a bit hard to find confirmation of that post-rebirth online. 

Also, am I correct in thinking they can be used in any combination if the timeline fits, as in the first arc/event period of Artifacts?

And speaking of Rebirth: if I were to set a story after another universal reset, would that be allowed or would it be too confusing? Basically, I want to know if I can fudge the continuity timeline-wise. :P

EDIT: Oh, and reading some stuff, I was wondering about the level of adult material that is acceptable here. After Rebirth there seems to be more Game of Thrones type sex and swearing in addition to fantasy violence. Which is cool, I just want to know how far we're allowed to go.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Another question: Cyber Force and Aphrodite IX are in the near and not-so-near future, right? So the timeline is Artifacts in the present, Cyber Force in the near future and IX in the far future? It's a bit hard to find confirmation of that post-rebirth online. 
> 
> Also, am I correct in thinking they can be used in any combination if the timeline fits, as in the first arc/event period of Artifacts?
> 
> And speaking of Rebirth: if I were to set a story after another universal reset, would that be allowed or would it be too confusing? Basically, I want to know if I can fudge the continuity timeline-wise. :P
> 
> EDIT: Oh, and reading some stuff, I was wondering about the level of adult material that is acceptable here. After Rebirth there seems to be more Game of Thrones type sex and swearing in addition to fantasy violence. Which is cool, I just want to know how far we're allowed to go.


Correct on the timelines there.

Another universe reset would certainly be too much continuity futzing. Don't overdo it.  :Smile: 

As for Maturity level, know that shooting for PG-13 is usually your best bet, simply because sales will inevitably be higher and it's easier to distribute. There's nothing wrong with an M-rated comic, and we put them out, but if you're going to go for something with lots of violence/sexual content, make it integral to the plot. No gratuity.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Correct on the timelines there.
> 
> Another universe reset would certainly be too much continuity futzing. Don't overdo it. 
> 
> As for Maturity level, know that shooting for PG-13 is usually your best bet, simply because sales will inevitably be higher and it's easier to distribute. There's nothing wrong with an M-rated comic, and we put them out, but if you're going to go for something with lots of violence/sexual content, make it integral to the plot. No gratuity.


Thanks! It sounds like I've got decent grasp of the task so far.  :Smile:

----------


## CliffHanger2

For the Artists do we have to stick 100% to the scripts when illustrating the action? Is it possible to make little changes like number of panels and views?

----------


## Temujin

I found some differences between the scrpts and the finished comics, for example missing dialogue/speechbubbles or characters on a few panels. Which should I follow? Because some speechbubbles can change an entire layout for a page.

----------


## Lightningmax

> I found some differences between the scrpts and the finished comics, for example missing dialogue/speechbubbles or characters on a few panels. Which should I follow? Because some speechbubbles can change an entire layout for a page.


What a great question!  It would help to know which script you are referring to, but that being said, when you work full script, where all the speech balloons are carved in stone, you plan your art around the placement of balloons.  On the Artifacts 5 script there were areas where the writer said that he is just suggesting dialogue so the artist would have emotional context for the drawing.  

So, DO plan for there to be dialogue balloons.  Sketch in the dialogue balloons and see how your figure placement affects the balloon placement.

----------


## Temujin

Artifacts #12 page 4 panel 6:

from the script:
PANEL 6: We end the scene with Tom and Tilly both unconscious, Tom now back in his human form. Obviously there are a few destroyed Aphs -- and pieces thereof -- scattered around the clearing. The Aph who shot Tom announces, "The Survivor wants both of them..."

from the final issue:

As you see, no Aph and no speechbubble. 
(hope it's ok that Iam using this Panel)

I tend to follow the script, but it's a bit difficult for the composition not to know how much dialogue a panel needs. 

Example:

Artifacts #12 page 3 Panel 3:
Concentrate on Tom. The Rapture is starting to glow as Tom goes into "transformstion" mode, starting to turn to brimstone form. _Tom mutters something cool that I haven't thought of yet._

To what Ron Marz said maybe this is not the finished version of the script.

A good storytelling is a good balance between medium-, wideshots and closeups. Having some Text or not having some text or diappearing characters can change everything for me.

----------


## TRivas

I have a question, and if it was answered earlier in the thread please forgive me.  But I was wondering if I have (what I believe to be) an awesome story that doesn't quite fit in with the history/continuity of the character (but is still in step with the spirit of the character) which master do I serve first?  The story or continuity?

----------


## etech

In previous years, writers were instructed not to worry about recap pages since that's usually something the editors put together.  Is it okay if we write one anyway to establish what the readers are already expected to know by page one of the actual story?  This would be with the assumption that the editors would make us change whatever they thought necessary, like any other part of the script.

Also, if it is okay to write a recap page, would that count toward the 22 pages of script, or would you want 23 including the recap?

----------


## NicoIzambard

Quick question:
Is it true that Ji Xi's powers include teleportation? I don't think I have ever read an issue where he actually teleports.
Thank you for answering my previous question btw,
N-

----------


## Lightningmax

> Artifacts #12 page 4 panel 6:
> 
> from the script:
> PANEL 6: We end the scene with Tom and Tilly both unconscious, Tom now back in his human form. Obviously there are a few destroyed Aphs -- and pieces thereof -- scattered around the clearing. The Aph who shot Tom announces, "The Survivor wants both of them..."
> 
> from the final issue:
> 
> As you see, no Aph and no speechbubble. 
> (hope it's ok that Iam using this Panel)
> ...


The two extremes of comic book script writing are the "Marvel Style" and the full script.  Marvel Style does not include dialogue balloons and can go so far as to not include panel breakdowns. The Marvel Style is absolutely dependent on the artist to bring their vision to the story -- the advantage to the Marvel Stye is that it allows for the dialogue to be adapted to the vision of the artist.  The reason there are so many arguments about who contributed the most to the founding of Marvel: Jack Kirby or Stan Lee are because in working in the Marvel Style (general story idea versus full script) Jack would create something because he saw a logic in the story that Stan didn't.  In Son of Origins, Stan credited Jack with creating the Silver Surfer!  Jack said, "A being like Galactus needs a herald."

  So you may get a script with vague descriptions of dialogue or explicit descriptions of dialogue, but it is up to you as the artist to make the decisions about the visual language.  Artists can literally come up with fifty different ways to do a panel, you choose the one that you feel best conveys what you are trying to say. As I've said before, you can't slavishly follow a writer's script, because while they are wonderful creative people most can't draw and don't understand the limitations or advantages of this medium.  

     Let me add this, I do feel that many writers are really being lazy and calling it Marvel Style!  As an artist I do need time of day, time of year, weather, descriptions of rooms, and types of cars and guns...  To me leaving it all up to the artist means the writer is not doing their research!

----------


## Temujin

> The two extremes of comic book script writing are the "Marvel Style" and the full script.  Marvel Style does not include dialogue balloons and can go so far as to not include panel breakdowns. The Marvel Style is absolutely dependent on the artist to bring their vision to the story -- the advantage to the Marvel Stye is that it allows for the dialogue to be adapted to the vision of the artist.  The reason there are so many arguments about who contributed the most to the founding of Marvel: Jack Kirby or Stan Lee are because in working in the Marvel Style (general story idea versus full script) Jack would create something because he saw a logic in the story that Stan didn't.  In Son of Origins, Stan credited Jack with creating the Silver Surfer!  Jack said, "A being like Galactus needs a herald."
> 
>   So you may get a script with vague descriptions of dialogue or explicit descriptions of dialogue, but it is up to you as the artist to make the decisions about the visual language.  Artists can literally come up with fifty different ways to do a panel, you choose the one that you feel best conveys what you are trying to say. As I've said before, you can't slavishly follow a writer's script, because while they are wonderful creative people most can't draw and don't understand the limitations or advantages of this medium.  
> 
>      Let me add this, I do feel that many writers are really being lazy and calling it Marvel Style!  As an artist I do need time of day, time of year, weather, descriptions of rooms, and types of cars and guns...  To me leaving it all up to the artist means the writer is not doing their research!


I know that and I've already worked with both and the problem here is I can't interact with an editor or with the writer. So if I feel I can do something really better I would do that.  But sometimes it feels like that this is not the last version of the script and that maybe there is another version.

----------


## Lightningmax

> I know that and I've already worked with both and the problem here is I can't interact with an editor or with the writer. So if I feel I can do something really better I would do that.  But sometimes it feels like that this is not the last version of the script and that maybe there is another version.


There's no other version FOR US.  I know it's frustrating.  This is not for publication, but you have to approach it like it is.  

Kirby wrote what he thought the characters were saying in balloons, sometimes Stan used them straight sometimes he changed them.  It limited the area he could use for the drawing , it also guided his composition and page design.

  There are always going to be times when you disagree or have questions for the writer, in this case we don't have access to the writer, but as a comic book artist we have developed specialized skill sets through years of education and practice -- we have to be careful not to sell ourselves short.  Your questions show the art intelligence to be successful at this opportunity, but you have to trust yourself.  Helping the writer achieve their vision is a wonderful thing, but adding your talents and vision to the project is what the collaborative process is about.  Do your best with what you have -- I hope to see it.

I'll help you any way I can, sketches, design, whatever.

If asked to help I will post artwork so everyone can learn from the experience.

----------


## Temujin

It's not frustrating for me just sometimes confusing (thats ok) when I compare my sketches with the original artists work and there are baloons and characters missing. It's an interesting lesson to see how far away an artist can go away from a script.

----------


## Temujin

> If asked to help I will post artwork so everyone can learn from the experience.


Yes, please. Always fascinating to see how other artists work!

----------


## Lightningmax

> Yes, please. Always fascinating to see how other artists work!


My milkshake brings all the boys in the yard,
And they're like it's better than yours,
They're like it's better than yours,
I can teach you, but I'd have to charge.


Comic book art is illustration at it's highest most personal level: illustration at it's highest level because of the range of things one must draw to tell a recognizable story, personal because no two people will illustrate the story the exact same way, that being said new comic book artists tend to depend on inspiration, which is a dead end.  Because every word on the page of a new script will not inspire you.  You might be the greatest Superman fan artist who ever lived, it is rare for that new artist to get to draw Superman (this applies to writers too).  You will NOT start on Superman!  You will be writing or drawing Brother Geek (look it up).  

Professionalism will mean that you will do your best Brother Geek, so you can earn the right to do the Atom (What not Superman?) A well received run on the Atom may get you on the Superman offices radar, but there are better well known artist who will get to it first so that may be a loing time coming.  Professionalism means doing, what you don't love, well.  Or loving to do comics more than loving to do a certain character in comics.

For artists this means draftsmanship.  Having the knowledge and techniques to make the things that you don't love to draw look as good as the things you love to draw.  Storytelling technique when the storytelling doesn't inspire you. 

Draftsmanship means:

Designing interesting objects
Giving each character a unique look -- not just a different hairstyle
Clear concise storytelling
Realistic perspective
Great camera movement
Immersive backgrounds
Dazzling Special Effects
Emotive posing and facial expressions

There is plenty of overlap with all these skills, which leads to endless possibilities when it comes to storytelling, but the real heart of storytelling to me is camera placement.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I have a question, and if it was answered earlier in the thread please forgive me.  But I was wondering if I have (what I believe to be) an awesome story that doesn't quite fit in with the history/continuity of the character (but is still in step with the spirit of the character) which master do I serve first?  The story or continuity?


That's part of the eternal struggle when it comes to for hire writing. I would advise you to keep in continuity as much as possible, and do your best to maintain the quality of your story as well. Find a compromise whenever you can.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Quick question:
> Is it true that Ji Xi's powers include teleportation? I don't think I have ever read an issue where he actually teleports.
> Thank you for answering my previous question btw,
> N-


Yeah, I would avoid using the teleportation thing. I've read that in some of the older notes and things, but I can't recall an instance of that power actually being used.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> My milkshake brings all the boys in the yard,
> And they're like it's better than yours,
> They're like it's better than yours,
> I can teach you, but I'd have to charge.
> 
> 
> Comic book art is illustration at it's highest most personal level: illustration at it's highest level because of the range of things one must draw to tell a recognizable story, personal because no two people will illustrate the story the exact same way, that being said new comic book artists tend to depend on inspiration, which is a dead end.  Because every word on the page of a new script will not inspire you.  You might be the greatest Superman fan artist who ever lived, it is rare for that new artist to get to draw Superman (this applies to writers too).  You will NOT start on Superman!  You will be writing or drawing Brother Geek (look it up).  
> 
> Professionalism will mean that you will do your best Brother Geek, so you can earn the right to do the Atom (What not Superman?) A well received run on the Atom may get you on the Superman offices radar, but there are better well known artist who will get to it first so that may be a loing time coming.  Professionalism means doing, what you don't love, well.  Or loving to do comics more than loving to do a certain character in comics.
> ...


Lightningmax is killing it in this thread.

I'm gonna be out of a job.

----------


## Lightningmax

> Lightningmax is killing it in this thread.
> 
> I'm gonna be out of a job.


Nah Man, just making your job easier!  (The goal of every artist) :Wink:

----------


## NicoIzambard

Alright then, thank you for the answer. 
I just need a few more clarifications oh pretty please.
1/Ji Xi can fly, correct? 
2/The power of the thirteenth artifact manifests itself as black smoke that attacks, even cuts people. Is that correct too?
3/Would it be okay to write a script where I ask the artist to draw the black smoke in a specific shape, that of animals for example?
Thank you Ryan, you are so helpful and I am glad you're here.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Alright then, thank you for the answer. 
> I just need a few more clarifications oh pretty please.
> 1/Ji Xi can fly, correct? 
> 2/The power of the thirteenth artifact manifests itself as black smoke that attacks, even cuts people. Is that correct too?
> 3/Would it be okay to write a script where I ask the artist to draw the black smoke in a specific shape, that of animals for example?
> Thank you Ryan, you are so helpful and I am glad you're here.


Thank YOU, Nicol - I'm happy to be here.

As for your Ji Xi questions, unfortunately no - he can't fly. Yeah, the destructive black smoke is a manifestation of the Artifact - it's never made specific manifestations before, but as long as it wasn't anything too elaborate, I can't particularly see any problem with it.

----------


## settlechaos

Hey, I was thinking about writing a Cyberforce story that involves the cyber implants being tampered with. So where can I find out about how the cyber implants work, are developed, and who created them?

----------


## Pauul

> Hey, I was thinking about writing a Cyberforce story that involves the cyber implants being tampered with. So where can I find out about how the cyber implants work, are developed, and who created them?


If you're interested in the real world science the ideas are based on, you should read Mr. Matt Hawkins 'Science Class' which appears in the back of Aphrodite IX from Issue #2 onward. He includes web links as well, for further research. I've had a lot of fun reading that stuff, at first I did consider skipping over it, then I saw a reference to my all time favourite film - 'Gattaca', and I've been hooked ever since. I'm hoping they continue the feature in the IXth Generation.

If you're purely interested in the fictional development of CDI and Cyber Force, then along with the flashbacks in the current issues, you should pick up Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files. It gives a timeline for the Aphrodite Protocols and models which were developed by CyberData.

----------


## ryubyss

a question regarding illegibility: I have had a self-published comic I scripted republished by Fantagraphics in stand-alone form. to cut a longish story short, they paid me in comp copies, after the fact. would this disqualify me?

----------


## Lightningmax

In the last decade or so of comicbook writing having earned legitimacy in the literary market place, we have had an influx of writers from other genres: novelists, script writers… While it is true that as a writer you can write anything, adapting to the new medium can be difficult.  I’ve worked with television and movie script to comic book translations several times and it is difficult to get the writers to embrace the differences.  Comic books are a static art medium – meaning the art doesn’t move, it is not hidden, it is not revealed, it is just there on the page.  Because of that certain conventions are usually better observed when creating comics.  Never introduce a character at the end of a page, which also includes never change locations at the end of a page.  In television, movies and novels that is considered foreshadowing.  In comics it is a waste.  There is no surprise at the end of the page because you already see it, whether consciously or unconsciously – you cannot unsee it.  As humans we read micro emotions in milliseconds are we really missing that figure in the bottom right corner of the page? No. Further, it is a waste of your best tools:  the page turn.  When you change scenes on the next page you create tension for the reader, they are wondering what happened after they left the scene.  When the unexpected happens it is more exciting when you don’t see it coming, which can only happen with a page turn

----------


## johnd21972

> 8 pages minimum of sequential work.  That was in the PDF might have been cropped out, sorry about that.
> 
> Matt


Thanks!! That Helps A lot. So many Artists had the Same Question on here. 8 Page minimum to the whole story. Wow we get to draw Topcow Characters to be seen by Matt.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> a question regarding illegibility: I have had a self-published comic I scripted republished by Fantagraphics in stand-alone form. to cut a longish story short, they paid me in comp copies, after the fact. would this disqualify me?


Unfortunately, printing by Fantagraphics does in fact disqualify you. Apologies, and sorry you only got paid in comps. That sucks.

----------


## settlechaos

> If you're interested in the real world science the ideas are based on, you should read Mr. Matt Hawkins 'Science Class' which appears in the back of Aphrodite IX from Issue #2 onward. He includes web links as well, for further research. I've had a lot of fun reading that stuff, at first I did consider skipping over it, then I saw a reference to my all time favourite film - 'Gattaca', and I've been hooked ever since. I'm hoping they continue the feature in the IXth Generation.
> 
> If you're purely interested in the fictional development of CDI and Cyber Force, then along with the flashbacks in the current issues, you should pick up Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files. It gives a timeline for the Aphrodite Protocols and models which were developed by CyberData.


Thanks Pauul.

----------


## Dunklezahn

Any hints on filling out the Submission Agreement?
I'm pulling out my hair here.
Do I have to pay $20 for a copy of Adobe acrobat to be able to send this?
Also, how do I sign an electronic document?

Thanks in advance for helping a Luddite.

----------


## RotcodOhm

Hello, I've decided to do one of the Artifacts scripts. Since they all take place before the Rebirth, do we have to use the pre-Rebirth character designs or can we use the current designs? Thank you very much.  :Smile:

----------


## Lightningmax

Early in this board I asked about references for the height of the characters.  I drew the first page of Artifacts 5 figuring that it was a fun background centric page reflecting Cyberforce V3 Mini, so the heights of the characters wouldn’t affect the page.  I got the reference material, read the book, and designed the page, truly enjoyable backgrounds!  After completing the page I found the height reference for the characters, I was surprised, Cyberforce are from the time of the comic book reference books, so their numbers were fairly easy to find.  In the miniseries the drones built the secret Cybercave, logically the build was made to fit all the members of Cyberforce.  Impact (currently assumed dead)was 9 feet tall, that means that any room or device he was expected to use would have to be sized up one third.  The average height in the US is 5’9” most products are built with this in mind.  So the ceilings of the CyberCave would need to be at least 12 feet high – we want to make the big guy comfortable!  So on the next pages I will keep this in mind, just a heads up for the artists.  
I won’t include weights because Basal Metabolic Rates determine how large someone appears (plus the ladies wouldn’t like it)  :Wink:   So just choose a body type – Ectomorph, Mesomorph Endomorph and have fun.
Ballistic 5’9
Cyblade 5’10
Velocity 5’7
Heatwave 6’4
Impact 9’
Ripclaw 6’2
Stryker 6’4
Sara Pezzini (Witchblade Wielder) 5’9
Jackie Estacado (Darkness Wielder) 6’1 
Daniella Anastasia Baptiste  (Witchblade Wielder, Angelus Host) 5’7

----------


## Marko Svraka

I have a few questions regarding the ''cyberforce #1'' script.
On the page 4 of the script there is no explanation what should be drawn on panel 2.
On the panel 4 there is only conversation text, but also no description what should be on that panel.
Same thing on the panel 6.
On the top of the page 5 it says:
''...Velocity’s narration will continue as if she’s being questioned, but the dialogue will show the party story.''
but there is no narration on the panels, is it possible that there is some mixup between pages 4 and 5?
There's no explanation for the 1st panel on page 6.
Thanks in advance.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Any hints on filling out the Submission Agreement?
> I'm pulling out my hair here.
> Do I have to pay $20 for a copy of Adobe acrobat to be able to send this?
> Also, how do I sign an electronic document?
> 
> Thanks in advance for helping a Luddite.


You could print it out, fill it out, and scan it!

Fedex Office has available scanners for super cheap.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello, I've decided to do one of the Artifacts scripts. Since they all take place before the Rebirth, do we have to use the pre-Rebirth character designs or can we use the current designs? Thank you very much.


Consider that a matter of preference. Whichever works best for your art style!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I have a few questions regarding the ''cyberforce #1'' script.
> On the page 4 of the script there is no explanation what should be drawn on panel 2.
> On the panel 4 there is only conversation text, but also no description what should be on that panel.
> Same thing on the panel 6.
> On the top of the page 5 it says:
> ''...Velocity’s narration will continue as if she’s being questioned, but the dialogue will show the party story.''
> but there is no narration on the panels, is it possible that there is some mixup between pages 4 and 5?
> There's no explanation for the 1st panel on page 6.
> Thanks in advance.



Generally, with things like that, it's because the artist and writer were in conversation at the time and had similar visions as to how the panel should look. Generally speaking, for those, I advise you to use your best judgment and draw what you think works best.

----------


## RotcodOhm

Thank you for answering my previous question!  :Smile: 

Uhm, when drawing Tom in his Rapture form, which is preferred: the more Hulk-like version that Stjepan Seijic draws or the more subdued version where he keeps his trench coat on? Thank you again.  :Smile:

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thank you for answering my previous question! 
> 
> Uhm, when drawing Tom in his Rapture form, which is preferred: the more Hulk-like version that Stjepan Seijic draws or the more subdued version where he keeps his trench coat on? Thank you again.


This is definitely a stylistic choice as to HOW monstrous you want to make him. It's usually a little more hulking than Sejic's, so I'd definitely say bigger, a little monster-y. But maybe, based on your art style, he can kind of keep his trench coat on - or maybe it rips to shreds or burns up. 

Interpret the script to your style.

----------


## ksayed

@top cow ryan, thanks for replying to my question. It helps and even though I am using final draft it will all be sent in PDF format. So, question number 2. On the rules page, I fully understand the rules and requirements for the talent hunt, having to write a script based on top cow universe characters, but what I am confused about on the rules page is this one part stating "Any submissions that do not feature those characters-or feature those characters AND other characters not on the list will not be reviewed and their submissions will be discarded." I have decided the character I am writing about in the script and my story fleshed out and the script going into its second draft, but it is a stand alone story dedicated to the one character I have chosen to write about and features two characters that are important to the stand alone story of the character I am writing about but are expendable and serve no purpose other than fueling the story of the character I chose. so my question I guess is if I have more than one character, one of them being a character from the Top Cow universe, do the other characters that are in the story HAVE to be other characters from the Top Cow Universe as well? Can we make up characters that in the end are completely expendable and are at the will of the Top Cow character of our choice?

----------


## Pauul

> @top cow ryan, thanks for replying to my question. It helps and even though I am using final draft it will all be sent in PDF format. So, question number 2. On the rules page, I fully understand the rules and requirements for the talent hunt, having to write a script based on top cow universe characters, but what I am confused about on the rules page is this one part stating "Any submissions that do not feature those characters-or feature those characters AND other characters not on the list will not be reviewed and their submissions will be discarded." I have decided the character I am writing about in the script and my story fleshed out and the script going into its second draft, but it is a stand alone story dedicated to the one character I have chosen to write about and features two characters that are important to the stand alone story of the character I am writing about but are expendable and serve no purpose other than fueling the story of the character I chose. so my question I guess is if I have more than one character, one of them being a character from the Top Cow universe, do the other characters that are in the story HAVE to be other characters from the Top Cow Universe as well? Can we make up characters that in the end are completely expendable and are at the will of the Top Cow character of our choice?


As answered earlier in the thread, you can create new characters. Although, Top Cow will take ownership of these characters, which is why you are discouraged from doing so.

The part of the rules you are quoting is referencing other characters owned by other companies. So, as long as you're not planning to feature Superman (or any other such character) in your story, then you're good. You can only use Top Cow characters or new characters, not those owned by other companies.

----------


## Qithos

In the Witchblade 134 script, Page 19, Panel 1, The description says "We see a Cyber Data logo on one of the walls." 

Where can I find a reference for this logo?

Thanks,
Peyton

----------


## ksayed

> As answered earlier in the thread, you can create new characters. Although, Top Cow will take ownership of these characters, which is why you are discouraged from doing so.
> 
> The part of the rules you are quoting is referencing other characters owned by other companies. So, as long as you're not planning to feature Superman (or any other such character) in your story, then you're good. You can only use Top Cow characters or new characters, not those owned by other companies.


Thanks for clearing that up man.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> In the Witchblade 134 script, Page 19, Panel 1, The description says "We see a Cyber Data logo on one of the walls." 
> 
> Where can I find a reference for this logo?
> 
> Thanks,
> Peyton


Hi Peyton,

Check out the early issues of Cyberforce (they're free on our website). If I recall correctly, there should be some pretty decent shots in issue 1, but I'm not 100% positive.

----------


## Carmdq

I noticed some characters on the Witchblade script have been depicted quite differently by different artists and through the years. Is there a particular look that should be considered for those of us who don't follow the comics regularly?  For example, Aphrodite IV, looks totally different in several comics.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I noticed some characters on the Witchblade script have been depicted quite differently by different artists and through the years. Is there a particular look that should be considered for those of us who don't follow the comics regularly?  For example, Aphrodite IV, looks totally different in several comics.


Speaking generally, I would side with the most recent depictions, but don't be afraid to make it your own stylistically.

----------


## Carmdq

> Speaking generally, I would side with the most recent depictions, but don't be afraid to make it your own stylistically.


Thanks! I didn't want to screw up my chances by missing the "right" look.

----------


## Qithos

Thanks Ryan,

I'm not sure what I'm looking for, is it the sword and wings (Cyberforce #1 version C) or the circle gear looking thing (that's on walls and stuff)?

Thanks,
Peyton

----------


## doodledude

What if you are an artist who also writes or vice versa.Could you double up and write your own script and draw your own script as long as it involved Top Cow characters?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thanks Ryan,
> 
> I'm not sure what I'm looking for, is it the sword and wings (Cyberforce #1 version C) or the circle gear looking thing (that's on walls and stuff)?
> 
> Thanks,
> Peyton


I'd go with the circle gear looking thing.

I believe the Sword/Wings is military specific for CDI.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> What if you are an artist who also writes or vice versa.Could you double up and write your own script and draw your own script as long as it involved Top Cow characters?


Yep!

Just be sure to note this on your submissions, and submit both the script and the art pages.

----------


## SaraKpn

This may have been asked before, but I couldn't find a solid answer.

Will you guys at Top Cow print all of the artwork?
And second, if I should do these pages in a painted style, do you prefer with or without word balloons? (I'm guessing without.)

Thanks for this awesome chance, guys!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> This may have been asked before, but I couldn't find a solid answer.
> 
> Will you guys at Top Cow print all of the artwork?
> And second, if I should do these pages in a painted style, do you prefer with or without word balloons? (I'm guessing without.)
> 
> Thanks for this awesome chance, guys!


As all of these scripts have already been published, no - unless you're illustrating an original script submission, in which case, if accepted, it will be printed.

Don't letter your submissions - at the Cow we use a letterer for all of our books.

----------


## SaraKpn

> As all of these scripts have already been published, no - unless you're illustrating an original script submission, in which case, if accepted, it will be printed.
> 
> Don't letter your submissions - at the Cow we use a letterer for all of our books.


Thanks, but for the first question, I actually meant if you guys print out the submissions for reviewing or if you review them on screen. I didn't mean print for sale. I should've said that more clearly.
Just so I know if I should send it RBG or CMYK mode.

Thanks for you reply.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thanks, but for the first question, I actually meant if you guys print out the submissions for reviewing or if you review them on screen. I didn't mean print for sale. I should've said that more clearly.
> Just so I know if I should send it RBG or CMYK mode.
> 
> Thanks for you reply.


OH! Duh. No, that makes perfect sense.

Generally, we'll be reviewing 'em on our computers.

----------


## Anthony

Hello. I want to say this is a great opportunity and I'm thankful to Top Cow for providing it. I want to enter as a writer but I'm afraid I don't know much about the Top Cow Universe. I would very much appreciate if someone would recommend a website with info on these characters, particularly Cyber Force. By way I'm new here. Hope everyone is alright.

----------


## RotcodOhm

Hello! Uhm, when drawing the characters, specifically Dani as The Angelus, which version of her armor should I use? I noticed that Stjepan and John Tyler Christopher draw a more ornate design with an armature on her wings while Broussard and Portacio draw a simpler version with armor less wings and less ornate gauntlets. Is it alright if I draw a mish mash of the designs or pick one over the other? Thank you!  :Smile:

----------


## MSpeer632

I don't know if it was mentioned earlier but I just want to confirm.  Is Michael Finnegan still holding the Glacier Stone and Glorianna Silver still holding the Ember Stone?  I don't see them being mentioned in current stories much and not sure of what articles are up to date online that list the current wielders.

----------


## Sirknightangel

Hi! As a digital artist, I really don't do pencils anymore and basically jump right from the sketch to the inking stage.
Would it be acceptable to submit an inked like art work or you are only looking for traditional pencilers?

----------


## doodledude

I'm sooooo grateful Top Cow is one of the few companies taking direct submissions nowadays.Marvel or DC? fuggedaboutit! I'm going ol skool with my script and pages Ripclaw and Killrazor were always my Top Cow faves I'm pumped!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I don't know if it was mentioned earlier but I just want to confirm.  Is Michael Finnegan still holding the Glacier Stone and Glorianna Silver still holding the Ember Stone?  I don't see them being mentioned in current stories much and not sure of what articles are up to date online that list the current wielders.


It's pretty safe to assume they've both got them, yes.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi! As a digital artist, I really don't do pencils anymore and basically jump right from the sketch to the inking stage.
> Would it be acceptable to submit an inked like art work or you are only looking for traditional pencilers?


Of course digital inks are acceptable!

----------


## Sirknightangel

> Of course digital inks are acceptable!


Great! 
Thanks. I'm going to begin right now!  :Wink:

----------


## MSpeer632

> It's pretty safe to assume they've both got them, yes.



Excellent, thank you.

----------


## Pauul

> I don't know if it was mentioned earlier but I just want to confirm. Is Michael Finnegan still holding the Glacier Stone and Glorianna Silver still holding the Ember Stone? I don't see them being mentioned in current stories much and not sure of what articles are up to date online that list the current wielders.





> It's pretty safe to assume they've both got them, yes.


I don't want to contradict Ryan (sorry!), but those characters have appeared in the Rebirth Universe and their status is a bit different. I should know, having done an insane amount of research.

It's almost certain that Glorianna has the Ember Stone, but it has been shown that Finnegan doesn't have the Glacier Stone.

Finnegan has appeared in Artifacts #27, #28 and #35.

Glorianna has appeared in Artifacts #35 and Witchblade #175.

Those are the issues you'll want to track down for your research, plus their appearances in Broken Trinity and Broken Trinity Pandora's Box really do define the characters, despite the fact that those events could no longer have occurred the way they were originally portrayed.

I'll give you a brief summary (so stop reading if you would rather read the issues and avoid spoilers!).

Finnegan does not have the Glacier Stone. He encountered it in Artifacts #27 and #28 where he failed to acquire it. His later appearance in Artifacts #35 shows that he still does not have it. He has not appeared since.

The Glacier Stone is last seen at the bottom of a frozen lake(?) after briefly being wielded by the Magdalena. It might still be there, but given a demon was sent to get it by one interested party and Finnegan was sent by someone else, I doubt it.

Glorianna appears in Artifacts #35 where she not only has the Ember Stone, but appears to remember the pre-Rebirth Universe. She gets the Ember Stone stolen by Finnegan, who then dumps it in a toilet tank. However, he muses about how long it will take her to find it, implying that she would have been able to recover it. Her appearance in Witchblade #175 is a flashback and little more than a cameo, which merely shows that she has fought Sara Pezzini and Patrick Gleason in the Rebirth Universe.




> Hello. I want to say this is a great opportunity and I'm thankful to Top Cow for providing it. I want to enter as a writer but I'm afraid I don't know much about the Top Cow Universe. I would very much appreciate if someone would recommend a website with info on these characters, particularly Cyber Force. By way I'm new here. Hope everyone is alright.


If you're going to enter, then you are best doing the research and reading each issue you can get your hands on. www.comicvine.com is a good resource if you're trying to track down the appearances of specific characters.

Your job is made easier if you want to write a Cyber Force story. You just need to read Cyber Force #1 to #10 and Aphrodite IX #1 to #11. Plus the one shots Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1 and Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files #1.

The previous volume of Aphrodite IX is partially in continuity if you want to track that down, but the previous volumes of Cyber Force are not.

Good luck.

----------


## Anthony

Thank you Pauul.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I don't want to contradict Ryan (sorry!), but those characters have appeared in the Rebirth Universe and their status is a bit different. I should know, having done an insane amount of research.
> 
> It's almost certain that Glorianna has the Ember Stone, but it has been shown that Finnegan doesn't have the Glacier Stone.
> 
> Finnegan has appeared in Artifacts #27, #28 and #35.
> 
> Glorianna has appeared in Artifacts #35 and Witchblade #175.
> 
> Those are the issues you'll want to track down for your research, plus their appearances in Broken Trinity and Broken Trinity Pandora's Box really do define the characters, despite the fact that those events could no longer have occurred the way they were originally portrayed.
> ...


Whoops!

Look at me, confusing Editorial Knowledge with current canon...

Good catch, Pauul.

----------


## WaddyisOsvaldo

I have this gnawing feeling that the Gen are vegetarians. Did I read that somewhere or did I plant a false memory? I really hope they're not vegetarians because that would screw up a plot point I've got working... Anyone remember whether or not the Gen's dietary proclivities have been discussed at all in the books? (Weird question, I know.)

----------


## MaddMattD

I was wondering if we could use any script from top cow or only the sample scripts?Specifcally i would love to use Ron Marz's scripts for his run on Magdalena (2011). I would nothing more than to reinterprit the art from this run. Incase you read this thank you in advance Matt, Marc, and Ron.

----------


## FrustratedRocka

Ok, so here's the thing. I'm familiar enough with The Darkness to know that the titular entity has been around for a _long_ time, and I'd like to do a story set a few centuries back. Thing is, I don't know the comics very well, and I don't want to contradict any existing canon regarding where the Darkness was and what it was up to during the time I have in mind and have neither the time nor the money that I would need to read the full archive. Is there any information on what was going on with the Darkness during either the mid 1800's or the twelfth century?

----------


## Mary

Hello to everyone at TopCow. I have a couple of quick questions. First, Are you also looking for permanent new talent/long term work? Or just winners for this particular contest? And secondly, If you did find an artist or writer that you wanted to permanently hire on, would they be required to move to work with you guys if they don't already live in California? Thanks in advance for answering  :Smile:

----------


## JVillain

Hi, first off I wanna give you guys at Top Cow mad props for putting this contest together and giving everyone a chance to bring their voice to the world. I have 4'questions first question is about the submissions agreement. On the top it says to describe the material being submitted. So, does this mean say if it's a script you have to fill in: note that it's a script, the title, the author, and the characters involved?
My second question is about pen names, I find people have difficulty pronouncing my name, especially my last name, and have been thinking of using my pen name. Does both my pen name and my legal name have to be included in the agreement.

Third, I've looked online, and read artifacts but as far as I can tell nobody seems to know the origin of the 13th artifact. Or how the Gen came to acquire it. 

Last question, is ok to tell a story that takes place between the pages of an existing story, or re tell a story from a different characters POV? Example re tell Witchblade #1 from the Witchblade's perspective?

----------


## TnTalbott

When writing the scripts do you want us to focus on just telling the story? Or is it okay to include artist-specific direction with how to handle the page or any sort of cinematic aspects to the page?

----------


## Pauul

> Third, I've looked online, and read artifacts but as far as I can tell nobody seems to know the origin of the 13th artifact.


The 13th Artifact has only appeared being wielded by Ji Xi in the early issues of Artifacts. It was established that the monks had it for quite sometime, but that was about it. Even they were unaware of it's true origin.




> Hello to everyone at TopCow. I have a couple of quick questions. First, Are you also looking for permanent new talent/long term work? Or just winners for this particular contest? And secondly, If you did find an artist or writer that you wanted to permanently hire on, would they be required to move to work with you guys if they don't already live in California? Thanks in advance for answering


I don't work at Top Cow, but I think that is easily answered. The offer is to have your script professionally published, or if you're a runner up, a chance at writing a shorter script. But that's it. Now, I know for a fact that Top Cow did bring an artist who won the first year in to illustrate later stories.

So, we're being offered the chance to be published once. But that's a foot in the door. I'm sure if anyone really impressed the guys at Top Cow and they thought that they were truly an up and coming talent, that they would want to offer them future work.

And no, from everything I've read about comic book writers and artists, if you were to be successfully taken on, you wouldn't need to move. The great thing about being a writer or artist is that you can work from anywhere in the world and submit your work. For instance, Grant Morrison and Mark Millar both live in Glasgow, as does artist Frank Quitely. Now, yes, they do travel to the United States on a regular basis but they live in the United Kingdom.




> When writing the scripts do you want us to focus on just telling the story? Or is it okay to include artist-specific direction with how to handle the page or any sort of cinematic aspects to the page?


Every writer has their own style. The folks at Top Cow have given out sample scripts for artists, if you want to see how scripts are professionally laid out, go look at those. However, the format of comic book scripts do vary.

It's not possible for me or the guys at Top Cow to give a crash course in comic book writing here, if you're truly new to this (I have no idea whether you are or not) then there are a ton of examples of comic book scripts online that you can learn a lot from. There are numerous books you can pick up too, such as Alan Moore's Writing For Comics, Writing For Comics & Graphic Novels With Peter David and Words For Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis.

If you have written comic book scripts before and you're just worried that your style might not be what Top Cow are looking for, don't be. Your style is what makes your writing unique. Don't waste your time trying to be the writer you think Top Cow wants you to be. If you're going to win, you'll only do that by being true to yourself, not by trying to be someone else.




> Ok, so here's the thing. I'm familiar enough with The Darkness to know that the titular entity has been around for a long time, and I'd like to do a story set a few centuries back. Thing is, I don't know the comics very well, and I don't want to contradict any existing canon regarding where the Darkness was and what it was up to during the time I have in mind and have neither the time nor the money that I would need to read the full archive. Is there any information on what was going on with the Darkness during either the mid 1800's or the twelfth century?


Research isn't really that hard, and it's part of your job as a writer. It shouldn't be a chore, I enjoy researching. Going out there, finding information for yourself, it can be quite rewarding.

I'm not saying you should read the full archive, that would be insane, but you should be able to find the previous appearances of past wielders and track down those specific issues so that you can research them.

As I said earlier, Comic Vine is an excellent springboard to start your research from.

So, I simply typed in 'The Darkness' and that led me to a page on Jackie Estacado, which in turn led me to a page about the Artifact known as The Darkness.

Here it is; http://www.comicvine.com/the-darkness/4015-45822/

On that page is a section that reads 'Hosts' and it includes a list -

This is a list of all those who have wielded the Darkness Power

    The Foreigner (8000 BC)
    Unnamed Past Wielder
    Black Captain (9th century)
    Lord Cardinale (1175)
    Christian Estacado
    Idris (14th century)
    Michaelangelo Estacado (16th century)
    Antonio Estacado (~1500)
    Miguel Estacado (1671)
    Ramon Estacado (1878)
    Teo Estacado (1897)
    Belasco Estacado (1908)
    Adelmo Estacado (1912)
    Anthony Estacado (1918 Alternate Universe)
    Roberto Estacado (1942)
    Danny Estacado (late 20th century)
    Capris Castiglione - Twin-sister of Jackie Estacado, first female host.
    Jackie Estacado - Current possessor of The Darkness, known also as The Darkness.
    Bud Starling - Possible near future wielder.
    Unnamed Future Wielder

The links should take you to a page with information on each wielder. Some will have summaries, some won't, but they should all include a list of appearances which should allow you to track down the issues the wielders appears in and find out their stories.

When you're starting from scratch and you don't know anything about the Top Cow universe or the characters, I know it can seem daunting, but trust me, with a little effort you can find out everything you need to know.

I hadn't read any Top Cow before the first Talent Hunt a couple of years ago, but I was able to do the research I needed, and I found myself really loving the characters.

----------


## SaraKpn

Hi, just a minor thing I noticed.
In the character descriptions in Artifacts, it says Jackie has pale skin. But the way he's colored looks pretty normal to me. Just wondering what he's supposed to look like.
Also, Jackie's and Sara's armor are drawn differently depending on the artist, concerning details. I guess we can be a little free with the smaller details?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I have this gnawing feeling that the Gen are vegetarians. Did I read that somewhere or did I plant a false memory? I really hope they're not vegetarians because that would screw up a plot point I've got working... Anyone remember whether or not the Gen's dietary proclivities have been discussed at all in the books? (Weird question, I know.)


Unless, Matt randomly said that in an off-hand interview or comment, no, the Gen are NOT vegetarian. I don't think it was ever really discussed.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I was wondering if we could use any script from top cow or only the sample scripts?Specifcally i would love to use Ron Marz's scripts for his run on Magdalena (2011). I would nothing more than to reinterprit the art from this run. Incase you read this thank you in advance Matt, Marc, and Ron.


Stick to the sample scripts, unless, as has been previously stated, you're illustrating a submitted script written by yourself or another entrant.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> When writing the scripts do you want us to focus on just telling the story? Or is it okay to include artist-specific direction with how to handle the page or any sort of cinematic aspects to the page?


That's one of the struggles of every comic artist, interpreting the script in your own way.

When it doubt, do your best to go with your gut and create whatever will best tell the story without compromising too much of the writer's vision.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi, just a minor thing I noticed.
> In the character descriptions in Artifacts, it says Jackie has pale skin. But the way he's colored looks pretty normal to me. Just wondering what he's supposed to look like.
> Also, Jackie's and Sara's armor are drawn differently depending on the artist, concerning details. I guess we can be a little free with the smaller details?


It's possible that Ron wanted Jackie to look pale in that issue in order to convey the tone of the story. Some artists have drawn Jackie pretty tan, others have made him pale/Caucasian. 

Are you planning on submitting fully colored art?

And yes, please, go free with the smaller details and make it your own.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> The 13th Artifact has only appeared being wielded by Ji Xi in the early issues of Artifacts. It was established that the monks had it for quite sometime, but that was about it. Even they were unaware of it's true origin.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't work at Top Cow, but I think that is easily answered. The offer is to have your script professionally published, or if you're a runner up, a chance at writing a shorter script. But that's it. Now, I know for a fact that Top Cow did bring an artist who won the first year in to illustrate later stories.
> 
> So, we're being offered the chance to be published once. But that's a foot in the door. I'm sure if anyone really impressed the guys at Top Cow and they thought that they were truly an up and coming talent, that they would want to offer them future work.
> 
> And no, from everything I've read about comic book writers and artists, if you were to be successfully taken on, you wouldn't need to move. The great thing about being a writer or artist is that you can work from anywhere in the world and submit your work. For instance, Grant Morrison and Mark Millar both live in Glasgow, as does artist Frank Quitely. Now, yes, they do travel to the United States on a regular basis but they live in the United Kingdom.
> ...


Pauul, as always, turns out to be quick on the draw and absolutely correct.

----------


## FrustratedRocka

> Long and extremely informative post


Wow, thanks! Definitely a good springboard. And let's see... there seems to be a 15th-century-shaped hole there... *googles something*... 


Oh yes. This will do quite nicely.

----------


## SaraKpn

> It's possible that Ron wanted Jackie to look pale in that issue in order to convey the tone of the story. Some artists have drawn Jackie pretty tan, others have made him pale/Caucasian. 
> 
> Are you planning on submitting fully colored art?
> 
> And yes, please, go free with the smaller details and make it your own.


Yes, I'd like to submit colored art. Kind of painterly, I guess.
I was gonna make him just regular caucasian, unless you prefer a more pale looking Jackie. Since he's host to the Darkness, I figured he wouldn't be very tanned.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Yes, I'd like to submit colored art. Kind of painterly, I guess.
> I was gonna make him just regular caucasian, unless you prefer a more pale looking Jackie. Since he's host to the Darkness, I figured he wouldn't be very tanned.


Should be fine.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

Hey folks!

Just a shameless plug here - I went on the Doughnuts and Top Cow Podcast this week and spoke about Witchblade, the editing process, and - OF COURSE - this here Talent Hunt! Hopefully I can assuage any fears or concerns that I'm some sort of soulless rejection machine.

http://topcowproductions.libsyn.com/...itor-ryan-cady

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hello Ryan,
I listened to you on the podcast and I wanted to say that I appreciate the fact that you put yourself in our position and mindset when reading our scripts. 
Thank you for that.

Now questions: 
1/I know it sounds like the one question I asked you earlier but I need a bit more info before I go too far down the hole. With some training and experience, can we conclude that Ji Xi might be able to better control the death smoke's movements when his artifact is activated? Such control in fact, that he might be able to direct it and make it take shapes (such as animal shapes)?
2/Can Sabine travel through time? Like fast-forward and rewind at will kind of action or just change the age of people and objects she directly touches? Can she go back in time and kill Hitler? Can she go to the end of time and see what happens then?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello Ryan,
> I listened to you on the podcast and I wanted to say that I appreciate the fact that you put yourself in our position and mindset when reading our scripts. 
> Thank you for that.
> 
> Now questions: 
> 1/I know it sounds like the one question I asked you earlier but I need a bit more info before I go too far down the hole. With some training and experience, can we conclude that Ji Xi might be able to better control the death smoke's movements when his artifact is activated? Such control in fact, that he might be able to direct it and make it take shapes (such as animal shapes)?
> 2/Can Sabine travel through time? Like fast-forward and rewind at will kind of action or just change the age of people and objects she directly touches? Can she go back in time and kill Hitler? Can she go to the end of time and see what happens then?


1/ I'd say that's a pretty safe direction to take Ji Xi's powers, definitely.
2/ That, on the other hand, is probably NOT the best direction to take SABINE'S abilities. There may be a few instances where the Wheel of Shadows has done some things resembling time travel, but it's not an established ability of the Artifact and it presents quite a few continuity pitfalls.

Thanks so much for listening, by the way!

----------


## Carmdq

@Top Cow Ryan, since you asked for a minimum of eight pages to enter the Talent Hunt, is it ok to assume that those pages can be picked from any part of the script?  For instance, could I go either with pages 1-8 or 8-16? Also, would you say if I draw more than eight pages, that could be taken into consideration, or should I just focus in those eight pages instead? Thanks!

----------


## JVillain

Thanks Ryan for posting the podcast link. I listened to it, and the previous episode where they interviewed one of last years contestants(finalist?). Very informative on both fronts. Also thanks Pauul for responding to my question about Ji Xi. You're killing it in this thread.

I would like to ask again about filling out the top part of the submission agreement for example if it's a script, just note the title? Or do I also list the characters involved etc? And if it's art do we just say Witchbalde# 189 Pages 1-8

Also, what are the rules in regards to pen names?Sorry to be a pain about this but this is a legally binding agreement, and I really want to get it right the first time. Also the reason I ask about pen names is my legal name is Julio Valle, and I know it can be hard to pronounce for some people, and maybe it sounds too ethnic, etc. Anyways, Thanks again, and a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> @Top Cow Ryan, since you asked for a minimum of eight pages to enter the Talent Hunt, is it ok to assume that those pages can be picked from any part of the script?  For instance, could I go either with pages 1-8 or 8-16? Also, would you say if I draw more than eight pages, that could be taken into consideration, or should I just focus in those eight pages instead? Thanks!


Absolutely yes to the first.

As to the second, it's much, MUCH better to have 8 A+ pages instead of multiple B or C grade pages. Quality over quantity.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thanks Ryan for posting the podcast link. I listened to it, and the previous episode where they interviewed one of last years contestants(finalist?). Very informative on both fronts. Also thanks Pauul for responding to my question about Ji Xi. You're killing it in this thread.
> 
> I would like to ask again about filling out the top part of the submission agreement for example if it's a script, just note the title? Or do I also list the characters involved etc? And if it's art do we just say Witchbalde# 189 Pages 1-8
> 
> Also, what are the rules in regards to pen names?Sorry to be a pain about this but this is a legally binding agreement, and I really want to get it right the first time. Also the reason I ask about pen names is my legal name is Julio Valle, and I know it can be hard to pronounce for some people, and maybe it sounds too ethnic, etc. Anyways, Thanks again, and a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.


Just use the title, and denote the page numbers if you want.

As for pen names, well - as someone who used to write under a pen name, let me personally advise you that you shouldn't use one unless you really want to stick by it. There's no problem for us to use your pen name (sign the document under your legal name and maybe just add the pen name in "quotes" or remind us if you end up winning and it comes time to publish).

But "Julio Valle" isn't all too difficult, so unless there's a pen name you already use for other work, or there's another personal or legal reason you'd prefer a pen name, you might want to stick with your real name.

----------


## settlechaos

How does Tom Travel to and from Hell? In issue one of Artifacts he comes up from a subway. In issue 32 he enters the same subway. Is this subway the only entrance to hell? Or are the more gateways? Or can he create his own portals?

----------


## settlechaos

What is Mali's status in the new rebirth universe? I haven't seen him in any of the new Artifacts comics. Can he be used in a story with Dr. Rachel Harrison? Also what is his connection to the Heart Stone? Was he just after it to increase his powers or was there another motive?

----------


## hunter_peterson

Having just caught up on everything post-Rebirth/the trade of the old school Aphrodite IX, I have another question; if the continuity matches up with everything currently published, but a newly published book might call at into question, would we be allowed to potentially fix that before publication or would it be disqualified? Because the timeline is quite detailed so far and might become more so with IXth Generation, so that could be a problem for me. 

Also, how big are these stories allowed to be? Would post-Rebirth origins for characters or concepts be out of the question? (I plan to write a few entries to cover some bases as to continuity problems cancelling them out or their just not being what you guys are looking for.)

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> How does Tom Travel to and from Hell? In issue one of Artifacts he comes up from a subway. In issue 32 he enters the same subway. Is this subway the only entrance to hell? Or are the more gateways? Or can he create his own portals?


Generally, one can only travel to Hell riding the Conductor's train (it's shown up in quite a few issues of Artifacts)...

But Tom may have other ways. That's your safest, canonical bet, however.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> What is Mali's status in the new rebirth universe? I haven't seen him in any of the new Artifacts comics. Can he be used in a story with Dr. Rachel Harrison? Also what is his connection to the Heart Stone? Was he just after it to increase his powers or was there another motive?


We have a 6 page story coming out in a few months all about Dr. Harrison and the Heart Stone, and Mali is not involved.

I'd refrain from using him in the Rebirth Universe.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Having just caught up on everything post-Rebirth/the trade of the old school Aphrodite IX, I have another question; if the continuity matches up with everything currently published, but a newly published book might call at into question, would we be allowed to potentially fix that before publication or would it be disqualified? Because the timeline is quite detailed so far and might become more so with IXth Generation, so that could be a problem for me. 
> 
> Also, how big are these stories allowed to be? Would post-Rebirth origins for characters or concepts be out of the question? (I plan to write a few entries to cover some bases as to continuity problems canceling them out or their just not being what you guys are looking for.)


No, we wouldn't fault you for something like that, of course.

Generally for things like this, for Top Cow or other Talent Hunts, you don't want to go too big - publishers want something that can easily fit into an established continuity and won't be totally out of place if it ends up being delayed a few months for production reasons, or Editorial has a change of plans in terms of Universal Continuity. 

It's a difficult line to tread, and of course we're neither asking for you to be psychic and give us exactly what we would do ourselves, nor are we asking for a bland, uneventful non-character-exploring showcase piece...but just exercise caution. It would not be wise to think you can wow us by dramatically altering a continuity and thinking we'll just employ that for a random oneshot, ya dig?

----------


## hunter_peterson

> No, we wouldn't fault you for something like that, of course.
> 
> Generally for things like this, for Top Cow or other Talent Hunts, you don't want to go too big - publishers want something that can easily fit into an established continuity and won't be totally out of place if it ends up being delayed a few months for production reasons, or Editorial has a change of plans in terms of Universal Continuity. 
> 
> It's a difficult line to tread, and of course we're neither asking for you to be psychic and give us exactly what we would do ourselves, nor are we asking for a bland, uneventful non-character-exploring showcase piece...but just exercise caution. It would not be wise to think you can wow us by dramatically altering a continuity and thinking we'll just employ that for a random oneshot, ya dig?


Haha, yeah, I very much dig. Like a mole! What I was planning was more along the lines of something that hasn't actually been touched on, to my knowledge, so that should be fine. The kinds of things I'm talking about are long-long-ago type things that while interesting have little impact on thhe day-to-day of continuity. I mean, it obviously isn't the place of random people to dictate the direction of your whole damn universe! :P

Cool to hear the exceptional level of logic at play here. And thanks for replying so quickly! (Also, Aphrodite IX was great, looking forward to IXth Generation!)

----------


## nebezial

first issue of 9th generation will be finished today  :Smile:  then off to finish death vigil 6

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> first issue of 9th generation will be finished today  then off to finish death vigil 6


The Oracle Speaks

----------


## jamesmmo

Ryan, can we post preliminary sketches/concept designs of the characters for advice?

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hello Ryan!
Thank you for answering my questions about Ji Xi and Sabine earlier. I really appreciate it. I have a few more questions for you to answer, pretty please  :Smile: 
1/ What do you call Ji Xi glowing markings that appear on his face and body when he activates his artifact power? Is there a specific term you might use?
2/Do we know where Alina Enstrom is from? Where did she grow up with her dad after her mother got killed?
3/What is the nature of Alina's powers? It seems that she can use telekinesis as seen in Broken Trinity when she makes a grenade levitate and throws it. Is that correct?
4/ What do you call the "vines" that cover Alina's body when she is in artifact form?
5/Can Alina make people fight each other much like when the box was first opened? Can she spread discord?

Thank you for your help. I appreciate being able to ask you those questions. This is what it must feel like to work directly with an editor and it feels great.

----------


## RaymondGay24

How's it going Top Cow dudes! Im kinda new at this so bare with me. Do artists choose from the available 7 scripts and submit those sequentials or do we come up with our own pages in respect to the Top Cow world of characters. Again bare with me and Thank you for your time :Smile:

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Ryan, can we post preliminary sketches/concept designs of the characters for advice?


Advice from your fellow entrants? Of course!
Advice from me? I'm afraid I may have to retain silence, as that could be construed, by some, as an unfair advantage.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello Ryan!
> Thank you for answering my questions about Ji Xi and Sabine earlier. I really appreciate it. I have a few more questions for you to answer, pretty please 
> 1/ What do you call Ji Xi glowing markings that appear on his face and body when he activates his artifact power? Is there a specific term you might use?
> 2/Do we know where Alina Enstrom is from? Where did she grow up with her dad after her mother got killed?
> 3/What is the nature of Alina's powers? It seems that she can use telekinesis as seen in Broken Trinity when she makes a grenade levitate and throws it. Is that correct?
> 4/ What do you call the "vines" that cover Alina's body when she is in artifact form?
> 5/Can Alina make people fight each other much like when the box was first opened? Can she spread discord?
> 
> Thank you for your help. I appreciate being able to ask you those questions. This is what it must feel like to work directly with an editor and it feels great.



Hey Nicol,

No problem.

1/ I'm not sure what term was used in the original script, but whatever gets the point across.
2/ Hasn't really been established.
3/ "Sowing discord" is a good way to put it. Pandora's Box is one of the least established Artifacts, and few people have wielded it. Bonded to Alina, it appears to have, yes, given her some telekinesis, enhanced strength and agility, etc. There's room for extrapolation in terms of exactly what the Artifact allows her to do, and maybe that's something you want to explore.
4/ "Artifact-vines?" Whatever gets the point across, ha.
5/ Definitely, but I'm sure it's not infallible. And she probably has to open the box to do it. Maybe.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> How's it going Top Cow dudes! Im kinda new at this so bare with me. Do artists choose from the available 7 scripts and submit those sequentials or do we come up with our own pages in respect to the Top Cow world of characters. Again bare with me and Thank you for your time


Choose from the available 7, good sir!

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hi Ryan,
And thank you for answering our questions so speedily.
I have one more question about Alina Enstrom. In artifact 13, there is a double page grid that shows us where all the artifacts bearers are post rebirth. She seems to be standing surrounded my monks, showing off the "Chaos Vines". Is this the cult of Adam? Can we infer from this panel that she is now using the Obsidian stone power at the service of the cult?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi Ryan,
> And thank you for answering our questions so speedily.
> I have one more question about Alina Enstrom. In artifact 13, there is a double page grid that shows us where all the artifacts bearers are post rebirth. She seems to be standing surrounded my monks, showing off the "Chaos Vines". Is this the cult of Adam? Can we infer from this panel that she is now using the Obsidian stone power at the service of the cult?


As she hasn't yet appeared in the Rebirth Universe beyond that grid, I'd say that's open for interpretation, definitely.

----------


## Pauul

> 1/ I'd say that's a pretty safe direction to take Ji Xi's powers, definitely.
> 2/ That, on the other hand, is probably NOT the best direction to take SABINE'S abilities. There may be a few instances where the Wheel of Shadows has done some things resembling time travel, but it's not an established ability of the Artifact and it presents quite a few continuity pitfalls.
> 
> Thanks so much for listening, by the way!


If we could establish rules which avoided continuity pitfalls, would time travel or time travel-like abilities be an acceptable extrapolation of the Wheel of Shadows powers?

There is a quote in Artifacts Origins in the Wheel of Shadows section "The Wheel's power gives Sabine mastery over time itself. Time speeds or slows at her whim... but she can never travel back in time to regain what she has lost" which suggested to me that the wielder of the Wheel of Shadows cannot _change_ time.

But it has been shown to have other temporal abilities such as speeding and slowing time, aging or reversing aging and even premonitions... which certainly leaves the potential for further temporal powers.

Could we explore and extrapolate the temporal abilities of the Wheel of Shadows, as long as the ability to change the past wasn't one of those powers?

I know it involves a slight risk at being rejected, I just think I have a rather good story idea which would push what has been established while not violating continuity or creating continuity problems.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> If we could establish rules which avoided continuity pitfalls, would time travel or time travel-like abilities be an acceptable extrapolation of the Wheel of Shadows powers?
> 
> There is a quote in Artifacts Origins in the Wheel of Shadows section "The Wheel's power gives Sabine mastery over time itself. Time speeds or slows at her whim... but she can never travel back in time to regain what she has lost" which suggested to me that the wielder of the Wheel of Shadows cannot _change_ time.
> 
> But it has been shown to have other temporal abilities such as speeding and slowing time, aging or reversing aging and even premonitions... which certainly leaves the potential for further temporal powers.
> 
> Could we explore and extrapolate the temporal abilities of the Wheel of Shadows, as long as the ability to change the past wasn't one of those powers?
> 
> I know it involves a slight risk at being rejected, I just think I have a rather good story idea which would push what has been established while not violating continuity or creating continuity problems.



This is tricky. We've had a lot of in-house discussions about how far we want to take the time-warping abilities of the wheel, and we generally err on the side of "BE MYSTERIOUS." So overt time travel could be very risky, and - in my personal opinion - makes the Wheel a LITTLE overpowered.

That being said, I'm a writer, too, and I know what it's like when you've got that perfect nugget of a story. If you think the best story you can tell involves time travel with the Wheel, I'd give you a wary "Go ahead." Just, as I said, try to go for mysterious whenever possible.

It's one of those enigmatic Artifacts, ya dig?

----------


## Markus465

Informative thread! Working on a Magdalena story. Finishing, tweaking.
I have been published but by NONE of the companies on your exclusion list.
Just want to make sure it's correct before I send it. Is there a particular font size that you would prefer?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Informative thread! Working on a Magdalena story. Finishing, tweaking.
> I have been published but by NONE of the companies on your exclusion list.
> Just want to make sure it's correct before I send it. Is there a particular font size that you would prefer?


12 would be preferable.

----------


## Pauul

> This is tricky. We've had a lot of in-house discussions about how far we want to take the time-warping abilities of the wheel, and we generally err on the side of "BE MYSTERIOUS." So overt time travel could be very risky, and - in my personal opinion - makes the Wheel a LITTLE overpowered.
> 
> That being said, I'm a writer, too, and I know what it's like when you've got that perfect nugget of a story. If you think the best story you can tell involves time travel with the Wheel, I'd give you a wary "Go ahead." Just, as I said, try to go for mysterious whenever possible.
> 
> It's one of those enigmatic Artifacts, ya dig?


Okay, cool, I figured it would involve some risk, but it's a good idea, so I think it's worth it.

I like the Wheel of Shadows. The fact that it's predatory and mysterious... my idea directly plays into that.

I think... there are definitely some overt elements in my idea but it doesn't make the wielder of the Artifact overpowered. Quite the opposite actually. Which I think is exactly what the nature of the Wheel is. It gives you a power which you think is going to be positive and helpful to you, but the opposite is true.

Anyway, I suppose you'll see when I submit it.  :Stick Out Tongue: 

I'd best get writing.

----------


## eel4rt

Hi, I just noticed some references on the scripts to some of the "old" --maybe classic-- CyberForce comics. As a submitting artist, should I choose the old or the new (2012) CyberForce designs? For example, one of the scripts mentions a subterranean CF base and uses issue #5 as a reference, but I just read issue #5 of the new 2012 CyberForce (posted for free at the TopCow link) and noticed that the script must be talking about an older issue. Help would be appreciated  :Smile:

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi, I just noticed some references on the scripts to some of the "old" --maybe classic-- CyberForce comics. As a submitting artist, should I choose the old or the new (2012) CyberForce designs? For example, one of the scripts mentions a subterranean CF base and uses issue #5 as a reference, but I just read issue #5 of the new 2012 CyberForce (posted for free at the TopCow link) and noticed that the script must be talking about an older issue. Help would be appreciated


If you can't find the reference in 2012 CF, then it's likely a reference to the older series. If the design is overall inconsequential, just go with your gut.

----------


## JVillain

> Okay, cool, I figured it would involve some risk, but it's a good idea, so I think it's worth it.
> 
> I like the Wheel of Shadows. The fact that it's predatory and mysterious... my idea directly plays into that.
> 
> I think... there are definitely some overt elements in my idea but it doesn't make the wielder of the Artifact overpowered. Quite the opposite actually. Which I think is exactly what the nature of the Wheel is. It gives you a power which you think is going to be positive and helpful to you, but the opposite is true.
> 
> Anyway, I suppose you'll see when I submit it. 
> 
> I'd best get writing.


I read that Artifacts origin piece on The Wheel, and just took it to mean that while The Wheel itself can Travel through time foward and back, The weilder cannot Travel in time to before they acquired the artifact because at that time it would have been in someone else's hands. Likewise they couldn't travel forward in order to meet a future bearer.  It's the same way I believe that any character that can teleport can also travel through time because in essence that's really what teleporting is, no? Traveling through distance and time. Just my two cents

----------


## JVillain

Can we set our story at anytime within the established continuity of the Rebirth universe? For example my proposed Witchblade story takes place in the time Sara spent in Chicago, as opposed to her present location of upstate NY. I did that to clearly set it apart in time from current continuity, but it can also be set in upstate NY with some minor tweaking.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Can we set our story at anytime within the established continuity of the Rebirth universe? For example my proposed Witchblade story takes place in the time Sara spent in Chicago, as opposed to her present location of upstate NY. I did that to clearly set it apart in time from current continuity, but it can also be set in upstate NY with some minor tweaking.


You're pretty much safe either way, yeah.

----------


## Magii

Just noticing this now but I'm completely interested in trying out. I wanted the Angelus to be explored a little more. I'm a little rusty on topcow continuity and I haven't kept up with rebirth much.  I don't have all the comics but I've been looking for information. If this is stuff we should know forgive me.

1)What are the ages Danielle Baptiste and Finch? It has been stated that Danielle is a police officer so I guess that leaves her 25-30+ I wasn't sure if Finch was out of college or not.
2)Does Finch have a full name?
3) What has Finch been doing since she became the Angelus again? I'm not sure if she is still connected to Dani, I want to know if she still has some free will and can live on earth or does she just stay in the heaven realm all day. 
4)Does the heaven realm shown in Angelus V1 have a name? I may have missed it.
5) Does Sabine still have the wheel of shadows? If so does she remember what happened pre-reboot?
6) Can an artifact bearer share power? For example, Dani and Finch being the Angelus simultaneously- in two separate bodies. 
7) It was stated this was supposed to be written like a oneshot, does that mean everything has to wrap up in one issue? We can't leave a possibility for something more? 

Like I said before I'm not up to date and I haven't read everything so I'll have to do some research. If anyone can point me to Angelus appearances/reference post rebirth I would greatly appreciate it.

----------


## Pauul

> Just noticing this now but I'm completely interested in trying out. I wanted the Angelus to be explored a little more. I'm a little rusty on topcow continuity and I haven't kept up with rebirth much. I don't have all the comics but I've been looking for information. If this is stuff we should know forgive me.
> 
> 1)What are the ages Danielle Baptiste and Finch? It has been stated that Danielle is a police officer so I guess that leaves her 25-30+ I wasn't sure if Finch was out of college or not.
> 2)Does Finch have a full name?
> 3) What has Finch been doing since she became the Angelus again? I'm not sure if she is still connected to Dani, I want to know if she still has some free will and can live on earth or does she just stay in the heaven realm all day.
> 4)Does the heaven realm shown in Angelus V1 have a name? I may have missed it.
> 5) Does Sabine still have the wheel of shadows? If so does she remember what happened pre-reboot?
> 6) Can an artifact bearer share power? For example, Dani and Finch being the Angelus simultaneously- in two separate bodies.
> 7) It was stated this was supposed to be written like a oneshot, does that mean everything has to wrap up in one issue? We can't leave a possibility for something more?
> ...


I'm not sure if their ages have ever been mentioned, but yes, Finch does have a full name. However she refuses to tell anyone what it is. She just likes to be called Finch.

As far as I can recall, the only information we have on Finch's background (revealed in the Angelus mini series) is that her mother is a nurse who she inherited her terrible taste in men from.

She and Dani are involved and have been shown to be sleeping together. Finch definitely has free will and has been spending most of her time on Earth.

The place where the Angelus rules is usually just referred to as 'The Angelus Realm'.

Sabine has the Wheel of Shadows. Her only post-Rebirth appearance was a cameo in _Artifacts #35_. She features in a single panel, and nothing is really revealed beyond the fact that she has the Wheel and crash landed in Phoenix Park in Dublin.

Artifacts can share power, as shown by Sonatine possessing a bit of The Darkness and the Witchblade being divided by Sara and Dani in the previous universe. In fact, when they first encounter the Angelus in the post-Rebirth universe it has been divided among the Angelus Host creating a hive mind. This was done by Jackie to weaken it. It was only reassembled when it combined with Finch. However, this was shown to be a bad thing for the Angelus, so I doubt it would be something that it would do willingly.

All the appearances of the Finch Angelus and Dani appear in _Artifacts #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #23, #24, #25, #26, #30, #31 and #36_.

The rest of the Progeny arc which ran across all three titles appears in _Witchblade #164_ and _The Darkness #111_.

However, as of _Witchblade #172_ there is a new Angelus later revealed to be... spoilers - Jenny Romano.

The current Witchblade series is set two years later, so there is a gap where stories could be told, but given that the next Angelus bearer has already been set up, I can't see Top Cow wanting the Angelus power transferred back to Dani.

Plus, I assume that the current writers have a story in mind as to how to Angelus power was lost by Finch and why it took it's current host.

It has to be a one shot, which means the story needs to be complete. A beginning, middle and end. That doesn't mean you need to resolve everything, but you don't want to write it like you're going to have a follow up issue.

So, you could introduce a new character that could reappear, should another writer want to use them (although, remember, any new characters you create would be owned by Top Cow) but you don't want to create a situation or cliffhanger which needs to be resolved. Because it won't be.

As long as you remember it is a one shot and needs to have a definitive ending, you should be fine.

----------


## Pauul

> Wow, thanks! Definitely a good springboard. And let's see... there seems to be a 15th-century-shaped hole there... *googles something*...
> 
> Oh yes. This will do quite nicely.


You know, having researched the Darkness a bit, I can only come to the conclusion that there must be multiple Estacado family lines.

There's the Darkness wielder whose body is kept in the Angelus Realm in _Angelus #2_ who therefore could not possibly of fathered any children and thus it must have jumped to another relative.

More concrete evidence is suggested in _The Darkness #12_, _The Darkness - Shadow & Flame_ One Shot and _The Darkness - Close Your Eyes_ One Shot.

Belasco Estacado is active in 1908 and manages to trick the Angelus into believing he is dead. He later has sex with a whore and dies in her bed.

Yet, Adelmo Estacado turns twenty-one in 1912. His mother, was apparently a whore, who was raped by his father who immediately fell dead upon getting her pregnant. Which would have occurred in California in 1891.

Also, Teo Estacado was active in 1897.

So, the Darkness must jump from Adelmo's father to Teo Estacado, then to Belasco Estacado, to Adelmo Estacado, to Belasco's son and afterward, to Adelmo's son.

I guess some things could have changed post-Rebirth but I can't see Jackie messing with his genetic line, especially given his comment that he did not change much.

The only thing I can think of is that prior to 1891, an Estacado must have had multiple children. Which is not unheard of, Jackie did have a twin.

There is a story there worth telling. Maybe for next years Talent Hunt  :Stick Out Tongue: 

I was trying to find a time period to set the flashback part of my story in. It needs to be a time where the Darkness isn't active within a host and the Angelus knows this. 1910 it is. After Belasco has probably died but before the Darkness manifests in Adelmo.

----------


## JVillain

Is the Witchblade male or female? I remember reading somewhere that it was male, and in issue 175 of the Witchblade it is depicted as being a male spirit, while in issue 165 it is clearly depicted as a female. Unless those are some weird pectoral muscles they look like breasts, and fairly large ones at that. I guess it could be both, since there is a Darkness side, as well as an Angelus side and one side could be male while the other is female. Also the fact that it is a spirit, and spirits have no bodies or sexual organs..so which is it?

----------


## Shayne

I have a few questions regarding Cyber Force. I don't remember seeing Ares Prime in the Aphrodite crossover that shows the team in a timeline far past the Cyber Force #10 occurrences. Is Ares Prime still around in the teams immediate future? It's obvious that Ripclaw survives, but Ares fate is more vague. Same question for Dolorossa. Did he survive the events at CDI? Will CF11 be released before the deadline of the talent hunt of at all?

----------


## Pauul

> Is the Witchblade male or female? I remember reading somewhere that it was male, and in issue 175 of the Witchblade it is depicted as being a male spirit, while in issue 165 it is clearly depicted as a female. Unless those are some weird pectoral muscles they look like breasts, and fairly large ones at that. I guess it could be both, since there is a Darkness side, as well as an Angelus side and one side could be male while the other is female. Also the fact that it is a spirit, and spirits have no bodies or sexual organs..so which is it?


From what I can recall, you're right, the Witchblade is usually portrayed as male. The fact that it is often shown with female properties too, is probably down to the fact that it only chooses female bearers. And again, yes, you're right. The Witchblade is an Artifact, not a person, so perhaps gender is less fixed.

I think the real answer here is that it's down to each writer and artists interpretation of the character.

I doubt this is something which Top Cow is going to establish definitively either way, as that can only limit future story proposals and dispel the mystique around the Artifact.




> I have a few questions regarding Cyber Force. I don't remember seeing Ares Prime in the Aphrodite crossover that shows the team in a timeline far past the Cyber Force #10 occurrences. Is Ares Prime still around in the teams immediate future? It's obvious that Ripclaw survives, but Ares fate is more vague. Same question for Dolorossa. Did he survive the events at CDI? Will CF11 be released before the deadline of the talent hunt of at all?


According to the Image Comics website, Cyber Force #11 will be released on December 24th, which is well before the end of the Talent Hunt.

Could it be delayed? Well, that's always possible but it's hardly something which anyone can predict.

Yep, you're right, Ares fate is less certain. However, you can't really expect anyone at Top Cow to spoil an upcoming issue.

Dolorossa sustained some pretty nasty wounds, but this is comics, so until it's established that you're dead and in the ground, I'd say there is a good chance that you're still alive and kicking. Hell, even when you are dead and buried, there is still a chance you'll come back.

If these things concern you and you still want to tell a Cyber Force story, you could do one of two things. Tell a story set before these events. Or, have a backup plan which would allow you to swap out a character like Ares for someone else should he be killed off.

If a character is killed off after the end date of the Talent Hunt, I seriously doubt Top Cow would disqualify you. I'd imagine they would just ask you to do a rewrite of the script, eliminating the deceased character.

Basically, if you're a good writer who tells an excellent story, which Top Cow really wants to use, and that is worthy of winning the Talent Hunt, then they will find a way to make the story work.

----------


## Shayne

Thanks. Are there any other Cyber Force appearances in the TCU considered canon?

----------


## Pauul

> Thanks. Are there any other Cyber Force appearances in the TCU considered canon?


Beyond the recent issues of Cyber Force and the Aphrodite IX crossover?

No, they can't be. Velocity joined the group in the first issue of the new volume. Therefore, given that she was a member of the group in the previous versions, they can no way be in continuity.

Now, Aphrodite IV certainly encountered Sara Pezzini and the Witchblade, and a mystical branch of CyberData was seen not long ago in the post-Rebirth Witchblade, but Cyber Force itself didn't play a role in those events.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Is the Witchblade male or female? I remember reading somewhere that it was male, and in issue 175 of the Witchblade it is depicted as being a male spirit, while in issue 165 it is clearly depicted as a female. Unless those are some weird pectoral muscles they look like breasts, and fairly large ones at that. I guess it could be both, since there is a Darkness side, as well as an Angelus side and one side could be male while the other is female. Also the fact that it is a spirit, and spirits have no bodies or sexual organs..so which is it?


The Artifact itself is "Male" (sort of). Generally, when the "Spirit of the Witchblade" manifests itself as female, this is more representative of the spirit of its Bearers across History, ya dig?

Metaphysical.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> From what I can recall, you're right, the Witchblade is usually portrayed as male. The fact that it is often shown with female properties too, is probably down to the fact that it only chooses female bearers. And again, yes, you're right. The Witchblade is an Artifact, not a person, so perhaps gender is less fixed.
> 
> I think the real answer here is that it's down to each writer and artists interpretation of the character.
> 
> I doubt this is something which Top Cow is going to establish definitively either way, as that can only limit future story proposals and dispel the mystique around the Artifact.
> 
> 
> 
> According to the Image Comics website, Cyber Force #11 will be released on December 24th, which is well before the end of the Talent Hunt.
> ...


Pauul wins again.

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## Pauul

> Pauul wins again.


Great. Now I just need to win the Talent Hunt itself  :Stick Out Tongue: 

Still, I'm 50% of the way through writing my script, so I'm making better time than I thought I would. Which will leave plenty of time for rewriting.

I'm actually have a blast writing this, so I'm going to take that as a good sign.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Great. Now I just need to win the Talent Hunt itself 
> 
> Still, I'm 50% of the way through writing my script, so I'm making better time than I thought I would. Which will leave plenty of time for rewriting.
> 
> I'm actually have a blast writing this, so I'm going to take that as a good sign.


Generally, that's the best sign.

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## JVillain

Thanks for answering about the Witchblade's sexuality guys. That fits perfectly with my story. Pauul should get assistant editor credit on the winner's book. What is the preferred file type for artwork? Would scanned photocopies of pencils work? Or would high res pictures as JPEG or PDF work as well? There was nothing in the submission guide other than to refrain from files bigger than 10 Meg's.

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## eel4rt

> If you can't find the reference in 2012 CF, then it's likely a reference to the older series. If the design is overall inconsequential, just go with your gut.


OK, Thanks!

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Thanks for answering about the Witchblade's sexuality guys. That fits perfectly with my story. Pauul should get assistant editor credit on the winner's book. What is the preferred file type for artwork? Would scanned photocopies of pencils work? Or would high res pictures as JPEG or PDF work as well? There was nothing in the submission guide other than to refrain from files bigger than 10 Meg's.


Personally, a single PDF is the most convenient for me, but JPGs will work fine. I know it's hard to get the best resolution of your work at under 10 Megs, but it's for the sake of not destroying my harddrive/gmail.

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## JVillain

> Personally, a single PDF is the most convenient for me, but JPGs will work fine. I know it's hard to get the best resolution of your work at under 10 Megs, but it's for the sake of not destroying my harddrive/gmail.


Ok cool, I wouldn't want to destroy your hard drive/mail either. PDF it is, Thanks!

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## seba

hi ryan. I have some doubts that I want to consult you:
1- the submission agreement can be signed and then sent as jpg or pdf in the mail
2-we must draw the full script or just some pages ??
3-which is the best format to send our drawings. especially if they must weigh less than 10 megs the whole file to send. I would not want to make mistakes upon sending the work

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## Top Cow Ryan

> hi ryan. I have some doubts that I want to consult you:
> 1- the submission agreement can be signed and then sent as jpg or pdf in the mail
> 2-we must draw the full script or just some pages ??
> 3-which is the best format to send our drawings. especially if they must weigh less than 10 megs the whole file to send. I would not want to make mistakes upon sending the work


As has all been covered several other times in this thread - 

1. Yes, via email.
2. At least 8 sequential pages.
3. A PDF works best.

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## Pied Piper

Hello, fellow contestants!

I've got several questions regarding the stories for Talent Hunt:
1. From what I gather, Tom Judge seems, as of late, to steer clear of alcohol and women companions. Is it ok to change that a bit? And how well can he hold his liquor?
2. Can I invent minor new supporting characters/villains who will not be around after the story ends?
3. Is there a definite model of Hell's hierarchy and structure we should be aware of? Can I make up some new fractions within Hell?

That's probably it for now.
Also, thanks for this great opportunity, guys!

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## Pauul

> Hello, fellow contestants!
> 
> I've got several questions regarding the stories for Talent Hunt:
> 1. From what I gather, Tom Judge seems, as of late, to steer clear of alcohol and women companions. Is it ok to change that a bit? And how well can he hold his liquor?
> 2. Can I invent minor new supporting characters/villains who will not be around after the story ends?
> 3. Is there a definite model of Hell's hierarchy and structure we should be aware of? Can I make up some new fractions within Hell?
> 
> That's probably it for now.
> Also, thanks for this great opportunity, guys!


Howdy. Welcome to the thread.

Yeah, as an FBI investigator Tom Judge seems fairly stable, especially with Tilly right there with him. Given that _Artifacts_ has come to an end, it would seem that Tom is going to remain in the background for the time being (although only the editors know for sure). He had a minor role in _Witchblade_ recently. Which means, that if you wanted to, it would be the perfect time to shake up his status quo. But remember, it would have to make sense. You would need to give Tom a reason to go back to drinking and sleeping around.

You need to get inside his head, and think about what would cause him to slip back into his old ways. And I can think of only one reason for that would happen. He would have to fail someone. Someone important.

I've given this some thought myself, I certainly know what I would do to shake up Tom's current status, but I'm sure you have ideas of your own.

You just need to remember that characters, perhaps even more than people, need proper motivations for what they do (because people do act illogically, but characters just seem like they are being poorly written when they act in a way that is contrary to what we know. They need to be more consistent).

So, as a fellow writer, I would say that what you suggest would be fine as long as there are story reasons for it. Don't just have Tom boozing and sleeping around for no apparent reason beyond the fact that it fits your story. You need to make it work.

You can invent new supporting character, you are discouraged from doing so in the formal documents because if you do, Top Cow will take ownership of said characters. However, if this doesn't bother you (it certainly doesn't bother me) then you can go ahead and create a bunch of supporting characters and villains.

I don't think there is a definitive layout for Hell hierarchy. The Devil is (or was) certainly at the top. You should read _Universe_ which starred Tom Judge. It's pre-Rebirth, so no longer in continuity but it features Top Cow's version of the Devil or 'Nick' as he likes to be called. In that series he had side stepped his duties in Hell but we are dealing with an altered continuity now where Tom Judge didn't even have the Rapture, as he did in that series.

Demons sprung into existence when men separated from the monkeys. Soul are accumulated by demons as a way of gaining power. They are almost like currency. Everyone goes to Hell and the Conductor (who may or may not be God) ferries them there is his train. Cerberus guards the gates to Hell, as seen in the _Angelus_ series and the lower circles are mentioned suggesting that Hell might be laid out much like it is in Dante's Inferno.

So, yeah, new factions (and ever shifting factions) seems like the way to go. You might want to read _Universe_ and the _Angelus_ series for research, and look at Dante's Inferno as a rough guide but not as anything definitive.

Oh, I almost forgot, 'The Geometry Of Hell' appears in _Artifacts #29_ and explains how Tom Judge got back from Hell (also making it pre-Rebirth). It features Julie Pezzini in Hell (although she doesn't reveal who she is) shortly before she dies in _Artifacts #1_ meaning that time in Hell is out of sync with our reality. Which I like. In Dante's Inferno the souls in Hell are only aware of the past and the future, not the present. The idea of events being out of sync, it plays into that in a really cool way, I think. I have no idea if that was intentional or not.

Anyway, good luck.

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## DGoodluck

Hi there, one and all! 
I was just wondering, when you submit your script, can you leave a one or two paragraph note at the beginning or end of your script detailing your understanding of the characters, storytelling decisions, texts that might help the Artist/team understand the visual aesthetic you might have in mind, callbacks or references to continuity etc. Or do you think a strong script would already have these things casually placed throughout it?

Ah, also, we're being partnered with other new talent, no? Should we make our panel and layout directions in the script hyper-detailed, to help for the sake of clarity, or might that be a little too overwhelming for new artists?

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## Lightningmax

> Hi there, one and all! 
> I was just wondering, when you submit your script, can you leave a one or two paragraph note at the beginning or end of your script detailing your understanding of the characters, storytelling decisions, texts that might help the Artist/team understand the visual aesthetic you might have in mind, callbacks or references to continuity etc. Or do you think a strong script would already have these things casually placed throughout it?


I've seen scripts with lead in paragraphs explaining certain things, but not explaining the whole script or decision making process.  However, if you have to explain why you're writing a character a certain way, then your understanding of their "world" might not be correct. Just because it would be interesting to write a story where Spider-man rapes someone doesn't mean it would fit the character. (Sorry if my strong example offends someone, I do not make light of rape, but it seems society is more accepting of murder these days).  As for storytelling decisions:  they should stand on their own as advancing the story and not confusing the reader.  To paraphrase a writer: the resolution of a story should confirm what the astute reader guesses, surprise the casual reader, and invite the nonreader to discover more.  If you have hyperlinks to reference material  excellent or links referring to back issues that support your story  wonderful. Visual aesthetic sounds to me like you are picking an art style  this should be drawn like Tom Coker (Blood and Water, not Moon Knight,), that should be drawn like Howard Porter (Flash, not Justice League 3000), Over here should be Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman, not Green Lantern Corps)  anything more than *the City was dark, deformed, and crooked as if its roots were in hell.  The spires and towers of the city clawed at the sky like the talons of great beasts, while the buildings that did not reach upward, squatted like fallen gargoyles, covered in soot and resentful of their sky clawing brethren.* is going beyond the scope of writers role in the collaboration.




> Ah, also, we're being partnered with other new talent, no? Should we make our panel and layout directions in the script hyper-detailed, to help for the sake of clarity, or might that be a little too overwhelming for new artists?


Collaboration.  Alan Moore is always pointed out as the example of a writer who writes hyper detailed scripts  however he spent years as an artist/writer before he focused on just writing, *"After I'd been doing [it] for a couple of years, I realised that I would never be able to draw well enough and/or quickly enough to actually make any kind of decent living as an artist."* because of this he never included superfluous detail in a panel.  Each panel follows the rules set forth by Christopher Priest (trained under Stan Lee, Jim Shooter, and Larry Hama) when he was the first African American editor at a major comic book publisher -- Marvel *Besides merely advancing your plot, each scene in your story should present some personal point of view or philosophy, while furthering the characterizations and if possible teaching us something we may not have known. You must also do this within a minimum amount of space.
Each scene wherein a character or characters appear for the first time should contain a "bit"; a sequence of actions designed to bring your characters onstage. By the end of your scene, we should know everything we need to know about these characters for them to function within the context of your plot or theme. Thought balloons or dialog wherein a character blathers on about himself usually doesn't cut it. It's much more effective to create a situation wherein your characters can all demonstrate their individual traits and points of view, while not necessarily distracting our attention from the plot*

The reason Alan Moores scripts were so detailed is that he KNOWS how to draw, so he knows what to draw.  While you might include hyper detail it may not be necessary or good for the story.  Further, an artist spends years learning their trade: perspective, figure drawing, human and animal anatomy, basic object construction, color, composition then the specialized skills needed to produce comics books: Storytelling, composition (specifically for advancing the story), weapon and vehicle drawing (only taught in specialized art schools) character, creature and location design.  If youre pared with a new artist they will have spent years preparing for the job.  

The reason I believe that Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Alan Moore (and most British comicbook writers) are such good storytellers is because they worked within the eight page story structure.  Having to tell a story in eight pages means you learn a succinctness and conciseness that forces you to get the point across quickly.  If you read the original 100 issue run of the Fantastic Four the beauty and density of each issue is because they have three or four stories in each issue, one storyline ends, another begins.  No panels are throw away, no locations are just background  the Fantastic Four visit a college campus, each shows their powers, each shows their personality, Prof X and Cyclops happen  to be there  just passing through, Diablo explodes from where the FF buried him several issues before, Peter Parker is interviewing at the campus, and then there is the birth of the Dragon man!  High density storytelling.  No wasted panels, the FF interact with the background, its not just a place to have a fight.

Hope this helps. Look up my profile and read my other posts on the subject.

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## Bevan

Have any rules or restrictions been established for what magicians, sorcerers, and witches in general can or can't do with their spells?

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## JVillain

> Howdy. Welcome to the thread.
> 
> Yeah, as an FBI investigator Tom Judge seems fairly stable, especially with Tilly right there with him. Given that _Artifacts_ has come to an end, it would seem that Tom is going to remain in the background for the time being (although only the editors know for sure). He had a minor role in _Witchblade_ recently. Which means, that if you wanted to, it would be the perfect time to shake up his status quo... we are dealing with an altered continuity now where Tom Judge didn't even have the Rapture, as he did in that series..


Tom Judge doesn't have the Rapture anymore?? Wasn't that the rapture around his neck in Witchblade# 165? Him being an FBI agent fits perfectly into my script, but I thought he had The Rapture...

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## Pauul

> Have any rules or restrictions been established for what magicians, sorcerers, and witches in general can or can't do with their spells?


Spells might be the wrong word for the Top Cow universe.

Yes, there are magical Artifacts, but actual magic... it might exist but is much rarer.

Basically, I would say that magic in the Top Cow universe is not a casual occurrence. You're better making sure things feel grounded in reality. As soon as you have magicians and sorcerers firing spells all over the place, you lose that.

Usually you need to give something to get something. There are always rules. Always a price. Nothing is for free. Nothing is easy.

Try reading some issues of Witchblade, you'll get a feel of how things work.




> Tom Judge doesn't have the Rapture anymore?? Wasn't that the rapture around his neck in Witchblade# 165? Him being an FBI agent fits perfectly into my script, but I thought he had The Rapture...


He has The Rapture now. But reality was rearranged at the end of _Artifacts #13_ and Tilly was revealed as the bearer of The Rapture in _Artifacts #14_. Which means, prior to that, in this new reality, Tom Judge did not have The Rapture. Making every story where he did, invalid.

Tom took possession of The Rapture in _Artifacts #15_. He also has his memories of the past universe. But the history of the new reality is still in place.

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## JVillain

> Artifacts #13[/I] and Tilly was revealed as the bearer of The Rapture in _Artifacts #14_. Which means, prior to that, in this new reality, Tom Judge did not have The Rapture. Making every story where he did, invalid.
> 
> Tom took possession of The Rapture in _Artifacts #15_. He also has his memories of the past universe. But the history of the new reality is still in place.


Thanks Pauul! All those elements really play into my script. I never read Witchblade when it first came out, or Darkness..I really wrote it off as part of the "Bad Girl" trend of the mid 90's. I'm really having a blast doing the research, and discovering the Top Cow U, even if I'm late to the party. I really hope I can make a valuable contribution to the mythology.

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## DGoodluck

Thanks Lightningmax, you sound like you'd be an absolute treasure to work with. I was just asking since writing chunks of text is difficult to do without a little visual aid sometimes, so I did thumbnail quite a few pages (stick figures, essentially), just to determine the flow of certain scenes and what might be more visually feasible or dynamic in places as well. I might have got a little too attached to way I visualised it though, and I've started rewriting to simplify it a bit after reading your advice, so thanks.

Just out of curiosity: Any other writers on the thread who thumbnail before doing extensive rewrites?

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## hunter_peterson

> Thanks Lightningmax, you sound like you'd be an absolute treasure to work with. I was just asking since writing chunks of text is difficult to do without a little visual aid sometimes, so I did thumbnail quite a few pages (stick figures, essentially), just to determine the flow of certain scenes and what might be more visually feasible or dynamic in places as well. I might have got a little too attached to way I visualised it though, and I've started rewriting to simplify it a bit after reading your advice, so thanks.
> 
> Just out of curiosity: Any other writers on the thread who thumbnail before doing extensive rewrites?


I sometimes thumbnail so I can break down what is possible, then what works best. Then I suggest it to the artist, but make it clear they can deviate if they think they have a better take. But really, it's mostly useful for determining if the page is too "full" or not. Specific layout is usually best left to the artist. Unless, that is, the story HAS to be laid out in a certain way for a scene to work. Of course, that's just my take on it.

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## JVillain

> Thanks Lightningmax, you sound like you'd be an absolute treasure to work with. I was just asking since writing chunks of text is difficult to do without a little visual aid sometimes, so I did thumbnail quite a few pages (stick figures, essentially), just to determine the flow of certain scenes and what might be more visually feasible or dynamic in places as well. I might have got a little too attached to way I visualised it though, and I've started rewriting to simplify it a bit after reading your advice, so thanks.
> 
> Just out of curiosity: Any other writers on the thread who thumbnail before doing extensive rewrites?


I use thumbnails, but only for myself so that I know the story is flowing the way it should, the story beats, and the plot twists are on the right pages. I never send those to the artists, because I want them to be free to lay it out. If I said five panels on the age, but you can get the same effect in three go for it. I would also say this, for the writer artists on here. Its cool if you submit your own story and script, but it's better if you show that you can also interpret someone else's vision, so I would submit my own script sure, but also use one of the provided scripts when it came to my art submission. It never hurts to show you have range.

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## Top Cow Ryan

Wow, you guys really honestly have it all handled without me >.<

To add to what Pauul said and to address the issue of magic in the TCU - it definitely DOES exist independent of the Artifacts.

Consider all the various mythical creatures that Sara faced over the years, the fairy Mana trade in Chicago, etc. Remember also that Tilly is a numeromancer independent of her interactions with Tom, and we've had a few psychics and the Necromancer show up, as well. Plus, Demons are pretty involved in human affairs.

In the TCU, magic (including and independent of the Artifacts) is pretty rare, but it's not totally unheard of. But this isn't like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files where every Tom, Dick and Harry (ha!) walking down the street is connected to something mythical in some way.

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## JVillain

> Wow, you guys really honestly have it all handled without me >.<
> 
> To add to what Pauul said and to address the issue of magic in the TCU - it definitely DOES exist independent of the Artifacts.
> 
> Consider all the various mythical creatures that Sara faced over the years, the fairy Mana trade in Chicago, etc. Remember also that Tilly is a numeromancer independent of her interactions with Tom, and we've had a few psychics and the Necromancer show up, as well. Plus, Demons are pretty involved in human affairs.
> 
> In the TCU, magic (including and independent of the Artifacts) is pretty rare, but it's not totally unheard of. But this isn't like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files where every Tom, Dick and Harry (ha!) walking down the street is connected to something mythical in some way.


I can only speak for myself here, I really want to win. Making comics has been a lifelong dream, and if I were to win, and that published work led to more work that would completely change my life. I think that's what most peoples hopes are here. That being said I would be glad to see anyone here n this thread win, and I am eager to see their contribution. And if I can help anyone of them along the way, all the better for it. 

Now as far as magic, from what I've read so far In the Top Cown U, Magic is not so much a thing, and its not  "science we don't understand" as it is in the current Marvel U. It seems much more enigmatic than that, and more open ended for interpretation. The Artifacts themselves may seem "magical" but they are also sentient beings, or the physical manifestation of non physical sentient beings, and who those beings are aside from the fact that we know their names, we don't really know. Then you take that and add what's going on in Aphrodite IX, and it seems the entire line of Top Cow U books are more about questioning science, questioning religion, magic, etc, as opposed to just telling you what things are. Is that a fair assessment or am I off base?

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## RICHARD PEREZ TORRES

Hi, My name is Richard Perez , i'm a Penciller and i'm intending to take part  of the top cow talent hunt .
I would like to know , how many pages  should i  take into account in regards of my submission
o
For my submission *

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## Bevan

> In the TCU, magic (including and independent of the Artifacts) is pretty rare, but it's not totally unheard of.


Yeah, that was exactly what I was wondering about -- the limits of supernatural power to a character who does not have access to the Artifacts. Such as a person making Faustian pacts with demons in order to conjure beams of occult energy or change their facial features.

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## DGoodluck

I think it's more a matter of perception. Magic, demons, and otherworldly crap seems to be around all over the place, but normal people don't necessarily have the insight to determine that it's there.

Having access to one of the Artifacts seems to open up this perception pretty immediately (a la Tom Judge, when he first got the Rapture started seeing demons pretty much everywhere), but for everyone else, It probably requires an inquisitive mind, a lot of willpower and gradual acclimatisation to that kind of stuff (if you saw it once, you'd probably think you were maybe dreaming or going mad) to see it all properly. Think of it like your eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. 

Sorcerers and magicians would be people who have trained and studied to adjust themselves to and manipulate these undercurrents for many, many years.

Not necessarily right, just an opinion.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> I can only speak for myself here, I really want to win. Making comics has been a lifelong dream, and if I were to win, and that published work led to more work that would completely change my life. I think that's what most peoples hopes are here. That being said I would be glad to see anyone here n this thread win, and I am eager to see their contribution. And if I can help anyone of them along the way, all the better for it.


I always tell other aspiring creators that it's all about optimism and perseverance. Believe in your work and yourself, and don't be afraid to keep trying. Keep submitting, keep believing, and above all, keep writing/drawing.




> Now as far as magic, from what I've read so far In the Top Cown U, Magic is not so much a thing, and its not  "science we don't understand" as it is in the current Marvel U. It seems much more enigmatic than that, and more open ended for interpretation. The Artifacts themselves may seem "magical" but they are also sentient beings, or the physical manifestation of non physical sentient beings, and who those beings are aside from the fact that we know their names, we don't really know. Then you take that and add what's going on in Aphrodite IX, and it seems the entire line of Top Cow U books are more about questioning science, questioning religion, magic, etc, as opposed to just telling you what things are. Is that a fair assessment or am I off base?


I think it depends on the writer, but personally, I would contend that there's probably some actual magic going on. You as a creator can argue differently (a la Arthur Clarke "sufficiently advanced technology"), and that's a *100% valid interpretation* of the TCU. Personally, though, given the presence of Fairie, the Eidolon, the Brunhildas, and other entities in Tim Seeley's run on _Witchblade_, plus the actions of certain Demons in the Magdalena series, leads me to side on the magical side of things. But I also have predilection towards fantasy.

That being said, you're on the money about (for some of them, at least - possibly all) the sentient nature of the Artifacts, and the most unanswered truths of religion/science/mysticism within the TCU.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Yeah, that was exactly what I was wondering about -- the limits of supernatural power to a character who does not have access to the Artifacts. Such as a person making Faustian pacts with demons in order to conjure beams of occult energy or change their facial features.


Definitely a thing that could happen. In _Witchblade_, we've seen that demons are involved in human organized crime/vices, and from Tom Judge we know that they do want human souls and can bestow preternatural power.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi, My name is Richard Perez , i'm a Penciller and i'm intending to take part  of the top cow talent hunt .
> I would like to know , how many pages  should i  take into account in regards of my submission
> o
> For my submission *


Hi Richard,

As has been stated numerous times throughout the thread, you should submit at least 8 sequential pages.

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## RICHARD PEREZ TORRES

Oh thank you very much Top Cow Ryan

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## Pauul

> Thanks Lightningmax, you sound like you'd be an absolute treasure to work with. I was just asking since writing chunks of text is difficult to do without a little visual aid sometimes, so I did thumbnail quite a few pages (stick figures, essentially), just to determine the flow of certain scenes and what might be more visually feasible or dynamic in places as well. I might have got a little too attached to way I visualised it though, and I've started rewriting to simplify it a bit after reading your advice, so thanks.
> 
> Just out of curiosity: Any other writers on the thread who thumbnail before doing extensive rewrites?


I start by writing out the entire story, then divide the action between the number of pages I have, so I don't exceed that limit and to make sure the pacing is right. I then draw the layout of each page, but simply for my own benefit, to make sure the story fits within those panel. I then write a brief description of what goes in each panel. Then I begin writing the script.

But, there are people who simply sit down and write, and that's a completely valid approach as well. I just write better when I have a plan and I occasionally deviate from it during the process anyway.

However, as a writer, you should be able to use _words_ to carry your message to the artist (there are occasional exceptions, but they should be occasional). And, you should leave room for the artist to express themselves as well. I don't include needless details, I only include what I think is important to the story. Allow the artist to have fun filling in any blanks themselves.

I once wrote a strip which appeared in a small press anthology called _SPOD! Oddities From Space_ which featured two panels with alien diplomats on either side of the room. The appearance of the aliens were unimportant and I knew by leaving out any physical description for them, that it would let the artist have a bit of fun drawing whatever he wanted.

I don't think this script will lend itself quite so well to that, but if say, the design of a specific Angelus Warrior doesn't matter, then I'm not going to go into a ton of description about what the armour they're wearing should look like, I'll leave it open so the artist can have fun designing the look of the Warrior themselves.

As a writer, you need to be able to see what information is important to the story, and then convey that to the artist. Feeding an artist unnecessary details to maintain a sense of control just keeps them from expressing themselves, and truly, why would you want to do that?

Part of the pleasure of a collaboration is when an artist surprises you by coming up with something which is even better than you imagined.




> I think it depends on the writer, but personally, I would contend that there's probably some actual magic going on. You as a creator can argue differently (a la Arthur Clarke "sufficiently advanced technology"), and that's a 100% valid interpretation of the TCU. Personally, though, given the presence of Fairie, the Eidolon, the Brunhildas, and other entities in Tim Seeley's run on Witchblade, plus the actions of certain Demons in the Magdalena series, leads me to side on the magical side of things. But I also have predilection towards fantasy.
> 
> That being said, you're on the money about (for some of them, at least - possibly all) the sentient nature of the Artifacts, and the most unanswered truths of religion/science/mysticism within the TCU.


I agree with it being actual magic. And it certainly appears more abundant is other dimensional realms, whether it be Hell or the Faerie realm seen in Tim Seeley's _Witchblade_. But the Eidolon demanded a price and Mana was traded from the Faerie realm. Demons bestow powers in exchange for souls or other advantages.

Magic should be rare in the Top Cow universe. And having a cost, keeps it rare and makes it more real.

No mortal should just suddenly have magical powers, not without a reason behind it, something which balances and explains that power.

So, magic exists and there aren't fixed rules. But each situation should have it's own unique set of rules.

That would be my take on it, anyway.

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## DGoodluck

My process has been a bit different, but I guess that's to be expected, since everyone's got a different style when they're storytelling.

I started out with a general outline of the story, then wrote certain scenes that I thought might be interesting, but without having a concrete end to the story, then I started doing a few thumbnails for the more dynamic scenes. Then I started going to the more dialogue heavy scenes, and that's where I started to see certain patterns emerging on the page. (Note: I did all of this with a pen and paper, I didn't even think about touching a keyboard until I got this far).

Then it was research, research, research. You cut scenes to fit, and then write in others that you're inspired by during the researching process. It's actually pretty rewarding and exciting learning new concepts and fact after you get over the initial arduousness of the task. In the end, it helped me settle on one theme (And surprisingly enough helped me settle on a title that I was lacking in until then).

Finally, I started typing. You really learn about the economy of the words you choose, the substitutions and the simplifications needed for absolute clarity to editors and audience. I trimmed out about two thirds of what I had until then.

I just finished the first draft a few days ago.

Some scenes still don't flow well, some dialogue is pretty hackneyed, A great number of panel descriptions need to be cleaned up, and I realised that I need to *massively* overhaul the layout for my script (I put ALL of my dialogue in CAPS).

I'm not saying this to intimidate anyone who's still early in the scriptwriting process, or dissuade anyone who's hasn't done as many things as me, if you have a dynamite story, good on you! I look forward to reading it in whatever form it ends up in.

For people who are stuck, or feel their stuff still needs work, don't get dragged down into feeling like you've failed. Try to work it from other methods and mediums if you can, see what sticks and then throw out the rest if you need to. 

Just remember: If *you* keep moving, then your story will as well.

----------


## Lightningmax

Darn writers always using words and stuff! I have two things one post for the artists and one for the writers.

Artists:  I have to vociferously disagree with something that was said or implied about this contest.  Do not keep drawing the same eight pages until you get them perfect!  The nine old men at Disney (look it up) said that you have a thousand bad drawings in you, so get them out of the way!  I know this for a fact.  Bad drawings happen, but you will not learn by drawing the same eight pages over and over again.  My goal in this contest is to draw all the scripts and there are enough pages of art to draw until the contest ends.  By drawing as many pages as you can you WILL get better.  If you keep drawing the same pages over and over again you will perfect the page, but you won’t be able to duplicate that perfection with a new script.

  My working technique – image ideals on the script pages themselves – little inspired images – sometimes they make it to the page sometimes not – I may misunderstand what a writer implied or meant. So oops I did it again.

  Then Thumbnails. which is the most important action on the page, that one is the largest panel.

  Reference and design work – design every character from every angle so you are comfortable drawing them.  0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, design every plane, object, and rooms.

  Special effects design, smoke, rain (happens a lot in Artifacts), energy effects (Kirby crackles were originally Black smoke and Etrigan the demon is based on a figure originally done by Hal Foster in his Prince Valiant strip), demons, monsters, darklings (some Froud Fairies)…

At size Layouts – I have to sometimes check myself – I have drawn comics at size, so sometimes when I’m thumbnailing I draw too small (check yourself before you wreck yourself).

Finally full size pencils.   

Writers:  I picked up The Hunter Killer GN for reference and thought the Mark Waid notes were useful (especially since I fancy myself a writer sometimes.)
Note: “I am a huge believer in page one having an image that will grab the reader, and that by now any comic that opens with four pages of guys in business suits standing in a generic boardroom is just death. D-E-A-T-H  .  Every issue we have 22 pages give or take to tell you a story that you paid for…Always, always look at your scenes once they’re drafted and ask yourself if they more visual impact than two guys in business suits standing around talking in boardroom.”
Note:  “Roughly one paragraph per panel with rough draft dialogue added bracketed.  I recommend some variation of this because it’s not too far afield of a full script, … (1) You want to be able to look over the finished plot and be sure you didn’t leave out any important exposition or crucial information that the reader will need to understand the plot; (2) You want to give your artist some rough idea of how much room to leave for balloons and captions, particularly in scenes like this where exposition is necessary; and (3) and maybe most importantly, when you write a simple plot, you’re writing only about what the characters are doing. When you write a script with dialogue, you’re forcing yourself to concentrate on why they’re doing it, who they are, and what they’re thinking about, all of which is at least as significant as their actions.

----------


## barsoomcore

My process is to get the story down to a single sentence (sometimes it's a bit of a long and convoluted sentence), that I then build out into a five-sentence paragraph, saying the same thing but in more detail. From those five sentences I do a bullet-point page list, outlining what's going to happen on each page. Then I just write it in script format, thumb-nailing if I need to convince myself it's really possible to do that in one page.

The first step, getting the story down into one single sentence, is by far the hardest part. It has to be grammatically correct and carry the right sense of the story. Every major element has to be mentioned at the appropriate point (imagining the sentence is a micro-version of the finished story). So if the sentence opens with "In the far-off land of Zagamunda..." then the story has to open in Zagamunda. It takes many go-rounds to get the sentence just right, but once it's in place, the story flows pretty straightforwardly, usually. 

He said, confidently.

----------


## Dead Columbo

Hi everyone. I have a question about the Top Cow Universe. I've been doing my research (as much as I can afford to do) but I haven't quite figured out if the regular world understands or sees what happening in terms of the sci-fi or mystical action of the characters. Do only those in the know, know? Thanks!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi everyone. I have a question about the Top Cow Universe. I've been doing my research (as much as I can afford to do) but I haven't quite figured out if the regular world understands or sees what happening in terms of the sci-fi or mystical action of the characters. Do only those in the know, know? Thanks!


A trend in older TCU stories seemed to be that superhumans and mystical occurrences were commonplace enough that average people knew about them, but didn't understand or really often encounter them.

Since the Rebirth event, however, the beyond-normal stuff has been more limited to those in the know.

----------


## Daredevil is Legend

Hi,what's going on with upcoming Magdalena series,I haven't seen any solicits for it.

----------


## Pauul

> Hi everyone. I have a question about the Top Cow Universe. I've been doing my research (as much as I can afford to do) but I haven't quite figured out if the regular world understands or sees what happening in terms of the sci-fi or mystical action of the characters. Do only those in the know, know? Thanks!





> A trend in older TCU stories seemed to be that superhumans and mystical occurrences were commonplace enough that average people knew about them, but didn't understand or really often encounter them.
> 
> Since the Rebirth event, however, the beyond-normal stuff has been more limited to those in the know.


In addition to what Ryan has said about the Top Cow universe, Cyber Data has been shown to use 'Blinders' to alter people perceptions, thus keeping them ignorant of their cybernetics programs. This means, by activating 'Blinders', civilians will essentially see SHOC Troopers as normal policemen, instead of armored cyborgs.

People are aware that Cyber Data exists as a company, but are ignorant as to how advanced they are.

I'd imagine certain governments might be aware of more but probably not everything.

With the mystical stuff, I would say that a lot of individual people know what is going on but the media doesn't acknowledge it and thus, if you haven't had a mystical encounter personally, you would probably just dismiss things as rumors or urban legends, if you are aware of them at all.

Some people in power obviously know. Cyber Data has their own mystical branch and Glorianna Silver, the wielder of the Ember Stone, owns her own company.

So, yeah, again as Ryan has said, the knowledge of these things is more limited. Everything is being kept in the shadows.

----------


## Pauul

Okay, I have a question for Ryan.

I've been trying to work out a timeline for the current (and recently cancelled) titles in the Top Cow Universe. I just wanted to see if I was getting the chronology right or not?

Now, the actual reboot happened in 2012 and given that the Chairwoman talks to a reporter about the renaming of Pittsburgh as Millennium City in _Cyber Force #1_, we know that this must actually occur in 2012.

We know this because in _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files #1_ it is stated that Cyberdata first set up operations in Pittsburgh in 2002 and within a decade revitalized the city and renamed it Millennium City, so that date holds.

_Witchblade #151 to #169_ , _The Darkness #101 to #116_, _Artifacts #14 to #37_ and _Cyber Force #1 to #10_ must begin in 2012 and then continue on into 2013. This matches the publishing dates of _Witchblade_ and _The Darkness_.

Given that not much story time has passed since it's launch, _Cyber Force_ cannot be happening any later than 2013. Within the comic events have clearly happened within a number of weeks, if not days.

Also, although issues _#33_ to _#37_ of _Artifacts_ were published in 2014, they are clearly set prior to events yet to be revealed in Darkness Falls. _Artifacts #35_ for instance features Alisa Spencer and so must be set before _Witchblade #169_.

The Magdalena story in _Artifacts #40_ is the only present day story within the issue and since it sets up the new series, it probably takes place in 2014.

_Witchblade #170_ has a one year time jump, which would mean that it is the only title currently set in 2014.

Although, the flashback sequences in _Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1_ portrays the battle of Paris, which I would guess also occurs in 2014 before CDI initializes their Phase 2 (again, according to _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files #1_).

_Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files #1_ also reveals that the original _Aphrodite IX #0 - #4_ occurs sometime after 2078 (this is given as Aphrodite's birth date) and the new _Aphrodite IX #1 to #11_ is set in 2801 to 2802.

So, let me see if I have this right;

*2012 to 2013*
_The Darkness #101 to #116
Witchblade #151 to #169
Witchblade #180 to #181_ (Darkness Falls story arc)
_Artifacts #14 to #37
Cyber Force #1 to #10_ (and onward)

*2014*
_Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1
Witchblade #170 to #179_
_Artifacts #40_

*2015*
_Witchblade #182_ (and onward)
_Magdalena #1_ (and onward)

*After 2078*
_Aphrodite IX #0 to #4_

*2801 to 2802*
_Aphrodite IX #1 to #11
Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1
IXth Generation #1_ (and onward)


Which would mean, given that some of those titles have now been cancelled or are one shots, that Top Cow currently has three ongoing titles set in three different time periods? _Cyber Force_ must still be occurring in 2013, _Witchblade_ will likely be occurring in 2015 after the 'Darkness Falls' arc concludes, alongside the new _Magdalena_ series when it launches, and the _IXth Generation_ is set in 2802?

Okay, my head hurts. But does that all sound correct?

----------


## Pauul

Okay, my Christmas gift to all of you  :Stick Out Tongue: 

I've been going through the Cyber Force and Aphrodite related issues, pre- and post-Rebirth in an attempt to work out the post-Rebirth timeline for Cyber Force. All of Cyber Force's pre-Rebirth adventures are non-canon but Aphrodite IV's appearances are at least partially in continuity.

Plus the current Cyber Force series has a lot of flashbacks and other information was revealed in _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_.

I've tried to put it together with the dates which are given and can be logically extrapolated. If anything has a *(?)* that would indicate something I am not entirely certain about. Most of this should be accurate, though.

I've also included the sources of my research and an explanation where necessary of how I arrived at a certain conclusion.

I was putting this together for my own benefit, but I thought it might save some folks time researching if I posted it here.

Plus Ryan should be able to point out any corrections, if I've made any glaring mistakes.

Enjoy.



*1967 – Major Dolorossa is born.*

Explanation; Dolorossa is forty-five in 2012. It should be noted that Dolorossa is not given as his real name. Both he and Stryker have DNA with an unusual cytosine structure. When operated on by Cyber Data scientists, they are described as “Twins being reunited for the first time since birth”.

Source; _Cyber Force #3, Cyber Force #6._
*
1969 – Morgan Stryker is born.*

Explanation; Morgan Stryker is forty-three in 2012.

Source; _Cyber Force #2._
*
1970 – First Outline of the Protocol Drafted by the Consortium.*

Explanation; It is established in ‘Almost Human’ that Aphrodite I, II, III and IV were developed by a Private Consortium of scientists. As the date 1970, provided in ‘The Hidden Files’ must predate the creation of Cyber Data, it is logical to assume this holds true in the post-Rebirth universe as well.

Source; _Witchblade #135, Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._

*1980 – Phase 1 Initiated
	Aphrodite I
	Robert Bearclaw is born.*

Explanation; Robert Bearclaw is thirty-two in 2012.

Source; _Cyber Force #2, Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._
*
1987 – Frank and Francesca Taylor are married.
	Cassandra Taylor is born.*

Explanation; The Chairman and Chairwoman celebrate their 25th Anniversary in 2012. The Chairman isn’t given a first name in the Rebirth continuity, but he is called Frank Taylor pre-Rebirth and most character names remain the same. Cassandra Taylor’s profile states that she is twenty-five.

Source; _Cyber Force #2, Cyber Force #3._
*
Unknown Date – Cyber Data is founded.*

Explanation; Cairn Taylor explains that her mother and her first husband, along with a group of scientists and mathematicians founded Cyber Data. Their influence spread as they made computer programs and weapons for the military. No date is given. It is a reasonable assumption that Cyber Data was founded by the pair after their marriage.

Source; _Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1._

*Unknown Date – Cyber Data discovers the Archimedes Algorithm.
*
Explanation; The Archimedes Algorithm allows Cyber Data to accurately predict and thus, manipulate the future. It is through the Algorithm that they learn of a coming apocalypse that humanity cannot survive. They embark of research which will create new species capable of living in this new future.

Source; _Cyber Force #2.
_
*1989 – An unnamed girl who will one day become Aphrodite V is born.*

Explanation; Aphrodite V is twenty-three in 2012.

Source; _Cyber Force #3._
*
1991 – After being wounded in the final days of Operation Desert Storm, Stryker and Dolorossa are rebuilt as Ares II Combat Model cyborgs.*

Source; _Cyber Force #6._

*1992 – Aphrodite II*

Source; _Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._
*
1994 – Selver is brought to Cyber Data Plaza is Pittsburgh by his parents.
	A flirtation begins between Morgan Stryker and Francesca Taylor.*

Source; _Cyber Force #6._
*
1996 – Chairman Taylor discovers the affair between Stryker and his wife (?)
The Beijing Mission (?)
	Stryker turns on the Chairman (?)
	Stryker is thrown out of Cyber Data (?)
	Cairn Taylor, the first child with Biosynthetic DNA, is born.*

Explanation; Cairn Taylor turns sixteen in 2012. The Beijing Mission and Stryker parting ways with Cyber Data is only described as being ‘Many Years Ago’. However, Francesca is not visibly pregnant with Cairn yet, so this certainly can’t happen any earlier than 1996. It could occur after Cairn’s birth, but that would likely have made the Chairman immediately suspicious.

Source; _Cyber Force #2, Cyber Force #4._

*1998 – Aphrodite III
	Generation Prototypes Engineered for Alternate Designations.*

Explanation; The alternate designations referred to are likely other names taken from the Greek Pantheon of Gods, however, we know from ‘Almost Human’ that none of these were created until much later.

Source; _Witchblade #135, Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._

*2001 – Killjoy, a Medusa Series cyborg, attempts to go rogue while on a mission with Ripclaw.*

Source; _Cyber Force #7, Cyber Force #10._

*2002 – Cyber Data takes control of Pittsburgh in an attempt to revitalize the city.*

Source; _Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._

*2002 to 2007 – Cyber Force attempts to assassinate Francesca Taylor.
		 Stryker parts ways with Cyber Force. He is presumed dead.*

Explanation; Cairn Taylor reveals that Cyber Force attempted to assassinate her mother. Ripclaw was, presumably, part of the group, so this must happen after the year 2001. In 2012 Morgan Stryker is either described as a myth or long dead, so it is a reasonable guess that he went into hiding at least five years prior to this.

Source; _Cyber Force#1, Cyber Force #2, Cyber Force#3._

*2007 - Aphrodite IV
	The latest Aphrodite is built by the Consortium; they house the previous models in their facility.
	Members of the Consortium include Dr. Amish Singh, Dr. Palmer, Dr. Volckert and Dr. Yeboah.
	Aphrodite IV is sent on test missions.
	Aphrodite IV infiltrates Cyber Force’s base (?)
	Cairn Taylor (Age 11) receives texts from friends (actually Cyber Data Employees).*

Explanation; Aphrodite I, Aphrodite II and Aphrodite III can be seen in Witchblade #134. In her early appearances, Aphrodite IV is test on missions to test her abilities. One of these involves infiltrating Cyber Force’s base. However, this is pre-Rebirth, and the Cyber Force that appears in these issues is no longer in continuity. Aphrodite IV’s first appearance is included here for the sake of completion. If it happened, it occurred under different circumstances.

Source; _Cyber Force v.3 #6, Cyber Force v.3 #7, Witchblade #134,Witchblade #135, Witchblade #136, Cyber Force #8, Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._

*2008 (?) – After years of inactivity, Cyber Data returns with Jett Smart phones (?).
Dr. Singh defects, selling data about the Aphrodite Project to Cyber Data.
	Aphrodite IV has two handlers, one named Milos.
	Aphrodite IV is sent against Sara Pezzini, to test her abilities.
	Aphrodite IV is hired out by the Sovereign to abduct Jackie Estacado (?)*

Explanation; Singh’s defection is described as only months before ‘Almost Human’, meaning it must predate Sara Pezzini’s first encounter with her. Not much time passes in-universe between ‘Aphrodite’ and ‘Almost Human’. It is known that Aphrodite IV is activated in 2007 but the dates I have used here (2008, 2009 etc) are merely guess work.

Source; _Witchblade #118, Witchblade #119, The Darkness #8, Witchblade #134, Witchblade #135, Witchblade #136._

*2009 (?) – Artemis, Athena and Hera are built by Cyber Data.
Aphrodite IV and Sara Pezzini infiltrate Cyber Data.
Artemis I, Athena I and Hera I are destroyed by the Witchblade.
Singh is assassinated by Aphrodite IV.
Aphrodite IV returns to the Consortium facility to find it abandoned.*

Source; _Witchblade #134, Witchblade #135, Witchblade #136._

*2010 (?) – Aphrodite IV is captured and reprogrammed.
	The Coin of Solomon is placed within the chest of Aphrodite IV.
	Aphrodite IV is Mass Produced.*

Explanation; These acts were committed by the Curator pre-Rebirth, but given her possession of the Coin of Solomon post-Rebirth, it is a safe assumption that these acts were committed by Francesca Taylor post-Rebirth. According to The Hidden Files, Aphrodite IV is mass produced as seen in Artifacts (this is included in the 2007 section, but it is merely stated that Aphrodite IV is the first of the mass produced pure android line). The Consortium is never mentioned after this point, meaning that Cyber Data must fully take over the Aphrodite Protocols.

Source; _Artifacts #0, Artifacts #7, Artifacts #8, Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._

*2011 – Aphrodite V
	First Successful Biosynthetic Hybrid Organism (New Species).*

Source; _Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._

*2012 to 2013 – Sara Pezzini encounters the MAL Analytics Corporation in Chicago.
	MAL Analytics is a mystical division of Cyber Data Technologies.*

Explanation; MAL Analytics stands for Mana And Ley Analytics. It is run by Esquivel Mohamed and has numerous mystical agents.

Source; _Witchblade #151 to #169._
*
2012 – Pittsburgh is rechristened Millennium City.
	Cyber Data is now known as Cyber Data Industries or CDI.
	Aphrodite IV is seen active, as the bearer of the Coin of Solomon.
	[Cyber Force series launches]*

Source; _Artifacts #13, Cyber Force #1, Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1.
_
*2014 – Phase 2 is Initiated.*

Source; _Aphrodite IX – The Hidden Files #1._

----------


## jamesmmo

Ryan,

I am in the process of doing character sketch/designs to figure out how I want my cyberforce designs to look.  I know we can change small bits of detail, but I want to know if I can change Ripclaw's mass a bit.  It is my understanding that the character was (at least in the first volumes), a Native American - tribal raised.  I just cannot get a satisfying image of the character with all of that weight on...I do not think that someone grown from the Native American culture, and someone currently in a dystopian - almost apocalyptic setting - would be planning out eating 12 lbs of lean meats a day, a two-hour weight workout regiment, and two to three creatine protein shakes a day.  He is not an upperclass, white american with a lot of spare time, and I do not feel that a tribal-raised native american would feed into the bodybuilding culture that is largely more superficial than it is about the health benefits.I feel that Ripclaw should be leaner, so can I take about 15-pounds of muscle off Ripclaw?  

Also, Ryan...what are those key-chain/hand-cuff like objects that most of the characters seem to have on their belts.  
Are the SHOCS men underneath the suits? Silvestri draws them with no jaw.  The interior artist draws them with a plated jaw.  Which one is more correct? What are on the SHOCS heads? Are these antlers? Are they insect-like antennae? 

Is Ballistic's character half East Asian? Or is she completely Nordic European/Scandinavian?  I know she is supposed to be Velocity's sister in the earlier volumes...but Velocity's is mixed race. What is on Ballistic's head??  Is it a head-band with one goggle?? If so...why? What is that green protrusion on Velocity's hair? Is it a ribbon or a hair extension? Please let me know.  Thankyou.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Ryan,
> 
> I am in the process of doing character sketch/designs to figure out how I want my cyberforce designs to look.  I know we can change small bits of detail, but I want to know if I can change Ripclaw's mass a bit.  It is my understanding that the character was (at least in the first volumes), a Native American - tribal raised.  I just cannot get a satisfying image of the character with all of that weight on...I do not think that someone grown from the Native American culture, and someone currently in a dystopian - almost apocalyptic setting - would be planning out eating 12 lbs of lean meats a day, a two-hour weight workout regiment, and two to three creatine protein shakes a day.  He is not an upperclass, white american with a lot of spare time, and I do not feel that a tribal-raised native american would feed into the bodybuilding culture that is largely more superficial than it is about the health benefits.I feel that Ripclaw should be leaner, so can I take about 15-pounds of muscle off Ripclaw?  
> 
> Also, Ryan...what are those key-chain/hand-cuff like objects that most of the characters seem to have on their belts.  
> Are the SHOCS men underneath the suits? Silvestri draws them with no jaw.  The interior artist draws them with a plated jaw.  Which one is more correct? What are on the SHOCS heads? Are these antlers? Are they insect-like antennae? 
> 
> Is Ballistic's character half East Asian? Or is she completely Nordic European/Scandinavian?  I know she is supposed to be Velocity's sister in the earlier volumes...but Velocity's is mixed race. What is on Ballistic's head??  Is it a head-band with one goggle?? If so...why? What is that green protrusion on Velocity's hair? Is it a ribbon or a hair extension? Please let me know.  Thankyou.



Hi James, 

Ripclaw is indeed of Native American descent. I'm not really sure about your analysis of caucasian values vs. native american values, and while I don't see a problem with slimming him down a bit, remember that Silvestri, as both writer and artist, designed Ripclaw a certain way intentionally. But your style is your own.

SHOCs are indeed human under the suits, though some may have additional cybernetic enhancements. Most of the SHOC design choices are stylistic - presumably you're talking about some kind of antenna. Plated Jaw/No Jaw - again, stylistic.

Ballistic and Velocity are indeed both half-Caucasian, half-East Asian. The Chairwoman is of East-Asian descent. Ballistic's headband/goggle thing presumably functions as a sight/scanner. Velocity just has that one strip of her hair dyed, comic book style.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Okay, I have a question for Ryan.
> 
> I've been trying to work out a timeline for the current (and recently cancelled) titles in the Top Cow Universe. I just wanted to see if I was getting the chronology right or not?
> 
> Now, the actual reboot happened in 2012 and given that the Chairwoman talks to a reporter about the renaming of Pittsburgh as Millennium City in _Cyber Force #1_, we know that this must actually occur in 2012.
> 
> We know this because in _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files #1_ it is stated that Cyberdata first set up operations in Pittsburgh in 2002 and within a decade revitalized the city and renamed it Millennium City, so that date holds.
> 
> _Witchblade #151 to #169_ , _The Darkness #101 to #116_, _Artifacts #14 to #37_ and _Cyber Force #1 to #10_ must begin in 2012 and then continue on into 2013. This matches the publishing dates of _Witchblade_ and _The Darkness_.
> ...


Pauul. Whoa. Impressive.

I would actually have to give you a few minor corrections - 1, remember that all comic books function on a sliding timeline (that's why Batman is still young enough to fight crime). Granted, our sliding scale is not THAT expansive, but it still makes the kind of chronology you're attempting a little...difficult.

I'd say:

1) Cyber Force takes place in the nebulous "near Future." (Think 5-10 years from NOW).
2) Thus, Witchblade takes place NOW, and Darkness Falls happened LAST YEAR.

I know this can be pretty frustrating, but since we're always dealing with the occasional reboot/creative team change, plus the nature of comics to come out once a month, attributing exact and current dates to our comic book timeline is only going to end in heart-ache.

We don't have an exact date for it, but I like to think of the Battle of Paris, for example, as taking place in the 2050s.

-Ryan

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Okay, my Christmas gift to all of you 
> 
> I've been going through the Cyber Force and Aphrodite related issues, pre- and post-Rebirth in an attempt to work out the post-Rebirth timeline for Cyber Force. All of Cyber Force's pre-Rebirth adventures are non-canon but Aphrodite IV's appearances are at least partially in continuity.
> 
> Plus the current Cyber Force series has a lot of flashbacks and other information was revealed in _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_.
> 
> I've tried to put it together with the dates which are given and can be logically extrapolated. If anything has a *(?)* that would indicate something I am not entirely certain about. Most of this should be accurate, though.
> 
> I've also included the sources of my research and an explanation where necessary of how I arrived at a certain conclusion.
> ...


Merry Christmas indeed!

With the exception of my notes in my previous reply, I would say that this looks pretty good. I will note, though, that the pre-Rebirth stuff is subject to change. Accept it currently as canon, since it's what we've got and it hasn't been contradicted, but given that Jackie did whatever the hell he did when he rebuilt reality, it's always possible that those things could "change" if for some reason they know longer make sense within continuity.

----------


## A.J.

Hi all! 
So...two days ago I found out about the talent search, I am so excited, thankful and terrified to be here.  
I'm not really a comic reader although that contradicts everything I stand for.  I've only read Fathom from 0.5 to 18(I think), a few Darkness and Witchblade issues and the Danger Girl series.  It was Michael Turner that really made me stop drawing and start reading.  I loved the cross over with Lara, Sara and Aspen working together.  It was only recently, (like last week) that I found out that another favorite artist of mine, Silvestri was so closely connected with Turner.  
I've been drawing since I was two and I am just now realizing my dream as a comic artist.   I don't know anyone else that shares the same enthusiasm I have for movies, games and comic universes and have been living trapped, but content, in my head for most of my life. 
I know that is my destiny to work in comics.  
Just wanted to pop in and say thank you everyone for asking questions because before this thread, I would have royally messed this one up.  
Good luck everybody and have fun!

----------


## A.J.

Ok!  I came up with a question of my own.  I noticed there are several aphrodite versions and I'm close to understanding that IX is special due to her having her very own series.  My question is;  In Artifacts #5,is this Aph IX?  I read about an Aph IV somewhere along the research and now I'm wondering if Aph IX isn't exclusively in the future.  Unless this is the future and I'm mixing the Witchblade script in my head?  Kudos to you guys, these are some exciting plots and I could only hope to one day be able sit at a table and mindmeld with such creative individuals.

Oh and Happy New Year!

Edit:
I found it, gotta move things to find things I guess. >.<

----------


## JVillain

I hope you can help me with this question. I Submitted two script entries for the contest. But I did so using my iPad which doesn't support multiple attachments. My solution was to send my entries and the submissions agreement separately. I don't know if you can answer on this thread wether you received my entries or not. But I need to know if that method is OK before I send my art submission. I wouldn't want to be disqualified for not putting my submission and my submissions agreement in the same email.

----------


## rusgav

Ryan,

Sorry for confusion (my brain is stiil under influence after New Year), but anyway - I've just read Talent Hunt 2014-2015 Guideline and haven't found any mention of necessity of recap page, but I remember that in this thread you were asked on this topic and you'd ansewred that first of 22 pages should be a recap page. So could you please clarify - do we need to write 21 page of story and 1 recap page?

----------


## DGoodluck

rusgav,

I'm pretty sure it's 22 pages of story. Recaps are generally added later by editorial for the convenience of new readers if anything you've written is based off of some crucial continuity.

----------


## Pauul

> Pauul. Whoa. Impressive.
> 
> I would actually have to give you a few minor corrections - 1, remember that all comic books function on a sliding timeline (that's why Batman is still young enough to fight crime). Granted, our sliding scale is not THAT expansive, but it still makes the kind of chronology you're attempting a little...difficult.
> 
> I'd say:
> 
> 1) Cyber Force takes place in the nebulous "near Future." (Think 5-10 years from NOW).
> 2) Thus, Witchblade takes place NOW, and Darkness Falls happened LAST YEAR.
> 
> ...


Okay, that's interesting and very useful to know. Especially about the Battle of Paris taking place in the 2050's, I expected something much earlier.

The reason that I thought Cyber Force was taking place in the present, is that _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_ states;

*"Cyber Data Industries first established operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2002. Prior to control, the city was a Human waste refuse, ridden with crime and a failing economy.

Within a decade, industrial progress from CDI revamped the city's economic and transformed it from a state of depression into the most prosperous metropolis in the world. They renamed it Millennium City to herald its rebirth".*

If that happened within a decade, then that places the renaming ten years later in 2012.

And in _Cyber Force #1_, we're shown a few days before, at Cairn's sixteenth birthday, a reporter asking Francesca about CDI's plans to rename Pittsburgh as Millennium City.

I certainly understand the nature of sliding timelines, but continuity and research is useful in so far that you can always slide dates a year or so later to keep up to date with what is happening 'NOW'. At the very least, it gives you a rough idea of when things occur.

Even with a sliding timeline in place, the text from _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_ would seem to indicate that current events in _Cyber Force_ are happening 'NOW' as the text is directly referencing an event seen in _Cyber Force_ as happening in 2012.

So, I'm just wondering when the renaming of Pittsburgh as Millennium City takes place? Are the dates provided in _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_ accurate (or an error)? Or have is somehow misinterpreted the passage which I have quoted?

Sorry to be a pain (and I know that I am being a bit of a pain), but I have two ideas I've been playing with. One of them involves the founding of Cyber Data, so understanding when things happen is useful.

How closely should I be following the dates which are given in _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_?

I think a lot of writers see continuity as an unnecessary headache, something to be ignored or gotten around. But for me, I've always seen it as an interesting challenge. Continuity is like a puzzle and by meeting the challenge it presents, you can actually generate some pretty interesting story ideas.

Thanks again.




> Merry Christmas indeed!
> 
> With the exception of my notes in my previous reply, I would say that this looks pretty good. I will note, though, that the pre-Rebirth stuff is subject to change. Accept it currently as canon, since it's what we've got and it hasn't been contradicted, but given that Jackie did whatever the hell he did when he rebuilt reality, it's always possible that those things could "change" if for some reason they know longer make sense within continuity.


Yep, that's why I put a lot of *(?)* in. Since Aphrodite IV's attack on Sara led to disciplinary action, which eventually led her to leave New York, that's likely to be mostly in continuity. But Aphrodite IV's next appearance battling Jackie might have happened, but under different circumstances, since in the Rebirth universe he had a wife and was raising a daughter.

I just find it useful to have an understanding of the larger story, even if it is subject to change.




> Ok! I came up with a question of my own. I noticed there are several aphrodite versions and I'm close to understanding that IX is special due to her having her very own series. My question is; In Artifacts #5,is this Aph IX? I read about an Aph IV somewhere along the research and now I'm wondering if Aph IX isn't exclusively in the future. Unless this is the future and I'm mixing the Witchblade script in my head? Kudos to you guys, these are some exciting plots and I could only hope to one day be able sit at a table and mindmeld with such creative individuals.
> 
> Oh and Happy New Year!


If you check back to the previous page, I worked out a timeline for the Aphrodite models and Cyber Data. Aphrodite IV is the one that appears in the present day in _Artifacts_. Of course, as Ryan has pointed out, because of the sliding timeline and the nature of comics, the timeline is flawed but I've provided a list of sources as well, if you want to do your own research to decide what is relevant and what isn't.




> Ryan,
> 
> Sorry for confusion (my brain is stiil under influence after New Year), but anyway - I've just read Talent Hunt 2014-2015 Guideline and haven't found any mention of necessity of recap page, but I remember that in this thread you were asked on this topic and you'd answered that first of 22 pages should be a recap page. So could you please clarify - do we need to write 21 page of story and 1 recap page?





> rusgav,
> 
> I'm pretty sure it's 22 pages of story. Recaps are generally added later by editorial for the convenience of new readers if anything you've written is based off of some crucial continuity.


No, it's twenty-two pages all together. The recap page is optional, you don't need to include one if you want all the pages for the story.

Ryan gave the reply on Page 8. Here it is -




> You're on time this year!
> 
> 1. If it's not on the list, you're good to go!
> 2. Recap pages do count as part of the 22.
> 3. A short bio wouldn't hurt you, but generally a greeting is all that's required.
> 
> Cordiality is key!


I hope that's helpful.

----------


## A.J.

> Okay, that's interesting and very useful to know. Especially about the Battle of Paris taking place in the 2050's, I expected something much earlier.
> 
> The reason that I thought Cyber Force was taking place in the present, is that _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_ states;
> 
> *"Cyber Data Industries first established operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2002. Prior to control, the city was a Human waste refuse, ridden with crime and a failing economy.
> 
> Within a decade, industrial progress from CDI revamped the city's economic and transformed it from a state of depression into the most prosperous metropolis in the world. They renamed it Millennium City to herald its rebirth".*
> 
> If that happened within a decade, then that places the renaming ten years later in 2012.
> ...


Thank you sir.

----------


## jamesmmo

> Hi James, 
> 
> Ripclaw is indeed of Native American descent. I'm not really sure about your analysis of caucasian values vs. native american values, and while I don't see a problem with slimming him down a bit, remember that Silvestri, as both writer and artist, designed Ripclaw a certain way intentionally. But your style is your own.
> 
> SHOCs are indeed human under the suits, though some may have additional cybernetic enhancements. Most of the SHOC design choices are stylistic - presumably you're talking about some kind of antenna. Plated Jaw/No Jaw - again, stylistic.
> 
> Ballistic and Velocity are indeed both half-Caucasian, half-East Asian. The Chairwoman is of East-Asian descent. Ballistic's headband/goggle thing presumably functions as a sight/scanner. Velocity just has that one strip of her hair dyed, comic book style.


Thankyou for all of that clarification, Ryan.  I think i will post some sketches soon of my character designs in a couple of days, including the S.H.O.C. and RipClaw and hopefully the other children on this message board will give me advice on what to change and try.

----------


## prismablue

Thanks for doing this talent hunt.

----------


## Daredevil is Legend

So the Magdalena is still coming out this year?

----------


## kurtisdries

Are there any writers out there looking to team up with an artist? Would love to get in contact with you if there are! (:

----------


## Andrey

> Are there any writers out there looking to team up with an artist? Would love to get in contact with you if there are! (:


I'm all up for team ups (as, I imagine, the dozens of other hopeful folks here). You can check my script from last year Talent Hunt - I posted it on Top Cow messge board - http://thebarn.freeforums.org/post2252.html#p2252 (direct link to the file - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing) If you'll like it I'm always glad to collaborate.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Are there any writers out there looking to team up with an artist? Would love to get in contact with you if there are! (:


If anyone wants to use some of my script for their submission they can private message me. I need to blast through the first draft a bit faster, though. But I'll have enough pages in a couple days, probably. (Work schedule is a bit painful currently.)

----------


## prismablue

Question: Hi, The link I'm downloading the submission zip from (here on cbr) seems to have an early draft of the cyberforce script. I  noticed Page 2 of the script was actually page 16 in the published book. I'm not sure if there were other sequences moved/changed or more subtle changes made to the script  don't want to be influenced by Khoi's work so i haven't done a page by page comparison but want to make sure i get the sequence right.  Where can i find the updated submission script zip?

----------


## Shinobikenger

Hello! Question? what is the size of paper to use, for the contest?  Are there any specific border or margin to use within the paper? If not can I make my own measurements?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Okay, that's interesting and very useful to know. Especially about the Battle of Paris taking place in the 2050's, I expected something much earlier.
> 
> The reason that I thought Cyber Force was taking place in the present, is that _Aphrodite IX - The Hidden Files_ states;
> 
> *"Cyber Data Industries first established operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2002. Prior to control, the city was a Human waste refuse, ridden with crime and a failing economy.
> 
> Within a decade, industrial progress from CDI revamped the city's economic and transformed it from a state of depression into the most prosperous metropolis in the world. They renamed it Millennium City to herald its rebirth".*
> 
> If that happened within a decade, then that places the renaming ten years later in 2012.
> ...



It's tricky territory. On the one hand, I don't want to consider Hidden Files *erroneous*, not just because that makes me look like a jackass, but also because it's more...slightly inaccurate? I'd say that "decade" bit is where we go incorrect. Again, I don't want to personally attach hard dates in case they end up contradicting something Matt and Marc decide on in the future, but based on conversations we have in the office, I personally tend to consider the Cyber Force comic as taking place 2016-2020.

So maybe that idea is reconciled as CDI begins its bigtime operations in Pittsburgh earlier, but the whole "current' Millennium City setting isn't until several years later from a current Witchblade perspective.

You're not a pain! I really appreciate continuity too, and I know this is a tad tricky. The best I can do is to offer the advice that generally speaking, a healthy amount of vagary never hurt nobody.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Question: Hi, The link I'm downloading the submission zip from (here on cbr) seems to have an early draft of the cyberforce script. I  noticed Page 2 of the script was actually page 16 in the published book. I'm not sure if there were other sequences moved/changed or more subtle changes made to the script  don't want to be influenced by Khoi's work so i haven't done a page by page comparison but want to make sure i get the sequence right.  Where can i find the updated submission script zip?


Just go with what's on the submission zip. If it doesn't perfectly match how Khoi ended up doing the finished product, it won't hurt you. I'll be using the same .zip package you are when I'm going through submissions.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello! Question? what is the size of paper to use, for the contest?  Are there any specific border or margin to use within the paper? If not can I make my own measurements?


6.876 " x 10.438", at 450 dpi, including document bleeds. The printed pages end up being essentially 6"x10".

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I hope you can help me with this question. I Submitted two script entries for the contest. But I did so using my iPad which doesn't support multiple attachments. My solution was to send my entries and the submissions agreement separately. I don't know if you can answer on this thread wether you received my entries or not. But I need to know if that method is OK before I send my art submission. I wouldn't want to be disqualified for not putting my submission and my submissions agreement in the same email.


That's no problem as long as you just make sure to note that in all of your emails to the submissions folder from now on.

----------


## Andrew1

> 6.876 " x 10.438", at 450 dpi, including document bleeds. The printed pages end up being essentially 6"x10".


Hey Ryan, these are the final page sizes after being reduced for print. Standard comic boards are 11x17 and have a full bleed that is 10x15-3/8. These can be bought in most comic book stores and many art stores. Alternatively, you can buy 14x17 bristol and make your own boards. http://www.blambot.com/ruleyourown.shtml

----------


## Shinobikenger

How about 11" x 17" I heard it's actual size for professional comic book lay-out page?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> How about 11" x 17" I heard it's actual size for professional comic book lay-out page?





> Hey Ryan, these are the final page sizes after being reduced for print. Standard comic boards are 11x17 and have a full bleed that is 10x15-3/8. These can be bought in most comic book stores and many art stores. Alternatively, you can buy 14x17 bristol and make your own boards. http://www.blambot.com/ruleyourown.shtml



Sorry, I'm thinking of digital files for our finished .psd template.

----------


## Rin Kiyoko

> It's tricky territory. On the one hand, I don't want to consider Hidden Files *erroneous*, not just because that makes me look like a jackass, but also because it's more...slightly inaccurate? I'd say that "decade" bit is where we go incorrect. Again, I don't want to personally attach hard dates in case they end up contradicting something Matt and Marc decide on in the future, but based on conversations we have in the office, I personally tend to consider the Cyber Force comic as taking place 2016-2020.
> 
> So maybe that idea is reconciled as CDI begins its bigtime operations in Pittsburgh earlier, but the whole "current' Millennium City setting isn't until several years later from a current Witchblade perspective.
> 
> You're not a pain! I really appreciate continuity too, and I know this is a tad tricky. The best I can do is to offer the advice that generally speaking, a healthy amount of vagary never hurt nobody.


The way I'm getting around that continuity glitch is to assume Hidden Files is based around recorded data from the 21st century that may have been altered by Cyber Data. Cyber Data routinely uses blinders and media manipulation to cover up their goings on, so of course the reported data from the time will be off. Just look at Wikipedia. Or China, using a firewall to prevent its citizens from googling Tiananmen Square. Then you throw in Artifacts like the Wheel of Shadows (time control), Coin of Solomon (cognition) and the 13th Artifact ("With it...the world will be created anew.") ... there's enough wiggle room, I think.

Ryan, silly question, but the scripts have to be written in US English, don't they? Or are you forgiving of "colour, neighbour, travelling, aluminium and (heh) Artefacts?"

PS - thanks, Pauul. Your timeline was very useful.

----------


## jsnyder1979

Hi, Ryan,

I just have a new question on what is acceptable and looked down on in terms of story (if there is such a thing here). Aphrodite IX has obviously been going through a lot of changes in her most recent series as well as the newly released series IXth Generation. However, the first Aphrodite IX series is still mostly in continuity, and there was obviously a period of unexplored time between this series (and, as we've now found out, with the other IXs) and the time where Aphrodite is placed in the stasis chamber (where she later wakes up in Matt's Aphrodite IX #1). 

I realize the key is not to get too steeped in continuity, to keep things simple, but you also may want a story that plays with the current events. However, with this unexplored time that Aphrodite has (she was obviously still under Burch's thumb as her handler by the time she was placed in stasis, so there were likely other times she had to kill after the Chairwoman's death), would telling a story set in the past be passed over in this contest for something more relevant to Aphrodite's current status?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> The way I'm getting around that continuity glitch is to assume Hidden Files is based around recorded data from the 21st century that may have been altered by Cyber Data. Cyber Data routinely uses blinders and media manipulation to cover up their goings on, so of course the reported data from the time will be off. Just look at Wikipedia. Or China, using a firewall to prevent its citizens from googling Tiananmen Square. Then you throw in Artifacts like the Wheel of Shadows (time control), Coin of Solomon (cognition) and the 13th Artifact ("With it...the world will be created anew.") ... there's enough wiggle room, I think.
> 
> Ryan, silly question, but the scripts have to be written in US English, don't they? Or are you forgiving of "colour, neighbour, travelling, aluminium and (heh) Artefacts?"
> 
> PS - thanks, Pauul. Your timeline was very useful.


And with that, Rin gives me an out. *You're good people, all of you - I hope you know that.* I'm very grateful and I haven't gotten even a single nasty message or tweet from anyone this year. This bodes well for all of us.

But pretty forgiving of most UK idiosyncrasies...although I don't think "Artefacts" will fly. -_________-
"Why can't the English speak English?"

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi, Ryan,
> 
> I just have a new question on what is acceptable and looked down on in terms of story (if there is such a thing here). Aphrodite IX has obviously been going through a lot of changes in her most recent series as well as the newly released series IXth Generation. However, the first Aphrodite IX series is still mostly in continuity, and there was obviously a period of unexplored time between this series (and, as we've now found out, with the other IXs) and the time where Aphrodite is placed in the stasis chamber (where she later wakes up in Matt's Aphrodite IX #1). 
> 
> I realize the key is not to get too steeped in continuity, to keep things simple, but you also may want a story that plays with the current events. However, with this unexplored time that Aphrodite has (she was obviously still under Burch's thumb as her handler by the time she was placed in stasis, so there were likely other times she had to kill after the Chairwoman's death), would telling a story set in the past be passed over in this contest for something more relevant to Aphrodite's current status?


I bet you could do something pretty cool with that time period without too much continuity futzing. I look forward to stuff like that!

----------


## JVillain

> And with that, Rin gives me an out. *You're good people, all of you - I hope you know that.* I'm very grateful and I haven't gotten even a single nasty message or tweet from anyone this year. This bodes well for all of us.
> 
> But pretty forgiving of most UK idiosyncrasies...although I don't think "Artefacts" will fly. -_________-
> "Why can't the English speak English?"


If there is a lesson to be learned from Orwell's 1984 is don't set your futuristic post apocalyptic story Bly 10 years in the future. I think you cant go wrong with the vague "near future". "Artefacts" could be a spinoff about rival upstate NY yuppies compeeting for the same antiques. Instead of The Rapture it would be like antique ottomans.

----------


## jsnyder1979

> I bet you could do something pretty cool with that time period without too much continuity futzing. I look forward to stuff like that!


Good to hear that I'm considering an acceptable direction. It would just seem like a waste to have so much unexplored territory and not be able to use it.  :Smile:

----------


## Andrey

Hi Ryan.

Is there any continuity established about Miguel Estacado pre-pirates years - his family, childhood, coming of age? I couldn't find any mention of that time of his life.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi Ryan.
> 
> Is there any continuity established about Miguel Estacado pre-pirates years - his family, childhood, coming of age? I couldn't find any mention of that time of his life.


Andrey,

Not that I can recall, and surprisingly, I haven't received a ton of pitches about that.

Most people just got straight for the piracy. I get a *lot* of Miguel Estacado Pirate Darkness pitches.

----------


## prismablue

> Just go with what's on the submission zip. If it doesn't perfectly match how Khoi ended up doing the finished product, it won't hurt you. I'll be using the same .zip package you are when I'm going through submissions.


Thanks! much appreciated.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> I bet you could do something pretty cool with that time period without too much continuity futzing. I look forward to stuff like that!


What about the period between Cyberforce and IX? Seems equally empty, and also gets blown up anyway. I figure there's a lot of freedom there.

----------


## Rob_King54

Hey, Ryan!

I'm not sure if this has been answered already or not, but I wanted to be one hundred percent clear on it before continuing a script. 

Can we use the past, present, or future version of ANY Artifact bearer? Or does it have to be a version of one of the current bearers?

Thanks!  :Smile:

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hello everyone! Quick question for Ryan.
I had some friends review my script and they are not familiar with the Top Cow Universe and its characters so they give me the note that I should do a recap at the beginning. Is that something we should worry about? Should we assume that the reader knows its Top Cow? Is that an editorial concern?

Thanks much.
-Nico

----------


## JVillain

> Hello everyone! Quick question for Ryan.
> I had some friends review my script and they are not familiar with the Top Cow Universe and its characters so they give me the note that I should do a recap at the beginning. Is that something we should worry about? Should we assume that the reader knows its Top Cow? Is that an editorial concern?
> 
> Thanks much.
> -Nico


Hi Nico, 
The  recap page is not necessary. Remember your audience right now is gonna be Ryan, Matt Hawkins, and a panel of reviewers who all work at Top Cow. I think they all have pretty good idea who the characters are and where continuity is at. That said you can add one if you plan to show it to more people who don't genraly read comics etc. I included a one paragraph recap Marvel style, and ran the script past my friends who don't read comics at all, and they were able to follow the story fine.

----------


## NicoIzambard

Thank you Ryan!
I have one more questions concerning Alina Enstrom.
In Broken Trinity Pandora’s Box issue 5, someone ( I presume Adam) is talking to Alina in her head. Is she imagining things, is she losing her mind or is Adam truly talking to her?… I guess I don’t understand where that voice comes from and I am wondering if she would still have that voice in her head now, after the rebirth.
Thx a ton,
-Nico

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Is she imagining things, is she losing her mind or is Adam truly talking to her?


Granted, I didn't _write_ BT: Pandora's Box - would've been nice, but alas - but I think of that scene as being pretty open to interpretation. After all, the Box is all about madness, chaos, entropy...Alina could sincerely just be out of it.

But in post-rebirth, we haven't seen much of Alina - I'd say it's up to you to decide if that voice is in her head still. But fair warning - if done right, that sort of thing feels like a cool meshing/acknowledgement of old and new continuity merging (a la N52 Swamp Thing). If done poorly, however, it can alienate new readers and get a little confusing.

Good luck!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey, Ryan!
> 
> I'm not sure if this has been answered already or not, but I wanted to be one hundred percent clear on it before continuing a script. 
> 
> Can we use the past, present, or future version of ANY Artifact bearer? Or does it have to be a version of one of the current bearers?
> 
> Thanks!


ANY of 'em!

----------


## ShakeZula

I'm trying to place Ji Xi in the Rebirth world. I've read Artifacts 14-40, but don't recall mention of him. Did I miss something? Is he mentioned in any of the other series? Comic Vine says he's still the bearer. Do we know anything about him post Rebirth?

And Ryan, you said there will be a 6 page Rachel story coming out in a few months. Will that alter much? If I did a story picking up from Phantoms of the Heart, would I be okay. Even smaller things like her budding relationship with the cop, I would like to be able to use.

Thanks in advance.

----------


## matthewwead

I've just finished my script. I like it. But it's a period piece that uses some archaic-ish dialogue. I notice that, stylistically, Ron Marz and the rest tend towards a pseudo-realistic, cinematic style of dialogue. From an editor's standpoint, would a perfect submission match stylistically with Ron Marz's writing, or would a perfect submission simply be the most shapely and succinct and image-driven piece? Or both?

In other words, what do I need to strive for?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I'm trying to place Ji Xi in the Rebirth world. I've read Artifacts 14-40, but don't recall mention of him. Did I miss something? Is he mentioned in any of the other series? Comic Vine says he's still the bearer. Do we know anything about him post Rebirth?
> 
> And Ryan, you said there will be a 6 page Rachel story coming out in a few months. Will that alter much? If I did a story picking up from Phantoms of the Heart, would I be okay. Even smaller things like her budding relationship with the cop, I would like to be able to use.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


The Rachel-story is pretty much a one-off that doesn't affect her overall continuity at all, so you should be safe.

As for Ji Xi, he's yet to reappear, but presumably he's just doing his thing. As he did before the Artifacts event. Maybe even wandering the world, righting wrong.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I've just finished my script. I like it. But it's a period piece that uses some archaic-ish dialogue. I notice that, stylistically, Ron Marz and the rest tend towards a pseudo-realistic, cinematic style of dialogue. From an editor's standpoint, would a perfect submission match stylistically with Ron Marz's writing, or would a perfect submission simply be the most shapely and succinct and image-driven piece? Or both?
> 
> In other words, what do I need to strive for?


The perfect submission is YOUR style. I don't mean to keep harping on this, but this is one of the questions I get asked the most from burgeoning writers, and you shouldn't be trying to achieve some style set by someone else. Imitating Ron's style isn't the way to perfectly craft the story anymore than would imitating Alan Moore's or Neil Gaiman's or anybody's.

Strive for your best. Sure, you're always going to be the sum of what you've extracted from what you read, but you need to strive for your best, and shape the best style that fits for the story you're trying to tell.

----------


## matthewwead

Coolio. I figured that'd be the answer. It just seems like Top Cow has its own sort of "Mighty Marvel Manner" in the kinds of stories it produces. I figured getting the insight on what the editors like is the best way to have a good submission. Thanks, Ryan!

----------


## JVillain

> Coolio. I figured that'd be the answer. It just seems like Top Cow has its own sort of "Mighty Marvel Manner" in the kinds of stories it produces. I figured getting the insight on what the editors like is the best way to have a good submission. Thanks, Ryan!


Every comic book universe is different, DCs characters are mostly do gooders determined to save and protect people. Marvels characters are deeply flawed and conflicted ordinary individuals faced with impossible situations or powers,  struggling to find the right path. Top Cows characters are dealing with mysterious forces and artifacts nobody really knows about. This universe is young and still expanding. You just gotta keep it within that cannon. I don't really know how much of Wildfire, Think Tank, and Rise of the Magi fit in with the Cyberforce and Artifacts stuff, or if they intermingle at all. There's a lot of mystery, many dark corners in the Top Cow universe. With so much left unknown or undiscovered that only means more choices for writers and artists to use different styles, and blaze new paths, and be different from Marvel and DC, be bold and original, and you can have a little edge coz they give no frigs about the comics code.

----------


## Andrew1

Hey Ryan, I have just finished my art submission and I want to confirm a few things before sending it in.

1. Besides the 10mb max size, is there a preferred image size for the submission? Right now, its an all digital files that are 11x17 at 600 dpi.

2. I'm planning on sending it in as a PDF containing the submission agreement, then the 8 pages, the whole thing will be labeled "_MyName__TopCowTalentHunt2014.pdf" .

3. Is it possible to get a confirmation of Top Cow receiving the submission? Something like an automatic response?

Thanks!

----------


## Andrew1

One more question, at the beginning of the submissin agreement, for "the Material" description, what are you guys looking for? The script name that I used? Or do you want more than just that?

----------


## JVillain

> Hey Ryan, I have just finished my art submission and I want to confirm a few things before sending it in.
> 
> 1. Besides the 10mb max size, is there a preferred image size for the submission? Right now, its an all digital files that are 11x17 at 600 dpi.
> 
> 2. I'm planning on sending it in as a PDF containing the submission agreement, then the 8 pages, the whole thing will be labeled "_MyName__TopCowTalentHunt2014.pdf" .
> 
> 3. Is it possible to get a confirmation of Top Cow receiving the submission? Something like an automatic response?
> 
> Thanks!


I tried that and it didn't work, I scanned my 8 pages at 81/2 x 11 at 300 dpi and the submissions agreement as a single PDF but the over all file size ended up over 20 Meg's. Then I tried scanning the art and the agreement separately, and again I was over 20 Meg's for the entire email. I ended up having to split the submission into two emails each at 10 Meg's to be bellow the threshold.  I'm with you though about the confirmation of receipt.  If you're using outlook you can make that a setting, you request a read receipt. Which is fine. Right now I'm just crossing my fingers, and moving on to my own personal projects to keep my mind busy and not worry about it. Good luck to you!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> One more question, at the beginning of the submissin agreement, for "the Material" description, what are you guys looking for? The script name that I used? Or do you want more than just that?


Just write "Talent Hunt" and the script name.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey Ryan, I have just finished my art submission and I want to confirm a few things before sending it in.
> 
> 1. Besides the 10mb max size, is there a preferred image size for the submission? Right now, its an all digital files that are 11x17 at 600 dpi.
> 
> 2. I'm planning on sending it in as a PDF containing the submission agreement, then the 8 pages, the whole thing will be labeled "_MyName__TopCowTalentHunt2014.pdf" .
> 
> 3. Is it possible to get a confirmation of Top Cow receiving the submission? Something like an automatic response?
> 
> Thanks!


I prefer PDF, but whatever works best for you. .ZIPped JPEGs are fine.


Unfortunately, I can't set an automatic response for the Submissions email, due to the way it functions as an alias. I haven't had any problems with it yet. However, a week or so after the deadline, I'll be sending out a mass (BCC'd, of course) response noting whose submissions have been received and giving some more information about the timeline. If you've been posting on here and I recognize you and you don't get a response, you can always resend and I'll be pretty understanding, to a point.

----------


## Andrew1

> I prefer PDF, but whatever works best for you. .ZIPped JPEGs are fine.
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, I can't set an automatic response for the Submissions email, due to the way it functions as an alias. I haven't had any problems with it yet. However, a week or so after the deadline, I'll be sending out a mass (BCC'd, of course) response noting whose submissions have been received and giving some more information about the timeline. If you've been posting on here and I recognize you and you don't get a response, you can always resend and I'll be pretty understanding, to a point.


Thanks Ryan. So does that mean you'd prefer the 11x17 page size? Or doesn't really matter? 

btw, for those people with photoshop, using the "Save for web" option allows you to play with quality and size settings interactively to get your desired file size. Using this will definitely get 8 pages (plus scans of the agreement) to under 10 megs without sacrificing too much quality.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thanks Ryan. So does that mean you'd prefer the 11x17 page size? Or doesn't really matter? 
> 
> btw, for those people with photoshop, using the "Save for web" option allows you to play with quality and size settings interactively to get your desired file size. Using this will definitely get 8 pages (plus scans of the agreement) to under 10 megs without sacrificing too much quality.


Save for Web is good advice. I use it quite a bit for our production stuff.

11x17 is fine for these subs, sure.

----------


## Andrew1

> Save for Web is good advice. I use it quite a bit for our production stuff.
> 
> 11x17 is fine for these subs, sure.


Thanks Ryan

----------


## darkskythe

To the top cow team, I usually work with blue led instead of the standard led pencils I was wondering if it was ok to submit my pencils in blue?or must I use the basic black led?For the contest.

----------


## Lightningmax

> To the top cow team, I usually work with blue led instead of the standard led pencils I was wondering if it was ok to submit my pencils in blue?or must I use the basic black led?For the contest.


Tools are not what's important, the question is can it be taken to completion? How clean are the pencils?  Can the inker see what lines to ink?  Are the pencils finished?  
I'm sure if your art is complete and it scans cleanly they will accept it. 

Most blue pencils are too soft for me, I draw fine lines and feel like the width of the blue lines don't let me get the fine details down.

Remember, you can ink yourself as well, so if this is just a preliminary step you don't have to restrict yourself to pencils only.

----------


## kevin_mchugh

Hello,

This is just a quick one before I start writing anything and go off down the wrong track. Are we writing about the "Artefacts" or the "Bearers"? 

I am thinking about writing a Jackie Estacado/Darkness story, but I just wanted to check does it have to be set in the present continuity or can my tale be from back when Jackie was in the employ of Frankie Franchetti or when he was the Don in New York? My story could work in most time periods but I just wanted to make sure the one I picked wouldn't get me disqualified etc.

Thanks for taking the time to answer the question and apologies if it sounds stupid but I didn't want to shoot myself in the foot.

Kevin

----------


## AndersonVision

This thread has been a huge help. Especially in terms of trimming up my script style. 

Quick question: What's the status of Medieval Witchblade in the new timeline?

----------


## lanzajr26

Been doing research on the Wheel of Shadows and nothing in my searches has revealed why the artifact was located in Hell before Sabine went to retrieve it. Can anyone shed some light on its origins prior to the Angelus mini-series or am I free to work with that mystery? Thanks in advance!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> This thread has been a huge help. Especially in terms of trimming up my script style. 
> 
> Quick question: What's the status of Medieval Witchblade in the new timeline?


Check out the Tim Seeley years! "Katarina Godliffe"

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Been doing research on the Wheel of Shadows and nothing in my searches has revealed why the artifact was located in Hell before Sabine went to retrieve it. Can anyone shed some light on its origins prior to the Angelus mini-series or am I free to work with that mystery? Thanks in advance!


I think it's unestablished, so - up for grabs!

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Been doing research on the Wheel of Shadows and nothing in my searches has revealed why the artifact was located in Hell before Sabine went to retrieve it. Can anyone shed some light on its origins prior to the Angelus mini-series or am I free to work with that mystery? Thanks in advance!


I've read all its appearances too, I think this is a good gap to fill. I'm interested to see answers to that one!

----------


## Attila Kiss

Darklings are not on the list of accepted characters. Would it be OK to use and personalize them in a Darkness centered story?

----------


## Melanchthon

This thread has been very useful. It would be awesome if anyone could help with some details of which issues in the Artifacts/Top Cow universe depict hell, particularly any where Jackie is in hell. 

I tried to look this up but can't seem to pinpoint it to actual issues to buy unless I'm just not looking in the right place. I have a solid chunk of a story so far but need to make sure I'm not making any obvious mistakes with the setting or timeline (e.g. whether Jackie still has his darkness powers during his time in hell, how the whole souls-as-currency thing works in practical terms etc.) 

Thanks!

Edit: also, as a question for Ryan - would it annoy you as a script reader if my dialogue was in all caps? I feel like it helps visualise how the text will look on a page, but happy to switch if it's not preferred.

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hello Ryan and everybody here!
Question:
If submitting several scripts (which I totally will btw), is it necessary to fill out a submission agreement for each story or can we put all the stories titles under "Material"?
Also, do I send everything in one email or separate?
Thank you!

----------


## Richcreation

Hey man,

 I have found it is better to be over prepared than under prepared. Cause when reading through the submission form it says that it will be passed over if it does not include the submission agreement form. 

 I am a tad curious though for all those whom are doing art work. Do you think that they want the speech included into the work? I guess this is mainly directed at Ryan, but if anyone knows please let me know.

----------


## Andrew1

> Hey man,
> 
>  I have found it is better to be over prepared than under prepared. Cause when reading through the submission form it says that it will be passed over if it does not include the submission agreement form. 
> 
>  I am a tad curious though for all those whom are doing art work. Do you think that they want the speech included into the work? I guess this is mainly directed at Ryan, but if anyone knows please let me know.


Panels need to be spaced appropriately to fit any balloons of dialogue, but the artist should not draw them in. That's a letterers job. Plus, dialogue can easily change after panels are drawn.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Darklings are not on the list of accepted characters. Would it be OK to use and personalize them in a Darkness centered story?


Sure thing!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> This thread has been very useful. It would be awesome if anyone could help with some details of which issues in the Artifacts/Top Cow universe depict hell, particularly any where Jackie is in hell. 
> 
> I tried to look this up but can't seem to pinpoint it to actual issues to buy unless I'm just not looking in the right place. I have a solid chunk of a story so far but need to make sure I'm not making any obvious mistakes with the setting or timeline (e.g. whether Jackie still has his darkness powers during his time in hell, how the whole souls-as-currency thing works in practical terms etc.) 
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Edit: also, as a question for Ryan - would it annoy you as a script reader if my dialogue was in all caps? I feel like it helps visualise how the text will look on a page, but happy to switch if it's not preferred.


There was a series called Tom Judge: Universe which may/may not be totally canonically accurate any more, but it will still give you a good feel as to how Hell works in the TCU. There's also a great Tom Judge oneshot called "Geometry of Hell" that should be right up your alley.

As for the ALL CAPS thing, shouldn't bother me too much.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello Ryan and everybody here!
> Question:
> If submitting several scripts (which I totally will btw), is it necessary to fill out a submission agreement for each story or can we put all the stories titles under "Material"?
> Also, do I send everything in one email or separate?
> Thank you!


That should be fine.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey man,
> 
>  I have found it is better to be over prepared than under prepared. Cause when reading through the submission form it says that it will be passed over if it does not include the submission agreement form. 
> 
>  I am a tad curious though for all those whom are doing art work. Do you think that they want the speech included into the work? I guess this is mainly directed at Ryan, but if anyone knows please let me know.


There's no need to do your own lettering.

Generally speaking, it would probably only hurt you in future art submissions/contests like this.

----------


## lanzajr26

> I think it's unestablished, so - up for grabs!





> I've read all its appearances too, I think this is a good gap to fill. I'm interested to see answers to that one!


Awesome, thanks for the help guys!  :Big Grin:

----------


## newbold

Let's say you had been published by one of the companies listed but as an inker and not a penciler.  Does this disqualify one from submitting pencils for this contest?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Let's say you had been published by one of the companies listed but as an inker and not a penciler.  Does this disqualify one from submitting pencils for this contest?


I'm afraid so.

----------


## RotcodOhm

Hello, what's the rule on environments and props. Do we have to copy them exactly the way they were previously drawn or can we change it up a bit like we can with the characters? Specifically, can I change the way the physical manifestation of the Darkness looks to better match the way it was described in the script? Also, I just want to be sure but the Survivor is of Asian ethnicity just like the Curator right? I just want to be sure that I'm drawing the correct ethnicity. 

Thank you very much.

----------


## REINDEER

One question: If I want to draw an Artifacts script, The cyberforce characters have the costume of the Rebirth version (2012) or are the same of the first issues of Artifacts?

----------


## A.J.

Hi Ryan, 
        I have come late in the game.  I'm starting on page 3 today and finding myself better acquainted with the cyber force characters after reading a few issues.  My question is this;  Does Ellis's face look normal when he's relaxed?  I've had a hard time finding consistent pictures of him.  I really like the look of the burnt/scarred/muscle tissue half face that I've seen on him and I was wondering if that was something he gets when he mimics someone's ability or if it's just an aesthetic preference that some artists give him?

Also, if I had an idea for a comic book that I was willing to give to the top cow universe, what would be the best way to get that idea to the appropriate person (I'm assuming it would be Matt Hawking)?

----------


## Franshux

Hey!
I've been reading this board but have been unable to find if someone asked this question already (so, sorry if someone has): The rules for art submission say as follows "you need to scan your work, save it to a file with an appropriate size..." What kind of file should this be? A PDF document including all of the drawn pages, or maybe individual JPGs inside a .RAR file? Thanks in advance!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hey!
> I've been reading this board but have been unable to find if someone asked this question already (so, sorry if someone has): The rules for art submission say as follows "you need to scan your work, save it to a file with an appropriate size..." What kind of file should this be? A PDF document including all of the drawn pages, or maybe individual JPGs inside a .RAR file? Thanks in advance!


_PLEASE DO NOT USE .RAR FILES._


Compress into a normal .zip or a PDF instead. My personal computer is an older Mac, and we use a new Mac in the office, and .rar files can give us serious trouble sometimes.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi Ryan, 
>         I have come late in the game.  I'm starting on page 3 today and finding myself better acquainted with the cyber force characters after reading a few issues.  My question is this;  Does Ellis's face look normal when he's relaxed?  I've had a hard time finding consistent pictures of him.  I really like the look of the burnt/scarred/muscle tissue half face that I've seen on him and I was wondering if that was something he gets when he mimics someone's ability or if it's just an aesthetic preference that some artists give him?
> 
> Also, if I had an idea for a comic book that I was willing to give to the top cow universe, what would be the best way to get that idea to the appropriate person (I'm assuming it would be Matt Hawking)?


I think Ellis' face is your personal perspective. It's up to you how you want to depict him.


As for a cold submission, we're not really open to those right now, since we've got a lot on the roster and the Talent Hunt going on right now, but you're welcome to include that in your Talent Hunt submission email.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> One question: If I want to draw an Artifacts script, The cyberforce characters have the costume of the Rebirth version (2012) or are the same of the first issues of Artifacts?


That's up to you. Either - or works.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hello, what's the rule on environments and props. Do we have to copy them exactly the way they were previously drawn or can we change it up a bit like we can with the characters? Specifically, can I change the way the physical manifestation of the Darkness looks to better match the way it was described in the script? Also, I just want to be sure but the Survivor is of Asian ethnicity just like the Curator right? I just want to be sure that I'm drawing the correct ethnicity. 
> 
> Thank you very much.


Of course you can change it all up to fit your style.

Yes, the Curator and the Survivor are of the same ethnicity, although they look quite different. Just check out their depictions within Artifacts.

----------


## Monkeypants

Hi all,

Does anyone know what happened to Valr'x, Aphrodite IX's cool drake/dragon steed? The last scene I could find with her was in Aphrodite IX #7, when Aphrodite couldn't bring her to Speros City and sent her back to Genesis. No idea if Valr'x survived, but I'd submit a story involving her.

Thanks!

----------


## Franshux

> _PLEASE DO NOT USE .RAR FILES._
> 
> 
> Compress into a normal .zip or a PDF instead. My personal computer is an older Mac, and we use a new Mac in the office, and .rar files can give us serious trouble sometimes.


Thanks a lot! I knew compresed files could cause trouble on some computers, so thanks for the clarification!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi all,
> 
> Does anyone know what happened to Valr'x, Aphrodite IX's cool drake/dragon steed? The last scene I could find with her was in Aphrodite IX #7, when Aphrodite couldn't bring her to Speros City and sent her back to Genesis. No idea if Valr'x survived, but I'd submit a story involving her.
> 
> Thanks!


Val'rx definitely should be alive somewhere, unless she was killed in the Battle of Speros City. I'd say it's safe to write about her.

----------


## The NRG

Hi all

First I'd like to thank to all of you at the Cow for giving us this great oportunity. You rock people!!

 Ok, I'd like to make some questions I hope weren't asked yet:
1- It is ok to send (along with the secuential pages) some sample cover?
2-It is ok to send inked pages (pencils & inks done all by me) instead of penciled pages?

Thanks in advance :)

----------


## kevin_mchugh

> Hello,
> 
> This is just a quick one before I start writing anything and go off down the wrong track. Are we writing about the "Artefacts" or the "Bearers"? 
> 
> I am thinking about writing a Jackie Estacado/Darkness story, but I just wanted to check does it have to be set in the present continuity or can my tale be from back when Jackie was in the employ of Frankie Franchetti or when he was the Don in New York? My story could work in most time periods but I just wanted to make sure the one I picked wouldn't get me disqualified etc.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to answer the question and apologies if it sounds stupid but I didn't want to shoot myself in the foot.
> 
> Kevin


Basically I am bumping this up as I think it may have been missed and to add another question:

Q.Does the recap page need to be the first page or can I make it a later page?

----------


## AndrewStroke

Hi! The contest proved to be an exciting and motivational challenge so far. Thank you for that, Top Cow!
Got a question. I cannot understand the nature of red markings on Ripclaw's skin (pre-Rebirth). I read early Cyberforce issues, and those markings were painted with blood by shaman, which had "awaken" Ripclaw. It became part of Robert's skin. But after that, those markings seem to come and go with no apparent reason. And it's does not look like artists' whim - Ripclaw was portraited with markings and without them within one issue.
So the question is: does Robert have the ability to hide those red lines or not?

----------


## Monkeypants

> Val'rx definitely should be alive somewhere, unless she was killed in the Battle of Speros City. I'd say it's safe to write about her.


Thank you!

----------


## A.J.

> I think Ellis' face is your personal perspective. It's up to you how you want to depict him.
> 
> 
> As for a cold submission, we're not really open to those right now, since we've got a lot on the roster and the Talent Hunt going on right now, but you're welcome to include that in your Talent Hunt submission email.


Thank you! 
I am now excited and terrified!

----------


## NicoIzambard

Quick question for Ryan,
Is it okay to write about Alina Enstrom BEFORE she had Pandora's Box? 
Basically, is it acceptable to write about characters without their artifacts, for example, if we want to tell a story that took place in the past?
Thanks a bunch!

----------


## JVillain

I have a few questions about Aphrodite.. Do we know for certain Aphrodites origin? Has she always been a human/cybernetics hybrid? Or did she start out more like a Terminator like cyborg, and evolved as new models came about? Also if this is the case then do we know who the first human test subject was? Or were there different human test subjects according to each Aphrodite model? I just have kind of a killer idea for a story. Pauul if you don't mind I might use some of the stuff you included in your timeline, which after reading some back issues of Cyber Force and Aphrodite seems really on the nose accurate.

----------


## paragonskeep

Hi Matt, Ryan,
Question. Can "old" Top Cow characters be used for the talent hunt? Let's say I wanted to update Gunmen or Killrazor for use with Artifacts would that be acceptable?
Thanks for doing the Talent Hunt again. I can't say enough how much of a "Big Deal" this truly is.

----------


## RotcodOhm

Thank you for answering my previous question. I have another:

In the script for Artifacts 12 Page 5 Panel 6, the Aph model says that the Survivor wants both Tom and Tilly but when they teleport to the Survivor's base on Page 9, Tilly isn't mentioned at all and only Tom is. Should I draw Tilly teleporting with them in Page 9 or should I just draw Tom with the Aphs like it is in the actual issue? 

Thank you.

----------


## artistjosh

First off, just want to say thank you (to everyone at Top Cow) for offering this contest to both writers and artists. 

Im hesitant to ask this question, because I feel like it is an obvious answer, but Id rather be sure. 

I started drawing the Cyber Force script and have finished at least four pages, and possibly five if I end up finishing it before I begin drawing my friends script for this contest. My friend, whom Ive recently convinced to enter the contest, is writing a full comic book script for the contest. 

If I draw my friends script (at least eight pages) can I also send the pages I drew for the Cyber Force script, even though it is just four or five pages? I thought they came out quite nice, so didnt want to just through them out, so to speak. I figure the answer is yes I can send them, because Im including at least eight pages of my friends script, but I dont want to through anyone for a loop when I send drawings from two different scripts. 

Thank you!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Quick question for Ryan,
> Is it okay to write about Alina Enstrom BEFORE she had Pandora's Box? 
> Basically, is it acceptable to write about characters without their artifacts, for example, if we want to tell a story that took place in the past?
> Thanks a bunch!


Of course!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I have a few questions about Aphrodite.. Do we know for certain Aphrodites origin? Has she always been a human/cybernetics hybrid? Or did she start out more like a Terminator like cyborg, and evolved as new models came about? Also if this is the case then do we know who the first human test subject was? Or were there different human test subjects according to each Aphrodite model? I just have kind of a killer idea for a story. Pauul if you don't mind I might use some of the stuff you included in your timeline, which after reading some back issues of Cyber Force and Aphrodite seems really on the nose accurate.


I wouldn't advise something like that, as it may really contradict some stuff Matt has planned.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi Matt, Ryan,
> Question. Can "old" Top Cow characters be used for the talent hunt? Let's say I wanted to update Gunmen or Killrazor for use with Artifacts would that be acceptable?
> Thanks for doing the Talent Hunt again. I can't say enough how much of a "Big Deal" this truly is.


If you can do a good enough job of placing them into the current universe, heck yeah.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thank you for answering my previous question. I have another:
> 
> In the script for Artifacts 12 Page 5 Panel 6, the Aph model says that the Survivor wants both Tom and Tilly but when they teleport to the Survivor's base on Page 9, Tilly isn't mentioned at all and only Tom is. Should I draw Tilly teleporting with them in Page 9 or should I just draw Tom with the Aphs like it is in the actual issue? 
> 
> Thank you.


Either or should be fine.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> First off, just want to say thank you (to everyone at Top Cow) for offering this contest to both writers and artists. 
> 
> I’m hesitant to ask this question, because I feel like it is an obvious answer, but I’d rather be sure. 
> 
> I started drawing the Cyber Force script and have finished at least four pages, and possibly five if I end up finishing it before I begin drawing my friend’s script for this contest. My friend, whom I’ve recently convinced to enter the contest, is writing a full comic book script for the contest. 
> 
> If I draw my friend’s script (at least eight pages) can I also send the pages I drew for the Cyber Force script, even though it is just four or five pages? I thought they came out quite nice, so didn’t want to just through them out, so to speak. I figure the answer is yes I can send them, because I’m including at least eight pages of my friend’s script, but I don’t want to through anyone for a loop when I send drawings from two different scripts. 
> 
> Thank you!


Yeah, feel free to submit both, but include them in the same email.

----------


## JVillain

> I wouldn't advise something like that, as it may really contradict some stuff Matt has planned.


Damn, I definitelyly dont want to contradict your plans. Cool though you just upped my anticipation for the next issues of Aphrodite IX and IX Generation. I'll use the idea for one of my own comics.

----------


## RotcodOhm

> Either or should be fine.


Thank you!  :Smile:

----------


## Pauul

Well, that's my twenty-two page script 'Shadow Play' completed. Which, gives me a month for rewrites.

I may even take a stab at writing a Cyber Force script as well, although rewriting my Artifact script is going to take priority.

Had to take a step away from the thread to really focus. A lot to catch up on here.




> But pretty forgiving of most UK idiosyncrasies...although I don't think "Artefacts" will fly. -_________-
> "Why can't the English speak English?"


That's good to know, I won't have to go through my panel descriptions to do rewrites.

Although, presumably, any dialogue should be American English under normal circumstances?

I have an interesting question. What if our script is set in the UK? If that's the case, should we be using American English or British English for speech bubbles?




> What about the period between Cyberforce and IX? Seems equally empty, and also gets blown up anyway. I figure there's a lot of freedom there.


Almost empty. Remember the original_ Aphrodite IX_ series is partially in continuity and is set in the 2080's. That, and there is the Battle of Paris shown in _Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1_. But, otherwise, not much has been established for those time periods.




> Thank you Ryan!
> I have one more questions concerning Alina Enstrom.
> In Broken Trinity Pandoras Box issue 5, someone ( I presume Adam) is talking to Alina in her head. Is she imagining things, is she losing her mind or is Adam truly talking to her? I guess I dont understand where that voice comes from and I am wondering if she would still have that voice in her head now, after the rebirth.
> Thx a ton,
> -Nico





> Granted, I didn't write BT: Pandora's Box - would've been nice, but alas - but I think of that scene as being pretty open to interpretation. After all, the Box is all about madness, chaos, entropy...Alina could sincerely just be out of it.
> 
> But in post-rebirth, we haven't seen much of Alina - I'd say it's up to you to decide if that voice is in her head still. But fair warning - if done right, that sort of thing feels like a cool meshing/acknowledgement of old and new continuity merging (a la N52 Swamp Thing). If done poorly, however, it can alienate new readers and get a little confusing.
> 
> Good luck!


It's worth noting (as I mentioned earlier in the thread) that _Broken Trinity: Pandora's Box_ can't happen the way it was initially portrayed given that Finnegan has yet to acquire the Glacier Stone in post-Rebirth continuity.

Which, does create an interesting situation with continuity, given that pre-Rebirth the Ember Stone and Glacier Stone were required to open Pandora's Box. But it has been established through a single panel that Alina has access to Pandora's Box and it's power in post-Rebirth continuity.

I hope you manage to do something good with Alina. I really enjoyed _Broken Trinity: Pandora's Box_ and it's a shame more hasn't been done with Alina Enstrom.




> Been doing research on the Wheel of Shadows and nothing in my searches has revealed why the artifact was located in Hell before Sabine went to retrieve it. Can anyone shed some light on its origins prior to the Angelus mini-series or am I free to work with that mystery? Thanks in advance!


I've written a Wheel of Shadows story too, and I can confirm that it has not been revealed what was going on with the Wheel before Sabine had it retrieved. HOWEVER, at the end of _Angelus #6_ there is a text piece titled 'Bonded To Time: The Wheel Of Shadows' which says the Wheel of Shadows has usually found it's way into the hands of government spooks or demons residing in Hell. So, the most likely explanation is that the previous bearer was a demon in Hell.

Very little is revealed about the Wheel of Shadows outside of the _Angelus_ series.




> Also, if I had an idea for a comic book that I was willing to give to the top cow universe, what would be the best way to get that idea to the appropriate person (I'm assuming it would be Matt Hawking)?


The usual route to break into comic books is to submit a portfolio of the previous material which you have had published either in the small press or indie press, to an editor at a comic book company. If they like your work, they might begin to follow you or even invite you to pitch.

Most publishers can't look at cold submissions, in case they are accused of stealing the material.

Best thing you can do is save your idea, and wait for the day when someone asks you to pitch to them.




> I have a few questions about Aphrodite.. Do we know for certain Aphrodites origin? Has she always been a human/cybernetics hybrid? Or did she start out more like a Terminator like cyborg, and evolved as new models came about? Also if this is the case then do we know who the first human test subject was? Or were there different human test subjects according to each Aphrodite model? I just have kind of a killer idea for a story. Pauul if you don't mind I might use some of the stuff you included in your timeline, which after reading some back issues of Cyber Force and Aphrodite seems really on the nose accurate.


Feel free to use any information I outlined in the timeline. It's why I posted it.

Which Aphrodite do you mean? Because, for instance, Aphrodite IV's origin is pretty well established.

Aphrodite IX was a biological birth, a daughter of Francesca, but I would guess like Cairn Taylor, she was born with Biosynthetic DNA.

Cairn Taylor is mentioned as being the prototype for the IX's.

Aphrodite XV was an android, much like Aphrodite IV, however her mind was human, downloaded into an android shell. She says as much in _Aphrodite IX #6_.

Each Aphrodite model is a different person (although _Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1_ suggests a more direct connection between Aphrodite V and Aphrodite VI). It isn't the same woman being updated again and again.

And there are other series too. For instance, Artemis IX is male, while the earlier Artemis I was female. Maybe you could explore the early days of an alternate model line?

Anyway, good luck. If you can't use your original idea, I hope you come up with another great one.

----------


## MyDogAlan

Hey everyone! I have a seemingly random question about a minor, minor character but it's important for what I'm doing...does anyone know how old Carlos Toledo is exactly?

----------


## JVillain

> Well, that's my twenty-two page script 'Shadow Play' completed. Which, gives me a month for rewrites.
> 
> I may even take a stab at writing a Cyber Force script as well, although rewriting my Artifact script is going to take priority.
> 
> Had to take a step away from the thread to really focus. A lot to catch up on
> 
> Feel free to use any information I outlined in the timeline. It's why I posted it.
> 
> Which Aphrodite do you mean? Because, for instance, Aphrodite IV's origin is pretty well established.
> ...



Thanks again Pauul. My idea was kind of a character piece, like Terminator meets The Fault in our stars kind of thing.  Anyways, I'm gonna incorporate that into something else. I'm really excited for the few months ahead! I'm curious, will anyone be posting their entries here after the results are out? I'm curious to see what everyone has done!

----------


## NicoIzambard

Question for everyone and for Ryan too, of course.
In your opinion, how many panels per page are too many? I feel like if there is little to no dialogue, we might be able to get away with more panels. I also know that actions scenes should have less panels.

What do you guys think?

----------


## Pauul

> Hey everyone! I have a seemingly random question about a minor, minor character but it's important for what I'm doing...does anyone know how old Carlos Toledo is exactly?


He's only introduced in _The Darkness #102_ and his age is never mentioned. I suppose something might be mentioned in the original script, but nothing which has ever been put into continuity.

Comics do tend to be ambiguous about age, anyway. You need to be when sliding timelines are in effect.

So, yeah, for the moment, Carlos Toledo has not had his exact age established.




> Question for everyone and for Ryan too, of course.
> In your opinion, how many panels per page are too many? I feel like if there is little to no dialogue, we might be able to get away with more panels. I also know that actions scenes should have less panels.
> 
> What do you guys think?


It can vary. Sometimes having a lot of panels during an action scene (on a single page) can quicken the pace.

And that is what it probably comes down to, for me. Pacing.

The story has to feel like it's moving at the right speed.

But, if I'm ever in doubt, then I have shelves filled with graphic novels. It can be a good exercise to pick up a book you really like, but instead of looking at the story, focusing on how many panels were used to tell the story instead.

However, if you're trying to squeeze in more panels simply because you have run out of room to tell your story in, then that's a bad sign. You're likely to end up making your pages look cluttered, which you don't want.

In 'Shadow Play' I've used no more than seven panels per page, but that's what felt right to me. If you have any captions or dialogue at all on a page, you really shouldn't have more than nine panels, otherwise things won't fit.

You can always draw out the layout to see whether what you're proposing will work or not.

----------


## A.J.

Hi everybody!  I'm moving along steadily but it is a slow and painful process.  I feel like I'm pushing myself so hard that I am learning to draw as I go.  I finally think I have figured out that (and please correct my if I am wrong) Ellis looks like a normal guy.  I just put two and two together last night that the images I've seen with his scared up face are a different character all together.  There is striker and heatwave, or it was a picture of him after he mimics a power.  I couldn't find a picture of his techoderm tattoo and recently learned about his having genetic material in his dna and now I am confident in a design to show that emerging through his flesh.  This has been an invaluable learning experience already.

----------


## hunter_peterson

I just finished my script! It's called _Witchblade: Undying_ for the moment, but I've not settled 100% on that. It's a very different type of Witchblade story than has ever been done, I think, so we'll see how it's received by the judges! I look forward to the editing stage. I really want it to win! Good luck everyone!  :Big Grin: 

That said, I feel like I am demanding on artists, maybe. :P

EDIT: I hope they don't get mad that I used a lot of original characters. Only one is not an Artifact bearer, but still. And putting marks on "lesser used characters" is not really what I did, more a whole new chapter of a few existing character's lives. But this thread has said that's okay, so yay?

EDIT AGAIN: Also, my story is contained, but leaves a big thread dangling. Does that count as a cliffhanger, considering the actual story is very self-contained? I'm not trying to trick a mini out of Top Cow or anything, I just felt it was a natural end point to the story. (And if you like the rest of the story, would it be possible to change the ending afterwards anyway, because that's hard to account for, kinda?)

----------


## Pauul

> I just finished my script! It's called Witchblade: Undying for the moment, but I've not settled 100% on that. It's a very different type of Witchblade story than has ever been done, I think, so we'll see how it's received by the judges! I look forward to the editing stage. I really want it to win! Good luck everyone!
> 
> That said, I feel like I am demanding on artists, maybe. :P
> 
> EDIT: I hope they don't get mad that I used a lot of original characters. Only one is not an Artifact bearer, but still. And putting marks on "lesser used characters" is not really what I did, more a whole new chapter of a few existing character's lives. But this thread has said that's okay, so yay?
> 
> EDIT AGAIN: Also, my story is contained, but leaves a big thread dangling. Does that count as a cliffhanger, considering the actual story is very self-contained? I'm not trying to trick a mini out of Top Cow or anything, I just felt it was a natural end point to the story. (And if you like the rest of the story, would it be possible to change the ending afterwards anyway, because that's hard to account for, kinda?)


As said previously, the only potential problem with original characters is if you don't want Top Cow taking ownership of them. If you're cool with that, there shouldn't be an issue.

As for leaving a thread dangling... it depends whether you're story is open ended or if it leaves a story thread which essentially demands to be picked up. Are readers going to look at your story and expect to have this story thread answered in a subsequent issue?

I introduce a new Artifact bearer in my story, and another writer could choose to tell stories with that character, but the story isn't about them. If the character was never seen again, it wouldn't be a big deal. It isn't something which feels like it needs to be followed up.

So, take a step back, and look at the dangling element of your plot. You should be able to evaluate whether it is merely open ended or a genuine cliffhanger.

As for changing the ending afterward, I'm sure it would be possible, but you are going to be judged on what you have written. If Top Cow is presented with a story that is equally good, that doesn't need to be altered, then why wouldn't they pick that instead?

Even if changing the ending is a possibility, you should probably proceed as if it weren't.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> As said previously, the only potential problem with original characters is if you don't want Top Cow taking ownership of them. If you're cool with that, there shouldn't be an issue.
> 
> As for leaving a thread dangling... it depends whether you're story is open ended or if it leaves a story thread which essentially demands to be picked up. Are readers going to look at your story and expect to have this story thread answered in a subsequent issue?
> 
> I introduce a new Artifact bearer in my story, and another writer could choose to tell stories with that character, but the story isn't about them. If the character was never seen again, it wouldn't be a big deal. It isn't something which feels like it needs to be followed up.
> 
> So, take a step back, and look at the dangling element of your plot. You should be able to evaluate whether it is merely open ended or a genuine cliffhanger.
> 
> As for changing the ending afterward, I'm sure it would be possible, but you are going to be judged on what you have written. If Top Cow is presented with a story that is equally good, that doesn't need to be altered, then why wouldn't they pick that instead?
> ...


Thanks, I was thinking along the same lines. I think I'll include an alternate final page, because I can just change a small detail and it isn't as cliffhanger-ie. Thanks again for the advice!

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

Hi folks - 

Just a quick reminder that those of you planning on writing about _Aphrodite IX_ characters should do your research, especially on _Aphrodite IX/Cyberforce #1_ and [IXth Generation #1[/i]. I know y'all have been more on the ball about story stuff, especially with Pauul's help, but I've had several folks contact me on other media with story ideas that were blatantly contradictory toward continuity that Matt's established.

But I have the utmost faith in y'all.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Well, that's my twenty-two page script 'Shadow Play' completed. Which, gives me a month for rewrites.
> 
> I may even take a stab at writing a Cyber Force script as well, although rewriting my Artifact script is going to take priority.
> 
> Had to take a step away from the thread to really focus. A lot to catch up on here.
> 
> 
> 
> That's good to know, I won't have to go through my panel descriptions to do rewrites.
> ...



I'd say use your judgment - give the UK characters British English and any American characters American English.

----------


## Marko Svraka

Few questions:
I just read submission rules in ''TC_TalentHunt_2014-2015'' .pdf file once more and it says:
''We will accept just pencils as a submission.'' Since I'm working digitally is it ok to send digitally inked work, if for example, i want to 'ink' straight from the sketch phase?
This question may sound silly, but I was wondering if it's allowed to draw my own letters for 'sound effects' such as BLAM, CLICK, BANG etc.?
Something like this:
sound-effects.jpg
And the last one; although submission rules say that it's not recommended to post submission work anywhere prior to deadline, will it be ok to post just a small portion of, let's say, a panel, to our
blog or facebook or whatever, just to let people/friends/followers know we are doing something?

Thanks.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Few questions:
> I just read submission rules in ''TC_TalentHunt_2014-2015'' .pdf file once more and it says:
> ''We will accept just pencils as a submission.'' Since I'm working digitally is it ok to send digitally inked work, if for example, i want to 'ink' straight from the sketch phase?
> This question may sound silly, but I was wondering if it's allowed to draw my own letters for 'sound effects' such as BLAM, CLICK, BANG etc.?
> Something like this:
> sound-effects.jpg
> And the last one; although submission rules say that it's not recommended to post submission work anywhere prior to deadline, will it be ok to post just a small portion of, let's say, a panel, to our
> blog or facebook or whatever, just to let people/friends/followers know we are doing something?
> 
> Thanks.


"Of course!" to all of the above.

----------


## AndrewStroke

Can we use Pre-Rebirth version of Cyber Force or not? I'm sure somebody asked about that before, but I can't find the answer.

----------


## Marko Svraka

Just one more question :Smile: 
Page 1, panel 3 in Cyber Force says that it's nightime and raining but it doesn't say is it exterior or interior panel, this bugs me a little, can I draw what I think is suitable for the panel?

Thanks.

----------


## Thrrax

Yeah, I myself would like to know which version of CF is the canon one.

----------


## elbowroom

Hi Ryan:

Sorry if this is an incredibly dumb question because I am brand new to this entire scene, but, I assume you want artists that can match the existing art style? Or can you put your own deviation on it?

----------


## Pauul

> Hi Ryan:
> 
> Sorry if this is an incredibly dumb question because I am brand new to this entire scene, but, I assume you want artists that can match the existing art style? Or can you put your own deviation on it?


Ryan has previously said to use your own style. I mean, if you look at the books Top Cow puts out, the style of art varies anyway. Characters should obviously be recognizable, but if you're going to win, it'll be because Top Cow is interested in showcasing your artwork.




> Can we use Pre-Rebirth version of Cyber Force or not? I'm sure somebody asked about that before, but I can't find the answer.





> Yeah, I myself would like to know which version of CF is the canon one.


The post-Rebirth Cyber Force that is currently being published is canon. The universe was rewritten during the Rebirth event, so the previous version of Cyber Force no longer exists.

We've been told that we can submit pre-Rebirth stories, however, they are less likely to win the Talent Hunt.

If it comes down to a choice between two really great stories, one which is pre-Rebirth and one which is post-Rebirth, then Top Cow are going to pick the one which uses the current continuity.

----------


## elbowroom

> Ryan has previously said to use your own style. I mean, if you look at the books Top Cow puts out, the style of art varies anyway. Characters should obviously be recognizable, but if you're going to win, it'll be because Top Cow is interested in showcasing your artwork.



Great! Thank you so much for such a quick response.  :Smile:

----------


## AndrewStroke

> We've been told that we can submit pre-Rebirth stories, however, they are less likely to win the Talent Hunt.
> 
> If it comes down to a choice between two really great stories, one which is pre-Rebirth and one which is post-Rebirth, then Top Cow are going to pick the one which uses the current continuity.


Thank you, Pauul! Guess I'll have to make up a second story now.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Hi Ryan:
> 
> Sorry if this is an incredibly dumb question because I am brand new to this entire scene, but, I assume you want artists that can match the existing art style? Or can you put your own deviation on it?


Generally speaking, it's best to use your own style, unless it's terribly off-base and you believe wouldn't "work" for the script.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Ryan has previously said to use your own style. I mean, if you look at the books Top Cow puts out, the style of art varies anyway. Characters should obviously be recognizable, but if you're going to win, it'll be because Top Cow is interested in showcasing your artwork.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The post-Rebirth Cyber Force that is currently being published is canon. The universe was rewritten during the Rebirth event, so the previous version of Cyber Force no longer exists.
> 
> We've been told that we can submit pre-Rebirth stories, however, they are less likely to win the Talent Hunt.
> ...


Pauul's on it.

With Cyber Force especially, since it's tied in with the IXth Generation/Aphrodite continuity, it's best to try for Post-Rebirth.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

*SELF-PROMOTION INCOMING:*

So, to be brief, *Witchblade #180* was released this week, and on its own it's a big deal because it's the beginning of the two part story arc that ends with Jackie Estacado's death. (I know). 

But also, it happens to have a backup story written by yours truly! I teamed up with Talent Hunt Runner Up *Phil Sevy* and put together a cool little Magdalena story. It's got ghost nuns - don't you wanna read about ghost nuns?

----------


## LSWhiteEagle

I didn't see this when I went through the thread, if I missed it, my apologies.  I have two questions;
1. Can the submissions agreement be electronically signed, or do I have to print and scan?
2. I know you said not to kill off major character that would effect the rest of the Top Cow universe, does Cardinal Innocence from the Magdalena fall into this?

----------


## JVillain

> *SELF-PROMOTION INCOMING:*
> 
> So, to be brief, *Witchblade #180* was released this week, and on its own it's a big deal because it's the beginning of the two part story arc that ends with Jackie Estacado's death. (I know). 
> 
> But also, it happens to have a backup story written by yours truly! I teamed up with Talent Hunt Runner Up *Phil Sevy* and put together a cool little Magdalena story. It's got ghost nuns - don't you wanna read about ghost nuns?



You had me at Ghost nuns

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I didn't see this when I went through the thread, if I missed it, my apologies.  I have two questions;
> 1. Can the submissions agreement be electronically signed, or do I have to print and scan?
> 2. I know you said not to kill off major character that would effect the rest of the Top Cow universe, does Cardinal Innocence from the Magdalena fall into this?


1. That should be fine if it's a real signature, and not just your typed name.
2. I mean, that's a judgment call on your part. If the story was good enough, then it's possible to get a script like that through - but killing off a semi-major character like the Cardinal calls for a seriously good hook of a storyl

----------


## Lightningmax

> Question for everyone and for Ryan too, of course.
> In your opinion, how many panels per page are too many? I feel like if there is little to no dialogue, we might be able to get away with more panels. I also know that actions scenes should have less panels.
> 
> What do you guys think?


FIVE!
Time for an artist to step in: FIVE.  The optimum number of panels per page is five!  Let’s use the traditional standard of comicbook art which is three tiers two panels per tier.  (Writers look at comicbook art paper!  It is marked for this!)  If you think of the “real estate” of the art in simplified terms a page 15 inches high of artwork, Each panel having possibly 1 inch of dialogue space at the top. .25  inch of gutter between tiers and panels, that leaves a 3.75 by 4.875 inch space for the needed visual information in the story, humans see in “widescreen” so that format is comfortable to read.  Vertical panels are unnatural and make a reader uncomfortable; it is like peeking through crack in a fence, not that they shouldn’t be used only that you should know why you’re using them and the effect they have on the reader. You never draw a character staring directly at a reader, it makes them uncomfortable – that eyes of the painting following you around the room thing! There is a psychology to art!  If the paper is set for three tiers of two panels, why is five optimum?  Five allows there to be an accent panel – it allows the artist to plan the page around one particular panel – which is the most important information on that page.

----------


## Lightningmax

There are no uninteresting characters, there is only uninterested writing.

This is probably something I should have written several months ago.    Many writers focus on the big picture, the miniseries, the season, the arc; and overlook the small picture.  There should never be throw away panels or throw away locations or throw away characters.  When you look at the pinnacle series in our industry: the first one hundred issues of Fantastic Four, Watchmen, Dark Knight there are no throw away panels.   A two page spread is one image over two pages, if there are more than five panels on a two page spread it is not a two page spread!  It is two pages combined into a spread.  A good comicbook script has an average of five panels on a page , that’s about 120 images, why throw any away?  We do not have the space to waste!  Black panels during a story, it’s neither new nor innovative, so are they a waste of time?  If those panels can be used to advance the story better, then yes.

Throw away locations or events?  Think of Star Trek the Next Generation, without transporter stories or holosuite stories!  The holosuite stories and in effect other imaginary stories in the series were only possible when they quit treating the holosutie as a vacation spot and explored the storytelling possibilities granted by having stories take place there. The transporter was originally created because they couldn't afford to show the ship landing on planets!   Ryker’s “Brother” from STNG, Scotty appearing in STNG, evil Spock and Kirk  from the original series. Locations matter!   The best example I give is to describe Steve Rogers’ room at Avengers Mansion and Tony Stark’s. 

 In Tomb of Dracula, they killed a new person every issue, but each issue they introduced you to the character, gave you background, got you inside the character’s life – made you care for the character so that their death mattered.  Many consider the original StarWars a great piece of artistic achievement, but in light of the previous analysis of Tomb of Dracula, could you name any Alderan people from the original movie besides Princess Leia?  Mr.Lucas  didn’t take the time to introduce the people before blowing up the planet!  Wouldn’t it have been more horrific, if you had fallen in love with an Alderan family then seen the planet destroyed?  

Writers, reread your script are there throw away panels, locations, or characters.  If so throw them away, they don’t matter to the story anyway!  You want your reader emotionally invested in your book, characters are what hooks readers – not the cool one liners.  Otherwise make the reader care about all the details of your story and move beyond comicbook writing to good writing period!

----------


## JVillain

> FIVE!
> Time for an artist to step in: FIVE.  The optimum number of panels per page is five!  Lets use the traditional standard of comicbook art which is three tiers two panels per tier.  (Writers look at comicbook art paper!  It is marked for this!)  If you think of the real estate of the art in simplified terms a page 15 inches high of artwork, Each panel having possibly 1 inch of dialogue space at the top. .25  inch of gutter between tiers and panels, that leaves a 3.75 by 5 inch space for the needed visual information in the story, humans see in widescreen so that format is comfortable to read.  Vertical panels are unnatural and make a reader uncomfortable; it is like peeking through crack in a fence, not that they shouldnt be used only that you should know why youre using them and the effect they have on the reader. You never draw a character staring directly at a reader, it makes them uncomfortable  that eyes of the painting following you around the room thing! There is a psychology to art!  If the paper is set for three tiers of two panels, why is five optimum?  Five allows there to be an accent panel  it allows the artist to plan the page around one particular panel  which is the most important information on that page.


It all depends on the pacing of the story, the effect you're trying to achieve or what you want the reader to see or think about. To show two examples: go read Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library, especially the Jimy Corrigan stuff or Quimby the mouse. Those stories sometimes have 10-20 panels per page, sometimes they're like reading a puzzle but it's masterful storytelling. On the other end of the Spectrum you have the Death of Superman (Superman#75) and that is all splash pages, culminating in a triple bifold shot of the fallen Superman. Again masterful storytelling. Both pack visceral emotional gut checks, but in very different ways. Read the old 80's Marvel and DC books to see how they're laid out. Look at the early issues of Youngblood and Cyber Force, those comics are a reaction to the storytelling and excessive blocking of pages from the 80s. The best thing a writer can do is step back and let the artist make the story their own. And then if you feel they didn't quite get what they needed to get or emphasize what they needed to. Then you can provide more direction. I find often times when you step back and let people figure it out and work it own on their own you're often times amazed at the results.

----------


## Lightningmax

> It all depends on the pacing of the story,


A writer controls the pacing of the story, not the other way around.  




> the effect you're trying to achieve or what you want the reader to see or think about.


  I would hope the effect you're trying to achieve is to tell a story clearly and concisely.  What you want the reader to see is the story.  What you want the reader to think after reading the story -- "that was a great story!"




> To show two examples: go read Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library, especially the Jimy Corrigan stuff or Quimby the mouse. Those stories sometimes have 10-20 panels per page, sometimes they're like reading a puzzle but it's masterful storytelling.


If the storytelling is a puzzle, then it's not masterful storytelling.  Storytelling means to present information in as clear a manner as possible.  This does not mean that Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library is not great art.  If the reader is taken out of the story and trying to figure out which panel is next, then you are not a storyteller, you are possibly deconstructing the narrative of the medium, but in our work for hire capacity we are trying to tell a story.  




> On the other end of the Spectrum you have the Death of Superman (Superman#75) and that is all splash pages, culminating in a triple bifold shot of the fallen Superman. Again masterful storytelling. Both pack visceral emotional gut checks, but in very different ways.


I believe that choosing two specialty reads as examples of storytelling is a mistake, if you want to get a realistic assessment look at the monthlies, my most recent reads 

Supergirl – Issue 38 There were no 7 panel pages, One 6 panel page three of those panels were small insets, Five 5 panel pages,  Ten 4 panel pages,  Two single page splashes.

Teen Titans Issue 5 -- no 7 panel pages, Five 6 panel pages, seven 5 panel pages, four 4 panel pages, one 3 panel page, three single page splashes. 

All New Xmen 35 Two page splash! One 11 panel two page splash . One 8 panel page. Two 7 panel pages, Five 6 panel pages, Four 5 panel pages,  Two 4 panel pages,  Two 3 panel pages.

Inhuman 11 One 6 panel two page splash,  Four 6 panel pages, Seven 5 panel pages,  Five 4 panel pages, One 3 panel page, One single image splash. 

 Disregarding the two page splashes with multiple panels. Over the four issues you have twenty three (23) five panel pages, twenty one (21) four panel pages, fifteen (15) six panel pages and two (2) seven panel pages.  Four to six panels per page would then seem to be the most accurate panel count as established by the big two. The average would then be five panels per page.



> Read the old 80's Marvel and DC books to see how they're laid out. Look at the early issues of Youngblood and Cyber Force, those comics are a reaction to the storytelling and excessive blocking of pages from the 80s.


No, the founding of Image comics was push back against writers, editors and company arrogance.  The belief was that with great writers and well known characters the art doesn’t matter.  Image was a company founded by the most popular artists of their time, who then gave fans what they wanted.  The artistic dynamics were there, but without editorial supervision, deadlines were missed; stories were inconsistent in quality and clarity; and characters were under developed.   It was never about excessive blocking.  




> The best thing a writer can do is step back and let the artist make the story their own. And then if you feel they didn't quite get what they needed to get or emphasize what they needed to. Then you can provide more direction. I find often times when you step back and let people figure it out and work it own on their own you're often times amazed at the results.


The best thing a writer can do is realize that a comic book is a collaboration, the artist is neither a slave nor an automaton, but a partner.  Disregarding the skills, training and education of the artist is insulting. Arrogance by the writer is just as bad as arrogance by the artist.  The writer is not always right, just as the artist in not always right.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> A writer controls the pacing of the story, not the other way around.  
> 
>   I would hope the effect you're trying to achieve is to tell a story clearly and concisely.  What you want the reader to see is the story.  What you want the reader to think after reading the story -- "that was a great story!"
> 
> 
> If the storytelling is a puzzle, then it's not masterful storytelling.  Storytelling means to present information in as clear a manner as possible.  This does not mean that Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library is not great art.  If the reader is taken out of the story and trying to figure out which panel is next, then you are not a storyteller, you are possibly deconstructing the narrative of the medium, but in our work for hire capacity we are trying to tell a story.  
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think we can all agree there are lots of different ways to tell stories and that people have their own styles. Saying there's only one way to write a comic is very restricting, IMHO. There's a lot that can be done with complex paneling that doesn't detract from the story. 

Semi-relevant question about this, actually: if the judges feel there are too many panels, is that a big negative or just something you'd sort out in he editing/drawing phase? I'm curious.

----------


## Pauul

> Semi-relevant question about this, actually: if the judges feel there are too many panels, is that a big negative or just something you'd sort out in he editing/drawing phase? I'm curious.


I can't speak for the judges, but I would think that would probably depend on whether it was one panel here or there in an otherwise well written script or whether it was a problem throughout the entire script - which would likely demonstrate a failure in the writing.

Think of it this way, there is the potential that thousands of writers could enter the Talent Hunt. There are going to be only two winners.

Someone is going to have a perfect story and a perfect script (or near perfect). They will be the person (or people) that wins.

Write the best story you can. Write the best script you can. And then edit the hell out of it.

Make sure what you submit is the best that it can possibly be.

----------


## DNArt

Hey everyone, I'm new to the CBR forums.
We are nearing the deadline and I thought it might be interesting to show off to those that are curious what some of us have created.
I took some panels from my pages (which aren't quite finished) that aren't too revealing for your viewing pleasure.
Feel free to show me up.
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...aser-514656012

----------


## Rob_King54

Let me start by saying I'm sorry if this has been answered already.

If we were to submit two scripts, should we send them in two separate emails with two separate submission agreements? My gut says no since I assume there will be a lot of submissions. I just wanted to be clear. Thanks!  :Smile:

----------


## Pauul

> Let me start by saying I'm sorry if this has been answered already.
> 
> If we were to submit two scripts, should we send them in two separate emails with two separate submission agreements? My gut says no since I assume there will be a lot of submissions. I just wanted to be clear. Thanks!


I don't think it's been asked yet, although, you should probably include two separate submission agreements.




> Hey everyone, I'm new to the CBR forums.
> We are nearing the deadline and I thought it might be interesting to show off to those that are curious what some of us have created.
> I took some panels from my pages (which aren't quite finished) that aren't too revealing for your viewing pleasure.
> Feel free to show me up.
> http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...aser-514656012


Looking good, DNArt.

You're setting a high standard.

----------


## tanmoyart

This looks great, DNArt. Nice work on the characters.
I hope to share some of my work soon too  :Smile:

----------


## DNArt

> Looking good, DNArt.
> You're setting a high standard.


Thank you.




> This looks great, DNArt. Nice work on the characters.
> I hope to share some of my work soon too


Thanks, I'm still doing cleanup.  I hate when I don't notice something is off until I scan it in and I'm staring at it on the computer screen.
I can't wait to see what you produced.

----------


## NicoIzambard

> That should be fine.


Concerning submitting several agreement with several script, I asked Ryan a little while back and looks like it's fine to put all your scripts on one agreement under material. Correct me if I misunderstood here Ryan.

----------


## NicoIzambard

> Hello Ryan and everybody here!
> Question:
> If submitting several scripts (which I totally will btw), is it necessary to fill out a submission agreement for each story or can we put all the stories titles under "Material"?
> Also, do I send everything in one email or separate?
> Thank you!


Here is my original question, sorry guys, new to this.

----------


## Lightningmax

> I think we can all agree there are lots of different ways to tell stories and that people have their own styles.


 A professional needs to be professional, that means accepting criticism, which includes hearing things you don't like and learning from them. A person who argues against facts is someone who won't get much work.  No editor will accept that something I do is right "because it's my style." For every person arguing about their "style";  there is always that person who will hear "you have too many panels per page" and accept it as a valid criticism and learn to fix it.




> Saying there's only one way to write a comic is very restricting, IMHO.


No one said there is only one way to write a comic, but if four separate creators are doing the same thing, it might be considered a standard practice. If you want to be a professional do what the professionals do.  Getting advice from people on these boards is fine, learning from the examples of professionals who currently are publishing monthly books is better.




> There's a lot that can be done with complex paneling that doesn't detract from the story.


Put this question to Ryan if you don't want to hear an answer from me. 




> Semi-relevant question about this, actually: if the judges feel there are too many panels, is that a big negative or just something you'd sort out in he editing/drawing phase? I'm curious.


Why fix a story if they find one that's good and doesn't need fixing?  

You're supposed to hit the ground running in this contest, no fix it scripts.  Good professional caliber work.  Commercially viable artwork and writing.  You want to be Robert Crumb, this is not the contest for you.  You want to reinvent how people read comics, this is not the contest for you.  You want to do good work that is sellable to the general comic book reading population and maybe even people who don't read comics -- this is for you!  As creators we want to draw people in to reading comics.

Art schools are tough!  We are taught to criticize and not mince words.  We are taught that the people who loved our art when were children said so only because we were children.  When we critique each other, it starts slow with gentle words and faint praise, but after the first cut -- even those who praised will join with the other sharks who smell the blood in the water and a frenzied attack will take place.  We are taught that in the real world you will deal with people who know art, but mostly people who don't.  And some of the hiring is done by people who don't know art.  And you are taught to be tough because you will hear unreasonable criticisms, "I like your art, but I don't like your presentation folder." "You have some good stuff, but the points on Wolverine's mask are too pointy" "We are not hiring, but we come here to critique art."  All lines said at the artist cattle call at SDCC.  We are taught that art should stand on it's own without explanation.  We are taught to only show your best pieces. You don't try to tell the editor why some of your art is incomplete. Why some pieces are not as good as other pieces.  We are taught that they don't care if you had to hock the gold crowns on your teeth to get to the show, they only care about whether the artwork is complete and of good quality.


Therefore, I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings, but I want everyone to have a good chance and too many words per balloon or too many panels per page are rookie mistakes.  You have to leave room for the comic in a comic book.  Pick up a MONTHLY book and count the panels per page -- I'm sure some of you did to prove me wrong!  Count the words in the balloons -- learn from their examples.

I'm not here to win arguments, I just don't want anyone to miss out because of misinformation or thin skin.

----------


## Lightningmax

Many years ago I had a disagreement with fan writers on Digital Webbing, they hunted me down and critiqued my art.  I was offended, but I understood their frustration.  If an artist can correct writers on their stuff.  Writers should be able to correct artists on their stuff. It of course is easier for an artist to correct writers, because we all share the same tools in language; it's hard for writers to critique artists because it is a specialized set of skills, but...  Here's a link to my Deviantart account have at it.

http://paime77.deviantart.com/art/Li...253A1424420095

----------


## hunter_peterson

> A professional needs to be professional, that means accepting criticism, which includes hearing things you don't like and learning from them. A person who argues against facts is someone who won't get much work.  No editor will accept that something I do is right "because it's my style." For every person arguing about their "style";  there is always that person who will hear "you have too many panels per page" and accept it as a valid criticism and learn to fix it.
> 
> 
> No one said there is only one way to write a comic, but if four separate creators are doing the same thing, it might be considered a standard practice. If you want to be a professional do what the professionals do.  Getting advice from people on these boards is fine, learning from the examples of professionals who currently are publishing monthly books is better.
> 
> 
> Put this question to Ryan if you don't want to hear an answer from me. 
> 
> 
> ...


...um... okay?

----------


## Rob_King54

Thanks Pauul! Should we send separate emails or just combine both into one email?

----------


## Pauul

> Thanks Pauul! Should we send separate emails or just combine both into one email?


I'll let Ryan answer that one, because I'm not 100% sure.

According to NicoIzambard it should be okay to send things in one e-mail and I'm guessing he's right.

Personally, I don't imagine it would cause any problems either sending multiple submissions in one e-mail or multiple ones.




> I think we can all agree there are lots of different ways to tell stories and that people have their own styles.
> A professional needs to be professional, that means accepting criticism, which includes hearing things you don't like and learning from them. A person who argues against facts is someone who won't get much work. No editor will accept that something I do is right "because it's my style." For every person arguing about their "style"; there is always that person who will hear "you have too many panels per page" and accept it as a valid criticism and learn to fix it.
> 
> Saying there's only one way to write a comic is very restricting, IMHO.
> No one said there is only one way to write a comic, but if four separate creators are doing the same thing, it might be considered a standard practice. If you want to be a professional do what the professionals do. Getting advice from people on these boards is fine, learning from the examples of professionals who currently are publishing monthly books is better.
> 
> There's a lot that can be done with complex paneling that doesn't detract from the story.
> Put this question to Ryan if you don't want to hear an answer from me.
> 
> ...


I think we can agree there are exceptions where you can use a lot of panels... but these are exceptions and it should only be done when trying to create a certain effect.

I say if someone wants to reinvent comics, then go for it. The trick is to make it appeal to a mainstream audience as well. And that is hard. It isn't something that I'd personally attempt.

But I agree with the sentiment. I studied Screenwriting at university and we too, were taught to know your audience.

Also, as you said, when in doubt go pick up a comic and compare. You'll soon be back on the right track.




> Many years ago I had a disagreement with fan writers on Digital Webbing, they hunted me down and critiqued my art. I was offended, but I understood their frustration. If an artist can correct writers on their stuff. Writers should be able to correct artists on their stuff. It of course is easier for an artist to correct writers, because we all share the same tools in language; it's hard for writers to critique artists because it is a specialized set of skills, but... Here's a link to my Deviantart account have at it.


This is where I have to disagree with you.

Not that writers are able to correctly critique artists because I'd never attempt that. If something really doesn't look right, you can usually tell but you can't offer any constructive advice on improving things.

But I don't think artists can truly critique writers either.

Unless you're a writer-artist (talented bastards  :Stick Out Tongue: ).

Writing looks deceptively simple, because as you said, we are share the same tools in language. But this truly is deceptive. Writing is a very complicated process and not everyone can do it.

You have to know story structure, story building blocks, pacing... I've been doing this so long that a lot of it is now instinctual for me, but I had to spend years learning it first and sometimes I still pull out my old university notes to make sure I get something completely right.

I'm sure an artist could tell if a story didn't work, just as a writer can tell if a piece of art is bad, but to offer a genuinely useful critical analysis really isn't possible.

Anyway, we've probably talked this subject to death now. Ultimately this is something people will have different opinions on and will keep disagreeing about.




So, how about we discuss the _Cyber Force #11_ preview that just went up on Comic Book Resources? - http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...eview&id=26179

I think the time jump really helped. Whatever point in time Cyber Force was happening, I couldn't help but feel that the delays were making it feel like it was limping behind. It didn't help that not much time had passed in the actual comic.

But the opening here truly gives a burst of energy.

I'm wondering if going forward we're going to see stories set in the 'Ten Years From Today' time period or the flashback time period. But even in the flashback, things are progressing quickly.

I think this is exactly what Cyber Force needed. I can't wait to read the issue when it's released on the 25th.

----------


## JVillain

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\f0\fs26 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0
\outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 [QUOTE=Lightningmax;944862]A writer controls the pacing of the story, not the other way around.  \
\
  I would hope the effect you're trying to achieve is to tell a story clearly and concisely.  What you want the reader to see is the story.  What you want the reader to think after reading the story -- "that was a great story!"[QUOTE]\
\
 While its true that a writer controls the length of the story, the pacing of the story is actually controlled by the artist. For example, Hardboiled by Geoff Darrow is a really fast read if all you do is passively follow the words. But the art pulls you in and it's so intricate that it slows down the pace. I was actually referring to the effect you're trying to create on the individual pages. My example is the recent Witchblade# 180. It  opens with four horizontal panels which set the mood of the story, the fourth panel being a close up of Sara and Jackie as they face each other, very intimate, it even looks like she's about to kiss him, this creates tension. And then the next page pulls back, and completely changes the mood, and context of the previous page.\
\
[QUOTE]If the storytelling is a puzzle, then it's not masterful storytelling.  Storytelling means to present information in as clear a manner as possible.  This does not mean that Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library is not great art.  If the reader is taken out of the story and trying to figure out which panel is next, then you are not a storyteller, you are possibly deconstructing the narrative of the medium, but in our work for hire capacity we are trying to tell a story.[QUOTE]\
\
Is there a rule anywhere that says you can't deconstruct the narrative and tell a great story in the process? Complex storytelling doesn't equal bad storytelling. The beauty of comics is that it's not a passive medium, you don't just read a bunch of words on a page or see a bunch of images flashing and moving in front of you. You as the reader CREATES the motion by filling in the gaps between the panels. Yo can show a glass on top of the counter,and the shards of glass on the floor and you as the reader made the connection and "saw" the glass fall in your mind. \
\
[QUOTE]I believe that choosing two specialty reads as examples of storytelling is a mistake, if you want to get a realistic assessment look at the monthlies, my most recent reads \
\
Supergirl \'96 Issue 38 There were no 7 panel pages, One 6 panel page three of those panels were small insets, Five 5 panel pages,  Ten 4 panel pages,  Two single page splashes.\
  \
Teen Titans Issue 5 -- no 7 panel pages, Five 6 panel pages, seven 5 panel pages, four 4 panel pages, one 3 panel page, three single page splashes. \
 \
All New Xmen 35 Two page splash! One 11 panel two page splash . One 8 panel page. Two 7 panel pages, Five 6 panel pages, Four 5 panel pages,  Two 4 panel pages,  Two 3 panel pages.\
\
Inhuman 11 One 6 panel two page splash,  Four 6 panel pages, Seven 5 panel pages,  Five 4 panel pages, One 3 panel page, One single image splash. \
\
 Disregarding the two page splashes with multiple panels. Over the four issues you have twenty three (23) five panel pages, twenty one (21) four panel pages, fifteen (15) six panel pages and two (2) seven panel pages.  Four to six panels per page would then seem to be the most accurate panel count as established by the big two. The average would then be five panels per page.[QUOTE]\
\
Last time I checked both Acme Novelty Library and Superman were both monthly publications. I just chose two opposite examples one with the most amount of panels per page I could think of and one with the least, and used them as example of what can be done on both ends of the spectrum. And while I agree that in principle FIVE panels is a good rule of thumb to follow we don't want to impress that upon a generation of young artists as a template to follow. We want artists to have a good base, but also to grow, push the boundaries and find their own voice.\
 \



> No, the founding of Image comics was push back against writers, editors and company arrogance.  The belief was that with great writers and well known characters the art doesn\'92t matter.  Image was a company founded by the most popular artists of their time, who then gave fans what they wanted.  The artistic dynamics were there, but without editorial supervision, deadlines were missed; stories were inconsistent in quality and clarity; and characters were under developed.   It was never about excessive blocking.  \
> \
> \
> The best thing a writer can do is realize that a comic book is a collaboration, the artist is neither a slave nor an automaton, but a partner.  Disregarding the skills, training and education of the artist is insulting. Arrogance by the writer is just as bad as arrogance by the artist.  The writer is not always right, just as the artist in not always right.


\
\
I was actually referring to the art, in the 70sand 80s both Marvel and DC books were for the most part set on five, six, and nine panel grids, there were few splash pages or double page spreads as a whole. Likewise there was a swath of characters, particularly in the X books with mind powers or control of this or that, which resulted in an endless barrage of images of this character or that holding out their hand, and the other character going oh no it hurts or some such. The image guys thought this was stale and boring. They altered the pacing of the stories by reducing panels per page, having multiple splash pages on a single comic, figures leapt out of panel borders. Their characters carried guns, whips and knives, shot blasts out of their hands. Anything to up the action. Their figures aimed to look dynamic even whilst standing or sitting. That was their artistic reaction to what came before. This initially lead to friction with their editors, who would eventually come around once they saw how much sales had improved. The actual founding of Image was more about creative control, and the idea of the creator being the one to profit from the big movie and toy deals instead of a media conglomerate reaping the rewards while the creative mind lived in abject poverty.}

----------


## JVillain

> A professional needs to be professional, that means accepting criticism, which includes hearing things you don't like and learning from them. A person who argues against facts is someone who won't get much work.  No editor will accept that something I do is right "because it's my style." For every person arguing about their "style";  there is always that person who will hear "you have too many panels per page" and accept it as a valid criticism and learn to fix it.


I've never actually heard too many panels per page as a critisim of anyone's art, if anything if the panels are similar or if it's just medium shot after medium shot of a character, or all the angles are the same, try birds eye-view, or change perspective etc. I've heard that at many portfolio reviews. And yes the amount of panels in a page has nothing to do with your art style, but it does when you're referring to the style, and pacing of the narrative.





> No one said there is only one way to write a comic, but if four separate creators are doing the same thing, it might be considered a standard practice. If you want to be a professional do what the professionals do.  Getting advice from people on these boards is fine, learning from the examples of professionals who currently are publishing monthly books is better.
> 
> 
> Put this question to Ryan if you don't want to hear an answer from me.


I agree. Don't listen to us. Go to conventions and talk to artists. If you can't go to a Con, email or tweet people. Someone will respond. Talk to editors, and read books about writing and drawing comics. Making Comics is a free podcast that discusses this and many other issues about the art form. 







> Why fix a story if they find one that's good and doesn't need fixing?  
> 
> You're supposed to hit the ground running in this contest, no fix it scripts.  Good professional caliber work.  Commercially viable artwork and writing.  You want to be Robert Crumb, this is not the contest for you.  You want to reinvent how people read comics, this is not the contest for you.  You want to do good work that is sellable to the general comic book reading population and maybe even people who don't read comics -- this is for you!  As creators we want to draw people in to reading comics.


I can pretty much guarantee that whatever script wins will receive some type if editorial feedback. The art too. You want to be Robert Crumb, you can be as long as you can tell a great story using Top Cow characters. Incidentally, I've always wanted to see a Wonder Woman comic in the hands if Robert Crumb, it would be mind blowing I think. As creators we not only want to draw readers but also express something no?




> Art schools are tough!  We are taught to criticize and not mince words.  We are taught that the people who loved our art when were children said so only because we were children.  When we critique each other, it starts slow with gentle words and faint praise, but after the first cut -- even those who praised will join with the other sharks who smell the blood in the water and a frenzied attack will take place.  We are taught that in the real world you will deal with people who know art, but mostly people who don't.  And some of the hiring is done by people who don't know art.  And you are taught to be tough because you will hear unreasonable criticisms, "I like your art, but I don't like your presentation folder." "You have some good stuff, but the points on Wolverine's mask are too pointy" "We are not hiring, but we come here to critique art."  All lines said at the artist cattle call at SDCC.  We are taught that art should stand on it's own without explanation.  We are taught to only show your best pieces. You don't try to tell the editor why some of your art is incomplete. Why some pieces are not as good as other pieces.  We are taught that they don't care if you had to hock the gold crowns on your teeth to get to the show, they only care about whether the artwork is complete and of good quality.


The quality of the work is all that should matter! It's not about feelings, but don't play it safe...you're competing against thousands of hungry young talented artists and writers! You want to draw five splash pages of the Witchblade in provocative poses? Go ahead, you want to write a Pirate Darkness story? Be my guest. Whatever you do don't be middle of the road because guess what?,That's not gonna get you the prize. You have to impress Marc Silvestri! You have to show them, do something with a character they never thought of. 




> Therefore, I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings, but I want everyone to have a good chance and too many words per balloon or too many panels per page are rookie mistakes.  You have to leave room for the comic in a comic book.  Pick up a MONTHLY book and count the panels per page -- I'm sure some of you did to prove me wrong!  Count the words in the balloons -- learn from their examples.
> 
> I'm not here to win arguments, I just don't want anyone to miss out because of misinformation or thin skin.


Nobody really wins arguments because both parties always want to be right. I too want people to win. My advice is leave your heart on the page. Really go for it, keeping in mind this is a one shot, don't get bogged down with too much continuity or anything too drastic, but don't play it safe either, dig deep. And as far as artists too Go got it, take that sample script, and draw the hell out of it if it says six panels but you want to do it with nine do it, but make sure it's a hell of a lot better than the art that was on the original comic you want to make them say...I wanna hire that guy!

----------


## JVillain

> Not that writers are able to correctly critique artists because I'd never attempt that. If something really doesn't look right, you can usually tell but you can't offer any constructive advice on improving things.
> 
> But I don't think artists can truly critique writers either.
> 
> Unless you're a writer-artist (talented bastards ).
> 
> Writing looks deceptively simple, because as you said, we are share the same tools in language. But this truly is deceptive. Writing is a very complicated process and not everyone can do it.
> 
> You have to know story structure, story building blocks, pacing... I've been doing this so long that a lot of it is now instinctual for me, but I had to spend years learning it first and sometimes I still pull out my old university notes to make sure I get something completely right.
> ...


Yes let's all keep our fingers off each others pie holes. Writing is really tough, there are so many elements to consider, and then add the fact that you want the artist to interpret the script. I'm curious, and maybe Ryan can answer this as a writer what his process is in writing a script. Do you go full script vs Marvel method? Which is better




> Anyway, we've probably talked this subject to death now. Ultimately this is something people will have different opinions on and will keep disagreeing about.



Of course, debate and disagreement furthers progress in art.  




> So, how about we discuss the _Cyber Force #11_ preview that just went up on Comic Book Resources? - http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...eview&id=26179
> 
> I think the time jump really helped. Whatever point in time Cyber Force was happening, I couldn't help but feel that the delays were making it feel like it was limping behind. It didn't help that not much time had passed in the actual comic.
> 
> But the opening here truly gives a burst of energy.
> 
> I'm wondering if going forward we're going to see stories set in the 'Ten Years From Today' time period or the flashback time period. But even in the flashback, things are progressing quickly.
> 
> I think this is exactly what Cyber Force needed. I can't wait to read the issue when it's released on the 25th.


I'm excited to read this new issue of Cyber Force. I haven't really kept up after issue 4, but this was great, I was able to pick this up and not feel like I am out of the loop. Also, I frigging loved the scene between Killjoy and 
Ripclaw lots of cool, funny elements

----------


## TkidKurt

hello...I'm from south Florida and I'm getting these messages in first my address toolbar and then the message at the bottom is coming when clicking on the zip file to download instructions.

http://images.comicbookresources.com...ntHunt2014.zip

Not Found

The requested URL /topcow/TopCowTalentHunt2014.zip was not found on this server.

----------


## Conn Seanery

> hello...I'm from south Florida and I'm getting these messages in first my address toolbar and then the message at the bottom is coming when clicking on the zip file to download instructions.
> 
> http://images.comicbookresources.com...ntHunt2014.zip
> 
> Not Found
> 
> The requested URL /topcow/TopCowTalentHunt2014.zip was not found on this server.


The URL you're posting is missing a dash (between "Hunt" and "2014").  The link in the first post of this thread works:

http://images.comicbookresources.com...tHunt-2014.zip

----------


## TkidKurt

> The URL you're posting is missing a dash (between "Hunt" and "2014").  The link in the first post of this thread works:
> 
> http://images.comicbookresources.com...tHunt-2014.zip



Thank you so very much will examine it tomorrow but downloaded it now....again big thanks!!!

TkidKurt

----------


## AndrewStroke

What's the rating of the stories we are writing? I am talking about strong language. Can we include F-words and such, or should we avoid using those? Cover them with symbols maybe?
"Artifacts" were okay with using profanities, if I am correct.

----------


## Pauul

> What's the rating of the stories we are writing? I am talking about strong language. Can we include F-words and such, or should we avoid using those? Cover them with symbols maybe?
> "Artifacts" were okay with using profanities, if I am correct.


Yes. Sex and profanities should be fine.

Go look at the _Cyber Force #11_ preview. That should give you a very good idea of what is acceptable.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...eview&id=26179

----------


## AndrewStroke

Thank you once again, Pauul!

----------


## JVillain

> hello...I'm from south Florida and I'm getting these messages in first my address toolbar and then the message at the bottom is coming when clicking on the zip file to download instructions.
> 
> http://images.comicbookresources.com...ntHunt2014.zip
> 
> Not Found
> 
> The requested URL /topcow/TopCowTalentHunt2014.zip was not found on this server.


Hello, I'm from South Florida too!! Welcome to the message board.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Thanks Pauul! Should we send separate emails or just combine both into one email?


Both work just fine. Whichever is easier for you.

----------


## Andrey

> So, how about we discuss the _Cyber Force #11_ preview that just went up on Comic Book Resources? - http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...eview&id=26179


To quote more eloquent man:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H07z...yer_detailpage

#11 completely and utterly annihilated continuity of my submission. After seemingly business as usual in Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force I really didn't expected such drastic changes just in one issue. Sigh, I guess that's it for me this year. Good luck everybody.

----------


## JVillain

> To quote more eloquent man:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H07z...yer_detailpage
> 
> #11 completely and utterly annihilated continuity of my submission. After seemingly business as usual in Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force I really didn't expected such drastic changes just in one issue. Sigh, I guess that's it for me this year. Good luck everybody.


Hey! Don't get yourself down! Even if your script is unusable continuity wise, and even if they would rather a perfect script than work with a writer...if they like your writing you still have a shot at being one of the runner ups. That is still published work! Never give up.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> To quote more eloquent man:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H07z...yer_detailpage
> 
> #11 completely and utterly annihilated continuity of my submission. After seemingly business as usual in Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force I really didn't expected such drastic changes just in one issue. Sigh, I guess that's it for me this year. Good luck everybody.





> Hey! Don't get yourself down! Even if your script is unusable continuity wise, and even if they would rather a perfect script than work with a writer...if they like your writing you still have a shot at being one of the runner ups. That is still published work! Never give up.


I figured that the Speros founders and CDI began working together again after the events of the story. So unless it has future China or Russia in it, it's likely fine. I mean, they established in the canon that they worked together midway through the century, so they HAVE to resume the working relationship at some point. 

TC Ryan, can you confirm the canonicity of the CDI Cyberforce team in Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force? Because that might mean a lot of people need to tweak their stories.

----------


## Andrey

> I figured that the Speros founders and CDI began working together again after the events of the story. So unless it has future China or Russia in it, it's likely fine.


Sadly, international meddlings were central part of the plot. Plus the the one who didn't survive #11 has all the best scenes.

In the first months of Hunt I've actually fully structured a Darkness' Miguel Estacado story, but it's became too "ah-ah-ah" for the competition - it established a whole previously untouched period of life of existing character and the Darkness was doing the things I'm not sure it's able to do - so I decided to switch for less "essential" Cyberforce story... and that's where the irony comes to play. Well, probably will dig it up now and try to script it in two weeks before deadend. Hello sober days.

----------


## Pauul

Oh, potential spoilers in this post for anyone who hasn't read _Cyber Force #11_ or _IXth Generation #2_ yet...




> I figured that the Speros founders and CDI began working together again after the events of the story. So unless it has future China or Russia in it, it's likely fine. I mean, they established in the canon that they worked together midway through the century, so they HAVE to resume the working relationship at some point.
> 
> TC Ryan, can you confirm the canonicity of the CDI Cyberforce team in Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force? Because that might mean a lot of people need to tweak their stories.


_Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1_ is definitely canon. The question is, when does the Battle of Paris happen in relation to all these events? It's meant to be the last time Cairn sees her father, so after the destruction of China and Russia but before the next scene with Cairn mourning Stryker and Selver? Or is it before the destruction of Russia, given that Cyber Force are battling Russians?




> #11 completely and utterly annihilated continuity of my submission. After seemingly business as usual in Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force I really didn't expected such drastic changes just in one issue. Sigh, I guess that's it for me this year. Good luck everybody.


After reading _Cyber Force #11_ I was suddenly very glad I hadn't attempted to place a story in the near future of Cyber Force. They change their allegiance to CDI pretty much immediately and then we get a layout of what happens for the next ten years.

I imagine that will cause problems for more than a few people, especially as Cyber Force seemed to be the easiest to research.

But, yeah, there are still two weeks. You have done the research. Bounce around a few more ideas and then write. There is still time.

I loved the latest issue of the IXth Generation.

One line in particular plays really well into the ideas I've based my Artifacts script on - _"Yes. We have it. Be careful with the Wheel. Don't accidentally undo your existence"_.

As Ryan has said, the idea to go back and change time really shouldn't be an ability the Wheel of Shadows has, but other temporal powers... the threat of undoing your existence... I'm really going to have to see if I can layer in some more existential danger during the rewrites.

I don't think undoing your existence necessarily means erasing yourself from the timeline. It's nicely ambiguous.

Anyway, hopefully I shall get much writing and rewriting done over the next two weeks. I've taken the week leading up to the 15th off on holiday too, so I can really focus on the scripts.

----------


## SaraKpn

I just read in a previous comment that the Survivor is Asian looking? Oops. Never noticed. I guess I should change it. He looks quite Caucasian in my pages.

I have 2 more questions though:
1) There's some nudity in Artifacts and obviously, private parts and female nipples are censored. I wanted to know how important it is to censor their butts, because sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.
2) After the talent hunt is done and the winners have been decided, are we allowed to post our stuff online or use it for portfolio purposes?

Thanks all.

----------


## barsoomcore

All right. Submission is in. That's it for this year! Good luck to everyone!

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Oh, potential spoilers in this post for anyone who hasn't read _Cyber Force #11_ or _IXth Generation #2_ yet...
> 
> _Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force #1_ is definitely canon. The question is, when does the Battle of Paris happen in relation to all these events? It's meant to be the last time Cairn sees her father, so after the destruction of China and Russia but before the next scene with Cairn mourning Stryker and Selver? Or is it before the destruction of Russia, given that Cyber Force are battling Russians?
> 
> After reading _Cyber Force #11_ I was suddenly very glad I hadn't attempted to place a story in the near future of Cyber Force. They change their allegiance to CDI pretty much immediately and then we get a layout of what happens for the next ten years.
> 
> I imagine that will cause problems for more than a few people, especially as Cyber Force seemed to be the easiest to research.
> 
> But, yeah, there are still two weeks. You have done the research. Bounce around a few more ideas and then write. There is still time.


I suppose they could be Russian agents who've lost their homeland to CDI, which actually makes their story better, I think. So I'd still place the Battle of Paris midway through the 21st century, but the Russians would only be a diaspora now, the same with the Chinese. 

I've got a bunch of new nations in my story, so I might have to shuffle the geography a bit to accommodate the nuking. But it should be alright-the specific geography isn't a huge deal. I am going to write another script set in the 60's/70s, though, so that way I won't have all my eggs in a post-apocalyptic basket.

----------


## Pauul

> I just read in a previous comment that the Survivor is Asian looking? Oops. Never noticed. I guess I should change it. He looks quite Caucasian in my pages.
> 
> I have 2 more questions though:
> 1) There's some nudity in Artifacts and obviously, private parts and female nipples are censored. I wanted to know how important it is to censor their butts, because sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.
> 2) After the talent hunt is done and the winners have been decided, are we allowed to post our stuff online or use it for portfolio purposes?
> 
> Thanks all.


Well, if sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't... then it's a decision which is entirely up to you.

Yeah, in previous years people have posted stuff if they didn't win.

As long as you're not using anything for commercial purposes (given that Top Cow owns the characters), then you should be fine.




> I suppose they could be Russian agents who've lost their homeland to CDI, which actually makes their story better, I think. So I'd still place the Battle of Paris midway through the 21st century, but the Russians would only be a diaspora now, the same with the Chinese.
> 
> I've got a bunch of new nations in my story, so I might have to shuffle the geography a bit to accommodate the nuking. But it should be alright-the specific geography isn't a huge deal. I am going to write another script set in the 60's/70s, though, so that way I won't have all my eggs in a post-apocalyptic basket.


I'm doing something similar. I've completed a script which I consider a bit riskier and now I'm working on one where I'm pushing less boundaries.

My second script is set in the 80's.

And look at that. It's March. Now it really feels like the clock is counting down.

----------


## KY Matty

I meant to reply to this with the quote:

"I just read in a previous comment that the Survivor is Asian looking? Oops. Never noticed. I guess I should change it. He looks quite Caucasian in my pages.

I have 2 more questions though:
1) There's some nudity in Artifacts and obviously, private parts and female nipples are censored. I wanted to know how important it is to censor their butts, because sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.
2) After the talent hunt is done and the winners have been decided, are we allowed to post our stuff online or use it for portfolio purposes?

Thanks all."


If a writer doesn't win, then they are welcome to post after the winners are announced as long as there is no monetary profit.  An artist can post their work at anytime.

----------


## HARDAC

Writer here! I have a quick question for the continuity buffs:

If Tom were to lose a limb while in Rapture form, could the Artifact replace it? If so, would his natural limb be unaffected once he shifted back? Or would he be without it while in human form? It seems like I've seen an Artifact bearer regenerate an arm before, but I'm not sure if it was him, someone else, or if I imagined the whole thing. Thanks in advance!

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Writer here! I have a quick question for the continuity buffs:
> 
> If Tom were to lose a limb while in Rapture form, could the Artifact replace it? If so, would his natural limb be unaffected once he shifted back? Or would he be without it while in human form? It seems like I've seen an Artifact bearer regenerate an arm before, but I'm not sure if it was him, someone else, or if I imagined the whole thing. Thanks in advance!


I know that most of the Artifacts seem to bestow a healing factor. I'm not sure about the Rapture's effects, but it think it "burns" wounds away, leaving new flesh. With bullets and the like, at least. So you might be fine to do that, depends how editorial feels about it. I'd personally say a bit of a power boost for the Rapture wouldn't be bad.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I figured that the Speros founders and CDI began working together again after the events of the story. So unless it has future China or Russia in it, it's likely fine. I mean, they established in the canon that they worked together midway through the century, so they HAVE to resume the working relationship at some point. 
> 
> TC Ryan, can you confirm the canonicity of the CDI Cyberforce team in Aphrodite IX/Cyber Force? Because that might mean a lot of people need to tweak their stories.


That's absolutely correct. At some point in the future, the events of AIX/CF have to have occurred. Don't panic about Cyber Force #11, and certainly don't completely disregard your submission because of it.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> I know that most of the Artifacts seem to bestow a healing factor. I'm not sure about the Rapture's effects, but it think it "burns" wounds away, leaving new flesh. With bullets and the like, at least. So you might be fine to do that, depends how editorial feels about it. I'd personally say a bit of a power boost for the Rapture wouldn't be bad.


That's in the writer's interpretation, but I'd say it's certainly possible.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

I'm seeing a lot of concern, mainly over Cyber Force #11, that your stories are not worth submitting.

Your stories are worth submitting. Even if CF #11, from your perspective, seems to completely invalidate the continuity of your story, submit it anyway. You never know. 

A few of you tend to make mountains out of molehills when it comes to continuity details, and I know that I stress continuity a lot, because I feel that it's important, but remember - this is comics, here. We love to pick out the absurd over-the-top retcons that show up but you'd be amazed at all the little alterations get made. A little retcon now and then never hurt nobody, especially if it's well-written.

Just because y'all'are nearing the deadline doesn't mean it's time to start doubting yourselves - give your pieces that last polish, send a little prayer to the God (or New God) of your choice, and send it over.

I'm looking forward to reading your stuff, people.

----------


## Andrey

> I'm seeing a lot of concern, mainly over Cyber Force #11, that your stories are not worth submitting.
> 
> Your stories are worth submitting. Even if CF #11, from your perspective, seems to completely invalidate the continuity of your story, submit it anyway. You never know.


Great to hear, Ryan. After mourning for my Cyber Force script for almost a week today I suddenly saw the light - even though my submission won't work as #12 it actually can work as #8.5 - of course this piece of puzzle won't fit in most smoothiest way and Ripclaw and Ballistic have to be written out but still it's better than nothing. 

And since a Miguel Estacado story that I've decided to do instead is half-way complete it seems this year I'll end up with 2 scripts instead of nada as I thought last wednesday.

----------


## HARDAC

> I know that most of the Artifacts seem to bestow a healing factor. I'm not sure about the Rapture's effects, but it think it "burns" wounds away, leaving new flesh. With bullets and the like, at least. So you might be fine to do that, depends how editorial feels about it. I'd personally say a bit of a power boost for the Rapture wouldn't be bad.


Thanks, hunter!

----------


## JVillain

> Great to hear, Ryan. After mourning for my Cyber Force script for almost a week today I suddenly saw the light - even though my submission won't work as #12 it actually can work as #8.5 - of course this piece of puzzle won't fit in most smoothiest way and Ripclaw and Ballistic have to be written out but still it's better than nothing. 
> 
> And since a Miguel Estacado story that I've decided to do instead is half-way complete it seems this year I'll end up with 2 scripts instead of nada as I thought last wednesday.


I'm glad you saw the light! And looks like you came out better in the end. Obviously I don't know the particulars of your story but I'm sure most of the stuff we are dealing with are easy fixes like slap a caption here guess what it's a flashback. We're basic writing a one shot so anything short of offing a major Character anything goes.

----------


## solidjim

So...I wrote what I think is a pretty badass 22-page script. I went at it from a slightly different angle and I'm wondering if I shot myself in the foot because of it. 
I've been reading Cyber Force Rebirth and was immediately taken with just how many poor schlubs wearing SHOC armor get slaughtered all the time. They're basically the RedShirts of the TCU. I mean, in just about every panel in which they appear, some poor bastard is getting a grapefruit-sized hole blown through his head! So I wrote a story about a SHOC who has a particularly bad day -- the day that Chairman Taylor is assassinated. He has run ins with Dolorossa, Ripclaw and Killjoy and at the end, after all the slaughter and bad luck that's befallen him, he has a chance to be a hero (something which made him join the SHOCs in the first place). 
But here's the rub: this guy is the main character of the story. The major TCU characters are supporting cast. Did I just eff myself by "creating" a new character?

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> So...I wrote what I think is a pretty badass 22-page script. I went at it from a slightly different angle and I'm wondering if I shot myself in the foot because of it. 
> I've been reading Cyber Force Rebirth and was immediately taken with just how many poor schlubs wearing SHOC armor get slaughtered all the time. They're basically the RedShirts of the TCU. I mean, in just about every panel in which they appear, some poor bastard is getting a grapefruit-sized hole blown through his head! So I wrote a story about a SHOC who has a particularly bad day -- the day that Chairman Taylor is assassinated. He has run ins with Dolorossa, Ripclaw and Killjoy and at the end, after all the slaughter and bad luck that's befallen him, he has a chance to be a hero (something which made him join the SHOCs in the first place). 
> But here's the rub: this guy is the main character of the story. The major TCU characters are supporting cast. Did I just eff myself by "creating" a new character?


Man, that sounds great.


Why would you think you're screwing yourself? That sounds really original and awesome - Day in the Life.

----------


## A.J.

We are getting closer to the deadline, I hope everyone wrapping things up nice and smoothly.  I'm finishing up the last page today and that gives me two days for revisions and three days for my story concept (thank you Ryan), to be able to turn in a day or two early.  In the spirit of sharing I wanted to show you a page I did.

scan0009-page-0-2.jpg

  There is a huge prop missing in the background just for a fun guessing game.  Do you know what it is?

----------


## solidjim

Cool, man. 
I just all of a sudden got paranoid that the story needed to focus on MAJOR characters. 
I think I did a pretty good job because it references events that take place in the multi-issue sequence when Stryker and his team assault CDI headquarters. 
I emailed the script and the submission form to submissions@topcow.com on Monday.

----------


## solidjim

> Man, that sounds great.
> 
> 
> Why would you think you're screwing yourself? That sounds really original and awesome - Day in the Life.


Cool, man. 
I just all of a sudden got paranoid that the story needed to focus on MAJOR characters. 
I think I did a pretty good job because it references events that take place in the multi-issue sequence when Stryker and his team assault CDI headquarters. 
I emailed the script and the submission form to submissions@topcow.com on Monday.

----------


## Bohma

> Hi,
> 
> I downloaded last version of cyber force script on 20th but I'm not sure if it's a good version or not. (I tried several times to download it to see if the file has been corrected as it was mentioned above in comments but it doesn't seem changed).
> 
> 1. *PAGE#3* - On the third page of the PAGE#3, it's not specify if the text starting by _"Lets not do a family beat here. We can save {} the rubble"_ is a new panel. It seems that yes but someone could confirm it?
> Attachment 11739
> 
> 2. *PAGE#4* - It seems that some panels are missing on PAGE #4.
> Attachment 11740
> ...


Did anyone ever answer you on this? I'm wondering the same thing... I saw elsewhere that they said just do the best you can. Still, it'd be nice to know a finite answer if there is one?

----------


## tanmoyart

I will be sending my submission in a few days. So, just thought of sharing a page before I submit  :Smile: TC_TalentHunt_2014-2015_Artifacts5_Page3_Tanmoy_Das.jpg

----------


## RGA

hello guys,

just want to share one of my sample page, as the end is getting near...

art5pg.2.jpg

thanks!

----------


## Pauul

Cool stuff guys.

Aphrodite IV looks great RGA.

I also love your take on Ripclaw, tanmoyart.

I just finished my second script today - 'The Genesis Gambit'. I've been thinking of it as a Cyber Force script but it's more of a prequel to Cyber Force and Aphrodite IX.

Anyway, I'm going to take the week to polish it and do rewrites but I'm pretty happy with it so far.

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

Just finished my second script. Gonna take a day to step away from it, then polish before sending it in.

Good luck to all.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Cool stuff guys.
> 
> Aphrodite IV looks great RGA.
> 
> I also love your take on Ripclaw, tanmoyart.
> 
> I just finished my second script today - 'The Genesis Gambit'. I've been thinking of it as a Cyber Force script but it's more of a prequel to Cyber Force and Aphrodite IX.
> 
> Anyway, I'm going to take the week to polish it and do rewrites but I'm pretty happy with it so far.


Sounds cool! I did something similar but it also brings in elements of Artifacts, Witchblade and Hunter-Killers.  :Big Grin:

----------


## Danger

Well, as we're sitting right on the deadline, I thought it might be time to share a couple of panels. 

Without giving anything away, Cyberforce:

20150311_175057[1].jpg
20150311_175037.jpg

M

----------


## Lobotomous

just submitted my entry to the talent search. pretty dope contest. wish all comic publishers had this kind of positive attitude toward discovering brand new talent  :Smile:

----------


## Lobotomous

well my submission just went down the toilet. 

i'm glad you posted all of this...but my script presented a very hermetic origins story for Aphrodite I (a true one-shot)... but it looks like the origins story has been claimed already.

could you tell me from your knowledge... is the origin of Aphrodite I a passing reference? or is there detail in the account of her creation? are there elements of speculation? room for interpretation? is the account provided by a character who could be incorrect? or is the account provided by a narrator?

i would like to think that my story is not so at odds with the canon. in fact, the dates I chose match up pretty nice although a little off. 

fml. but thanks again for posting this... at least i wont feel so tense about the selection process now.

----------


## Lobotomous

actually please don't feel obliged to answer my last set of questions... i have thought about this further. 

knowing that I hadn't read every Top Cow title related to Aphrodite... I set out to write something very hermetic and truly a one-shot. thinking further about the timeline you provided (which was great research btw) I realize that I actually knew what I was doing. my script still works... it just might fit in as an anomaly... and details from it could be integrated into the Top Cow universe in a nuanced way. i've regained confidence in the efficiency of my script! woo hoo. that was 15 minutes of sweaty panic though. facts will do that to you.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> actually please don't feel obliged to answer my last set of questions... i have thought about this further. 
> 
> knowing that I hadn't read every Top Cow title related to Aphrodite... I set out to write something very hermetic and truly a one-shot. thinking further about the timeline you provided (which was great research btw) I realize that I actually knew what I was doing. my script still works... it just might fit in as an anomaly... and details from it could be integrated into the Top Cow universe in a nuanced way. i've regained confidence in the efficiency of my script! woo hoo. that was 15 minutes of sweaty panic though. facts will do that to you.


I think there was only ever a time given for her creation, so if you based it off the timeline it should be fine.

----------


## Lobotomous

sweet. thanks for that.

----------


## AndersonVision

I've got a couple of last minute questions, as I finish up.

1) For the release forms, we print them out and sign them. Then, scan the signed copies back into the computer and send them?
2) I have a lot of detailed terms and references in the scripts. Should I include a reference guide with links to help out any potential artists/readers/etc?
3) I don't want to go Super Claremont on this, but should I provide character descriptions for the traditional Top Cow characters that should be generally known?
4) I come from the world of film terms/etc. Is it that big of a deal if I say things like shot instead of panel? The intentions are the same and it is framed the same way. I'm just trying to get quick fix aesthetic questions out of the way. 
5) I've seen a few past Talent Hunt scripts do this and I'm not sure if it's necessary. Should we list the amount of panels used at the top of the page?

----------


## solidjim

> Well, as we're sitting right on the deadline, I thought it might be time to share a couple of panels. 
> 
> Without giving anything away, Cyberforce:
> 
> 20150311_175057[1].jpg
> 20150311_175037.jpg
> 
> M


Dude! Love the SHOC!

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

Tanmoyart, RGA, and Danger, all of your work looks awesome!

----------


## Carmdq

@Top Cow Ryan, in the PDF with the Talent Hunt guidelines you mention that all submissions can be sent "on or before 03/15/15". Does it mean we have until Sunday night to submit? Thanks.

----------


## Danger

One more, just because I find it funny
Snapchat-2768577222783456654-1.jpg

----------


## KY Matty

I have officially submitted my writing submission and contract!  I'm excited!  Anybody else?

----------


## Pauul

> well my submission just went down the toilet.
> 
> i'm glad you posted all of this...but my script presented a very hermetic origins story for Aphrodite I (a true one-shot)... but it looks like the origins story has been claimed already.
> 
> could you tell me from your knowledge... is the origin of Aphrodite I a passing reference? or is there detail in the account of her creation? are there elements of speculation? room for interpretation? is the account provided by a character who could be incorrect? or is the account provided by a narrator?
> 
> i would like to think that my story is not so at odds with the canon. in fact, the dates I chose match up pretty nice although a little off.
> 
> fml. but thanks again for posting this... at least i wont feel so tense about the selection process now.





> I think there was only ever a time given for her creation, so if you based it off the timeline it should be fine.


Well, 'she' also appears in _Witchblade #134_, but literally in a single scene in the background. So, we know what 'she' looks like. I say 'she' because Aphrodite I is just barely humanoid, it doesn't really have a head. Arms, legs and a body. Plus it's pretty robotic.

But, beyond that and the date of it's creation by the Consortium, we don't know anything else.

So, yeah, if your story still fits, great. If you think you need to tinker with it a little, I say go for it.

However, everyone should remember, that even if your story isn't a 100% fit for continuity, you should still submit. Because even if you don't win, you could be a runner up, which would mean getting the chance to write a short strip. Plus, if the continuity errors are minor, they might just ask you to change a thing here or there.

Ah, here we go, found the image from the issue online;

http://old.brokenfrontier.com/userfi...ed_pg01-02.jpg

That is Aphrodite I, Aphrodite II and Aphrodite III.

Oh, and obviously we also know that those three models still exist in 2007 (or later, depending on when 'Almost Human' occurs), although they are clearly inactive.




> I've got a couple of last minute questions, as I finish up.
> 
> 1) For the release forms, we print them out and sign them. Then, scan the signed copies back into the computer and send them?
> 2) I have a lot of detailed terms and references in the scripts. Should I include a reference guide with links to help out any potential artists/readers/etc?
> 3) I don't want to go Super Claremont on this, but should I provide character descriptions for the traditional Top Cow characters that should be generally known?
> 4) I come from the world of film terms/etc. Is it that big of a deal if I say things like shot instead of panel? The intentions are the same and it is framed the same way. I'm just trying to get quick fix aesthetic questions out of the way.
> 5) I've seen a few past Talent Hunt scripts do this and I'm not sure if it's necessary. Should we list the amount of panels used at the top of the page?


I can answer those.

1. Yep. That is correct.
2. Some writers do. If you think it would be helpful, go for it.
3. Up to you. Although I imagine if the character is well known, it probably wouldn't be necessary.
4. Actually, it's quite common to use terms like Medium Shot or Close Up etc in comic book scripts. So, you're doing well.
5. The format for comic book scripts does vary. I do put the amount of panels at the top of the page. It's a common practice but not everyone does.




> @Top Cow Ryan, in the PDF with the Talent Hunt guidelines you mention that all submissions can be sent "on or before 03/15/15". Does it mean we have until Sunday night to submit? Thanks.


From what I remember of previous Talent Hunts, the deadline would be midnight on Sunday (that's American time). However, it's not something I'd panic about. I doubt you would be rejected for submitting, say five minutes or even an hour late.

Top Cow will be aware that people live in different time zones. I think it's something they'll probably be fairly relaxed about.




> I have officially submitted my writing submission and contract! I'm excited! Anybody else?


Well, I'm still editing my two scripts. And I kinda started work on a third. I took the entire week off from work to write, so I thought, why not make the most of the time?

So, I'm more nervous than excited.

I'll probably be excited on Sunday, once they are all completed and submitted. Until then...  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## Carmdq

> Well, 'she' also appears in _Witchblade #134_
> 
> From what I remember of previous Talent Hunts, the deadline would be midnight on Sunday (that's American time). However, it's not something I'd panic about. I doubt you would be rejected for submitting, say five minutes or even an hour late.
> 
> Top Cow will be aware that people live in different time zones. I think it's something they'll probably be fairly relaxed about.


Thanks Pauul. Didn't want work on my submission till the last minute just to find out I'm too late.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> @Top Cow Ryan, in the PDF with the Talent Hunt guidelines you mention that all submissions can be sent "on or before 03/15/15". Does it mean we have until Sunday night to submit? Thanks.


You know it.

----------


## RGA

hello everyone

can anyone help me, give some info regarding on digital signature? any tips or link?
I'm too stoopeed @ some digital software sometimes, 
It's my first time I'm going to use a digital sign for a digital docs.
I have no idea how to put some text/and or signature for filling up the agreement form.

thanks in advance. 

ps. I'm sorry for being stoopeed ;-)

----------


## RGA

thanks dude!

----------


## KY Matty

@Top Cow Ryan  I think I may have misread something in the rules.  My script is about a minor character who appeared in _Witchblade_.  The rules say "Throwaway supporting characters to move plot along, like a driver, a bartender, or a cop are fine."  I took that to mean that we can write a story around a minor character.  The protagonist of _Witchblade_ does appear, but more as as supporting character for the protagonist of my script.   There is also an artifact used by the protagonist, but not really until the end.  So, what's the score here?  Did I waste my time not following the assignment?
Thanks for your time.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> @Top Cow Ryan  I think I may have misread something in the rules.  My script is about a minor character who appeared in _Witchblade_.  The rules say "Throwaway supporting characters to move plot along, like a driver, a bartender, or a cop are fine."  I took that to mean that we can write a story around a minor character.  The protagonist of _Witchblade_ does appear, but more as as supporting character for the protagonist of my script.   There is also an artifact used by the protagonist, but not really until the end.  So, what's the score here?  Did I waste my time not following the assignment?
> Thanks for your time.


That's fine.

----------


## Pauul

> hello everyone
> 
> can anyone help me, give some info regarding on digital signature? any tips or link?
> I'm too stoopeed @ some digital software sometimes,
> It's my first time I'm going to use a digital sign for a digital docs.
> I have no idea how to put some text/and or signature for filling up the agreement form.
> 
> thanks in advance.
> 
> ps. I'm sorry for being stoopeed ;-)


It's probably easier just to print the form out, sign it and scan it back onto your computer.




> @Top Cow Ryan I think I may have misread something in the rules. My script is about a minor character who appeared in Witchblade. The rules say "Throwaway supporting characters to move plot along, like a driver, a bartender, or a cop are fine." I took that to mean that we can write a story around a minor character. The protagonist of Witchblade does appear, but more as as supporting character for the protagonist of my script. There is also an artifact used by the protagonist, but not really until the end. So, what's the score here? Did I waste my time not following the assignment?
> Thanks for your time.


Someone had a similar question a while back and they were told it would be fine.

As long as an Artifacts character or an Artifact features in someway, you'll be alright.

----------


## RGA

thank you very much Pauul, I've search a lot of info concerning signing documents. 
your suggestions a lot more convenient. thanks again man!

----------


## AndrewStroke

Finished both scripts. That was a good experience, I certainly learned a lot!
I am thinking about including something like "creator's notes" or "pitch/summary" to the script - should I do that? 
Or should it be just polished scenario without anything else? Maybe I should come up with an extra document to write those notes down.

----------


## JVillain

Damn, I've tried twice to post this. image.jpg
Anyways! It's great to see the level of quality in everyone's work and the level of excitement everyone's been super cool and helpful to eachother. You don't see that much in the Internet these days. I'm grateful to be a part of this. Good luck Everyone.

----------


## KY Matty

> That's fine.


Sweet!  Thanks for the prompt response.

----------


## Pauul

> Finished both scripts. That was a good experience, I certainly learned a lot!
> I am thinking about including something like "creator's notes" or "pitch/summary" to the script - should I do that?
> Or should it be just polished scenario without anything else? Maybe I should come up with an extra document to write those notes down.


No. You shouldn't.

It has been specifically stated that we must only send the twenty-two page script and submission agreement.

All the information Top Cow needs should be included in the script. Anything else, they don't need to know.

I introduce new characters in all my scripts, and I know additional things about those characters which might be relevant should I write them again, but that information is unimportant to the story. And given that we're writing a one shot, it's likely that information will never see the light of day.

Which is okay. Yes, it was an important part of the process that I know that information, but to anyone reading the script that information is entirely extraneous.

----------


## Pauul

I'm so glad I decided to write a third script.

'Shadow Play', my script featuring Sabine, included a lot of complex ideas, which is cool because I do tend to be more than a little cerebral as a writer.

My Cyber Force prequel; 'The Genesis Gambit', is essentially my "safe" script. I took a lot of risks with my first script and I wanted to show that I could just tell a good story.

But my third script; 'Unfamiliar Places', really has heart and it's such a joy to write because of that.

There is a certain amount of irony, in that it features Glorianna Silver, and she's a heartless bitch... however, that's one of the reasons I like the character.

I am feeling really good about this script though. I've had the basic idea floating around in my head for so long, that it feels really good putting it down on paper.

----------


## Miraclo__Pill

I was going to participate but my schedule is way too busy right now. So I give you the only one page that is full pencils 

Page_02.jpg


and the second one that I never did get to complete. Maybe next year I'll have the time to commit myself to actually complete one of the scripts and see how it goes...

Page_03.jpg

----------


## A.J.

So I made everything low res and crammed it all in a zip file that is like 1.5mb.  I'd this to small, I can see the pictures fine, but when you zoom to look at how it's drawn it's very pixilated.  Did I shrink them to much?  I used photoshop to size them down to 72 resolution and then converted them to png's so I could convert them to Adobe png's (cause adobe wouldn't merge photoshop pdf's and then put them into one pdf document with the agreement.  Is smaller better or is that going to ruin my submission?  I'm teaching myself how to do all of this as I go and I think I may have over done it.

Update*  So I was able to down-size the pdf's in photoshop (free trial) to 8.59 inches wide with auto ratio on.  It kept the images at 300 dpi and after signing and scanning the agreement, (Permissions prevent you from printing in hi res or signing on Adobe), I was able to put a text pdf in there and the whole file came to about 8.5 mb.  The photoshop cc free trial was weird, Adobe wouldn't combine the photoshop pdf's so I saved them as png's and then combined them.  Just wanted to share my experience since it took me a while to figure out and if your still stuck on it, time is running out!  So I hope this helps.

----------


## AndrewStroke

> No. You shouldn't.
> 
> It has been specifically stated that we must only send the twenty-two page script and submission agreement.
> 
> All the information Top Cow needs should be included in the script. Anything else, they don't need to know.
> 
> I introduce new characters in all my scripts, and I know additional things about those characters which might be relevant should I write them again, but that information is unimportant to the story. And given that we're writing a one shot, it's likely that information will never see the light of day.
> 
> Which is okay. Yes, it was an important part of the process that I know that information, but to anyone reading the script that information is entirely extraneous.


Thanks for clearing that up. One of my scripts is about Pre-Rebirth version of Cyber Force, so I wanted to specify and explain that. Guess I'll have to do that somewhere between the lines.

----------


## RGA

hello guys,

I've been going through a lot of things right now. It's either if I could finish my stuffs or not before it ends. I just wanted share again one of my page.  

artifacts5page6.jpg

I better do luck next time or not.

thanks!

----------


## solidjim

@Top Cow Ryan, just curious. 
How many total script submissions do you expect to get? 
And what's the review process like?
I would image since the volume is so great a reviewer reads a page or 2 and if they're not immediately grabbed they move on to the next one. 
How long does this whole review process take? 
How many reviewers are there? 
Do they hate this?  :Smile:

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Thanks for clearing that up. One of my scripts is about Pre-Rebirth version of Cyber Force, so I wanted to specify and explain that. Guess I'll have to do that somewhere between the lines.


I would just explain that when you explain the first setting. I have a LOT of world-building in my first script and I used a fake recap page for that. Maybe in your case include a fake recap to establish that this is the world of your story?

----------


## AndrewStroke

> I would just explain that when you explain the first setting. I have a LOT of world-building in my first script and I used a fake recap page for that. Maybe in your case include a fake recap to establish that this is the world of your story?


I wasn't playing with world-building much; relied on previous concepts instead. I was talking about writing down the main goals of the story, and what I am aiming to achieve with character development in my story. Behind-the-scenes stuff. Since we aren't submitting any pitch, it may be unclear where we are going with our stories. Although, of course, the best scripts are the most comprehesible ones.  :Big Grin:

----------


## hunter_peterson

> I wasn't playing with world-building much; relied on previous concepts instead. I was talking about writing down the main goals of the story, and what I am aiming to achieve with character development in my story. Behind-the-scenes stuff. Since we aren't submitting any pitch, it may be unclear where we are going with our stories. Although, of course, the best scripts are the most comprehesible ones.


Again, I would just write it conversationally into the script. The artist will have to understand all of that just as much as the editor will.

----------


## Pauul

> I wasn't playing with world-building much; relied on previous concepts instead. I was talking about writing down the main goals of the story, and what I am aiming to achieve with character development in my story. Behind-the-scenes stuff. Since we aren't submitting any pitch, it may be unclear where we are going with our stories. Although, of course, the best scripts are the most comprehesible ones.


I would just include it in your first panel description.

In one of my scripts, I've simply added the note in the first panel 'Events here take place prior to _Artifacts #35_.'

Although, if it important for the reader to know that this is a pre-Rebirth story too, you might want to include that information in a caption.




> @Top Cow Ryan, just curious.
> How many total script submissions do you expect to get?
> And what's the review process like?
> I would image since the volume is so great a reviewer reads a page or 2 and if they're not immediately grabbed they move on to the next one.
> How long does this whole review process take?
> How many reviewers are there?
> Do they hate this?


My impression is that Ryan is going to be reading through the first round by himself and then it gets passed to the higher ups.

Which is a lot of work.

----------


## AndrewStroke

> Again, I would just write it conversationally into the script. The artist will have to understand all of that just as much as the editor will.





> I would just include it in your first panel description.
> In one of my scripts, I've simply added the note in the first panel 'Events here take place prior to Artifacts #35.'
> Although, if it important for the reader to know that this is a pre-Rebirth story too, you might want to include that information in a caption.


Yep, that's what I am going to do. Thanks, guys!

----------


## Spycrab

@Top Cow Ryan

I cannot sign the submission agreement because the pdf is password secured.

Is anybody else having this problem?

----------


## RGA

> @Top Cow Ryan
> 
> I cannot sign the submission agreement because the pdf is password secured.
> 
> Is anybody else having this problem?


hey Spycrab, 

I feel you brotha! 
same thing happened to me...
just to make things happen, what I did was, I printed out the 4 pages pdf agreement form,
signed it (hard copy). after signing and filling it up. I scanned it and set it high on dpi. 
saved it on jpeg (will do). and on jpeg I just reduced their size each page on 50%.


Then I kept on searching for a better converter. try this....http://www.convert-jpg-to-pdf.net/
one by one (jpeg files) I uploaded it each page in order the 4 pages agreement form. 
and I even added my scanned jpeg artwork page after page. then I converted it...
It's a fast convert. from jpeg to pdf then voila! download the converted pdf then enjoy! ;-)

----------


## RGA

I've just finished submitting my entry awhile ago. 
hoping them dudes from TopCow got it cause my connection is very poor
and I hope it reaches through and didn't strayed  :Confused: 
anyway, good luck guys!

----------


## Killscreen

Just submitted, good luck to everyone!

----------


## Pauul

Okay, whoa, first script is now submitted for the Talent Hunt.

'Shadow Play' is an Artifact script.

Rereading the script and editing it over the past couple of days, I'm really happy how this one turned out.

I think I actually have a genuine shot at winning this year.

The previous Talent Hunts, I made mistakes, but I don't think that is the case this year.

If I don't win, it won't be because I did anything wrong, it will be because a better writer entered and I'm cool with that.

----------


## AndrewStroke

> I think I actually have a genuine shot at winning this year.


I would be glad to see you as a winner, seriously. I can see that you are really invested in this contest, so good luck, man!

----------


## hunter_peterson

> I would be glad to see you as a winner, seriously. I can see that you are really invested in this contest, so good luck, man!


Me too, though obviously we all want to win. But Pauul's work has helped all of us, so that's be nice for everyone!  :Big Grin: 

Also, I'm in an extremely removed time zone. Could anyone give me an hour count until the deadline in the correct timezone?

----------


## RotcodOhm

Good luck everyone!

----------


## Attila Kiss

First of all, Thank You Top Cow for the tremendous opportunity.

My submission was sent in, few minutes ago. 
I really enjoyed this community of selfless creators helping each others out, and of course the timely advice and clarifications from the Top Cow staff.

I see fantastic art, all around. My gratitude to all the artist who were kind enough to share their hard work with us. I don't envy the judges.
Allow me to grab this opportunity and wish you all the best of luck.

Unfortunately, (and understandably) the writers can't share their sweat and blood, like our friends do. However, we can share some of the facts from behind the scenes. For example; it took me about 6 weekends to complete the script. I spent few hours each weekend, trying my best to move the plot forward. Further 2 weeks were needed to polish the script from 28 word pages to 24. Got rid of few nonsense and replaced them all with utter rubbish. (Just kidding)  :Smile: 

Surprisingly, it took me 3 days to come up with a title. Of course I had a working title just in case I run out of time and can't think of a better one, but once the script was completed, the process of naming "my baby" proved to be harder than I imagined. After coming up with a long list of candidates, finally I was able to narrow it down to 2 titles I liked the most. I suppose there is no harm in revealing the one that didn't make the final cut.

*"WITCHBLADE: Was Never On Paskalomatunturi, I Just Like Saying Paskalomatunturi"*

Seriously, it was a great pleasure and privilege, not only to participate in this contest, but to be granted a permission to write about some of the greatest characters today's comic book industry can offer.

May the best artists and writers win.

----------


## A.J.

Just turned in the submission.  I think a lot of us are invested, a lot of us want this shot.  Just remember, we do this because we love it, not because we are expecting to gain something, other than doing what we love.  Good luck everyone!

----------


## A.J.

> Update*  So I was able to down-size the pdf's in photoshop (free trial) to 8.59 inches wide with auto ratio on.  It kept the images at 300 dpi and after signing and scanning the agreement, (Permissions prevent you from printing in hi res or signing on Adobe), I was able to put a text pdf in there and the whole file came to about 8.5 mb.  The photoshop cc free trial was weird, Adobe wouldn't combine the photoshop pdf's so I saved them as png's and then combined them.  Just wanted to share my experience since it took me a while to figure out and if your still stuck on it, time is running out!  So I hope this helps.


In case anyone needs it, this is how I did it with pretty good results on image quality.

----------


## Manro

Hello Everyone. First time poster, though I've read this board pretty extensively. Many thanks to all who have been so helpful. I hope those of us who are (like me) still finishing up have a very productive weekend.

Anyway, I have one question that I don't believe has been answered yet. Would it be a faux pas for writers to include web links to images of non-everyday objects in their panel descriptions? I mean job or task-specific items that people might not know. This is something you see fairly often in the scripts of established writers, but I was wondering if the Top Cow gang wants us to rely solely on our descriptive chops.

Thanks again.

----------


## baixam

A lot of things going through, I couldn't finish on time, my two pages inked. Good luck for everybody

----------


## Pauul

> Hello Everyone. First time poster, though I've read this board pretty extensively. Many thanks to all who have been so helpful. I hope those of us who are (like me) still finishing up have a very productive weekend.
> 
> Anyway, I have one question that I don't believe has been answered yet. Would it be a faux pas for writers to include web links to images of non-everyday objects in their panel descriptions? I mean job or task-specific items that people might not know. This is something you see fairly often in the scripts of established writers, but I was wondering if the Top Cow gang wants us to rely solely on our descriptive chops.
> 
> Thanks again.


Nah, plenty of professional writers include web links in their scripts. If it is genuinely necessary to help the artist, go for it.




> I would be glad to see you as a winner, seriously. I can see that you are really invested in this contest, so good luck, man!





> Me too, though obviously we all want to win. But Pauul's work has helped all of us, so that's be nice for everyone!
> 
> Also, I'm in an extremely removed time zone. Could anyone give me an hour count until the deadline in the correct timezone?


Aww. Thanks guys.

Lets see, it's currently 15.30, and I'm in the UK, so I'm five hours ahead of the US.

That's thirty-seven and a half hours left, I think.




> First of all, Thank You Top Cow for the tremendous opportunity.
> 
> My submission was sent in, few minutes ago.
> I really enjoyed this community of selfless creators helping each others out, and of course the timely advice and clarifications from the Top Cow staff.
> 
> I see fantastic art, all around. My gratitude to all the artist who were kind enough to share their hard work with us. I don't envy the judges.
> Allow me to grab this opportunity and wish you all the best of luck.
> 
> Unfortunately, (and understandably) the writers can't share their sweat and blood, like our friends do. However, we can share some of the facts from behind the scenes. For example; it took me about 6 weekends to complete the script. I spent few hours each weekend, trying my best to move the plot forward. Further 2 weeks were needed to polish the script from 28 word pages to 24. Got rid of few nonsense and replaced them all with utter rubbish. (Just kidding)
> ...


Well, I pretty much spent the entire first month researching, and then I spent most days off and free evenings writing my two scripts. I've kept active on the boards in order to pick up any information and to help when I could.

I know what you mean about cutting out material, I had so much stuff which I cut out of 'Shadow Play', although I was able to reference some of it at least in the dialogue.

Plus I took the week off from work leading up to the deadline in order to give me extra time for writing.

And then with my second script completed on Monday, I thought, well, I still have a week off, why not use that time to write a _third_ script? So, I have spent the week editing my completed scripts and writing a third one. Eight pages left to write, which means I'll write four today and finish off the edits on my second script, and write four pages tomorrow and do any necessary rewriting too.

The amount of work I've gotten done in such a short time, it's really helped hone my skills as a writer.

If nothing else, the Talent Hunt has been a really useful learning experience for me.

----------


## barsoomcore

Yeah, Pauul, I want to second the support for you and your submission. You invested a lot in helping all of us here -- that was very generous of you, and obviously you're very passionate about the material. Good luck to you and thanks for your input.

Like you, I find this a really worthwhile endeavour. I only submitted one script this year (last year I wrote two but I was lot busier this time around), but it's such a great learning exercise, and the Top Cow world is just so much fun to run around in. My story is about Rachel and Finnegan blowing up a prison. I had a blast writing it!

Poor Ryan! I hope he is up to the avalanche of submissions I'm sure he's receiving!

----------


## Andrey

Double dose of my drivel has been sent (sorry Ryan  :Smile:  ). Four excruciating months of waiting for results begins now.

----------


## JVillain

> A lot of things going through, I couldn't finish on time, my two pages inked. Good luck for everybody


Man these are awesome!! I tackled the same pages of script. If you can't finish inks on time...submit the pencils and whatever you have inked. I only submitted pencils.

----------


## JVillain

> First of all, Thank You Top Cow for the tremendous opportunity.
> 
> My submission was sent in, few minutes ago. 
> I really enjoyed this community of selfless creators helping each others out, and of course the timely advice and clarifications from the Top Cow staff.
> 
> I see fantastic art, all around. My gratitude to all the artist who were kind enough to share their hard work with us. I don't envy the judges.
> Allow me to grab this opportunity and wish you all the best of luck.
> 
> Unfortunately, (and understandably) the writers can't share their sweat and blood, like our friends do. However, we can share some of the facts from behind the scenes. For example; it took me about 6 weekends to complete the script. I spent few hours each weekend, trying my best to move the plot forward. Further 2 weeks were needed to polish the script from 28 word pages to 24. Got rid of few nonsense and replaced them all with utter rubbish. (Just kidding) 
> ...


That's the title that lost out? That's a great title !

----------


## JVillain

> Double dose of my drivel has been sent (sorry Ryan  ). Four excruciating months of waiting for results begins now.


4 Months?! Damn that's a lot...it may be even longer this year I heard Matt Hawkins say on the Top Cow Podcast that there's an increase in the amount of entries every year. Comics is such a competitive field, and it's so hard to get in. I can't thank Top Cow enough for doing this. No publisher out there takes risks like this. Last year for example I found out about the contest the week it was closing.

Anyways, I see so much talent here. I'd love to see more stuff from all of you. I know this is the Top Cow contest thread, but maybe our gracious host would allow us to post some of our other work, or for writers, scripts for past entries. How bout it Ryan?

----------


## NYwriterdude69

Cant believe im hearing about this so late.

I doubt I have enough time to write and submit something in 24 hrs

But just curious is the deadline 3/15 11:59 pm?

----------


## Pauul

> Cant believe im hearing about this so late.
> 
> I doubt I have enough time to write and submit something in 24 hrs
> 
> But just curious is the deadline 3/15 11:59 pm?


Yep. That is correct.

The best advice I can give, if you're unfamiliar with the Top Cow universe is to focus your research on their Cyber Force characters (since there is less to research). I have also included a rough timeline with a list of sources earlier in the thread.

It's on page 21 (although because of the nature of sliding timelines, it's impossible to have dates which are 100% accurate).

If you have the weekend free, and you don't plan on doing anything else, you might just be able to put a script together in time.

----------


## Pauul

Well, I just couldn't stop writing. That's my third script for the Talent Hunt completed.

I'll edit it tomorrow.

As for tonight, I'm going to give my second script; 'The Genesis Gambit' a final read over and then I should be ready to submit it.

This has been a very productive day.

----------


## Lulisluc

Hey guys,

First post here. This is probably a dumb question, but I don't want to be disqualified for something so silly. Can I print the Submission Agreement in Black and White? I was printing it in colors and the printer just ran out of colored ink, hehe. Please, if anyone could help me, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks!!

----------


## The NRG

This one is for Top Cow Ryan:

When will be the results of this Talent Hunt announced?

BTW, here it's a sample from the secuential pages I sent you! (Just some few minutes ago!!) Hope you like it  :Smile: 

The NRG
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Couldn't upload the pic in hi res so I posted a link to the image (it's on my facebook account)
Hope you see it

----------


## Pauul

That's my second script submitted.




> Hey guys,
> 
> First post here. This is probably a dumb question, but I don't want to be disqualified for something so silly. Can I print the Submission Agreement in Black and White? I was printing it in colors and the printer just ran out of colored ink, hehe. Please, if anyone could help me, I'd be very grateful.
> 
> Thanks!!


I can't imagine it would be a problem, and if it was they'd likely just ask you to resubmit the form rather than disqualifying you, but with any luck Ryan will be along to give you a definitive answer soon.




> This one is for Top Cow Ryan:
> 
> When will be the results of this Talent Hunt announced?
> 
> BTW, here it's a sample from the secuential pages I sent you! (Just some few minutes ago!!) Hope you like it


I imagine the answer will be something along the lines of, that they'll announce the winners when they have decided upon the winners.

They aren't going to have a real idea of how many people have submitted until midnight tomorrow.

It will probably be a few months, but I doubt Top Cow will be able to give us an exact date.

----------


## The NRG

Thanks so much for your help Pauul.
BTW do you have any idea why can't upload an image in hi res? Cuz I tried to upload some snapshot and when I see it here, it's way too small...

----------


## AndersonVision

All 7 of my scripts are submitted and I'm mentally exhausted.

----------


## gtramountanas

Well, I just submitted my script. Let's see what happens!

Best of luck to everyone! And I've gotta say, if I lose, I hope it's to that Pauul guy - he's been a hero in this forum.   :Cool: 

Cheers!

----------


## Dead Columbo

Submission Agreement question...The wording a little tricky: (list title, description, other creators or owners, and any other relevant information here). I get the title, but what about description, creators, owners, and other info? Do they just want a basic info (22 page script and that I wrote it)? Or do they want the actual creators for the characters I used? Don't want to disqualified for something small.

----------


## AndrewStroke

> Submission Agreement question...The wording a little tricky: (list title, description, other creators or owners, and any other relevant information here). I get the title, but what about description, creators, owners, and other info? Do they just want a basic info (22 page script and that I wrote it)? Or do they want the actual creators for the characters I used? Don't want to disqualified for something small.


I am not 100% sure, but it should look like this: "Talent Hunt - *Insert your script name* script by *Insert your name*"
There is no space for description or original creators.



> I know this is the Top Cow contest thread, but maybe our gracious host would allow us to post some of our other work, or for writers, scripts for past entries. How bout it Ryan?


Another thread, maybe? I like this idea, I wouldn't mind seeing more stuff by you guys. People posting their art here are extremely talented.

My first script is ready. I've been writing about Tilly Grimes and that time when she was the bearer of the Rapture. There are some edgy ideas, some Doom Patrol-inspired stuff, also elements of Ales Kot's Zero and Warren Ellis's Nextwave, and now I am satisfied with it. Have some time to complete my Cyber Force script aaaand I will submit.

----------


## Lulisluc

> I can't imagine it would be a problem, and if it was they'd likely just ask you to resubmit the form rather than disqualifying you, but with any luck Ryan will be along to give you a definitive answer soon.


That's what I thought. Thanks Pauul!

----------


## Dead Columbo

> That's what I thought. Thanks Pauul!


Thanks everyone. I know they didn't want a synopsis, but figured I'd check anyway. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, right? Good luck to everyone!

----------


## Franshux

I can't help but wonder (and maybe this has been asked before) ... how will we know who's been selected? I mean, I know those selected will be notified, but what about those who are not? Will the winners be announced through this forum, on the main CBR page or where else?
Thanks a lot, it's been a ride!

----------


## Pauul

> Thanks so much for your help Pauul.
> BTW do you have any idea why can't upload an image in hi res? Cuz I tried to upload some snapshot and when I see it here, it's way too small...


I think CBR has a limit on the file size you can post.

You can always do the next best thing and post a link.




> Submission Agreement question...The wording a little tricky: (list title, description, other creators or owners, and any other relevant information here). I get the title, but what about description, creators, owners, and other info? Do they just want a basic info (22 page script and that I wrote it)? Or do they want the actual creators for the characters I used? Don't want to disqualified for something small.





> I am not 100% sure, but it should look like this: "Talent Hunt - *Insert your script name* script by *Insert your name*"
> There is no space for description or original creators.
> 
> Another thread, maybe? I like this idea, I wouldn't mind seeing more stuff by you guys. People posting their art here are extremely talented.
> 
> My first script is ready. I've been writing about Tilly Grimes and that time when she was the bearer of the Rapture. There are some edgy ideas, some Doom Patrol-inspired stuff, also elements of Ales Kot's Zero and Warren Ellis's Nextwave, and now I am satisfied with it. Have some time to complete my Cyber Force script aaaand I will submit.


Made me panic a little there. Didn't put my name in that section. But it asks you to list the name of other creators or owners. Which means, list any co-creators if you are submitting as a team. Such as, if you're inking someone else's pencils or drawing someone else's script.

Otherwise, as AndrewStroke says, you are just saying that you're submitting as part of the Talent Hunt, giving the title of your script and I also threw in which character my script featured (although that wasn't really necessary).

Good idea about a new thread, although maybe just a simple creators thread rather than anything specifically focused on Top Cow? I really do love writing these characters, but after months of researching and writing in the same fictional universe, I have to say, I am looking forward to shifting my focus to different small press and indie comic book stuff.

Sounds like a cool use of Tilly, I wish you luck.




> Well, I just submitted my script. Let's see what happens!
> 
> Best of luck to everyone! And I've gotta say, if I lose, I hope it's to that Pauul guy - he's been a hero in this forum.
> 
> Cheers!


Thank you, gtramountanas. And everyone else.

You guys are really awesome.




> All 7 of my scripts are submitted and I'm mentally exhausted.


Seven scripts? Man, I'm mentally exhausted from three! I'm not sure how you managed to pull that off, but well done.

Ryan is going to have so much to read. Sorry, Ryan.




> I can't help but wonder (and maybe this has been asked before) ... how will we know who's been selected? I mean, I know those selected will be notified, but what about those who are not? Will the winners be announced through this forum, on the main CBR page or where else?
> Thanks a lot, it's been a ride!


In previous years, the names of the winners have been announced.

If you check regularly on CBR (and if you want to work in comics, you really should) then I'm sure you'll see an article on it eventually.

I imagine the actual winners will be notified slightly in advance of it being made public.

----------


## AndrewStroke

> Good idea about a new thread, although maybe just a simple creators thread rather than anything specifically focused on Top Cow?


Of course, that's what JVillain was suggesting in the first place.

----------


## JVillain

> This one is for Top Cow Ryan:
> 
> When will be the results of this Talent Hunt announced?
> 
> BTW, here it's a sample from the secuential pages I sent you! (Just some few minutes ago!!) Hope you like it 
> 
> The NRG
> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater
> 
> ...



Man that is some gorgeous artwork right there.

----------


## hunter_peterson

I just submitted and I feel awesome! This opportunity is hardcore amazing! I love it!

My first script was Witchblade: Brave New World. It's a pre-apocalyptic science fantasy focusing on the quest of an aged epic hero as she bargains the Witchblade out of the wrong hands. With butt kicking! And a monkey sidekick. It's got two last pages, so the least cliffhanger-y twist can be used, theoretically.

My second script is Aphrodite Zero, a tale about the secret genesis of the Aphrodite Protocols. It's a sci-fi story that deals with the rise of an AI smarter than humans and what that could mean, but set in 1970 and focusing on the relationships that AI builds with the people around it. It has considerably less butt-kicking, but has guns that make you stupid! Which is a fate worse than concussion or stabbing. I was really surprised by how emotional a story it was, because I did not intend that at all!

Both of them refer heavily to continuity but in ways that aren't essential to read it. I only wanted them to fit IN the universe, not show everything that has ever happened ever. And I used characters from lots of different corners of the TCU- and in my second script actually tied many of those threads together. If either were canon, lots of things would be connected to my stories. So they better be damned excellent, because they both could influence all of the TCU books. Which might make them less appealing to the judges, sadly.

EDIT: And it occurs to me that I aimed and thoroughly enjoyed putting new toys in the Top Cow box. It feels great to contribute to something like that!

My main worry is that I may have been to bold with my choices, which is giving me some great adrenaline! Terrible, though, because it's bedtime. :P

I'm really, really proud of them and even if I lose, I'll still have that. 

Good luck, everyone! This is awesome!  :Big Grin:

----------


## Pauul

> I just submitted and I feel awesome! This opportunity is hardcore amazing! I love it!
> 
> My first script was Witchblade: Brave New World. It's a pre-apocalyptic science fantasy focusing on the quest of an aged epic hero as she bargains the Witchblade out of the wrong hands. With butt kicking! And a monkey sidekick. It's got two last pages, so the least cliffhanger-y twist can be used, theoretically.
> 
> My second script is Aphrodite Zero, a tale about the secret genesis of the Aphrodite Protocols. It's a sci-fi story that deals with the rise of an AI smarter than humans and what that could mean, but set in 1970 and focusing on the relationships that AI builds with the people around it. It has considerably less butt-kicking, but has guns that make you stupid! Which is a fate worse than concussion or stabbing. I was really surprised by how emotional a story it was, because I did not intend that at all!
> 
> Both of them refer heavily to continuity but in ways that aren't essential to read it. I only wanted them to fit IN the universe, not show everything that has ever happened ever. And I used characters from lots of different corners of the TCU- and in my second script actually tied many of those threads together. If either were canon, lots of things would be connected to my stories. So they better be damned excellent, because they both could influence all of the TCU books. Which might make them less appealing to the judges, sadly.
> 
> EDIT: And it occurs to me that I aimed and thoroughly enjoyed putting new toys in the Top Cow box. It feels great to contribute to something like that!
> ...


Sounds very cool.

I wrote three scripts, two I decided to be bold with, the other I decided to be safe.

I had a lot more fun writing the scripts where I decided to be bold. And they have a lot more energy.

Not that the other story isn't good, because it is, but it feels like it falls just a little short of the other two.

----------


## NicoIzambard

[QUOTE=AndrewStroke;1019262]I am not 100% sure, but it should look like this: "Talent Hunt - *Insert your script name* script by *Insert your name*"
There is no space for description or original creators.

Hi Andrew and everybody!
Do we truly need to put "Talent Hunt-" before our script titles? I simply listed the material as such: " Three (3) twenty-two pages Comic Book scripts written by 'name'. The scripts are entitled:'List titles'."

What do you guys think and/or recommend?

+good luck everyone! It's been fun!

----------


## AndrewStroke

I hope I did not mistake the e-mail address or whatever...

I DID IT!
Two of my scripts are now in the bucket. I feel so proud of myself, goddammit!
My first script is about Tilly Grimes and her clairvoyant troubles, and the second one is about Ripclaw and Cyblade fighting off evil spirits, tied to Robert's past. You won't believe this, but two weeks ago those scripts were excessively similar. I corrected them and really love them both.

Good luck to everyone, I will certainly read winner's story later this year!

----------


## Pauul

> Hi Andrew and everybody!
> Do we truly need to put "Talent Hunt-" before our script titles? I simply listed the material as such: " Three (3) twenty-two pages Comic Book scripts written by 'name'. The scripts are entitled:'List titles'."
> 
> What do you guys think and/or recommend?
> 
> +good luck everyone! It's been fun!


You probably don't need to, as long as you have stated that the submission is for the Talent Hunt in your e-mail you should be fine (or even if you haven't, it should be fairly obvious anyway). I just added that in on my submission agreements for the sake of clarity.

----------


## AndrewStroke

> Hi Andrew and everybody!
> Do we truly need to put "Talent Hunt-" before our script titles?


Actually, I didn't write my name there after all. Just put "Talent Hunt - *Insert your script name* script", you know.
I think "Talent Hunt" is important, but Ryan knows better, of course. Haven't seen him here for awhile, though. 



> I simply listed the material as such: " Three (3) twenty-two pages Comic Book scripts written by 'name'. The scripts are entitled:'List titles'."


I am fairly sure you need to name those.

----------


## Pauul

> Actually, I didn't write my name there after all. Just put "Talent Hunt - *Insert your script name* script", you know.
> I think "Talent Hunt" is important, but Ryan knows better, of course. Haven't seen him here for awhile, though. 
> 
> I am fairly sure you need to name those.


I think NicoIzambard has that covered, he wrote 'List titles' as part of his post.

Ryan last posted on Thursday, he can't be on every day.

Although I know it can sometimes feel longer given how rapidly questions seem to pile up.

Especially this close to the deadline.

Again, I would say that this stuff probably isn't worth panicking over if you have already submitted. I don't think Top Cow would disqualify anyone if the form wasn't filled out exactly the way it needed to be. They would just ask you to correct it and resubmit it.

Bottom line, if you have a script that they want to use, they aren't going to throw it out for trivial reasons.

----------


## JVillain

> Of course, that's what JVillain was suggesting in the first place.


That's right! I post most of my stuff on Twitter. I'm currently working on creating an art blog weher I'll post several web comics I'm working on. I just created a submission packet that I sent out to several publishers, and I'll post that too on the page when it's up. It seems to me that this website would be a great place for creatives to network, and hook up for projects. I mean we already come here for our news and articles. It's a good hub

----------


## JVillain

> Sounds very cool.
> 
> I wrote three scripts, two I decided to be bold with, the other I decided to be safe.
> 
> I had a lot more fun writing the scripts where I decided to be bold. And they have a lot more energy.
> 
> Not that the other story isn't good, because it is, but it feels like it falls just a little short of the other two.


It's always best to be bold. I created two scrips one is a Whitchblade story that partially takes place Pre-Rebirth. The other OSA Ji-Xi story where a past bearer of the 13th Artfact is revealed, and you kind of learn more about the monks. Anyways I just wanna say how great is this Top Cow Universe and these characters, that you do an event like Rebirth and everything really changes...while over at Marvel and DC is like Oh we did this event, and now our characters have new costumes.

----------


## Pauul

> That's right! I post most of my stuff on Twitter. I'm currently working on creating an art blog weher I'll post several web comics I'm working on. I just created a submission packet that I sent out to several publishers, and I'll post that too on the page when it's up. It seems to me that this website would be a great place for creatives to network, and hook up for projects. I mean we already come here for our news and articles. It's a good hub


Twitter is a great tool for networking, I use it too.

I want to put together a portfolio of stuff to send out to publishers too, but as a writer that means being published in the indie and small press, so you have published hard copies of things to send out, which is a little tougher to do.

My portfolio of work isn't quite as varied or as expansive as I want it to be yet, but hopefully later in the year it will be and I can start contacting publishers.

Oh, look, less than twelve hours until the deadline.

Better finish off editing my final script.

----------


## NicoIzambard

Thanks again to Paul for being an ever-present support on this thread. 
Good luck everyone!

----------


## Pauul

Oh fiddlesticks.

Well, even I make mistakes.

My friend (and flatmate) just reminded me that we must include page breaks for each new page of the script or be disqualified.

Which I plain forgot about.

So, I'm very glad she's entering too and we happened to be talking about the Talent Hunt earlier.

A lesson for the future, reread official documents before submitting, in case you have forgotten something.

My apologies Ryan, you'll have duplicate e-mails for 'Shadow Play' and 'The Genesis Gambit'. Please disregard the earlier two.

----------


## Pauul

Okay, whew!

That's my third and final script - 'Unfamiliar Places', submitted for the Top Cow Talent Hunt.

Now maybe I can relax a little.

But really, it's been a lot of fun.

----------


## Marko Svraka

Hi all,
Unfortunately i wasn't able to finish my pages on time due to some unexpected things, anyway, here are three finished pages from cyber force script for you guys to see, i will upload the rest of them in a couple of days...


CF page 3N.jpgCF page 7N.jpgCF page 8N.jpg

----------


## Attila Kiss

> Hi all,
> Unfortunately i wasn't able to finish my pages on time due to some unexpected things, anyway, here are three finished pages from cyber force script for you guys to see, i will upload the rest of them in a couple of days...
> 
> CF page 3N.jpg
> 
> CF page 7N.jpg
> Attachment 19306


That is too bad Marko. The art is Fantastic.

----------


## AndersonVision

I did my breaks manually due to having to switch to Trelby mid-writing. Hopefully, they don't take off for that.

----------


## Marko Svraka

> That is too bad Marko. The art is Fantastic.


Thanks man  :Smile:

----------


## JVillain

> That is too bad Marko. The art is Fantastic.


That is some awesome art work

----------


## JVillain

> Twitter is a great tool for networking, I use it too.
> 
> I want to put together a portfolio of stuff to send out to publishers too, but as a writer that means being published in the indie and small press, so you have published hard copies of things to send out, which is a little tougher to do.
> 
> My portfolio of work isn't quite as varied or as expansive as I want it to be yet, but hopefully later in the year it will be and I can start contacting publishers.
> 
> Oh, look, less than twelve hours until the deadline.
> 
> Better finish off editing my final script.


I had to resubmit my scripts too because of some errors, and the fact that I wasn't able to attach both the submissions agreement and the original scripts because I used my iPad. Sorry Ryan but I re-submitted them both. Also,I think now you may have some artists on this post that will work with you. You've helped U.S. all so much. I post on DeviantArt too but I find it's too Fragmented. Sent a submission packet last Friday we'll see what happens.

----------


## Pauul

I agree, Marko, that artwork is amazing.

Well, don't let the fact you couldn't enter the Talent Hunt stop you.

There are always indie and small press publications where you can make yourself known.

----------


## Marko Svraka

> I agree, Marko, that artwork is amazing.
> 
> Well, don't let the fact you couldn't enter the Talent Hunt stop you.
> 
> There are always indie and small press publications where you can make yourself known.


Thanks a lot. No, i definitely won't give up. It's just that Talent hunt was really great opportunity and i kinda blew it. Well, life goes on  :Smile:

----------


## Pauul

> Thanks a lot. No, i definitely won't give up. It's just that Talent hunt was really great opportunity and i kinda blew it. Well, life goes on


There is always next year.

But as I said, there are plenty of other opportunities for artists too.

Well, it's midnight in the UK, but we're five hours ahead of the States.

Which means, there is about five hours until the deadline, if anyone is still working on their submission.

----------


## Carmdq

Just submitted my pages. Thanks for the opportunity and best of luck for everyone.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Sounds very cool.
> 
> I wrote three scripts, two I decided to be bold with, the other I decided to be safe.
> 
> I had a lot more fun writing the scripts where I decided to be bold. And they have a lot more energy.
> 
> Not that the other story isn't good, because it is, but it feels like it falls just a little short of the other two.


Thanks!  :Smile: 

I know what you mean- I had a couple other stories planned out that I was gong to get to if I had time, and they were substantially less bold. One was the Heart Stone bearer (whose name slips my mind) investigating the crimes of an asylum patient, another was Finn fighting Thor-based Norwegian bikers and one was Finn making friends with a size-shifting dog. Which all would have been alright, but I'm glad I went with what I did. I kind of feel one-shots need to make a statement, you know? Otherwise they're just filler without an ongoing.

And don't worry about the page thing, I'm sure everyone ballsed something up. I didn't write Talent Hunt before my titles, but I think it'll be fine because Talent Hunt is the subject of the email. And I mentioned it in the email and both scripts, so it'd be pretty impossible to list. And I think they said that the script guidelines were just guidelines anyway, though I personally find page breaks for scripts to make navigating them easier, so I do that anyway.

Once again, good luck everyone!  :Smile:

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Hi all,
> Unfortunately i wasn't able to finish my pages on time due to some unexpected things, anyway, here are three finished pages from cyber force script for you guys to see, i will upload the rest of them in a couple of days...
> 
> 
> CF page 3N.jpgCF page 7N.jpgCF page 8N.jpg


Awesome! I knew exactly which script that was the moment I saw it. Excellent storytelling and nice, clean lines!

----------


## Marko Svraka

> There is always next year.
> 
> But as I said, there are plenty of other opportunities for artists too.
> 
> Well, it's midnight in the UK, but we're five hours ahead of the States.
> 
> Which means, there is about five hours until the deadline, if anyone is still working on their submission.


OH MY GOD, i just realized that i have more time to submit hahah!
I thought deadline was yesterday!

Gotta work :Big Grin:

----------


## Pauul

> Thanks!
> 
> I know what you mean- I had a couple other stories planned out that I was gong to get to if I had time, and they were substantially less bold. One was the Heart Stone bearer (whose name slips my mind) investigating the crimes of an asylum patient, another was Finn fighting Thor-based Norwegian bikers and one was Finn making friends with a size-shifting dog. Which all would have been alright, but I'm glad I went with what I did. I kind of feel one-shots need to make a statement, you know? Otherwise they're just filler without an ongoing.
> 
> And don't worry about the page thing, I'm sure everyone ballsed something up. I didn't write Talent Hunt before my titles, but I think it'll be fine because Talent Hunt is the subject of the email. And I mentioned it in the email and both scripts, so it'd be pretty impossible to list. And I think they said that the script guidelines were just guidelines anyway, though I personally find page breaks for scripts to make navigating them easier, so I do that anyway.
> 
> Once again, good luck everyone!


Well, I re-sent those two scripts with the correct formatting, so hopefully it should be fine now.

The risk of not pushing boundaries is of course ending up with something that is little more than filler (although, I do think I managed to come up with something better than that). However, when you take risks, there is the chance that you're going to end up writing a script that can't be used (if it should violate any plans Top Cow has in place).

I guess I better hope that I wrote something awesome enough that is justifies the riskier elements I've included.

----------


## jsnyder1979

Well, I just sent my submission off. Decided to just stick to one script this time around. 

I've read this thread on and off for the last several months but have, for the most part, tried to stay clear, just so I could sit and write without any outside influences. However, I do want to say how amazed I am at the interactions and community feel of this thread. Even as I'm perusing the thread now, the amount of assistance provided by CBR's members is wonderful. 

Anyway, good luck, everyone!

----------


## NicoIzambard

Alright folks, I just sent my three scripts and submission agreement.
I just want to say thank you for all the help provided on this forum from both Ryan and everybody else. It truly was a friendly environment.

A little shameless plug in: 
Go check out my website for some silly Comic Book entertainment: http://activecomics.com/

I am also always looking for artists to work with. You'll find my contacts under the ABOUT section on my site. Hit me up and we'll see if we can do something together.

Peace.

----------


## Pauul

> Alright folks, I just sent my three scripts and submission agreement.
> I just want to say thank you for all the help provided on this forum from both Ryan and everybody else. It truly was a friendly environment.
> 
> A little shameless plug in:
> Go check out my website for some silly Comic Book entertainment: http://activecomics.com/
> 
> I am also always looking for artists to work with. You'll find my contacts under the ABOUT section on my site. Hit me up and we'll see if we can do something together.
> 
> Peace.


You know what? A little self promotion never hurts.

If anyone is interested on what I'm currently working on (or if any artists are interested in working with me) then you can find me through Twitter - https://twitter.com/PaulPennaWriter

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Well, I re-sent those two scripts with the correct formatting, so hopefully it should be fine now.
> 
> The risk of not pushing boundaries is of course ending up with something that is little more than filler (although, I do think I managed to come up with something better than that). However, when you take risks, there is the chance that you're going to end up writing a script that can't be used (if it should violate any plans Top Cow has in place).
> 
> I guess I better hope that I wrote something awesome enough that is justifies the riskier elements I've included.


That's what I tried to do. I set my stories in continuity dead space. Your timeline was extremely helpful, I might add. So while my stories are bold, they could justifiably stand on their own.

----------


## Pauul

> That's what I tried to do. I set my stories in continuity dead space. Your timeline was extremely helpful, I might add. So while my stories are bold, they could justifiably stand on their own.


Well, my Cyber Force script was set in 'continuity dead space', as it were, but my other two were either set in the post-Rebirth era or were partially set in that era.

However, I picked two characters which Top Cow are apparently doing nothing with.

Sabine and Glorianna Silver.

To be fair, they can't do much with Sabine, given that she is essentially an Angelus villain... except the Angelus is now a villain again. Still, the Wheel of Shadows is so cool that it should be being used. That's why it was so awesome to see it turn up in IXth Generation.

Can I just say I love Glorianna Silver? Such a fun character to write. It's a shame she hasn't be used more post-Rebirth. The three Broken Trinity characters - Glorianna, Finnegan and Alina... there is so much potential there.

----------


## artistjosh

Just sent my submission. Wow, what a stressful evening. I couldn't get my scanner to scan the submission agreement smaller than 10mb for some reason, so I had to submit it as a link. Hopefully you guys get it okay. 

I'll post some of the character sketches I did and maybe a page from Cyber Force #1 pages I did. I ended up drawing 8 pages of a friends script in the end, though. 

Good luck everyone. I hope I win, but if I don't then I hope one of you fine people do.  :Big Grin:

----------


## AmericanAstronaut

GUYS!

I'm terrified Top Cow'll throw my submission in the garbage can for using the standard Celtx comic formatting. I was thinking of re-drafting it in Microsoft Word, but there's only forty-two minutes left in my time zone! So two questions:

1.) Do you think the Celtx format'll be accepted?

2.) Can my submission be a little late? Hypothetically, I have another couple hours (until 12 Pacific), but I'm afraid to risk being ruled as late. 

Down to the wire. Best of luck to all!

----------


## hunter_peterson

> Well, my Cyber Force script was set in 'continuity dead space', as it were, but my other two were either set in the post-Rebirth era or were partially set in that era.
> 
> However, I picked two characters which Top Cow are apparently doing nothing with.
> 
> Sabine and Glorianna Silver.
> 
> To be fair, they can't do much with Sabine, given that she is essentially an Angelus villain... except the Angelus is now a villain again. Still, the Wheel of Shadows is so cool that it should be being used. That's why it was so awesome to see it turn up in IXth Generation.
> 
> Can I just say I love Glorianna Silver? Such a fun character to write. It's a shame she hasn't be used more post-Rebirth. The three Broken Trinity characters - Glorianna, Finnegan and Alina... there is so much potential there.


I know, right? Broken Trinity was awesome! And I agree Glori needs used more- I only managed to work in Wulfgar Olaffsson as a reference to her. She really needs to become the Lara Croft of the TCU, with Finn as her Irish Indiana Jones rival. Hijinks ensue, and it would be great. And you have Alina out there, potentially as a cult leader dedicated to bringing about the apocalypse (again) using mythical objects... an ongoing would be fantastic. I would buy the hell out of it.

And Sabine is a really cool villain. I love the jilted lover/Starscream feel to her. And the Wheel is totally cool too, I also couldn't resist using it. My Sabine was quite different, though. She'd evolved into something even less human. 

So yeah, I totally agree that they need fleshed out more and hope they like your take on them!  :Smile: 




> GUYS!
> 
> I'm terrified Top Cow'll throw my submission in the garbage can for using the standard Celtx comic formatting. I was thinking of re-drafting it in Microsoft Word, but there's only forty-two minutes left in my time zone! So two questions:
> 
> 1.) Do you think the Celtx format'll be accepted?
> 
> 2.) Can my submission be a little late? Hypothetically, I have another couple hours (until 12 Pacific), but I'm afraid to risk being ruled as late. 
> 
> Down to the wire. Best of luck to all!


Well, you DO have a few hours, but maybe look into converting it to PDF? I don't know how to do that, but I'm sure a quick Google will help you out. That way it doesn't matter what program you typed it in or what file type it was.

----------


## AndersonVision

If you saved the file as a .PDF, Celtx should keep the formatting normal. 

Celtx has a habit of de-bolding stuff, but that's it.

----------


## AmericanAstronaut

Thanks, guys. I just bit the bullet and sent the PDF in the Celtx comic template format. Here's hoping they don't immediately flush it. It's been a wild five months. May the best nerd win!

----------


## artistjosh

Here are the character designs and one of the pages I did. 

Triassic-Trek-character-design.jpg

Cyberforce-3.jpg

----------


## neo_noir

Well sent I sent in my script in around 10:30 pm Pacific Time, read through rules and realized I didn't put "Top Cow Talent Hunt" as the header, instead I put "2015 Talent Hunt - Writer's Submission", hopefully they get it and it just doesn't get skimmed by.

----------


## A.J.

Here's my submission, I kind of took some chances on the character redesigns but felt that they still held to the personalities of the characters.  It was a huge learning experience and even though it ends on an embarrassing note, I had so much fun.  Artifacts_5_pgs_2_to_9-page-7.jpg

----------


## itchytwitch

> Well sent I sent in my script in around 10:30 pm Pacific Time, read through rules and realized I didn't put "Top Cow Talent Hunt" as the header, instead I put "2015 Talent Hunt - Writer's Submission", hopefully they get it and it just doesn't get skimmed by.



That's better than me, all i put was "Talent Hunt" in the header.   It was a good learning experience for me though, especially in regards to not avoiding the smaller details like the submission agreement until the end.  I signed it and scanned it in to make a pdf out of it, but it came out to 7mb.  So I ended up just stitching the agreement together as a jpg. in order to keep the whole submission zip below 10 mb.  I hope that's all right.  I also missed the part where it said only Matt Hawkins would be the only one reviewing the submissions.  I started off my email with "to whom it may concern", ugh.  I just assumed it would be legions of assistants reviewing them. Troubling, but lesson learned on the details.

Some strong talent here on the forum, good luck to everyone!

----------


## Temujin

So sad it's over now. I already miss to draw Tom Judge  :Frown:

----------


## Nightfyre

The worst thing for me, is after checking over the script.  Formatting it to what you think they wanted (Page numbers at each beginning, and a page break for each new comic page).  

You fill out the form and send it with the script.  Ahh, I'm all done.  

Only to check the next day and realize you sent the wrong formatted script.  Well figured try and send the correct one in this morning.  Probably, would be disqualified for original, so just made an attempt anyways.  

Nerves are shot.  Need some stress relief now.

----------


## DNArt

I just posted all 8 pages I submitted to Top Cow on my Deviant Art page.

http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.com

Good luck to everyone.

----------


## KY Matty

WEE-HOO!  Good luck everybody!  @Top Cow Ryan For 600+ scripts I would recommend Dollar Store reading glasses at .125 and a perpetual stream of coffee.  Good luck to you, too, man!

----------


## Fred Nunez

when will winners be announced?

----------


## Rob_King54

Just wanted to drop in and say good luck to everyone!

----------


## Pauul

> Well sent I sent in my script in around 10:30 pm Pacific Time, read through rules and realized I didn't put "Top Cow Talent Hunt" as the header, instead I put "2015 Talent Hunt - Writer's Submission", hopefully they get it and it just doesn't get skimmed by.





> That's better than me, all i put was "Talent Hunt" in the header. It was a good learning experience for me though, especially in regards to not avoiding the smaller details like the submission agreement until the end. I signed it and scanned it in to make a pdf out of it, but it came out to 7mb. So I ended up just stitching the agreement together as a jpg. in order to keep the whole submission zip below 10 mb. I hope that's all right. I also missed the part where it said only Matt Hawkins would be the only one reviewing the submissions. I started off my email with "to whom it may concern", ugh. I just assumed it would be legions of assistants reviewing them. Troubling, but lesson learned on the details.
> 
> Some strong talent here on the forum, good luck to everyone!


As long as you put the words 'Talent Hunt' in the header, I imagine you'll be alright.

Also, I imagine Ryan will be sorting through everything first before it is handed over to Matt.




> The worst thing for me, is after checking over the script. Formatting it to what you think they wanted (Page numbers at each beginning, and a page break for each new comic page).
> 
> You fill out the form and send it with the script. Ahh, I'm all done.
> 
> Only to check the next day and realize you sent the wrong formatted script. Well figured try and send the correct one in this morning. Probably, would be disqualified for original, so just made an attempt anyways.
> 
> Nerves are shot. Need some stress relief now.


I'm pretty sure Ryan said earlier in the thread that they'd be a little more lenient about lateness if you have been posting in the thread. As long as you explained why you were resending the submission, hopefully it'll be okay.

I made a similar error with formatting with two of my three scripts. I made sure to apologize, since duplicate e-mails will be irritating, but there wasn't really anything else I could do at that point. I'm just glad I realized that I'd made a slip up.




> WEE-HOO! Good luck everybody! @Top Cow Ryan For 600+ scripts I would recommend Dollar Store reading glasses at .125 and a perpetual stream of coffee. Good luck to you, too, man!


Six hundred seems like an optimistic number to me. I expect they'll get well over a thousand, especially with people doing multiple submissions.




> when will winners be announced?


That purely depends on the amount of entries and how long it takes to read them all.

It will be months. At least three or four, I'd guess.

But the only real answer is, the winners will be announced when they have decided upon the winners. It will take as long as it takes.

----------


## Franshux

> That is too bad Marko. The art is Fantastic.


Those are good man! Very dynamic!!

----------


## Franshux

> This one is for Top Cow Ryan:
> 
> When will be the results of this Talent Hunt announced?
> 
> BTW, here it's a sample from the secuential pages I sent you! (Just some few minutes ago!!) Hope you like it 
> 
> The NRG
> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater
> 
> ...


Like it? Man, that's some BADASS art you've got there. I took the freedom to check some of your other art (I couldn't help it, I hope you don't mind) and it's equally good man! Best of lucks!

----------


## tanmoyart

I see a lot of amazing art in this forum. Wishing luck to all who participated.

I couldn't finish on time this year. I hope to participate again next year.

Anyway here is the link to some of the pages I did  :Smile: 

http://tanmoyart.deviantart.com/

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

*It's been a wild ride, dear friends, but let's consider this year's Talent Hunt OFFICIALLY CLOSED.* 





First of all, I want to thank all of you for being such a tight-knit subcommunity. More than any previous year, y'all have shown resourcefulness, support, and mutual respect as contestants. It's been great being able to get to interact with everyone and watch your stories and art develop. Special shout-out, of course, to Pauul. That guy deserves an editorial job SOMEWHERE, holy hell.

Second, I apologize for my radio silence this weekend. I was helping my roommate with moving a bunch of junk into our apartment, and that resulted in more chaos than I planned, so I didn't have a chance to get online much. So, serious apologies if people were counting on my input this close to the deadline. I scrolled through the pages here and it looks like nobody had any pressing concerns that didn't get attended to. THAT BEING SAID - if any of you still have any serious questions that resulted in you not submitting on time, please, just send an email to *submissions@topcow.com* anyway. I will get back to you, I will answer your questions, and you will be allowed to submit. All will be well, as the Blue Lanterns say.

*To put a major worry at bay, let me assure you that if I have your email, and there are some issues with downloading the file or something, I won't just disqualify you.* I'll reach out and see if we can't remedy whatever went wrong. So, again, what's our mantra? _DON'T PANIC_. 


Now, on to Brass Tax, or whatever the deal is with that adage. Colloquialism? Idiom? Whatever.

*EXPECT AN OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION EMAIL FROM US WITHIN 2 WEEKS.* 

To be perfectly honest, I'm pretty sure I can have it out by the end of this week, but I'm giving us a wide window so nobody panics. If, in 2 weeks, you haven't heard from me, THEN you have my permission to be concerned. NOT TO PANIC, MIND YOU. I'll be posting here AND tweeting announcing that the confirmation email was indeed sent out, and if you haven't heard from us then, just shoot a new email to submissions@topcow.com explaining your situation. 

And I really don't think I need to say this, but please, nobody use that tiny buffer period to cheat and submit late and lie about it - people have been working crazy hard since freakin' October and I would hate to think that people would try and swoop in and disregard all that.

After that confirmation email, it could take a little while for us to announce the winners. Someone up there mentioned 4 months? HECK NO. That's way too long. I can't commit to a timetable yet, but we'll announce when we'll be announcing in the confirmation email. I'd say it shouldn't take longer than 2 or 3 months from NOW at the most.

Okay. Let's all breathe. I think that about covers it - I've probably forgotten SOMETHING, but if I have, I'll just post it. Fret not.


*Again, thank you all so much for your hard work and submissions. Looking forward to reading all of them!*

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

*SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:*

I have no intention of getting rid of this thread, so, unless CBR does, we're all safe to hang out here as long as we want and keep posting. I know some of you have expressed a desire to do that, and I say go for it. I'll still be checking these boards, but much more sporadically - so if you really need to get ahold of me and you haven't seen me reply to you here, just shoot an email to submissions@topcow.com or to fanmail@topcow.com. I check 'em both.

Also, yes, Pauul is (as usual) correct - I will be personally reading every single one of your submissions, separating the wheat from the chaff, before they get passed on to the powers that be. I have the time (and the childish lack of disenchantment) to give them a pretty fair read. I think about all the times that people in this industry have written me off, and I think that's so bullshit, that some people can't be bothered to reply to an email (or even have their assistants reply to an email), so, I really strive to give everybody that examination their hard work deserves. You have all earned that much.

That's about it. Reach out to me here or on Twitter @rycady, and we'll chat. It'll be fun. No matter which of you wins, know that I love all of you equally. Well, okay, that's kind of a lie, but I'm sure you're all wonderful people and I wish you the best of luck come time to pick the winners.

----------


## Pauul

> First of all, I want to thank all of you for being such a tight-knit subcommunity. More than any previous year, y'all have shown resourcefulness, support, and mutual respect as contestants. It's been great being able to get to interact with everyone and watch your stories and art develop. Special shout-out, of course, to Pauul. That guy deserves an editorial job SOMEWHERE, holy hell.


Thank you, Ryan. Happy to be helpful.

I certainly wouldn't say no to an editorial job if someone offered. Who knows? Maybe one day.




> Also, yes, Pauul is (as usual) correct - I will be personally reading every single one of your submissions, separating the wheat from the chaff, before they get passed on to the powers that be. I have the time (and the childish lack of disenchantment) to give them a pretty fair read. I think about all the times that people in this industry have written me off, and I think that's so bullshit, that some people can't be bothered to reply to an email (or even have their assistants reply to an email), so, I really strive to give everybody that examination their hard work deserves. You have all earned that much.


Hopefully the entries this year will be a high quality, making your job more enjoyable (if more difficult) to do.

It'll be interesting to hear how many entries you got this year, once you know.

And hey, if anyone doesn't win this year (me included) hopefully the Talent Hunt will return next year as well.

I certainly have plenty more ideas for adventures in the Top Cow universe.

----------


## gtramountanas

> *SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:*
> 
> Also, yes, Pauul is (as usual) correct - I will be personally reading every single one of your submissions, separating the wheat from the chaff, before they get passed on to the powers that be. I have the time (and the childish lack of disenchantment) to give them a pretty fair read. I think about all the times that people in this industry have written me off, and I think that's so bullshit, that some people can't be bothered to reply to an email (or even have their assistants reply to an email), so, I really strive to give everybody that examination their hard work deserves. You have all earned that much.


You're a good man, Ryan. No matter what the outcome, if I find you at a con, I'm bringing you a beer! Thanks!

----------


## KY Matty

Last years submissions were estimated at over 1,500 with the scripts being around 600, but I'm sure that this is a growing competition, so you're probably right.
I hate when I reply without replying with the quote.  That was @Pauul.
Good luck everyone.

----------


## Pauul

> Last years submissions were estimated at over 1,500 with the scripts being around 600, but I'm sure that this is a growing competition, so you're probably right.
> I hate when I reply without replying with the quote. That was @Pauul.
> Good luck everyone.


Really? More artists than writers?

That surprises me.

Everyone is always talking about how it's easier for artists to break into the industry, and with this being a rare opportunity for writers, I would've expected them to outnumber the amount of artists submitting.

----------


## A.J.

Thank you Ryan,  I love you too man.  This was an awesome experience and I think I will make this thread a second home.  Here's my submission.  I tried to upload it last night, but it only loaded the last page.  I really learned about myself and advanced during these 8 pages.  I thought I was doing good, now I know that I can do way better so I'm going to keep drawing and improving and climbing until I go Super Saiyan and can't be ignored.  All the art looks gorgeous and you guys all deserve to win, I think you all seem like good people and I know there's plenty of room at the top for all of us, so let's just get there.  Good luck everyone!  

@Topcowryan:  Should we send an email to question wether or not you got our email in two weeks?  Is it safe to assume that if we don't hear from you that you got it ok?  

Enough of the mushy stuff, here is the bread and butter.

http://sandiegobadfish.deviantart.co...Devious-Folder

Again, thank you everybody and good luck!

----------


## KY Matty

> Really? More artists than writers?
> 
> That surprises me.
> 
> Everyone is always talking about how it's easier for artists to break into the industry, and with this being a rare opportunity for writers, I would've expected them to outnumber the amount of artists submitting.


That's what I thought, especially with the booming comic book film industry, but that's what Ryan said in the podcast he posted.  It seems possible that breaking in as a writer could lead to all kinds of opportunities, like even major TV and movie script writing e.g. Joss Whedon.  
A writer can dream.   :Cool:

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> Really? More artists than writers?
> 
> That surprises me.
> 
> Everyone is always talking about how it's easier for artists to break into the industry, and with this being a rare opportunity for writers, I would've expected them to outnumber the amount of artists submitting.


That...that figure seems wrong. 

I handled all of the entries last year as well, and though I'll be damned if I remember the exact numbers of either, I think it was a good deal less than 1500, more like 1100 or 1200, and there were a LOT more writers than artists. This year, from what I can tell just flipping through while prepare to archive all your email addresses is closer to even. If I had to hazard a very rough guess, I'd say like 60-40 Writers to artists, maybe 70-30.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

> That...that figure seems wrong. 
> 
> I handled all of the entries last year as well, and though I'll be damned if I remember the exact numbers of either, I think it was a good deal less than 1500, more like 1100 or 1200, and there were a LOT more writers than artists. This year, from what I can tell just flipping through while prepare to archive all your email addresses is closer to even. If I had to hazard a very rough guess, I'd say like 60-40 Writers to artists, maybe 70-30.


Actually, I guess it COULD have been 1500, now that I manically scroll back through my inbox from last year.

Either way - I guess it was a lot.

----------


## AmericanAstronaut

Hey, Ryan. 

So is it okay to re-submit my script in a different format? I sent mine in last night before the deadline, but I'm worried the format will disqualify me! I was gonna send a new e-mail, with a re-formatted script, noting the change. But I don't want to annoy you!

----------


## Temujin

Thank you Ryan! 

From what I see here most artists prefered Artifacts #5.

You can find my pages here (Artifacts #12:

http://manatapu.deviantart.com/

----------


## Pauul

> Hey, Ryan.
> 
> So is it okay to re-submit my script in a different format? I sent mine in last night before the deadline, but I'm worried the format will disqualify me! I was gonna send a new e-mail, with a re-formatted script, noting the change. But I don't want to annoy you!


It depends if there is a genuine problem with the format, which would disqualify you.

Say, if you didn't have a page break for each new comic book page (a mistake I made, had to re-send two scripts) or if you sent in a file type that Top Cow doesn't accept.

If you did that, then send the e-mail again with the correctly formatted script and apologize.

Top Cow will hopefully accept the updated version.




> @Topcowryan: Should we send an email to question wether or not you got our email in two weeks? Is it safe to assume that if we don't hear from you that you got it ok?


Ryan is going to let us know when the confirmation e-mails have been sent out. When the e-mails have been sent, if you don't get one, then you should get in touch with Ryan and explain the situation.




> That's what I thought, especially with the booming comic book film industry, but that's what Ryan said in the podcast he posted. It seems possible that breaking in as a writer could lead to all kinds of opportunities, like even major TV and movie script writing e.g. Joss Whedon.
> A writer can dream.


Well, my goal is to be a comic writer. It's the medium that I've found that I'm best suited for.

You kinda find your own niche. I studied Screenwriting at university and made some good friends, each who are off doing there own things now.

I'm writing comic books, some guys are writing short films and I even have one friend who writes for British television.




> That...that figure seems wrong.
> 
> I handled all of the entries last year as well, and though I'll be damned if I remember the exact numbers of either, I think it was a good deal less than 1500, more like 1100 or 1200, and there were a LOT more writers than artists. This year, from what I can tell just flipping through while prepare to archive all your email addresses is closer to even. If I had to hazard a very rough guess, I'd say like 60-40 Writers to artists, maybe 70-30.


Yeah, that is what I'd expect.

I take it the first week is going to be dedicated to sorting, rather than reading?

If the total number is similar to last year, I'm guessing you're going to have a lot to organize.

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hello Again,
Do you guys listen to the "Doughtnuts and Top Cow" podcast? That's the podcast Ryan was on. I listened to them the other day and they were saying how they wanted people to post on their wall on their Facebook page and let them know about participating in the hunt..etc...
Anyway, after submitting my scripts last night, I posted a message on their wall and they answered by asking me to possibly come and talk on their show about the experience somewhere down the line. Here is the url with their answer: https://www.facebook.com/doughnutsan...t=feed_comment 

I highly recommend you post on their page ( I am looking at you Paul, people would love to hear about your knowledge of the TCU). 
I just thought I'd share that with you guys.

----------


## Pauul

> Hello Again,
> Do you guys listen to the "Doughtnuts and Top Cow" podcast? That's the podcast Ryan was on. I listened to them the other day and they were saying how they wanted people to post on their wall on their Facebook page and let them know about participating in the hunt..etc...
> Anyway, after submitting my scripts last night, I posted a message on their wall and they answered by asking me to possibly come and talk on their show about the experience somewhere down the line. Here is the url with their answer: https://www.facebook.com/doughnutsan...t=feed_comment
> 
> I highly recommend you post on their page ( I am looking at you Paul, people would love to hear about your knowledge of the TCU).
> I just thought I'd share that with you guys.


My knowledge of the Top Cow universe is hardly anything special. I barely knew anything about it before the first Top Cow Talent Hunt. I'm just somewhat obsessive about continuity. Plus, I think if you're going to write something, you should know it inside and out.

Luckily I'm a good researcher.

The trick is to use continuity while keeping your story accessible to new readers. Something I hopefully achieved (or mostly achieved) in my scripts. I didn't include any recap pages, but I tried to fill readers in on the status quo through dialogue.

I've listened to some of their podcasts, including the one with Ryan, but I'm not a regular listener.

I'll make sure to check out their Facebook page, though.

----------


## JVillain

> Thank you, Ryan. Happy to be helpful.
> 
> I certainly wouldn't say no to an editorial job if someone offered. Who knows? Maybe one day.
> 
> 
> 
> Hopefully the entries this year will be a high quality, making your job more enjoyable (if more difficult) to do.
> 
> It'll be interesting to hear how many entries you got this year, once you know.
> ...


I gotta agree with you Pauul. To be honest I never written a full script for any of the comics I've done. Mostly because I write and draw everything, so I do break downs and thumbnails mostly. I've never really tackled character other than my own, it was a challenge to take these characters and try my best to understand them. But let me tell you, now I got stories.  If I don't win this year I'll submit again...it's like now I got this whole mythology in my head, I'd live to bring at least some of that to light somehow. 
Hey anything is possible right? Right now I'm watching the "less talented" Miami Heat blow out the "unstoppable" Cavaliers

----------


## KY Matty

> Actually, I guess it COULD have been 1500, now that I manically scroll back through my inbox from last year.
> 
> Either way - I guess it was a lot.


I think I mentally consolidated my research while I was trying to figure how many people have previously submitted and when past winners have been announced.  I got the 1,500 number from here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=56336
In the podcast you posted I thought that you had said that there were over 600 script submissions last year, but it's been a while since I listened to it, so I may be mistaken.  Forgive if I've misquoted you.
This article put the 2013 writing submissions at over 800: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=44545

Anyway you cut it, you got your work cut out for you.  Hang in there, buddy!

----------


## fcoesquivel

I sent my Submision on sunday morning, and I walked away from it just to clear out my mind after three weeks of working on it. The hardest thing was trying to draw all this characters i know too little about. Since every picture i got from them for refernce is quite diferent each other, as if every artist seems to draw their likeness and outfits as pleased. So I'm sure i ended up doing the same, hope topcow's people look more at the artwork than the mistakes on the characters "uniforms". I used the likeness that K Rocafort designed for Cyberforce and for the artifacts bearers I used images from the very first 2 or 3 issues.
Anyway, I like to know what you think about my pages. You can find them in my deviantart page here http://fcoesquivel.deviantart.com/

As for you people at TopCow, thanks for doing this contest, I hope you keep doing it for more years and for sure you will finding new talent out there.

----------


## Pauul

> I gotta agree with you Pauul. To be honest I never written a full script for any of the comics I've done. Mostly because I write and draw everything, so I do break downs and thumbnails mostly. I've never really tackled character other than my own, it was a challenge to take these characters and try my best to understand them. But let me tell you, now I got stories. If I don't win this year I'll submit again...it's like now I got this whole mythology in my head, I'd live to bring at least some of that to light somehow.
> Hey anything is possible right? Right now I'm watching the "less talented" Miami Heat blow out the "unstoppable" Cavaliers


I've written mostly my own characters in the small press too, although I recently wrote a script for a series using someone else's characters. It was different but really rewarding. Unfortunately plans were changed and the script no longer fitted into the project, but I've been invited to pitch again, so hopefully second time lucky.

After that I'm just going to keep submitting stuff, 2000AD has an open submissions policy in regards to Future Shocks, so I'll be attempting a submission to them soon and there's also the small press FutureQuake too. I have an artist working on a script called 'Ghosts of Mega City One' for Zarjaz at the moment, which is a 2000AD fanzine put out by FutureQuake Press.

Plus I had a series which sort of fell apart before it could really launch called 'Conqueror'. The artist has promised he'll finish work on Issue #2 and hopefully we can put it out at Cons next year. It's something I'd really like to see relaunched.

I've still never had a paid gig as a writer, and I haven't been professionally published, but if you want to succeed, you need to keep putting your stuff out there.

Oh, here is my deviantart page - http://pauulp.deviantart.com/

I'm not an artist (I've credited which artist has worked on each piece) but it's good to have a place to post concept art and suchlike for projects you're working on. Although I haven't updated it in a while.

----------


## KY Matty

> It depends if there is a genuine problem with the format, which would disqualify you.
> 
> Say, if you didn't have a page break for each new comic book page (a mistake I made, had to re-send two scripts) or if you sent in a file type that Top Cow doesn't accept.
> 
> If you did that, then send the e-mail again with the correctly formatted script and apologize.
> 
> Top Cow will hopefully accept the updated version.
> 
> 
> ...


That's interesting.  Is it okay to just be conversational on this board or is this supposed to be super business?  It's a message board, so I assume a little conversational is alright.  
I am in love with writing regardless of the medium.  For me, I find it exhilarating to go from medium to medium and have to remap my brain around different parameters to tell a story.  Though my MA is English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, my publications (nothing on the Top Cow list of "no-no's") are nothing like what I studied; they are closer to journalism.  
I've been writing for a small production company and have gotten a TV series bible into the hands of an agent I respect, but nothing has yet to come of it and that was a while back.  So, me and my buddy took the TV bible and wrote a comic book prequel.  We just spent this past weekend at a Comic Con (Lexington, KY) selling his works and networking with his artist friends to see about getting the art done and our work submitted to various places.  
Have you read Robert McKee's _Story_?  It might be my favorite writing book.

----------


## JVillain

> I sent my Submision on sunday morning, and I walked away from it just to clear out my mind after three weeks of working on it. The hardest thing was trying to draw all this characters i know too little about. Since every picture i got from them for refernce is quite diferent each other, as if every artist seems to draw their likeness and outfits as pleased. So I'm sure i ended up doing the same, hope topcow's people look more at the artwork than the mistakes on the characters "uniforms". I used the likeness that K Rocafort designed for Cyberforce and for the artifacts bearers I used images from the very first 2 or 3 issues.
> Anyway, I like to know what you think about my pages. You can find them in my deviantart page here http://fcoesquivel.deviantart.com/
> 
> As for you people at TopCow, thanks for doing this contest, I hope you keep doing it for more years and for sure you will finding new talent out there.


Cool stuff!! Loved The MaXX pinup, excellent storytelling

----------


## JVillain

> I've written mostly my own characters in the small press too, although I recently wrote a script for a series using someone else's characters. It was different but really rewarding. Unfortunately plans were changed and the script no longer fitted into the project, but I've been invited to pitch again, so hopefully second time lucky.
> 
> After that I'm just going to keep submitting stuff, 2000AD has an open submissions policy in regards to Future Shocks, so I'll be attempting a submission to them soon and there's also the small press FutureQuake too. I have an artist working on a script called 'Ghosts of Mega City One' for Zarjaz at the moment, which is a 2000AD fanzine put out by FutureQuake Press.
> 
> Plus I had a series which sort of fell apart before it could really launch called 'Conqueror'. The artist has promised he'll finish work on Issue #2 and hopefully we can put it out at Cons next year. It's something I'd really like to see relaunched.
> 
> I've still never had a paid gig as a writer, and I haven't been professionally published, but if you want to succeed, you need to keep putting your stuff out there.
> 
> Oh, here is my deviantart page - http://pauulp.deviantart.com/
> ...


I think you sell yourself short. The art is pretty solid! I don't envy Ryan or Matt the talent level is super high from what I've seen. It's gonna be tough.

----------


## Pauul

> I think you sell yourself short. The art is pretty solid! I don't envy Ryan or Matt the talent level is super high from what I've seen. It's gonna be tough.


I think the art is brilliant.

To be clear, I'm not an artist, as in, I'm not the artist on any of these projects. I'm the writer. I'm just lucky enough to have worked with some brilliant artists on small press publications. If you click on any of the images in my gallery, I've made sure to credit which artist worked on which piece.

I don't have many talents. Drawing definitely isn't one of them. But I am a really good writer. It's one of the few things I do really well.




> That's interesting. Is it okay to just be conversational on this board or is this supposed to be super business? It's a message board, so I assume a little conversational is alright.
> I am in love with writing regardless of the medium. For me, I find it exhilarating to go from medium to medium and have to remap my brain around different parameters to tell a story. Though my MA is English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, my publications (nothing on the Top Cow list of "no-no's") are nothing like what I studied; they are closer to journalism.
> I've been writing for a small production company and have gotten a TV series bible into the hands of an agent I respect, but nothing has yet to come of it and that was a while back. So, me and my buddy took the TV bible and wrote a comic book prequel. We just spent this past weekend at a Comic Con (Lexington, KY) selling his works and networking with his artist friends to see about getting the art done and our work submitted to various places.
> Have you read Robert McKee's Story? It might be my favorite writing book.


Now the Talent Hunt is officially over, I think being conversational should be fine.

Good luck with your project.

Haven't read 'Story' by Robert McKee (although perhaps I should).

I do have 'Alan Moore's Writing for Comics', 'Writing For Comics & Graphic Novels' by Peter David, 'Supergods' by Grant Morrison and 'Words For Pictures' by Brian Michael Bendis on my shelf though, and I've read them multiple times  :Stick Out Tongue: 

They really are essential reading if you're looking to become a comic book writer.

----------


## JVillain

> Really? More artists than writers?
> 
> That surprises me.
> 
> Everyone is always talking about how it's easier for artists to break into the industry, and with this being a rare opportunity for writers, I would've expected them to outnumber the amount of artists submitting.


I think it may be because #1 although it's easier to break in as an artist there's more people trying to break in than writers most pure writers would rather write a book or a screenplay or a news article or an interview. There's more jobs out there in the real world for writers. Also and this is just personal for me...it's easier to draw than it is to write. You read a script  :Stick Out Tongue: anel one Ripclaw punches velocity is in the face. Ok draw it. But as a writer it's like Ok Ripclaw is gonna punch Velocity in the face, but Why would he do that, what's his motivation etc.

----------


## Pauul

> I think it may be because #1 although it's easier to break in as an artist there's more people trying to break in than writers most pure writers would rather write a book or a screenplay or a news article or an interview. There's more jobs out there in the real world for writers. Also and this is just personal for me...it's easier to draw than it is to write. You read a script panel one Ripclaw punches velocity is in the face. Ok draw it. But as a writer it's like Ok Ripclaw is gonna punch Velocity in the face, but Why would he do that, what's his motivation etc.


I actually find inhabiting characters, finding their voices, comes quite naturally to me.

It didn't always. A lot of what I've learned over the years has become more instinctual now.

But, if you do something for long enough, I do think it starts to come more naturally.

As for Riplclaw punching Velocity in the face... clearly she's an imposter, she's being mind controlled, she's about to put herself in danger and Ripclaw has decided to knock her unconscious so he can face the danger instead.

The only motivation Ripclaw would ever have for injuring Velocity is if it would be in her own interest. And it would need to be an extreme situation for him to take such extreme measures.

You need to remain true to the character.

----------


## JVillain

If it's cool to be conversational...I usually don't talk about this, but evryone has made me feel quite at home. Life is a funny thing. I've drawn comics since I can remember. My first comic was a sequel to Return of the Jedi lol. Anyways, in 95 I did 6 issues of a mini comic and started sending them out. Like 4 years later I was approached by a publisher who wanted to publish the mini comic but wanted me to re-draw it. I did, but they didn't like the art and they wanted me to imitate Jamie Hernandez's art. To be honest I didn't really have the art chops for that at the time and talks fell through. Then I sold my car and spent my savings to print my first GN, and that went nowhere (I have 1,000 copies in my attic). Had I been picked up and published by that company that would have disqualified me from this contest.  Even funnier still is that now I'm re-drawing the story they wanted to published and have expanded it to GN length! It still doesn't look like Jaime Hernandez but it's not bad.

----------


## JVillain

> I actually find inhabiting characters, finding their voices, comes quite naturally to me.
> 
> It didn't always. A lot of what I've learned over the years has become more instinctual now.
> 
> But, if you do something for long enough, I do think it starts to come more naturally.
> 
> As for Riplclaw punching Velocity in the face... clearly she's an imposter, she's being mind controlled, she's about to put herself in danger and Ripclaw has decided to knock her unconscious so he can face the danger instead.
> 
> The only motivation Ripclaw would ever have for injuring Velocity is if it would be in her own interest. And it would need to be an extreme situation for him to take such extreme measures.
> ...


Well said, Bravo!! And you managed to turn my completely random example into an engaging plot! I want to read that comic now!

----------


## kate-n-bd

> I sent my Submision on sunday morning, and I walked away from it just to clear out my mind after three weeks of working on it. The hardest thing was trying to draw all this characters i know too little about. Since every picture i got from them for refernce is quite diferent each other, as if every artist seems to draw their likeness and outfits as pleased. So I'm sure i ended up doing the same, hope topcow's people look more at the artwork than the mistakes on the characters "uniforms". I used the likeness that K Rocafort designed for Cyberforce and for the artifacts bearers I used images from the very first 2 or 3 issues.
> Anyway, I like to know what you think about my pages. You can find them in my deviantart page here http://fcoesquivel.deviantart.com/
> 
> As for you people at TopCow, thanks for doing this contest, I hope you keep doing it for more years and for sure you will finding new talent out there.


Same here!  :Smile:  I couldn't start seriously working before March so after though 2 weeks of managing Talent Hunt and my regular job I've wanted to give myself a short brake and clear my mind.
The pages are really cool, actually I think that everyone who posted their works here did a great job. 
Good luck guys!

----------


## AndrewStroke

> You can find my pages here (Artifacts #12:
> 
> http://manatapu.deviantart.com/


I like your style. Clean and cohesive. You should try to put more details on your background, but other then that your pages are one of my favourite in this thread.



> Anyway, I like to know what you think about my pages. You can find them in my deviantart page here http://fcoesquivel.deviantart.com/


Neil Adams would be proud of you, great pages!



> Well, my goal is to be a comic writer. It's the medium that I've found that I'm best suited for.
> 
> You kinda find your own niche. I studied Screenwriting at university and made some good friends, each who are off doing there own things now.


Same story with me. Though I didn't study screenwriting or anything close to that.
But I am aiming to break into comic book industry, and writing for television or big screen is not my priority. It's a shame that many comic books nowadays are created with a sole purpose of selling them to TV studios. Medium should not be taking this direction.

----------


## eel4rt

hi! I just wanted to say that I'm really thankful for this great opportunity. It was definitely a big fun yet tough learning experience and certainly worth everything. Here's one of the pages I submitted in pencils. Best of wishes to everyone here, hope you enjoy  :Big Grin:  Artifacts #5 pg.7 EEL.jpg

----------


## yfm

Hello there  :Big Grin:  I'm actually really thankful and honored to be able to form part of this whole talent search. I hope for the best for all! Here's a page from my submission, hope you enjoy  :Smile: TalentHunt2014- Witchblade 134 pencils by Yasmín Flores Montañez Page 7.jpg

----------


## KY Matty

> I think the art is brilliant.
> 
> To be clear, I'm not an artist, as in, I'm not the artist on any of these projects. I'm the writer. I'm just lucky enough to have worked with some brilliant artists on small press publications. If you click on any of the images in my gallery, I've made sure to credit which artist worked on which piece.
> 
> I don't have many talents. Drawing definitely isn't one of them. But I am a really good writer. It's one of the few things I do really well.
> 
> 
> 
> Now the Talent Hunt is officially over, I think being conversational should be fine.
> ...


I have read and own the first two; I have not read _Supergods_ or _Words for Pictures._  I will check them out.  Another standard is Scott McCloud's _Understanding Comics_.  Besides being informative, it is quite entertaining.  Check it out if you haven't already.
Good luck with your projects!

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## KY Matty

> If it's cool to be conversational...I usually don't talk about this, but evryone has made me feel quite at home. Life is a funny thing. I've drawn comics since I can remember. My first comic was a sequel to Return of the Jedi lol. Anyways, in 95 I did 6 issues of a mini comic and started sending them out. Like 4 years later I was approached by a publisher who wanted to publish the mini comic but wanted me to re-draw it. I did, but they didn't like the art and they wanted me to imitate Jamie Hernandez's art. To be honest I didn't really have the art chops for that at the time and talks fell through. Then I sold my car and spent my savings to print my first GN, and that went nowhere (I have 1,000 copies in my attic). Had I been picked up and published by that company that would have disqualified me from this contest.  Even funnier still is that now I'm re-drawing the story they wanted to published and have expanded it to GN length! It still doesn't look like Jaime Hernandez but it's not bad.


That's an interesting origin story!
How much for a copy?

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## KY Matty

> I like your style. Clean and cohesive. You should try to put more details on your background, but other then that your pages are one of my favourite in this thread.
> 
> Neil Adams would be proud of you, great pages!
> 
> Same story with me. Though I didn't study screenwriting or anything close to that.
> But I am aiming to break into comic book industry, and writing for television or big screen is not my priority. It's a shame that many comic books nowadays are created with a sole purpose of selling them to TV studios. Medium should not be taking this direction.


I guess I'm out of the loop.  What books have been created for the sole purpose of selling them to TV studios?  Is this common? 
I think the two mediums were made for each other.  A friend of mine (aforementioned) was commissioned to write comics for the TV series _Heroes_.  He said it was easier than some of his former projects because the world was already created.  
I think the medium of storytelling itself is secondary to the creation of the world i.e. creating plot, characters, setting, rules for the world etc.  Not to downplay medium.  All of them require a different set of understanding.  I just think that a good writer may excel at one medium, but ought to be able to write for any of them.
I wonder what Mark Sylvestri thinks about medium and the direction of the comic book industry, particularly in regards to the success of _Witchblade_ as a TV series and then as a manga series.  I wonder how those two series affected book sales.  How unfortunate that _Witchblade_ is to this day the highest rated TV series to ever be cancelled.

----------


## A.J.

A response I got on LinkedIn.  My dad is a journalist so I have been raised that when you want to be seen, any attention is good attention.  The guy has a good point and this is something every artist should ask themselves at least once. 
LinkedIn_20150317_082821.jpg
Update:  I looked him up, learned about him, and messaged him.  I asked him for a critique and he was nice enough to give me one and I can already tell his advice was solid.

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## Top Cow Ryan

> I guess I'm out of the loop.  What books have been created for the sole purpose of selling them to TV studios?  Is this common?


Unfortunately, it really is. There's a philosophy that some publishers/editors have in comics (that I guess I'm pretty opposed to), that they should only pick up projects they can sell as a tv series, film, etc. In my opinion, comics is a beautiful medium all on its own, that doesn't need media crutches, and in limiting comics to whatever works for TV, you're only getting a bunch of conventional stuff that doesn't appreciate just how awesome panel-by-panel storytelling can be.

----------


## A.J.

> Unfortunately, it really is. There's a philosophy that some publishers/editors have in comics (that I guess I'm pretty opposed to), that they should only pick up projects they can sell as a tv series, film, etc. In my opinion, comics is a beautiful medium all on its own, that does need media crutches, and in limiting comics to whatever works for TV, you're only getting a bunch of conventional stuff that doesn't appreciate just how awesome panel-by-panel storytelling can be.


This.  Just a thought, but with tech the way it is growing these days, a lot of the limitations were in production cost.  Pretty soon I believe, we will have new cgi programs (sort of like what autodesk sketchbook or manga studio are to photoshop) that make maya quality renders and videos slimming a production team down to a production person/people.  If a Movie or a TV show only cost a couple grand to make, we would see a lot more movies and genres being experimented with (a lot like the movie Legend, Pan's Labyrinth or the first Spiderman).
Comics are great on their own.  I am really grateful that we still use this awesome medium and hope that we don't start replacing books with screens and neutral implants.  Video games are a bit different.  I would gladly go into and induced 8 hour coma to actually be in a different world where life is health bars, epic loot and we all have chat bubbles above our heads.

----------


## Temujin

> I like your style. Clean and cohesive. You should try to put more details on your background, but other then that your pages are one of my favourite in this thread.


Thank you. It was a bit difficult for me with a 12 hours day job. But it was a lot fun!!

----------


## artistjosh

As others have said a lot of great talent here. Good luck to everyone.

I hope a lot of you are working on something for yourself to publish, or with someone. Only a few artists can win, but I can see me ready any one of your books.

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## AndrewStroke

> What books have been created for the sole purpose of selling them to TV studios?


Well, I can even name those. Mark Millar's books are aimed to get on a big screen - see Kick-Ass, Secret Service (especially Secret Service), even Nemesis was in development at some point. Some movie rights were sold before the book was even released, I mean CMON.
"Real Heroes" is Bryan Hitch's attempt to do, what Millar did. He even traced characters from Jaden Smith and Chris Pine, so casting would be easier.
"Sheltered" was made solely to sell rights to TV channels.




> I think the two mediums were made for each other.


Well yeah, but comic books kinda work like TV series pitches in this case, don't you think?




> He said it was easier than some of his former projects because the world was already created.


That's what we did for Top Cow Talent Hunt!  :Big Grin:

----------


## JazzyJason

> Unfortunately, it really is. There's a philosophy that some publishers/editors have in comics (that I guess I'm pretty opposed to), that they should only pick up projects they can sell as a tv series, film, etc. In my opinion, comics is a beautiful medium all on its own, that doesn't need media crutches, and in limiting comics to whatever works for TV, you're only getting a bunch of conventional stuff that doesn't appreciate just how awesome panel-by-panel storytelling can be.


Very much agree, comics are a valid art form on their own.  If and when they lend themselves to mass media/big budget interpretations, great.  (This has happened with a lot of success, lately.  Maybe this  philosophy of only picking projects that can be sold this way too, comes from that, and ironically makes us comic fans victims of that success.)

Some friends, and my wife too, think of comic books as just kid's stuff, and sometimes call them "graphic novels" (even individual issues), in a well-intended effort to give comics more validity or something.

I buy comic books, I collect comic books, I love comic books, and many thanks to all the people at Top Cow for creating a competition like this.  You clearly are fellow comic book lovers, and it is so cool for you to give us the chance to submit our own creative ideas to the Top Cow Comic Book Universe!

----------


## itchytwitch

Thanks Pauul and Ryan for all the feedback,  there's a lot of strong work being posted here, congrats to everyone for finishing the submission, if it was like me, it was quite daunting towards the deadline.  I've posted mine here as well 

http://itchytwitch.deviantart.com/

Good luck and thanks to everyone and Top Cow for putting the talent search on!

----------


## JVillain

> That's an interesting origin story!
> How much for a copy?


Cover price is $8.00 but u can have it for $4. Send me an email at JVillain78@gmail.com, and I will reply with the address to send the funds to.

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## JVillain

> Unfortunately, it really is. There's a philosophy that some publishers/editors have in comics (that I guess I'm pretty opposed to), that they should only pick up projects they can sell as a tv series, film, etc. In my opinion, comics is a beautiful medium all on its own, that doesn't need media crutches, and in limiting comics to whatever works for TV, you're only getting a bunch of conventional stuff that doesn't appreciate just how awesome panel-by-panel storytelling can be.


Unfortunately I see so many younger artists with that same attitude, like you haven't even broken in and you automatically think you're gonna b a millionaire. It depends, some things work well across all media and some don't. That's Why I think Watchmen didn't work well as a movie. I mean it was fine...but the comic was epic. It was a story that was meant to be read not watched.

----------


## SaraKpn

Hi there, I heard you guys were gonna email all participants to confirm the arrival of our works. I know there's lots of contestants, so when can we expect this email, just so I know the average timeframe for this.

Thanks again for this wondeful opportunity. I'll be keeping my eyes on upcoming talent hunts as well. You guys are awesome!

----------


## Daniel Brian Mobley

> Hi there, I heard you guys were gonna email all participants to confirm the arrival of our works. I know there's lots of contestants, so when can we expect this email, just so I know the average timeframe for this.
> 
> Thanks again for this wondeful opportunity. I'll be keeping my eyes on upcoming talent hunts as well. You guys are awesome!


Top Cow Ryan informed us that the confirmation email would be to us in about two weeks--maybe even by the end of this week if things go as planned. :Smile:

----------


## A.J.

> Unfortunately I see so many younger artists with that same attitude, like you haven't even broken in and you automatically think you're gonna b a millionaire. It depends, some things work well across all media and some don't. That's Why I think Watchmen didn't work well as a movie. I mean it was fine...but the comic was epic. It was a story that was meant to be read not watched.


This is funny cause I tell people all the time that just because your famous doesn't make you rich.  In this industry sometimes it feels like you need to be famous to start making any kind of decent money.  Even then, it helps, but does not guarantee  anything.

----------


## KY Matty

> Well, I can even name those. Mark Millar's books are aimed to get on a big screen - see Kick-Ass, Secret Service (especially Secret Service), even Nemesis was in development at some point. Some movie rights were sold before the book was even released, I mean CMON.
> "Real Heroes" is Bryan Hitch's attempt to do, what Millar did. He even traced characters from Jaden Smith and Chris Pine, so casting would be easier.
> "Sheltered" was made solely to sell rights to TV channels.


I had no idea, especially about _Kick-ass_, I loved the book and the movie.  I just assumed that cinematic technology finally caught up with the comic book aesthetic and the directors got hip to the promise of the industry and started capitalizing on it.  That's pretty smart about drawing characters intentionally for casting.  Must've got that idea from Nick Fury.

[/QUOTE]Well yeah, but comic books kinda work like TV series pitches in this case, don't you think?[/QUOTE]
Perfectly.

[/QUOTE]That's what we did for Top Cow Talent Hunt!  :Big Grin: [/QUOTE]
True dat!

I obviously have yet to master the use of the thread quotes.

----------


## KY Matty

> Unfortunately, it really is. There's a philosophy that some publishers/editors have in comics (that I guess I'm pretty opposed to), that they should only pick up projects they can sell as a tv series, film, etc. In my opinion, comics is a beautiful medium all on its own, that doesn't need media crutches, and in limiting comics to whatever works for TV, you're only getting a bunch of conventional stuff that doesn't appreciate just how awesome panel-by-panel storytelling can be.


Right on, about comics as its own medium.
Here's what I'm wondering.  I've looked up a little about the affect of the movie industry and book sales.  I just assumed that the movie franchises were booming book sales, but it seems that isn't always the case.  Do you think the film industry is hurting the comic book industry artistically or marketing-wise?  I would think that it would be drawing in new readership, but I'm seeing conflicting research in that area.

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## JVillain

> Right on, about comics as its own medium.
> Here's what I'm wondering.  I've looked up a little about the affect of the movie industry and book sales.  I just assumed that the movie franchises were booming book sales, but it seems that isn't always the case.  Do you think the film industry is hurting the comic book industry artistically or marketing-wise?  I would think that it would be drawing in new readership, but I'm seeing conflicting research in that area.


It's a real Chicken or the Egg thing. I mean how many more people read Thor after the movie came out? And how long did it last? I think the movies help sell other merchandise...but maybe comics not so much. Comics is something you have to sit down and read...there's a large section of public that will go to a movie, but they don't read. I'm always amazed at how many people don't read. I do think it can bring attention and publicity to an artist or their work, and lead to more work and movie deals. Like it did for Millard, Moore, and Harvey Pekar (One of my favorite comic book movies ever)

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## AndrewStroke

> Must've got that idea from Nick Fury.


It's funny you mentioned Fury, since Millar and Hitch were the ones that introduced him in Ultimates. And Ultimates itself looks like a typical blockbuster movie, so...



> Like it did for Millard, Moore


Moore? As in Alan Moore? I doubt he needed that attention.

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## JVillain

> It's funny you mentioned Fury, since Millar and Hitch were the ones that introduced him in Ultimates. And Ultimates itself looks like a typical blockbuster movie, so...
> 
> Moore? As in Alan Moore? I doubt he needed that attention.


It seems in retrospect, that the Ultimates, was kind of a Hollywood pitch. Remember that first storyline which culminated in them having to fight the hulk. And now it's happening in Age of Ultron.

Also, sure Alan Moore was famous within the comics community and while there would be no shortage of work in comics, I'm sure it's nice to keep cashing them royalty checks. There's a rumor that he was involved in the script for Watchmen...I know Dave Gibbons had a writing credit. This cross pollination of comic writers, writing movies and vice versa is kind of a new thing. Jeph Loeb and Kevin Smith were the first guys to do it. Before that it was like comic writers write comics...they don't know squat about movies

----------


## Killscreen

> Thank you Ryan! 
> 
> From what I see here most artists prefered Artifacts #5.
> 
> You can find my pages here (Artifacts #12:
> 
> http://manatapu.deviantart.com/


Holy crap man these are amazing pages, I love the crisp solid lines and the proportions of the characters' bodies. Would love to read a book with this art!

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## JVillain

Hey, anyone here read Witchblade 181? I'm curious to hear what the writers and artists here have to say about it. I thought the whole storyline felt kind of rushed...like this probably would have been a four issue arch. Also...I have a question. Do souls exist in the Top Cow Universe. If souls did not exist then everything makes sense, but... I been thinking about artifacts and the whole rebirth thing...when the universe ended... Did the event also destroy the souls of people? If it didn't then how thorough was Jackie in making sure everyone's soul is where they should be, but how could he kow who is who outside of the circle of people he already knew? Also, if souls did exist, but we're destroyed in the destruction of the universe how did Jackie manage to recreate them?

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## hunter_peterson

> Hey, anyone here read Witchblade 181? I'm curious to hear what the writers and artists here have to say about it. I thought the whole storyline felt kind of rushed...like this probably would have been a four issue arch. Also...I have a question. Do souls exist in the Top Cow Universe. If souls did not exist then everything makes sense, but... I been thinking about artifacts and the whole rebirth thing...when the universe ended... Did the event also destroy the souls of people? If it didn't then how thorough was Jackie in making sure everyone's soul is where they should be, but how could he kow who is who outside of the circle of people he already knew? Also, if souls did exist, but we're destroyed in the destruction of the universe how did Jackie manage to recreate them?


I read it. I was expecting something more epic and less along the lines of a home invasion killing Jackie, but it wasn't completely out of nowhere. 

As for the souls of all the people, I think all the living souls just transferred to the new version of their bodies/timeline. Most of that probably resulted from Hope's being killed, because she was the Codex of the dead universe. They would be recreated the same, except where the intentional changes overlap with their timelines. 

The problem with Hope and Jenny was that they were dead, so he had to recreate them using the Darkness. Hence Darkness-empowered creepy Hope as opposed to child of the Darkness and the Witchblade Hope. Not the same person at all, but still a hybrid. And then you have the Jenny who only has memories of her life that come from Jackie, so she's not really a whole person. She's a shadow of a dead woman. So I'd say that Jackie didn't bring either one back from the dead, he just made people who are similar looking. 

So souls appear to exist, but Jackie only thought he had recreated two souls and was wrong.

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## yfm

Excellent composition! You have an old school look, but I love it! There's a dynamic movement in the piece. I can even feel the  desperation of the character.  Great work!

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## eel4rt

Beautiful artwork, really fresh. Love it!

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## eel4rt

> Hello there  I'm actually really thankful and honored to be able to form part of this whole talent search. I hope for the best for all! Here's a page from my submission, hope you enjoy Attachment 19417


Beautiful artwork, really fresh. Love it! do you have a page where we could find more of your art?

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## yfm

> hi! I just wanted to say that I'm really thankful for this great opportunity. It was definitely a big fun yet tough learning experience and certainly worth everything. Here's one of the pages I submitted in pencils. Best of wishes to everyone here, hope you enjoy  Attachment 19415


Excellent composition! You have an old school look, but I love it! There's a dynamic movement in the piece. I can even feel the desperation of the character. Great work!

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## JVillain

> I read it. I was expecting something more epic and less along the lines of a home invasion killing Jackie, but it wasn't completely out of nowhere


I don't have a problem with sudden deaths...they can be striking, and carry great emotional impact...like when Dicapprio got shot in Departed. (SPOILERS AHEAD) But maybe it's readers expectations from characters that have such a long history together.  Or maybe its because they have been hyping it so much. Also it didn't seem like something Sara was capable of, killing her child in front of the parent like that. It seemed to me that maybe she was under the influence of Aram. I guess we will find out more in future issues. 




> As for the souls of all the people, I think all the living souls just transferred to the new version of their bodies/timeline. Most of that probably resulted from Hope's being killed, because she was the Codex of the dead universe. They would be recreated the same, except where the intentional changes overlap with their timelines.


Here is where I got lost a little,for example the Survivor's plan was to recreate his own lost universe. When his universe got destroyed the new universe did not resemble his own and did not contain his wife and children. So souls either did not exist, or were deatroyed, or he carried them inside of himself as the codex. If what you say is right and the only reason that souls were freed and able to inhabit their own bodies was that Hope was killed, then the Survivor would have had to commit suicide in order to release the souls from his universe..how could he recreate the universe if he was dead? In 181 Jackie said he just spoke the universe into existence...how could he speak into existence the things and people he didn't know about? He wasn't the Codex. 




> The problem with Hope and Jenny was that they were dead, so he had to recreate them using the Darkness. Hence Darkness-empowered creepy Hope as opposed to child of the Darkness and the Witchblade Hope. Not the same person at all, but still a hybrid. And then you have the Jenny who only has memories of her life that come from Jackie, so she's not really a whole person. She's a shadow of a dead woman. So I'd say that Jackie didn't bring either one back from the dead, he just made people who are similar looking.


Everyone was dead at the end only Hope, Sara, and Jackie were left. If souls exist, then although their bodies were gone, both Jenny and Hope's souls should be intact, so why would he have to recreate them without souls and as part of the darkness. If he had to recreate the universe from Darkness...then everyone with the exception of Sara is the same and made of Darkness. And if Jenny is made of Darkness...how can the Angelus posess her? If when Jackie died all Darkness was gone from the earth, how is it that Jenny, Hope and everyone else is still around?




> So souls appear to exist, but Jackie only thought he had recreated two souls and was wrong.


I think there is probably something else going on here. There may be some cool story threads that weren't picked up...identity and how Jackie re -created the universe.

----------


## eel4rt

> Excellent composition! You have an old school look, but I love it! There's a dynamic movement in the piece. I can even feel the desperation of the character. Great work!


Thank you!

----------


## hunter_peterson

> I don't have a problem with sudden deaths...they can be striking, and carry great emotional impact...like when Dicapprio got shot in Departed. (SPOILERS AHEAD) But maybe it's readers expectations from characters that have such a long history together.  Or maybe its because they have been hyping it so much. Also it didn't seem like something Sara was capable of, killing her child in front of the parent like that. It seemed to me that maybe she was under the influence of Aram. I guess we will find out more in future issues.


I think it was partially the hype, which made me expect a bigger scale to the death than there was. And yeah, Aram has totally stepped forward as a grand manipulator. He definitely played Sara, it'll be interesting to see if he pops up as a villain in her book. Alternately, him as Hope's Darkness mentor would be interesting if she got a book. It's definitely left things in an interesting place. 




> Here is where I got lost a little,for example the Survivor's plan was to recreate his own lost universe. When his universe got destroyed the new universe did not resemble his own and did not contain his wife and children. So souls either did not exist, or were deatroyed, or he carried them inside of himself as the codex. If what you say is right and the only reason that souls were freed and able to inhabit their own bodies was that Hope was killed, then the Survivor would have had to commit suicide in order to release the souls from his universe..how could he recreate the universe if he was dead? In 181 Jackie said he just spoke the universe into existence...how could he speak into existence the things and people he didn't know about? He wasn't the Codex.


I agree that it's hard to tell exactly how the Codex works. I think that when the Artifacts destroy a universe they actually just collapse it into the Codex, and either their death or their will can bring it back. It's possible if Hope were n

ot a baby she wouldn't have to have died, because she could have just restarted the universe willingly. But we really don't know. And, of course, the Survivor could have just been crazy and his plan would only have destroyed the universe, never making his own return. Which is actually a pretty cool explanation, IMHO. 




> Everyone was dead at the end only Hope, Sara, and Jackie were left. If souls exist, then although their bodies were gone, both Jenny and Hope's souls should be intact, so why would he have to recreate them without souls and as part of the darkness. If he had to recreate the universe from Darkness...then everyone with the exception of Sara is the same and made of Darkness. And if Jenny is made of Darkness...how can the Angelus posess her? If when Jackie died all Darkness was gone from the earth, how is it that Jenny, Hope and everyone else is still around?


Like I said, for it to work he universe would have to collapse into the Codex. But not being able to recreate Jenny and Hope correctly implies that Hell is not part of the universe in a literal sense, being more a parallel dimension tethered to it. Because Hell is where all dead people go in the TCU, it would mean that the dead all stay dead. 

So Jackie created Jenny incomplete- though she must just be his memories given form by the recreation of the world- a soulless woman. But with Hope, he made her not Sara's daughter. This removed the influence of the Witchblade from her biology and soul and left her solely the child of him and the Darkness, because Jenny was likely created afterwards. Which is why she was corrupted by it- she's a human/Darkness hybrid as opposed to a human/Darkness/Witchblade hybrid. 

Which, in turn, might be why Darkness-created things continue to survive in the TCU. Hope is a lifeline for all that. But also, Jackie isn't actually fully dead. He's returning in IXth Generation at some point. So there's no reason for anything to disappear. I don't think creatures crafted from Darkness actually need their creator to function anyway. Assuming it works similarly to the Angelus Warriors, they are their own being as soon as they are created. 




> I think there is probably something else going on here. There may be some cool story threads that weren't picked up...identity and how Jackie re -created the universe.


Yeah, I still would really like to see exactly what he did, just to clarify things. We don't know how Jackie actually changed the world, because we haven't seen it. A lot of loose threads left dangling for future writers, I suppose.

----------


## omorales81

I agree the instructions were rather confusing, especially for someone who had never read a Top Cow book before. I have never heard of any of these titles before I started doing research late last year. I really struggled with how someone could list something like The Spear Of Destiny or the Coin of Solomon as a "character" as I read those things to be inanimate objects.

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## omorales81

I did a Magdalena story. I really hope this is an allowed character and my script isn't tossed out. Guess I'll find out sooner or later.

----------


## A.J.

> I did a Magdalena story. I really hope this is an allowed character and my script isn't tossed out. Guess I'll find out sooner or later.


I think this was one of the characters allowed.

----------


## hunter_peterson

> I think this was one of the characters allowed.


You were basically allowed to use any character in the shared Top Cow Universe, so it seems. They preferred an Artifact or Cyberforce play some role in the story, though. 

Just received my submission confirmation! So exciting! I wonder how many scripts they have to work through?

----------


## omorales81

> I think this was one of the characters allowed.


Cool, thanks for the vote of confidence! I got a confirmation e-mail just a bit ago from Matt and Ryan, so hopefully that means I followed the rules correctly! #MakeComics

----------


## Pauul

> Well said, Bravo!! And you managed to turn my completely random example into an engaging plot! I want to read that comic now!


Yeah, as soon as I wrote the bit about Ripclaw knocking out Velocity to take her place, face danger himself... I kinda wish I'd written that comic now  :Stick Out Tongue: 

Oh well, if I don't win this year, I can always write it for next year's Talent Hunt.




> Same story with me. Though I didn't study screenwriting or anything close to that.
> But I am aiming to break into comic book industry, and writing for television or big screen is not my priority. It's a shame that many comic books nowadays are created with a sole purpose of selling them to TV studios. Medium should not be taking this direction.


True. But I think a lot of people who have the goal in mind of writing for television and film, through comics, are setting themselves up to fail.

Well, as a qualification my Masters degree in Screenwriting really isn't that useful. However, what I learned studying it, I'm still using today.




> Well, I can even name those. Mark Millar's books are aimed to get on a big screen - see Kick-Ass, Secret Service (especially Secret Service), even Nemesis was in development at some point. Some movie rights were sold before the book was even released, I mean CMON.
> "Real Heroes" is Bryan Hitch's attempt to do, what Millar did. He even traced characters from Jaden Smith and Chris Pine, so casting would be easier.
> "Sheltered" was made solely to sell rights to TV channels.


Mark Millar is probably an exception to the rule. His stuff works as comic books and translated into film.

And he absolutely understands the business of comic books.

He's a nice and approachable guy too. He gave a talk at the Screen Academy in Edinburgh while I was studying there, which really encouraged me to give writing comics another shot. I chatted briefly to him at the Kapow Comic Con. I even ran into him once at Edinburgh Zoo.




> Unfortunately, it really is. There's a philosophy that some publishers/editors have in comics (that I guess I'm pretty opposed to), that they should only pick up projects they can sell as a tv series, film, etc. In my opinion, comics is a beautiful medium all on its own, that doesn't need media crutches, and in limiting comics to whatever works for TV, you're only getting a bunch of conventional stuff that doesn't appreciate just how awesome panel-by-panel storytelling can be.


Well said.

I'm all for comic being adapted in television and film.

I'm a regular viewer of stuff like 'Agents of SHIELD', 'The Flash' and I absolutely loved 'Constantine'.

But they are all things which weren't written with the goal of being adapted, which makes nonsense of the notion of publishers looking for something which could be turned into a movie or series.

If something I wrote was ever adapted for another medium, it would be awesome. But I could never write with that goal in mind.




> I have read and own the first two; I have not read Supergods or Words for Pictures. I will check them out. Another standard is Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. Besides being informative, it is quite entertaining. Check it out if you haven't already.
> Good luck with your projects!


'Words for Pictures' really delves into the business side of the industry. How to approach editors and how the process works. If you want to write comics, these are things you need to understand. It is a great read.

Grant Morrison's 'Supergods' is more abstract. He's dealing with archetypes and themes. It's interesting and useful, but in an entirely different way.




> Also, sure Alan Moore was famous within the comics community and while there would be no shortage of work in comics, I'm sure it's nice to keep cashing them royalty checks. There's a rumor that he was involved in the script for Watchmen...I know Dave Gibbons had a writing credit. This cross pollination of comic writers, writing movies and vice versa is kind of a new thing. Jeph Loeb and Kevin Smith were the first guys to do it. Before that it was like comic writers write comics...they don't know squat about movies


No, just, no. Alan Moore hates Hollywood. He hates having his work adapted, he's been burned too many times. And beyond film, he's distancing himself from the mainstream comic book industry too now. He only allowed Marvel to reprint 'Miracleman' if they removed his name and he requested the money be sent to Mick Anglo instead.

He specifically requested he _not_ be credited at all in regards to the 'Watchmen' movie.

It's a perspective I can understand, even if it's one I don't share.




> Hey, anyone here read Witchblade 181? I'm curious to hear what the writers and artists here have to say about it. I thought the whole storyline felt kind of rushed...like this probably would have been a four issue arch. Also...I have a question. Do souls exist in the Top Cow Universe. If souls did not exist then everything makes sense, but... I been thinking about artifacts and the whole rebirth thing...when the universe ended... Did the event also destroy the souls of people? If it didn't then how thorough was Jackie in making sure everyone's soul is where they should be, but how could he kow who is who outside of the circle of people he already knew? Also, if souls did exist, but we're destroyed in the destruction of the universe how did Jackie manage to recreate them?


Souls exist, that is pretty well established.

Jackie basically just recreated everything that went before, changing a few events. I believe the implication being that all the information he needed to do this was stored within the original version of Hope, as she was the Codex.




> I read it. I was expecting something more epic and less along the lines of a home invasion killing Jackie, but it wasn't completely out of nowhere.
> 
> As for the souls of all the people, I think all the living souls just transferred to the new version of their bodies/timeline. Most of that probably resulted from Hope's being killed, because she was the Codex of the dead universe. They would be recreated the same, except where the intentional changes overlap with their timelines.
> 
> The problem with Hope and Jenny was that they were dead, so he had to recreate them using the Darkness. Hence Darkness-empowered creepy Hope as opposed to child of the Darkness and the Witchblade Hope. Not the same person at all, but still a hybrid. And then you have the Jenny who only has memories of her life that come from Jackie, so she's not really a whole person. She's a shadow of a dead woman. So I'd say that Jackie didn't bring either one back from the dead, he just made people who are similar looking.
> 
> So souls appear to exist, but Jackie only thought he had recreated two souls and was wrong.


I reckon he probably pulled Jenny's soul from Hell, as he did with Julie Pezzini, who he also brought back to life.

I think Hope Estacado probably has the soul of Hope Pezzini, but no longer being the Codex and the child of Sara altered her and corrupted her.

This story certainly could've been grander in scale. There are story threads which weren't resolved. If I'd known it wouldn't include the other Artifact bearers, I'd probably have written a script dealing with them for the Talent Hunt. 'Darkness Rises' has a nice ring. Before the Darkness can Fall, it must first Rise.

A special should be devoted to showing how Finch lost the Angelus. Along with Dani, she's an important character. Plus there was Tom Judge's mission to take down Jackie. And it would've been nice to see the Ancient Ones feature too.




> I did a Magdalena story. I really hope this is an allowed character and my script isn't tossed out. Guess I'll find out sooner or later.


The Magdalena and the Spear of Destiny was definitely something you could write about.

And, I just got my confirmation e-mail as well. Wonderful.

According to Matt on Twitter, the winners will be announced mid May. Which will probably place it right on top of my birthday. Which, I guess will either make it the best birthday ever or a really depressing one  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## Pauul

If anybody has yet to see this - Oni Press is doing open submissions in May.

http://onipress.tumblr.com/post/1140...-coming-in-may

There aren't many details yet, although I imagine the process for artists will be pretty similar to Top Cow's process.

Apparently, they will be accepting submissions and pitches from writers too. Although, they haven't stated exactly what they would require yet. I know, for instance, that if a writer wants to submit a proposal to Image, that they already need to have at least five pages inked and lettered. So, that means working with an artist.

Whatever they require, I doubt it will be quite as open as the Top Cow Talent Hunt is to writers. Allowing writers to simply submit scripts is somewhat unheard of. It's why the Talent Hunt really is a terrific thing for writers.

Hopefully we'll get more details as May approaches.

----------


## A.J.

Two things:

1.  Is everybody hanging in there ok?  I'm trying not to think about it, but my nerves are racked.

2.  Does anyone know a scienceandsorcery on deviantart?  Four of my pages got liked and it looks like the account got deleted.  I wouldn't put it past Matt (most likely) or Marc to have a name like that.  I'm probably just looking too hard for something that's not there, but did anyone else get a page like from a deleted account on deviantart?

----------


## KY Matty

> Cover price is $8.00 but u can have it for $4. Send me an email at JVillain78@gmail.com, and I will reply with the address to send the funds to.


Hey man,
Of all the things, today is my birthday and I received your book in the mail.  That's really cool, man.  I look forward to reading it!

----------


## KY Matty

I'm glad to see this thread isn't dead.  I've been meaning to get back on here, but between being under the weather and a million other things, this has been my first opportunity.
So, in light of receiving the confirmation emails I'm curious.  I know it's pointless to do, but has anybody thought of ways they think they could have made their scripts better?  It's out there and that's that and I'm still very happy with what I submitted.  But, I made 11 drafts of my script and throughout the process there were three or four drastic changes I made.  Around draft six I eliminated something I really liked for the sake of character development and have now thought of a way to have kept it.  
Well, what do you do?  I'm proud of my work.

----------


## JVillain

> If anybody has yet to see this - Oni Press is doing open submissions in May.
> 
> http://onipress.tumblr.com/post/1140...-coming-in-may
> 
> There aren't many details yet, although I imagine the process for artists will be pretty similar to Top Cow's process.
> 
> Apparently, they will be accepting submissions and pitches from writers too. Although, they haven't stated exactly what they would require yet. I know, for instance, that if a writer wants to submit a proposal to Image, that they already need to have at least five pages inked and lettered. So, that means working with an artist.
> 
> Whatever they require, I doubt it will be quite as open as the Top Cow Talent Hunt is to writers. Allowing writers to simply submit scripts is somewhat unheard of. It's why the Talent Hunt really is a terrific thing for writers.
> ...


Dude, you are the Guardian Angel of this thread! Seems like another great opportunity to get out there. It's funny because I had just checked their website last week to look for submission guidelines and they had a post that said absolutely under no circumstances send blind submissions etc. Anyway, you're the man! I know you got artists you work with but if you ever need help with anything let me know..it's the least any of us could do for all your help.

----------


## JVillain

> Two things:
> 
> 1.  Is everybody hanging in there ok?  I'm trying not to think about it, but my nerves are racked.
> 
> 2.  Does anyone know a scienceandsorcery on deviantart?  Four of my pages got liked and it looks like the account got deleted.  I wouldn't put it past Matt (most likely) or Marc to have a name like that.  I'm probably just looking too hard for something that's not there, but did anyone else get a page like from a deleted account on deviantart?


No but now that you mention Deviant Art, I been unable to post art there for about a week now. Anyone else having this problem?  I can post status, and journal..but not art.

----------


## JVillain

Happy Birthday! Enjoy!

----------


## JVillain

> I'm glad to see this thread isn't dead.  I've been meaning to get back on here, but between being under the weather and a million other things, this has been my first opportunity.
> So, in light of receiving the confirmation emails I'm curious.  I know it's pointless to do, but has anybody thought of ways they think they could have made their scripts better?  It's out there and that's that and I'm still very happy with what I submitted.  But, I made 11 drafts of my script and throughout the process there were three or four drastic changes I made.  Around draft six I eliminated something I really liked for the sake of character development and have now thought of a way to have kept it.  
> Well, what do you do?  I'm proud of my work.


Only thing I regret is my first story idea was a Ripclaw story that I really liked, but then I dropped it completely...and did a Witchblade story and a Ji-Xi story instead. I had enough time to squeeze that third script in there but didn't. I echo your sentiment though..I'm proud and lets see what happens

----------


## A.J.

> No but now that you mention Deviant Art, I been unable to post art there for about a week now. Anyone else having this problem?  I can post status, and journal..but not art.


Last time I posted was right after the top cow submission and I didn't have any trouble then.  JVillain was that you on deviantart?

----------


## Marko Svraka

Hi all!
Here are the first 4 pages from my submission, I'll probably upload 4 more tomorrow.
Some of the pages that i included in my submission definitely required more work, so I decided to finish them as I intended in the first place, even tho I already sent them in.
I had a lot of stuff to do so i started pretty late with this contest, I was rushing to meet the deadline and that's the reason some of the pages that i submitted don't look quite finished.
Having said that, here are the first 4 pages that i did, these are finished, and i wish all of you best of luck  :Smile:

----------


## Marko Svraka

And the 4th one
CF page 4png.jpg

----------


## Marko Svraka

If you like, you can see bigger resolution images on my facebook.
Cheers  :Smile: 

https://www.facebook.com/marko.svrak...7240464&type=3

----------


## yfm

> Beautiful artwork, really fresh. Love it! do you have a page where we could find more of your art?



Thank you! Yes, you can find me on facebook.
Best wishes, Yasmín 
https://www.facebook.com/yasfmart

----------


## JazzyJason

> Two things:
> 
> 1.  Is everybody hanging in there ok?  I'm trying not to think about it, but my nerves are racked.
> 
> 2.  Does anyone know a scienceandsorcery on deviantart?  Four of my pages got liked and it looks like the account got deleted.  I wouldn't put it past Matt (most likely) or Marc to have a name like that.  I'm probably just looking too hard for something that's not there, but did anyone else get a page like from a deleted account on deviantart?



A bit nervous, no doubt, but excited too.

Someone said Oni Press is having some kind of open submissions starting in May, so that's something else to think about/focus on for now!  =]

Sorry, don't know anything about deviantart, mine was a script submission.  Sounds odd an account would just be deleted, though...

----------


## KY Matty

> Happy Birthday! Enjoy!


Man, I read your book.  I'm impressed.  It's got a very Robert Crumb feel.  You have conflict right off the bat and you make the reader care about the characters.  It's a nice satirical peek into a world that makes an unfamiliar reader want to learn more about.  The artwork matches the dark comedy.  There's something slightly Hemingway-esque about it.  I can't put my finger on it.  Plus, the visual of the bull metaphor is pretty awesome.  And your filler comics are cool.  For some reason they remind me of _Napoleon Dynamite._  Maybe it's the humor.
Thanks for the read.

----------


## JVillain

> Last time I posted was right after the top cow submission and I didn't have any trouble then.  JVillain was that you on deviantart?


Yeah that's me. Not much on there now but soon I'm gonna start posting my newer stuff.

----------


## KY Matty

> Hi all!
> Here are the first 4 pages from my submission, I'll probably upload 4 more tomorrow.
> Some of the pages that i included in my submission definitely required more work, so I decided to finish them as I intended in the first place, even tho I already sent them in.
> I had a lot of stuff to do so i started pretty late with this contest, I was rushing to meet the deadline and that's the reason some of the pages that i submitted don't look quite finished.
> Having said that, here are the first 4 pages that i did, these are finished, and i wish all of you best of luck


You're awesome.

----------


## JVillain

> Man, I read your book.  I'm impressed.  It's got a very Robert Crumb feel.  You have conflict right off the bat and you make the reader care about the characters.  It's a nice satirical peek into a world that makes an unfamiliar reader want to learn more about.  The artwork matches the dark comedy.  There's something slightly Hemingway-esque about it.  I can't put my finger on it.  Plus, the visual of the bull metaphor is pretty awesome.  And your filler comics are cool.  For some reason they remind me of _Napoleon Dynamite._  Maybe it's the humor.
> Thanks for the read.


Man, thanks for the kind words! Hemingway is by far my favorite author. I actually borrowed the bull metaphor from Hemingway who referred to the blank page as the great white bull. A lot of the art stuff is basically my own real life experience trying to navigate the absurd politics of the art world. I created Love Parade as a funny little book to hand out to people at cons. There's more issues but I recently moved into a new apt and there's just boxes everywhere and I couldn't find them. Anyway, I'm really happy you liked the book.

----------


## KY Matty

> 1.  Is everybody hanging in there ok?  I'm trying not to think about it, but my nerves are racked.


Man, I am hopefully optimistic, but Im not nervous.  Ive been in the entertainment industry for a long time and Ive found that for every win you have to suffer at least 50 - 100 losses.  If my script gets picked, Ill be so excited that Ill do a backflip (Ill have to take gymnastics lessons for this).  But, if my script isnt picked, Im not going to be devastated.  Ill just write 100 more comic scripts and the 101st one might just get picked up somewhere.

----------


## KY Matty

> Man, thanks for the kind words! Hemingway is by far my favorite author. I actually borrowed the bull metaphor from Hemingway who referred to the blank page as the great white bull. A lot of the art stuff is basically my own real life experience trying to navigate the absurd politics of the art world. I created Love Parade as a funny little book to hand out to people at cons. There's more issues but I recently moved into a new apt and there's just boxes everywhere and I couldn't find them. Anyway, I'm really happy you liked the book.


I was not familiar with the blank page metaphor.  Awesome.  But, now that I think about it, the bull stuff is also kind of like the cover of my copy of _The Sun Also Rises_.  Also, the characterization and the going in and out of Spanish gives it a similar feel to that novel.
That's funny stuff when you are going on about how you can't get a show without an agent and you can't get an agent without a show.  I have had similar experiences in the writing industry and the music industry.
Are you a Hunter S. Thompson fan?  Before I entered into my M.A. I had read that Hunter transcribed a Hemingway novel.  So, in preparation for the program I transcribed _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_.  It did not serve to be as effective of an exercise as I had hoped.  #wasteoftime

----------


## HARDAC

> 1.  Is everybody hanging in there ok?  I'm trying not to think about it, but my nerves are racked.


Talent Hunt Year One - I was a complete mess from the time I sent in my submission until the winners were announced. I checked Matt's Twitter feed daily to see if there had been any kind of announcement, refreshed my email every chance I got, and checked every email in my spam folder to make 100% sure I didn't miss anything. I also dreamt about both winning and losing.

Talent Hunt Year Two - I was a little antsy for the first few weeks, but I started working on a new project around that time and my focus naturally shifted there. I checked Matt's feed weekly, but losing the year before had tempered my expectations and excitement a bit. Also, about a month after submitting I reread my script and found that I didn't really like it anymore. Because of that, I almost didn't submit this year.

Talent Hunt Year Three - I really haven't thought about it much since submitting. I've checked this forum a few times, but I've realized that worrying about it will do me no good at all. I'm content with whatever outcome because I know losing won't be the end of the road. I'll either have a cool new gig in a few months or I'll move on to something new.

It's hard to do, but don't stress too much. It's completely out of your hands now, so just relax and move forward  :Smile:

----------


## HARDAC

> I'm glad to see this thread isn't dead.  I've been meaning to get back on here, but between being under the weather and a million other things, this has been my first opportunity.
> So, in light of receiving the confirmation emails I'm curious.  I know it's pointless to do, but has anybody thought of ways they think they could have made their scripts better?  It's out there and that's that and I'm still very happy with what I submitted.  But, I made 11 drafts of my script and throughout the process there were three or four drastic changes I made.  Around draft six I eliminated something I really liked for the sake of character development and have now thought of a way to have kept it.  
> Well, what do you do?  I'm proud of my work.


The day after the deadline I reread my script and immediately facepalmed; I attributed a line of dialogue to the wrong character toward the end of the story. I also found a couple typos, but they were very minor (that's what happens when you do your final edits late at night). I freaked out for about 5 minutes, but the panel description makes it pretty clear who that line should belong to. The plus side is that my story is so out there that if Ryan or Matt or whoever is invested by the time they get to that line, I doubt a mistake like that would keep me out of the winner's circle. They will have made up their mind about it loooong before then. As far as story goes, I'm still satisfied with all the decisions I made. I had an idea early on for another minor villain I wanted to bring in, but that was crowding the book a little so I took him out. I still really wish that could have worked, but I'm confident I made the right decision.

----------


## Marko Svraka

> You're awesome.


Thanks man  :Smile:

----------


## Marko Svraka

Okay, here are my 8 pages.
It was fun and stressful ride, hope all of you are well and I wish you luck.

http://markosvraka.tumblr.com/

----------


## JVillain

> I was not familiar with the blank page metaphor.  Awesome.  But, now that I think about it, the bull stuff is also kind of like the cover of my copy of _The Sun Also Rises_.  Also, the characterization and the going in and out of Spanish gives it a similar feel to that novel.
> That's funny stuff when you are going on about how you can't get a show without an agent and you can't get an agent without a show.  I have had similar experiences in the writing industry and the music industry.
> Are you a Hunter S. Thompson fan?  Before I entered into my M.A. I had read that Hunter transcribed a Hemingway novel.  So, in preparation for the program I transcribed _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_.  It did not serve to be as effective of an exercise as I had hoped.  #wasteoftime


Hunter S. Thompson is another one of my favorite writers. Like Hemingway and Elmore Leonard, they say a lot in few words, without all the flowery bullcrap. I think that may be because they come from journalistic backgrounds. The whole transcribing of novels excersise is like this thing they had us do in school where you would go to the museum and copy a masters painting. It was a good challenge but I also found it to be silly because my process in recreating a Dali is totally different from Dali's. So instead of copying art I was like oh here is my cartoon copy of the Mona Lisa that I copied from a magazine. The professor loved it because he thought I was thinking outside the box.

----------


## Pauul

> I'm glad to see this thread isn't dead. I've been meaning to get back on here, but between being under the weather and a million other things, this has been my first opportunity.
> So, in light of receiving the confirmation emails I'm curious. I know it's pointless to do, but has anybody thought of ways they think they could have made their scripts better? It's out there and that's that and I'm still very happy with what I submitted. But, I made 11 drafts of my script and throughout the process there were three or four drastic changes I made. Around draft six I eliminated something I really liked for the sake of character development and have now thought of a way to have kept it.
> Well, what do you do? I'm proud of my work.


Oh, I am absolutely refusing to go back and read what I've written. I know I'll just end up torturing myself. I think I did a good job. I did the best I could in the time I was given. That's enough.

I think the best thing to do, is accept you have done your best, but that the odds are against you no matter how well you did.

This is an industry where you get rejected a lot. You need to be prepared for that, so when it does happen, you can pick yourself up and try again.

Even if you don't succeed this time, there is always next time.




> Dude, you are the Guardian Angel of this thread! Seems like another great opportunity to get out there. It's funny because I had just checked their website last week to look for submission guidelines and they had a post that said absolutely under no circumstances send blind submissions etc. Anyway, you're the man! I know you got artists you work with but if you ever need help with anything let me know..it's the least any of us could do for all your help.


To be fair, I found out through Ryan's Twitter.

If anyone isn't following him already, you definitely should be.

As for artists I work with, I have worked with a number on a few projects. My artist for 'Conqueror', Kean Kennedy, has promised to finish issue #2 but beyond that he has to focus on other things. An artist is working on a project for Zarjaz, but that's mostly being done through the editor at FutureQuake.

I'd happily team up with new artists for new projects, if we can find a project which is a good fit.




> Hi all!
> Here are the first 4 pages from my submission, I'll probably upload 4 more tomorrow.
> Some of the pages that i included in my submission definitely required more work, so I decided to finish them as I intended in the first place, even tho I already sent them in.
> I had a lot of stuff to do so i started pretty late with this contest, I was rushing to meet the deadline and that's the reason some of the pages that i submitted don't look quite finished.
> Having said that, here are the first 4 pages that i did, these are finished, and i wish all of you best of luck


Brilliant work, Marko.




> Talent Hunt Year One - I was a complete mess from the time I sent in my submission until the winners were announced. I checked Matt's Twitter feed daily to see if there had been any kind of announcement, refreshed my email every chance I got, and checked every email in my spam folder to make 100% sure I didn't miss anything. I also dreamt about both winning and losing.
> 
> Talent Hunt Year Two - I was a little antsy for the first few weeks, but I started working on a new project around that time and my focus naturally shifted there. I checked Matt's feed weekly, but losing the year before had tempered my expectations and excitement a bit. Also, about a month after submitting I reread my script and found that I didn't really like it anymore. Because of that, I almost didn't submit this year.
> 
> Talent Hunt Year Three - I really haven't thought about it much since submitting. I've checked this forum a few times, but I've realized that worrying about it will do me no good at all. I'm content with whatever outcome because I know losing won't be the end of the road. I'll either have a cool new gig in a few months or I'll move on to something new.
> 
> It's hard to do, but don't stress too much. It's completely out of your hands now, so just relax and move forward


For the first year, I did my best, but I didn't expect to win. I definitely didn't expect to win in the second year. The whole thing was so rushed, I knew I didn't have a chance. But at the same time, I had to submit _something_. Sometimes you have to try even if you know you will fail.

This year, with all the research and months of writing... I do think losing would be disappointing but I'm prepared for it.

Sure, it would suck but really, the odds are against anyone entering this. We all know that. I certainly think my entries this year are capable of winning, but that doesn't mean that there won't be someone who submits something better.

So, maybe I'm hoping for the best, more so than I usually would, but I'm prepared to lose.

----------


## Ragdoll

Where does one begin to find artists to work with? I've been working on a script with my daughter for a sci-fi/horror graphic novel, and we have enough written where it could make up a full first issue of a mini. Where are the best places to find unknown artists to send our pitch to?

----------


## A_Montoya

So i just found this blog, a bit late, but heres my submission, did it in a very short time and it shows, but so did everyone else, anyway it was fun

----------


## A_Montoya



----------


## Attila Kiss

> Where does one begin to find artists to work with? I've been working on a script with my daughter for a sci-fi/horror graphic novel, and we have enough written where it could make up a full first issue of a mini. Where are the best places to find unknown artists to send our pitch to?


You can do that right here on CBR.
*Seeking Talent*
It's so rewarding when kids share your passion for the media. I'm also very proud of the script my daughter wrote for a short story. She might be funnier and of course much better looking than her Father.  :Smile: 
Good luck in your search.

----------


## Attila Kiss

> So i just found this blog, a bit late, but heres my submission, did it in a very short time and it shows, but so did everyone else, anyway it was fun


Great detail in the mechanical elements.

----------


## Shawnmilazzo

Any news or updates guys within the last week? I haven't seen anything on the net.

----------


## JVillain

> So i just found this blog, a bit late, but heres my submission, did it in a very short time and it shows, but so did everyone else, anyway it was fun


Your perspective is flawless, and the intricacies of all the machinery are excellent! There's something about your art that reminds me of Moebius a little. The scientists look like clones of Lex Luthor.  Maybe because they're all bald? Likewise I think maybe both Sara and Aphrodite look a bit too much alike. The caliber of your style is top notch, I could really see you taking this thing.

----------


## Monkeypants

> Any news or updates guys within the last week? I haven't seen anything on the net.


Winners are supposed to be announced in mid-May, according to Matt Hawkins on Twitter. He also said that you should be reading IXth Generation to prepare for next year's Talent Hunt!

----------


## A_Montoya

Thx for the comments, and yeah, as time was running out, hair was proving to be tricky on that angle so instead of giving each doctor a more unique look, i just said fuck it, they are all old and bald. And about Moebius i do look up to him a lot, and lately I've looking up a lot to Ladronn, take a look at THE LAST INCAL, amazing, i learned from that guy how to enjoy drawing backgrounds

----------


## Pauul

> Winners are supposed to be announced in mid-May, according to Matt Hawkins on Twitter. He also said that you should be reading IXth Generation to prepare for next year's Talent Hunt!


_IXth Generation Hidden Files #1_ is also out.

It should provide a lot of research material. Which means I'll be picking it up on my next pay day.

I don't think anybody should be worrying about next year's Talent Hunt yet, but staying up to date with the books is really going to cut down on the amount of research you need to do next year.

Not to mention the fact that if you win you'll also need to be up to date to do any editing or in the case of a runner up, write an entirely new story.

----------


## A.J.

Hi guys just stopping to see how everything is going.  Been super busy.  We just finished Strength Monsters #2 and I about halfway through pencils of my first issue.
image.jpg
Made some fan art! 
059305c2-7a17-471b-a703-6df38328e100.jpg
Messing around inking on the tablet.

----------


## SloppyJoe

I suppose I missed the contest. Damn. :-( 

So this is going to be a yearly thing with Top Cow, right?

----------


## Pauul

> I suppose I missed the contest. Damn. :-(
> 
> So this is going to be a yearly thing with Top Cow, right?


This was the third annual Talent Hunt, so yeah, it's reasonable to expect that Top Cow will be running another for 2016.

That, and Matt wrote this in _IXth Generation #3_;




> When I started _Aphrodite IX_ two years ago I was hoping to get in a single new volume to go along with the original Finch/Wohl one from the 90's. Now fifteen issues into this future, and another eight already planned, it has really opened up... and that doesn't include _Cyber Force_ issues! It's opened up so much, that I can give all of you reading this a brief heads-up that next year's Talent Hunt will be all about _Aphrodite IX_ and _IXth Generation_, so let that percolate for some story ideas.


I hope that answers your question  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## Pauul

And the Oni Press Submissions guidelines for May have been revealed;

http://onipress.tumblr.com/post/117029040489/oni-press-open-submissions-guidelines-on-may

Everyone should definitely keep reading Top Cow and preparing for next years Talent Hunt, but if you're a writer or an artist, you should pitch for this too... or team up and pitch, since it'll likely increase your chances.

Here is an interview with the editorial team, as well;

http://comicsalliance.com/the-oni-pr...sity-and-more/

----------


## The NRG

Hi there!

Here are the pages from my entry for this Hunt! Hope you like it!  :Smile: Top Cow Talent Hunt- Artifacts 8- P2-P3(by NRG)(web).jpg

----------


## The NRG

Top Cow Talent Hunt- Artifacts 8- P4(by NRG)(web).jpg

Page 4...........

----------


## The NRG

Top Cow Talent Hunt- Artifacts 8- P5(by NRG)(web).jpgTop Cow Talent Hunt- Artifacts 8- P5(by NRG)(web).jpg

----------


## The NRG

Top Cow Talent Hunt- Artifacts 8- P6-P7(by NRG)(web).jpg

pages 6 & 7.....

----------


## The NRG

Top Cow Talent Hunt- Artifacts 8- P8-P9(by NRG)(web).jpg
pages 8 & 9.......
comments and critiques are most welcome!  :Smile:

----------


## Pauul

These are cool.

And the pages definitely improve as you progress.

----------


## Lulisluc

Hi guys,

Here are the pages I did for the contest. I hope you like it! :Smile: 

http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age1-529759238
http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age2-529759863
http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age3-529760037
http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age4-529760229
http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age5-529760505
http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age6-529760625
http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age7-529760859
http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age8-529761018

----------


## Attila Kiss

> Top Cow Talent Hunt- Artifacts 8- P8-P9(by NRG)(web).jpg
> pages 8 & 9.......
> comments and critiques are most welcome!


H-O-L-Y!!

If I win I want YOU to draw my story. :Big Grin: 
I know it doesn't work that way, but your entry pages are AWESOME!

----------


## Pauul

> Hi guys,
> 
> Here are the pages I did for the contest. I hope you like it!


Wow. Great artwork, Lulisluc.

These are definitely of professional quality.

Simply amazing work.

I just clicked on your deviantArt profile. You're only 18 years old? That makes the skill you show here even more incredible.

I really hope you do well in the Talent Hunt. If you're able to create such beautiful artwork now, the stuff you put out in five or ten years time is going to be mind blowing.

I'm sure you'll go far in the comic book industry.

----------


## capuga

> Wow. Great artwork, Lulisluc.
> 
> These are definitely of professional quality.
> 
> Simply amazing work.
> 
> I just clicked on your deviantArt profile. You're only 18 years old? That makes the skill you show here even more incredible.
> 
> I really hope you do well in the Talent Hunt. If you're able to create such beautiful artwork now, the stuff you put out in five or ten years time is going to be mind blowing.
> ...


Seconded. Really impressive work.

----------


## Cap808

Just found this site a few weeks ago.  When was the deadline on this contest?  Was it March 2015?

----------


## Pauul

> Just found this site a few weeks ago. When was the deadline on this contest? Was it March 2015?


Yep. 15th of March, 2015.

I imagine the dates will be similar next year, although not identical.

----------


## Lulisluc

> Wow. Great artwork, Lulisluc.
> 
> These are definitely of professional quality.
> 
> Simply amazing work.
> 
> I just clicked on your deviantArt profile. You're only 18 years old? That makes the skill you show here even more incredible.
> 
> I really hope you do well in the Talent Hunt. If you're able to create such beautiful artwork now, the stuff you put out in five or ten years time is going to be mind blowing.
> ...


Thank you so much for your kind words, they make me very happy. Also, thank you for being so present and helpful in this thread, you've really been a guardian angel for most of us, haha, and I really wish you also do well in this Talent Hunt.

Actually, I've just turned 20 in February, my DeviantArt Bio was outdated, hehe.




> Seconded. Really impressive work.


Thank you so much! You guys made my day.  :Big Grin:

----------


## Pauul

> Thank you so much for your kind words, they make me very happy. Also, thank you for being so present and helpful in this thread, you've really been a guardian angel for most of us, haha, and I really wish you also do well in this Talent Hunt.
> 
> Actually, I've just turned 20 in February, my DeviantArt Bio was outdated, hehe.


Well, being this good at only twenty, is still very impressive.

You're welcome. I really was happy to be helpful.

So, are you (or any artists which have previously posted here, for that matter) thinking of submitting anything to Oni Press now that they are opening up their submissions?

The preview has just gone up for _Artifacts: Lost Tales_ _#1_; http://www.comicbookresources.com/co...ow-productions

I imagine there will be some good continuity points in here. Plus, the stories are by previous Talent Hunt winners.

If anyone does end up being a runner up and writing a short strip for Top Cow, these should provide some guidelines.

There was a backup strip in _IXth Generation Hidden Files_ _#1_ too. It featured Finn and Glorianna.

So, it looks like Finn officially has the Glacier Stone in post-Rebirth continuity. Which I kinda expected after Ryan made a comment about editorial knowledge being different from current continuity. However, we still haven't seen how he acquired the Glacier Stone post-Rebirth.

It also features the Coin of Solomon.

I wrote a story about Glorianna for the Talent Hunt and my guess is, the ending doesn't quite fit now. I mean, technically my ending still works, but it could be altered to be a better fit with the continuity displayed here.

Anyway, things like that will happen. Ryan has said that people won't be put at a disadvantage because of it. And luckily, in regards to my story, it would only require a minor alteration.

I hope you guys are keeping up to date with continuity. Remember, if you win, you want to be on top of the latest changes to continuity, characters, plot points etc in case they impact any necessary rewrites to your scripts.

----------


## DGoodluck

I agree with Pauul and capuga, Lulisulc your artwork is outstanding. Expressive, immaculately detailed, very good figure work as well.
Also want to say The NRG's work is fantastic as well. Eerie, grotesque and I love your formatting (The jagged Panels, the awe inspiring spreads). Both of you are going to go far, I'm sure.

----------


## REINDEER

Hi!!!
Here are the pages I did for the contest. 
I hope you like it!
http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530307546
http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308102
http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308232
http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308239
http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308782
http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308897

----------


## capuga

> Hi!!!
> Here are the pages I did for the contest. 
> I hope you like it!
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530307546
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308102
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308232
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308239
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308782
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308897


Very impressive work. I like it.

----------


## Pauul

> Hi!!!
> Here are the pages I did for the contest.
> I hope you like it!


You know, I was thinking after seeing Lulisluc's work that people were going to be pressed to match the quality.

Reindeer, your artwork is astounding.

Again, you are drawing at a completely professional level.

The standard of artwork seems to be really high this year.

----------


## REINDEER

Thanks!  :Smile:

----------


## wilsondf

Hi,

Stellar submissions here.

I submitted pencils for Artifacts # 12 here's a link of the lettered version (I mostly do lettering work but trying to shift to sequential art.)  This was a fun contest.

http://www.artofwilson.blogspot.com/

Cheers,
Wilson

----------


## Kevin Cushing

I can't imagine why anyone here wouldn't be following Matt and Ryan on Twitter, but if you missed it, Matt posted this two nights ago:

"In Fremont at Jenni's moms pad.  Ryan gave me the top 40 writer submissions from the talent hunt!  Starting to read those tonight."
https://twitter.com/topcowmatt/statu...25300709756928

Looks very good for us to be on track for that mid-May winners announcement!

----------


## JVillain

I


> Well, being this good at only twenty, is still very impressive.
> 
> You're welcome. I really was happy to be helpful.
> 
> So, are you (or any artists which have previously posted here, for that matter) thinking of submitting anything to Oni Press now that they are opening up their submissions?
> 
> The preview has just gone up for _Artifacts: Lost Tales_ _#1_; http://www.comicbookresources.com/co...ow-productions
> 
> I imagine there will be some good continuity points in here. Plus, the stories are by previous Talent Hunt winners.
> ...


I'm working on my submission to Oni now...it's funny comparing the two..for Top Cow I created a script from scratch but for Oni, I'm creating a script for something I had already drawn. 

I couldn't agree more about the level of sophistication to your artwork Lulisluc, damn impressive. I have been for the most part keeping up with continuity, I got the latest issue of IX Generation, and the Cyberforce vol 2 TPB in my to read pile.

----------


## JVillain

> I can't imagine why anyone here wouldn't be following Matt and Ryan on Twitter, but if you missed it, Matt posted this two nights ago:
> 
> "In Fremont at Jenni's moms pad.  Ryan gave me the top 40 writer submissions from the talent hunt!  Starting to read those tonight."
> https://twitter.com/topcowmatt/statu...25300709756928
> 
> Looks very good for us to be on track for that mid-May winners announcement!


Getting more anxious as the days near for sure.

----------


## Lulisluc

> I agree with Pauul and capuga, Lulisulc your artwork is outstanding. Expressive, immaculately detailed, very good figure work as well.
> Also want to say The NRG's work is fantastic as well. Eerie, grotesque and I love your formatting (The jagged Panels, the awe inspiring spreads). Both of you are going to go far, I'm sure.


Thanks man! I'm glad you liked it.




> I couldn't agree more about the level of sophistication to your artwork Lulisluc, damn impressive.


Thanks buddy! I'm happy you liked it.

----------


## Bohma

Hi everyone,

I saw that Matt is looking at the writer submissions, cool news. I haven't been very active on here, only a few times, but I have been reading everyone's comments & such. I thought I'd go ahead & post my art submission here as well. Really cool seeing the other artists share. Too bad the writers can't share yet, I'd like to see some of those. Please have a look at my DeviantART portfolio if you like:

http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-01-521123605
http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-02-521123631
http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-03-521123670
http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-04-521123688
http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-05-521123713
http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-06-521123729
http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-07-521123747
http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-08-521123761

----------


## HARDAC

> Hi everyone,
> 
> I saw that Matt is looking at the writer submissions, cool news. I haven't been very active on here, only a few times, but I have been reading everyone's comments & such. I thought I'd go ahead & post my art submission here as well. Really cool seeing the other artists share. Too bad the writers can't share yet, I'd like to see some of those. Please have a look at my DeviantART portfolio if you like:
> 
> http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-01-521123605
> http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-02-521123631
> http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-03-521123670
> http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-04-521123688
> http://bohma.deviantart.com/art/Kenn...1-05-521123713
> ...


Nice work! I like how you drew the SHOC troops, the leaner/faster design is very cool.

----------


## Bohma

> Nice work! I like how you drew the SHOC troops, the leaner/faster design is very cool.


Thank you, HARDAC! I appreciate it! Did you participate in this contest too?

----------


## HARDAC

> Thank you, HARDAC! I appreciate it! Did you participate in this contest too?


Yes, I did, but only as a writer (my 3rd attempt). My artwork just isn't up to snuff for a contest like this.

----------


## A.J.

Think there is a top 40 batch of artists this year?  I'm not very optimistic about winning it myself, but man are my nerves picking up as we go.

----------


## omorales81

I had the pleasure of meeting Matt one week ago at the shop that founded Free Comic Book Day. He's a cool guy and we shared a laugh about both our wives being from Fremont, CA. I'm also hoping I'm in that Top 40 pile of writers that he's reading.

Omar and Matt Hawkins Top Cow FCBD.jpg

Best of luck to all!

----------


## omorales81

I just found 3 small typos in my script. Arrgghh. They're not huge errors and I'm sure a reader can figure out the intended meaning in context, but still, aarrgghh!

----------


## The NRG

> H-O-L-Y!!
> 
> If I win I want YOU to draw my story.
> I know it doesn't work that way, but your entry pages are AWESOME!


Wow! Thanks so much for such kind words!! Really!!  :Big Grin:

----------


## The NRG

> These are cool.
> 
> And the pages definitely improve as you progress.


Thaks so much Pauul. I'm glad you like it!

----------


## The NRG

> I agree with Pauul and capuga, Lulisulc your artwork is outstanding. Expressive, immaculately detailed, very good figure work as well.
> Also want to say The NRG's work is fantastic as well. Eerie, grotesque and I love your formatting (The jagged Panels, the awe inspiring spreads). Both of you are going to go far, I'm sure.


Thanks so much for your detailed comment!

----------


## The NRG

> Hi!!!
> Here are the pages I did for the contest. 
> I hope you like it!
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530307546
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308102
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308232
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308239
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308782
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308897



In my opinion, these pages really deserve to win. I'm impressed. Great job dude.

I think our folks at the Cow are having a really hard time choosing the winners...

----------


## REINDEER

> In my opinion, these pages really deserve to win. I'm impressed. Great job dude.
> 
> I think our folks at the Cow are having a really hard time choosing the winners...


Thanks so much! Your pages are very cool!
you deserve to win too

----------


## Pauul

> I just found 3 small typos in my script. Arrgghh. They're not huge errors and I'm sure a reader can figure out the intended meaning in context, but still, aarrgghh!


This is why I haven't gone back and reread my scripts.

Finding errors and not being able to do anything about them is just going to frustrate you.

But, you know what? If you have told the best story, then it isn't going to matter if there are a couple of small errors.

----------


## Killscreen

> Hi!!!
> Here are the pages I did for the contest. 
> I hope you like it!
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530307546
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308102
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308232
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308239
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308782
> http://markreindeer.deviantart.com/a...2015-530308897


Absolutely blown away with the quality of everyone's art! Love the amount of detail you put into each page, outstanding.

----------


## Killscreen

> Hi guys,
> 
> Here are the pages I did for the contest. I hope you like it!
> 
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age1-529759238
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age2-529759863
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age3-529760037
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age4-529760229
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age5-529760505
> ...


Fantastic pages man brilliant!

----------


## REINDEER

thanks a lot to everyone and good luck!  :Smile:

----------


## Bohma

> Yes, I did, but only as a writer (my 3rd attempt). My artwork just isn't up to snuff for a contest like this.


Awesome, best wishes! I'm sort of nervous as the time goes by for May, haha. I don't know, maybe I'll make the cut somehow...

----------


## Bohma

> I had the pleasure of meeting Matt one week ago at the shop that founded Free Comic Book Day. He's a cool guy and we shared a laugh about both our wives being from Fremont, CA. I'm also hoping I'm in that Top 40 pile of writers that he's reading.
> 
> Attachment 21931
> 
> Best of luck to all!


That's awesome, Omar, best wishes man! I think they'd be great to work for!

----------


## KY Matty

> Hi guys,
> 
> Here are the pages I did for the contest. I hope you like it!
> 
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age1-529759238
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age2-529759863
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age3-529760037
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age4-529760229
> http://lulisluc.deviantart.com/art/C...age5-529760505
> ...


You're incredible.  I'm sure you've caught the judges attention.  Good luck!

----------


## KY Matty

Now that I'm caught up with this thread, uh . . . jeez Reindeer, Bohma, NRG and Lulisluc.  Tough competition this year.  All four of you guys are incredible!

----------


## SaraKpn

Since I'm seeing so much awesome art, I thought I'd share my pages too  :Smile:  I did mine in color, because I can't help myself. I hope I stand a chance against you guys. lol (I'm sure you can guess who I was influenced by XD) 
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest  :Stick Out Tongue: 

See you next time, everyone!

http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834470
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834484
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834493
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532836565
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532836573
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532836586
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532836607
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532836623

----------


## Pauul

> Since I'm seeing so much awesome art, I thought I'd share my pages too I did mine in color, because I can't help myself. I hope I stand a chance against you guys. lol (I'm sure you can guess who I was influenced by XD)
> Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest
> 
> See you next time, everyone!


Okay, to be brutally honest... I'd say you more than stand a chance  :Stick Out Tongue: 

Your pages are awesome and you're operating at a professional level.

Well done.

----------


## SaraKpn

> Okay, to be brutally honest... I'd say you more than stand a chance 
> 
> Your pages are awesome and you're operating at a professional level.
> 
> Well done.


Thanks so much! That means a lot  :Smile:  I'm happy to be part of this awesome comic community.

----------


## capuga

> Since I'm seeing so much awesome art, I thought I'd share my pages too  I did mine in color, because I can't help myself. I hope I stand a chance against you guys. lol (I'm sure you can guess who I was influenced by XD) 
> Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest 
> 
> See you next time, everyone!
> 
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834470
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834484
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834493
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532836565
> ...


Great stuff. Tons of talent in this thread. Glad I don't have to decide on this thing.

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

Anyone else have a heart palpatation when they saw the email in their inbox today? 

Winners/Runner-Ups announced next week. Good luck to everyone!

----------


## Killscreen

> Since I'm seeing so much awesome art, I thought I'd share my pages too  I did mine in color, because I can't help myself. I hope I stand a chance against you guys. lol (I'm sure you can guess who I was influenced by XD) 
> Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest 
> 
> See you next time, everyone!
> 
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834470
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834484
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532834493
> http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/art/Ar...2015-532836565
> ...


Wow! Beautiful pages Sara! 
The quality of the art for this contest is ridiculous, insane amount of talent here.

----------


## Killscreen

> Anyone else have a heart palpatation when they saw the email in their inbox today? 
> 
> Winners/Runner-Ups announced next week. Good luck to everyone!


lol yeah I know I def did!

Good luck to everyone, almost over!

----------


## Attila Kiss

> Since I'm seeing so much awesome art, I thought I'd share my pages too  I did mine in color, because I can't help myself. I hope I stand a chance against you guys. lol (I'm sure you can guess who I was influenced by XD) 
> Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest


Great job. 
ejić would be proud of. 
The colors certainly help, because it does look great, too.
The one thing that can use improvement, IMHO, is the anatomy. More precisely, the neck/shoulder area. Some characters seems like they have no necks or proportionally they are a bit off.
Hope this comment was not perceived as offensive, because beside that minor thing, you are making this already art-fest, that much more competitive.

Good luck to all the artists and my fellow writers, as the excitement and anticipation grows.

----------


## Franshux

I just got a mail from Matt -- a massively sent email, mind you, sent to all people who took part in the Talent hunt. I'm assuming the winners have been notified already (and, apparently, one of them had previously participated in a previous edition of this contest!) . So... kinda sad cause I wasn't chosen, but congratulations to those who were!! I'm eager to see your art!!

----------


## SaraKpn

Hahaha! Oh yes! I keep my electric shock re-animator next to my desk when checking e-mails. Nearly got a heart attack XD So exciting!

----------


## SaraKpn

Not offensive at all, thanks very much  :Smile:  I figured since this forum has more professional people, you could all help me out a bit  :Stick Out Tongue:  The common folk tend to miss mistakes.

----------


## Franshux

> Anyone else have a heart palpatation when they saw the email in their inbox today? 
> 
> Winners/Runner-Ups announced next week. Good luck to everyone!


I sure did lol. I suppose winners have already been notified, so we can relax now, and see who's been chosen.

----------


## Pauul

> Anyone else have a heart palpatation when they saw the email in their inbox today?
> 
> Winners/Runner-Ups announced next week. Good luck to everyone!


Yeah, next week is going to be a big week for eight lucky people.

And one of the winners has previously entered the Talent Hunt, which is cool.




> I sure did lol. I suppose winners have already been notified, so we can relax now, and see who's been chosen.


I don't think that's necessarily true.

I'm sure they'll be getting in touch with folk over the next week. So, no reason to lose hope yet.

It will be interesting to see if anyone on the thread made it through and which stories were the winners.

----------


## Monkeypants

> Yeah, next week is going to be a big week for eight lucky people.
> 
> And one of the winners has previously entered the Talent Hunt, which is cool.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think that's necessarily true.
> 
> I'm sure they'll be getting in touch with folk over the next week. So, no reason to lose hope yet.
> ...


On Twitter, Matt said winners have not been notified yet. Keep hope alive!

----------


## Franshux

> Yeah, next week is going to be a big week for eight lucky people.
> 
> And one of the winners has previously entered the Talent Hunt, which is cool.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think that's necessarily true.
> 
> I'm sure they'll be getting in touch with folk over the next week. So, no reason to lose hope yet.
> ...


Definitely! Aside from finding who the winners themselves are, the thing I'm most esxcited about is reading the stories and seeing the art that made them win!  :Big Grin:

----------


## omorales81

From what I know about these things, winners are notified first and told to keep it quiet or else risk disqualification. Then everyone else who didn't win is notified second. It's just like when several people in a company apply for a promotion, the person who gets the gig is told first and sworn to secrecy.

If not, then the 8 people who didn't get the e-mail today should be dancing with joy. I know I would be! I look forward to seeing the work of all the winners ... hopefully one of them is a Magdalena book.

----------


## omorales81

Agree, Bohma, they would be a great crew for a newbie to cut their teeth with.

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

> On Twitter, Matt said winners have not been notified yet. Keep hope alive!


I couldn't find where he said this. I sure hope they haven't notified winners yet. It would be fun to keep hope alive just one more week  :Smile:

----------


## ShakeZula

> I couldn't find where he said this. I sure hope they haven't notified winners yet. It would be fun to keep hope alive just one more week


https://mobile.twitter.com/topcowmat...52469511540736

At least up until 1:46 today, winners haven't been notified

----------


## omorales81

> I couldn't find where he said this. I sure hope they haven't notified winners yet. It would be fun to keep hope alive just one more week


Agree! Keep hope alive. Life is much more fun and optimistic with hope. Even if it doesn't work out, you can always keep hope alive for next year's contest! Next week's announcement should be a lot of fun with all the anticipation in this thread.

----------


## REINDEER

I don't understand... I have not received any email means that I lost?

----------


## Franshux

> I don't understand... I have not received any email means that I lost?


Or it could mean that you've won, hence why you haven't received THAT e-mail...

----------


## REINDEER

> Or it could mean that you've won, hence why you haven't received THAT e-mail...


Mmmh.. ok I just try to be patient..

----------


## Attila Kiss

> I don't understand... I have not received any email means that I lost?


Yes.

Wanna trade?
I'll give you my mass email, for your NO email.  :Smile:

----------


## Pauul

It was a mass e-mail, receiving it doesn't mean that you won or lost, just that you entered the competition.

If you didn't get it, I'm sure it was just an oversight.

I think... the best thing to probably do now it to throw yourself into your next project. Keep the momentum going.

Because, yeah, if you lose, and most of us will, then it is going to suck.

But, if you have other things on the go, you can at least keep focused on those.

And you shouldn't be doing just one thing to break into the business anyway. You should be pushing yourself to follow every opportunity that comes your way. Keep building your portfolio of work. Keep trying and if you're talented, eventually you'll succeed.

There has apparently been talk of people giving up, not entering next year if they don't win this year, well, nuts to that. The only way I'm not entering next year, if I don't win this year, is if I find some other way to break in.

The only way you fail is if you give up.

You know, the odd thing is, I know the way I'm thinking about things now, I'm thinking 'if I can just win, then I've finally made it' but I know I'll stop thinking that way if I actually do win.

Because getting your foot in the door is by no means the makings of a career. It's about what you do next. You can't rest on your laurels. You need to capitalize on your success to get your next job. You need to network. Market yourself. Keep putting stuff out there. Keep yourself visible.

Winning is just the beginning of the battle. That kinda stuff just excites me, though. I think the business side of writing is as cool as the writing itself.

You've gotta thrive on both.

So, yeah, I'm totally not expecting to win, but if anyone else on this thread does, make the most of your victory.

Push yourself. Don't just be satisfied with getting one job. If you can, make a career out of it.

----------


## Attila Kiss

Second that.

My previous post was a poor attempt to break the anticipation with some lame humor.
We will all know the winners next week, and that's all to it.
Once we know who they are, we will support them as much as we can, to extend the life of this contest far into the future. 
Who knows, perhaps even warrant an increase in the number of winners... down the road.

Cheers to all.

----------


## Kevin Cushing

Matt said on Twitter tonight that the winners won't be notified until Monday at the earliest, so everybody kick back, have a restful weekend, and ease up on that email refresh button!

And as usual, I couldn't have put it better than Pauul. Well said, sir.

----------


## Franshux

> It was a mass e-mail, receiving it doesn't mean that you won or lost, just that you entered the competition.
> 
> If you didn't get it, I'm sure it was just an oversight.
> 
> I think... the best thing to probably do now it to throw yourself into your next project. Keep the momentum going.
> 
> Because, yeah, if you lose, and most of us will, then it is going to suck.
> 
> But, if you have other things on the go, you can at least keep focused on those.
> ...


Well, said, sire, well said.

----------


## Pauul

> Matt said on Twitter tonight that the winners won't be notified until Monday at the earliest, so everybody kick back, have a restful weekend, and ease up on that email refresh button!
> 
> And as usual, I couldn't have put it better than Pauul. Well said, sir.


Ha. Well, it's my birthday on Monday. So, if I did win, that would kinda make the day.

And if I don't, at least I won't find out until after my birthday.

----------


## A.J.

> Ha. Well, it's my birthday on Monday. So, if I did win, that would kinda make the day.
> 
> And if I don't, at least I won't find out until after my birthday.


Happy birthday Pauul!  Completely appreciate your professionalism in this thread.  You ever need an artist, I wouldn't hesitate to add you to my repitoir of writers. Good luck everyone!

----------


## Pauul

> Happy birthday Pauul! Completely appreciate your professionalism in this thread. You ever need an artist, I wouldn't hesitate to add you to my repitoir of writers. Good luck everyone!


Thanks.

And I shall bear that in mind.

I'm working on a few project which might need artists in the coming months.

----------


## JVillain

> Ha. Well, it's my birthday on Monday. So, if I did win, that would kinda make the day.
> 
> And if I don't, at least I won't find out until after my birthday.


Happy Birthday Pauul. Thanks for all the help you have provided us. It's about 2PM eastern now, and as much as I'd like to hold up hope, its not happening for me this year. I'm already reading XI Generation and the Hidden Files. I'm also almost finalizing my pitch for Oni, and keeping busy. Good luck to everyone I can't wait to hear the names and congratulate you, I really hope they are someone from this thread.

----------


## KY Matty

Happy birthday, man!

----------


## Franshux

> Ha. Well, it's my birthday on Monday. So, if I did win, that would kinda make the day.
> 
> And if I don't, at least I won't find out until after my birthday.


Happy birthday man!!

----------


## Monkeypants

Happy birthday, Pauul. Thanks for everything you've done on this forum.

----------


## Lulisluc

Happy birthday, Pauul. You've been really helpful in this thread, very kind and supportive. I can only wish you all the best.

----------


## RGA

Happy Birthday! Pauul

----------


## Pauul

Yep, well, like most of you guys, I didn't hear anything yesterday either.

At least I didn't hear that I'd lost yesterday, that would've been a mood killer  :Stick Out Tongue: 

Thank you for all the good wishes.

Still, I am kinda excited to find out who has won.

----------


## RGA

Hey guys! 

guess what?! 

I won!!! 

naaahhh! I'm just kidding!  :Stick Out Tongue: 

you guys can kill me now...lol

----------


## Franshux

> Yep, well, like most of you guys, I didn't hear anything yesterday either.
> 
> At least I didn't hear that I'd lost yesterday, that would've been a mood killer 
> 
> Thank you for all the good wishes.
> 
> Still, I am kinda excited to find out who has won.


I doubt they'll tell us that we lost -- they'll just announce the winners instead. And I suppose the winners have already been notified but sworn to secrecy until all due paperwork is done with. Only after that will they be publicly announced.

----------


## Attila Kiss

No news is good news, right?

----------


## JVillain

> Yep, well, like most of you guys, I didn't hear anything yesterday either.
> 
> At least I didn't hear that I'd lost yesterday, that would've been a mood killer 
> 
> Thank you for all the good wishes.
> 
> Still, I am kinda excited to find out who has won.


Hope you had a great birthday Pauul. I'm with you, I can't wait to find out who won either. Another cool thing is once the winners are announced I'll get to post my story, and maybe get some feedback from you and some of the other writers on here. So even though I did not win, I'm keeping it positive.

----------


## KY Matty

> I doubt they'll tell us that we lost -- they'll just announce the winners instead. And I suppose the winners have already been notified but sworn to secrecy until all due paperwork is done with. Only after that will they be publicly announced.


ShakeZula posted this screenshot in regards to that.

https://mobile.twitter.com/topcowmat...52469511540736

----------


## JVillain

The funniest thing just happened. So I'm taking a shower, and my wife yells out that my phone is ringing, I ask who it is, and she says I don't know its a number from California, I jumped out the shower, wet, naked, nearly falling on my face, run from the shower to the kitchen like I'm the Flash, and when I get to the phone..it was some company offering me life insurance. My wife is looking at me like I'm crazy.

----------


## SaraKpn

> The funniest thing just happened. So I'm taking a shower, and my wife yells out that my phone is ringing, I ask who it is, and she says I don't know its a number from California, I jumped out the shower, wet, naked, nearly falling on my face, run from the shower to the kitchen like I'm the Flash, and when I get to the phone..it was some company offering me life insurance. My wife is looking at me like I'm crazy.


XD I'd do the same! Haven't heard anything either though. I wonder if the winners have already been notified, in which case I lost  :Stick Out Tongue:  or if it'll take all week (so we still have a chance). The suspense is killing me XD

----------


## Franshux

> ShakeZula posted this screenshot in regards to that.
> 
> https://mobile.twitter.com/topcowmat...52469511540736


Tht was back on the 14th. I asked him again the following day or th other and then he told me they wouldn't be notified until Monday at the earliest. 

BUT come to think of it: you will publicly announce something, right? Before you do so, you want to make sure said announcement will come to happen, so you have to be sure those you're going to announce as winners and future artists/writers for Top Cow will ACTUALLY be available. So, you HAVE to notify them before you announce them -- then make sure everything is set in stone (and, in the case one of them is NOT available, you have to get the follwing guy in the "replacements" list to confirm whether he is), and once it is (and only then) announce it publicly. So, if they're aiming to announce it this week, logically they have to start doing that soon -- or they should have started doing it already, only they'd have sworn winners to secret so as not to spoil the surprise nor make things more legally complicated.

That's the way I see it, at least; it's kinda depressing, but I think it make sense.

----------


## KY Matty

> Tht was back on the 14th. I asked him again the following day or th other and then he told me they wouldn't be notified until Monday at the earliest. 
> 
> BUT come to think of it: you will publicly announce something, right? Before you do so, you want to make sure said announcement will come to happen, so you have to be sure those you're going to announce as winners and future artists/writers for Top Cow will ACTUALLY be available. So, you HAVE to notify them before you announce them -- then make sure everything is set in stone (and, in the case one of them is NOT available, you have to get the follwing guy in the "replacements" list to confirm whether he is), and once it is (and only then) announce it publicly. So, if they're aiming to announce it this week, logically they have to start doing that soon -- or they should have started doing it already, only they'd have sworn winners to secret so as not to spoil the surprise nor make things more legally complicated.
> 
> That's the way I see it, at least; it's kinda depressing, but I think it make sense.


I hear ya.  I've been looking at it as if they are down to a select few favorites and they haven't been able to make a decision.  I like my way better, then we're still in the running and get to keep the dream a little longer.   :Wink:   Also, I would think that they would post on the thread that the winners have been notified.  People on here seem to be getting pretty antsy.  I know I might be moved to tears to get a winning email.  But, maybe you're right.  Anyway you see it, everybody has a heads up on next year and that's pretty righteous!  I'm excited!

----------


## JVillain

> I hear ya.  I've been looking at it as if they are down to a select few favorites and they haven't been able to make a decision.  I like my way better, then we're still in the running and get to keep the dream a little longer.    Also, I would think that they would post on the thread that the winners have been notified.  People on here seem to be getting pretty antsy.  I know I might be moved to tears to get a winning email.  But, maybe you're right.  Anyway you see it, everybody has a heads up on next year and that's pretty righteous!  I'm excited!


Maybe you are right and some of us are being a bit pessimistic. I think if you won you would probably be receiving a phone call first then a confirmation email. That is the kind of news you want to deliver in person you know what I mean? Then once they got all the winners notified and confirmed, they would probably post that the winners have been chosen and notified without releasing the names. I think they would probably want to release that information at a con,or some place where they have a big media spotlight instead of like just a post on here. Maybe they are either running behind, but or having difficulty picking a close race. It may be a photo finish as they say.

For my part, after reading the recent IX Genration #3 and IX Generation Hidden files, without giving out any spoilers the way it seems they are treating the Artifacts going forward may not fit perfectly with my Treatment of the 13th Artifact. My other story though completely self contained resonated back to some things they may be moving away from. So that wouldn't fit.  And my art submission? Well competition is really stiff, and it depends what they're look my for. So with that in mind I'm looking to the next thing. I'm just trying to be pragmatic about it. I gotta do more research about this XI Generation world, and As Aphrodite IX before I set pen to paper so to speak, so hope is not likely lost, just greatly diminished.

----------


## Pauul

I think we can assume, with each passing day, it's a little less likely that we've won.

However, no, I don't think it's impossible that it might take a few days to notify the winners.

Or maybe they'll notify the winners and then the runners up.

Don't forget, Matt and Ryan have other jobs too. Not just the Talent Hunt. Depending on what comes up, their focus might be elsewhere. It might take a little while to let folk know.

There is nothing wrong with preparing yourself to lose, even if you're still hoping to win.

Rejection is all a part of the process. You just need to come back fighting and do better next time.

As for posting your story, you can, it would be an excellent way to get feedback. But, you do need to weigh that against the possibility that you might be able to recycle elements of your script at a later date.

----------


## Monkeypants

Matt Hawkins on Twitter just said winners haven't been notified yet. We're still alive, people!

----------


## omorales81

You're the man, Monkeypants. Timely with the updates!

----------


## JVillain

> I think we can assume, with each passing day, it's a little less likely that we've won.
> 
> However, no, I don't think it's impossible that it might take a few days to notify the winners.
> 
> Or maybe they'll notify the winners and then the runners up.
> 
> Don't forget, Matt and Ryan have other jobs too. Not just the Talent Hunt. Depending on what comes up, their focus might be elsewhere. It might take a little while to let folk know.
> 
> There is nothing wrong with preparing yourself to lose, even if you're still hoping to win.
> ...



Matt and Ryan are extremely busy, they both handle their business and editorial duties as well as write, in the case of Matt he's up to 8 books I think. So  Yeah,. Today I got two calls from a number in CA, both times the call dropped when I answered. Probably the same people that called me yesterday, but it was a different number. I couldn't be sure..so I tweeted Matt and asked if the winners have been notified, he said no, but for sure before the end of the week. 

There are definitely some elements of my story that I can use later on, but most of it was specifically for Witchbladr, and specifically for the 13th Artiffact. It will be a long time before I circle back out to those ideas, I got so many projects that I'm working on and are in their baby stage, so when not entering this contest or doing sample pages looking for work, I gotta work on those.

----------


## Franshux

Well, winners have now been notified. I wasn't one of the, which saddens me, of course, but I'm more than eager to see who won! And, of course, congratulations to all of those who did!

----------


## omorales81

Yep, it's over now. Matt just sent out the regret e-mail like 5 minutes ago. This was fun! Look forward to next year. Good luck everyone!
- Omar
@TheCruZader on Twitter

----------


## Monkeypants

I didn't win either. Still a good experience, and I give Top Cow a ton of credit for even offering this opportunity, which is more than the other companies do. It's been fun. If we're allowed to post our script submissions somewhere, I'll definitely do that.

----------


## Killscreen

Gutted missed out again but it was great craic!! Anyways looking forward for feedback on my story from you guys, can anyone advise how to share?

----------


## SaraKpn

Didn't win either  :Stick Out Tongue:  But I'll tell you one thing, I've never learned so much about drawing comics in my life! It has revealed very clearly what I need to practice and improve and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.
Thank you all, people at Top Cow and on this forum. At least now I have a clear picture of where I stand compared to others. I'm very grateful.

Count me in for next time!

----------


## REINDEER

Excuse me, do you know if the e-mail has been sent only to the winners? because I have not received anything...AGAIN!

----------


## Michelle Wilko

De-lurking to say well done everyone! We may not have won but it was a hell of an experience. Big thanks to Matt, Ryan and everyone at Top Cow. Bring on next year's contest!

REINDEER: There seems to have been some trouble with some people not receiving the "regrets" email. I got the re-sent version myself so maybe check your inbox again?

----------


## neo_noir

Well seems like I didn't win, had my hopes up but what can you do?  But congrats to the winners and especially everyone who entered, art and writing is hard work, I'd like to think of this as a good learning exercise.  Since I didn't win I guess I mind as well share my script.  I think it turned out pretty well, given that I wrote it in like the span of like 2-3 days at the last moment.  It was a nice simple self-contained story, trimmed it down a little to fit 22 pages, but it's actually probably better.  Self criticism, aside from the few obvious spelling and grammatical errors I feel I could've simplified some of the pages I wrote, took out some unnecessary panels, maybe shift some panels to previous or next page, but I'm happy with it.  Hope I was at least in those top 40 scripts, but I guess I'll never know unless I see Matt at a con or signing.  Hope all you guys enjoy and I would love to hear your thoughts.  Thanks....

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ference....pdf

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

Rejected as well. This was a great experience, though.

*Pros*

- I 'discovered' Witchblade. I always knew the franchise existed, but was never that interested. The outward appearance made me think it would just be cheesecake stuff...and yes, Sara Pezzini is ridiculously good-looking. But as I researched issues for the project, I really started to dig how she was written. She's a character with clear agency, a nuanced personality, and very real/believable emotional scars that speak to her experiences. She's also funny, self-aware (especially of her 'assets'), and the exact type of person you'd want on your side when the shit hits the fan. The universe she lives in is also brilliantly rich (and wonderfully insane), as well. I'm still going to read/collect Witchblade after this, so that's a win I guess  :Smile: 

- I learned A TON about the script writing process, especially when it comes to working with established properties. I'm not arrogant enough to say 'when I have a job with one of the major comic publishers one day,' but if that glorious day ever comes to pass, this competition will have helped a great deal.

- I mostly lurked here, but its been really great reading this thread. It offered great advice (PAAULL), inspiration, and even some laughs---especially as well all pissed our pants this last week waiting for results.

- I've been holding back on reviewing some great looking books at the website I write for (Adventures in Poor Taste) because of Matt and Ryan's involvement. Now I can hopefully jump on a few of the really good ones I've been hoping to cover like Postal and Tithe--at least for a while, anyway. Contrary to what you may hear, most of us comic reviewers would much rather write good reviews than bad ones  :Smile: 

*Cons*

- Unlike a lot of writing projects, I can't really use these scripts for anything else beyond the experience they provided. I'm also very attached (probably a little too much) to one of my two entries. I want to hold it and kiss it and whisper 'I still love you, even if no one else will ever see how special you are to me.' Okay, that got weird....moving on...

- I really wish there was a procedure in place to get feedback, even if it was just to know who those top 40 entries were. I don't really get to go to cons, though I'm trying to get out to Heroes Con in Charlotte this summer finally.


Those are pretty minor things compared to the good stuff, though. It's also pretty cool that something like this exists, especially in this day and age when we can all share our ideas together online. I'm not sure how comfortable people would be with this, but now that the contest is over, it might be cool to share our scripts and workshop them with each other a bit. 

Artists who have posted their pages...holy balls. As someone who struggles to draw stick figures, I have no idea how so many of ya'll just inside this thread can make pages that look so damn good. If anyone sucked I just wouldn't say anything, but I can honestly say that every single artist who posted in this thread can at the very least consider themselves talented individuals capabale of beautiful, professional quality work.

Thank you all for the keeping this thread going and congratulations to the winners. We'll all be cheering you when the names are officially announced...and totally not chomping at the bit to see your work so we can obsessively compare it to our own  :Smile:

----------


## AJsAlterEgo

Thanks to the team at Top Cow for the opportunity, and to CBR for hosting these and the other comic based threads. It was a learning experience, to be sure. Congratulations to the winners who will be announced, I look forward to reading their material next year. Here's to trying to be ineligible for next year!  For those like myself who didn't win, don't stop trying. There are only so many closed doors.

----------


## JVillain

I tweeted it earlier, but again Thank you, Thank you to Matt, and Ryan, and the whole Top Cow team for putting this together, and giving the unknowns a chance, and a platform to show what we can do. Although I did not win, and I am disappointed, my resolve will not waver.This contest really lit a fire, I went from not having drawn or written anything in years to writing two scripts, almost 3, and now I'm working in other stuff. So I can't thank Top Cow enough for this.

I also want to thank every single one if you here, there was such a spirit of cooperation, and such a positive attitude,it was really refreshing. I can't wait to see who won. Congratulations to the winners. Good luck to everyone I can't wait to hear the names and congratulate you, I really hope they are someone from this thread. 

I too want to believe either of my scripts was one of the 40 Matt mentioned in the email but who knows, Top Cow is not coming to any convention near me so I won't get to ask. I feel like knowing that itself would be a shot in the arm right? Like I'm on the right path. Anyways time to roll up them sleeves for next year

----------


## A.J.

> Thanks to the team at Top Cow for the opportunity, and to CBR for hosting these and the other comic based threads. It was a learning experience, to be sure. Congratulations to the winners who will be announced, I look forward to reading their material next year. Here's to trying to be ineligible for next year!  For those like myself who didn't win, don't stop trying. There are only so many closed doors.


I didn't get it either.  I like your name AJsAlterEgo.  
Here's hoping that next year most of us are ineligible.  I've gotten pretty good at licking my wounds over the years, but I'm not gonna lie, not winning sucks just as bad as I thought it would.  I'm glad it's over though.  Thanks you Matt, Ryan, Pauul and JVillain!  I know there were a lot more involved behind the scenes so you guys will have to be the front men for this venture.  I really appreciate this little community I've stumbled into.  

Top Cow, you big beautiful beast of a bovine you...I still love you.  I got the letter and the resend, but did not find any email from Matt or Ryan before that one.  I looked like 15 times.  You (Top Cow) are awesome for making a contest like this and I am going to work hard to either become ineligible next year or blow your socks off with the next submission.  
 :Cool:

----------


## Melanchthon

I think the most valuable lesson from this was being put under a deadline to finish something. I have about 8-10 short stories where I started them with plenty of enthusiasm, then just kind of trailed off when I stopped feeling inspired. Having to actually finish something taught me to just sit down and keep writing, inspired or not. And, of course, often within 10 minutes a scene would hit me and I'd be away. 

My partner and I had never really read Top Cow comics before so when we decided to enter this, it had to be something that didn't rely too heavily on continuity. We liked the tone of the Darkness (particularly the early Garth Ennis issues, as I haven't gotten through the whole series) so we decided to do a story that picks up Danny Estacado after the events of issue #100. The (fairly large) leap/hook from there is that while the former residents of the Darkness are being led off by the mysterious robed stranger to another afterlife, some demons prey on the column of refugees and capture some of their souls to be sold off in hell.

It's a fairly light-hearted tone to keep with Danny's personality from the Darkness issues where Jackie runs into him in the Darkness and he just cracks wise and drops one-liners. If anyone wants a read, hopefully the link below works. Would be good to know what you think, as it's the first time we tried a comic script!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hs57oddyn7...inal.docx?dl=0

Thanks of course to Top Cow for the opportunity  :Smile:

----------


## itchytwitch

Didn't win either, but like everyone here it was quite a learning experience for me, working on the submission showed me where I am weak and need to improve upon.  Thanks to everyone on the thread for the wealth of information, and Top Cow for putting on the talent search, see you guys on the next one!

----------


## DNArt

To Top Cow Ryan:

I've been checking this thread periodically for updates but I have not been getting any emails indicating when winners would be announced and nothing indicating whether I lost or won.
I did get an email verifying my submission was received.  I was originally assuming I lost, however the Top Cow Facebook post indicates the winners were emailed.  Is there any way I can get confirmation on my standing?

Here is my Deviantart site with my submission:

http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-2-520556832
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-3-520557104
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-4-520557212
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-5-520557475
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-6-520557616
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-7-520557780
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-8-520557852
http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-9-520558093

----------


## Rob_King54

> To Top Cow Ryan:
> 
> I've been checking this thread periodically for updates but I have not been getting any emails indicating when winners would be announced and nothing indicating whether I lost or won.
> I did get an email verifying my submission was received.  I was originally assuming I lost, however the Top Cow Facebook post indicates the winners were emailed.  Is there any way I can get confirmation on my standing?
> 
> Here is my Deviantart site with my submission:
> 
> http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-2-520556832
> http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-3-520557104
> ...


Wow, man. That's good stuff!

----------


## Rob_King54

Luckily, I'm not a very optimistic person, so I didn't think I would win even though I did like my story. My ego took a slight hit, but I had already accepted that I lost before I even got the email haha. Congratulations to the winners! It was a great opportunity and I commend the Top Cow team for putting this contest on. I wish I could at least see if I was in the top 40 though  :Smile:

----------


## Lulisluc

> To Top Cow Ryan:
> 
> I've been checking this thread periodically for updates but I have not been getting any emails indicating when winners would be announced and nothing indicating whether I lost or won.
> I did get an email verifying my submission was received.  I was originally assuming I lost, however the Top Cow Facebook post indicates the winners were emailed.  Is there any way I can get confirmation on my standing?
> 
> Here is my Deviantart site with my submission:
> 
> http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-2-520556832
> http://duanenicholsart.deviantart.co...ge-3-520557104
> ...



Hey dude, I had seen your submission on Deviant Art sometime ago, and I really liked it man, really great stuff. I even thought you were going to be one of the winners haha... Your art is Amazing. 

I can't wait to see who won!

----------


## DNArt

Thank you Rob_King54, glad you like it.

----------


## DNArt

> Hey dude, I had seen your submission on Deviant Art sometime ago, and I really liked it man, really great stuff. I even thought you were going to be one of the winners haha... Your art is Amazing. 
> 
> I can't wait to see who won!


Thanks Lulisluc! Thanks for checking out my DA page.  

I hope this isn't one of the situations where the winners have to confirm and accept the job before Top Cow announces they have won.
In the off chance I happen to be winner I would hate to get passed on because Im not getting the emails.

----------


## PatrickHennings

HI EVERYONE! 

Congratulations to the winners. I unfortunately didn't win this year, but I had some good feedback from Ryan and apparently made the top 10. Im happy with that and can hopefully climb a few places next year! Keep chasing the dream everyone!

You can see my submission pages here, the later pages are more interesting and theres some inked pages and covers....

http://patrick-hennings.deviantart.com/gallery/

Examples & my fave 2 pages:

http://patrick-hennings.deviantart.c...Inks-534684026
http://patrick-hennings.deviantart.c...-Ink-534687926

See you all next year!

----------


## Attila Kiss

Okie-Dokie. 
Let's see what the future holds. First of all, the next years contest... starts THIS year.
Then I got reply from Matt (Thanks for being prompt) advising me that I'm allowed to use my story, with No Top Cow characters and outside their Universe, (which I fully intend to do) in my own book.
and, am I the only one to notice Pauul being awfully quite, of late?

Anyway, time permits I will read the posted scripts (comment too, if you'd like)... and Patrick... you only made top 10 with that art? Damn, it was competitive.
Congrats to the lucky ones, and hoping you all want to see my project brought to completion, right?! 
Good mojo, positive vibes and four-leaf clovers are much appreciated and can be sent to my address found on top of every single page of my submission.

Cheers.

----------


## JVillain

> Well seems like I didn't win, had my hopes up but what can you do?  But congrats to the winners and especially everyone who entered, art and writing is hard work, I'd like to think of this as a good learning exercise.  Since I didn't win I guess I mind as well share my script.  I think it turned out pretty well, given that I wrote it in like the span of like 2-3 days at the last moment.  It was a nice simple self-contained story, trimmed it down a little to fit 22 pages, but it's actually probably better.  Self criticism, aside from the few obvious spelling and grammatical errors I feel I could've simplified some of the pages I wrote, took out some unnecessary panels, maybe shift some panels to previous or next page, but I'm happy with it.  Hope I was at least in those top 40 scripts, but I guess I'll never know unless I see Matt at a con or signing.  Hope all you guys enjoy and I would love to hear your thoughts.  Thanks....
> 
> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ference....pdf


I really liked your story! The medical conference stuff comes through really authentic, are you a doctor? I was right there, though I think you could have trimmed some of it. I like the slow burn of the story, but maybe have the girls meet right at the beginning when they're checking in the hotel, that would give you more room for comedy relief because the character chemistry between them is great!

----------


## gtramountanas

To Top Cow - thanks for hosting the contest and for all your efforts!

To everyone who submitted (like myself) - good work and keep on going! I hope to see you in the four-color section soon!

----------


## Attila Kiss

> Well seems like I didn't win, had my hopes up but what can you do?  But congrats to the winners and especially everyone who entered, art and writing is hard work, I'd like to think of this as a good learning exercise.  Since I didn't win I guess I mind as well share my script.  I think it turned out pretty well, given that I wrote it in like the span of like 2-3 days at the last moment.  It was a nice simple self-contained story, trimmed it down a little to fit 22 pages, but it's actually probably better.  Self criticism, aside from the few obvious spelling and grammatical errors I feel I could've simplified some of the pages I wrote, took out some unnecessary panels, maybe shift some panels to previous or next page, but I'm happy with it.  Hope I was at least in those top 40 scripts, but I guess I'll never know unless I see Matt at a con or signing.  Hope all you guys enjoy and I would love to hear your thoughts.  Thanks....
> 
> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ference....pdf


Since you asked so nicely, here it is.
Just want to say that whatever I think of your script is only my opinion of the story itself and the execution. It doesn't mean it's right or wrong, but it is very subjective, so be warned.
We are not going to get individual evaluations (unless we meet Matt, and not all of us can do that) so it's one writer to another.

Very clean, easy to follow script, with plenty of freedom given to the artist.

You noticed yourself, that editorial panel shifts will benefit the story. One that comes to mind is on Page 5 Panel 1 should have been Panel 3 and respectively Panel 2 & 3 should have been Panel 1 & 2.

While I'm not opposed to use of swearing, Rachel did say "sh*t" twice in the beginning where it seemed a lazy way to supplement an appropriate word. It didn't fit with her character and it wasn't lady like, nor an action requirement, where it might have had some merit. That being said the "No sh*t I already knew that.” -on Page 8, would be an exemption.

Whenever you can show us what is happening rather than trying to describe it, choose the former method. Example would be Page 7 Panel 4 when Rachel acquires the business cards. You went as far as describing the action twice. Once in the caption, and again in her dialog, where it could have been just as effective to have her ask: "Uhum... How can I stay in contact with you?" The last two Panels would play out something like this. Panel 5: Both reps shove their cards right into Rachel's face, forcing her to pull back a little. Rep 1:  "I though you never ask" Rep 2: "My private number is the BIGGER one... If you know what I mean" Panel 6: Rachel nonchalantly picks the cards off from their hands, replying with a smile. "No ingredients recipe on the back? How disappointing." Rep 1: "He-He... Funny..." Rep 2: "I use it myself, so it's in me to give, and if you play your cards right, honey, I'll give it to you... BIG TIME... If you know what I mean." Caption: "Whoa! I see the side effects might be troubling, when you mixed it with Viagra."

One Panel = One Action. Example would be again Page 7 Panel 6. (throw the business card...  slips it into her jacket). 
Same as on Page 9 Panel 1. Unless this is a motion picture, it would be hard for the artist to draw all the requirements.

The action scene was pretty exciting, although the whole beginning dragged a bit too long, for my liking. That being said, since this was a self contained one-shot, it can be overlooked. As for the end, the interaction with Michael and the introduction of another male character, this late in the story, right after the earlier encounter went all wrong, seemed as a filler. Instead, I was expecting some sort of resolution to the "girls" reunion.

Overall, I liked it. The writing part of the competition must have been difficult to judge, as well.

Anyone else, want to get my opinion about their script, just ask. It's the least we can do to help each other.

----------


## SaraKpn

> HI EVERYONE! 
> 
> Congratulations to the winners. I unfortunately didn't win this year, but I had some good feedback from Ryan and apparently made the top 10. Im happy with that and can hopefully climb a few places next year! Keep chasing the dream everyone!
> 
> You can see my submission pages here, the later pages are more interesting and theres some inked pages and covers....
> 
> http://patrick-hennings.deviantart.com/gallery/
> 
> Examples & my fave 2 pages:
> ...


Wow, that's awesome you made the top 10! You do have great, professional looking pages. Your use of panels is just incredible. The variety of it,not to mentions the figures themselves  :Smile: 
If only I knew how close to the top I reached. I hope I at least made the top 40, though I noticed while drawing the pages, I have a lot of work to do  :Stick Out Tongue: 

Here are mine. Hopefully, they will have improved next time.
http://sarakpn.deviantart.com/galler...call-it-folder

----------


## JVillain

I'm Realy excited to see how good the scripts that have been posted here are. It must have been really tough to judge if in the end Matt had to add one more runner up for story. Time to pony up as they say. Below is the link to my Witchblade story for the contest. Let me know what you think. 

http://https://docs.google.com/file/...p=docslist_api

----------


## JVillain

> I'm Realy excited to see how good the scripts that have been posted here are. It must have been really tough to judge if in the end Matt had to add one more runner up for story. Time to pony up as they say. Below is the link to my Witchblade story for the contest. Let me know what you think. 
> 
> http://https://docs.google.com/file/...p=docslist_api


Sorry folks! There was a problem with the link. Here it is the 2nd time

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwSl...p=docslist_api

----------


## Rin Kiyoko

> We liked the tone of the Darkness (particularly the early Garth Ennis issues)... so we decided to do a story that picks up Danny Estacado after the events of issue #100. 
> 
> It's a fairly light-hearted tone to keep with Danny's personality from the Darkness issues where Jackie runs into him in the Darkness and he just cracks wise and drops one-liners. If anyone wants a read, hopefully the link below works. Would be good to know what you think, as it's the first time we tried a comic script!
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/hs57oddyn7...inal.docx?dl=0
> 
> Thanks of course to Top Cow for the opportunity


If that's your first ever comic script then you have my respect; I loved your story! The line about not taking names but being in there somewhere made me lol. I also liked Jackie's voice - very consistent. 

If they found five scripts that were "better" than yours, then I gotta read them. The only thing I thought that could have hurt you in the judging stages was your use of moving panels. Page 6, panel 3 reads like a sequence of moves rather than one moment in time; page 8 panel 2 - taking out, aiming and firing are three separate actions; most of the panels on page 9 seem to imply one action followed by another, or a sequence.

But, still: kudos!

----------


## Rob_King54

I'm having fun reading scripts and looking at these gorgeous pieces of art. Man, with some of the art that I saw, I can't wait to see what the winners pages look like. I figured I might as well post my Witchblade script to see if I can get any feedback. Hope you enjoy  :Smile: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bkx8z6hls7...t2014.pdf?dl=0

----------


## Attila Kiss

> We liked the tone of the Darkness (particularly the early Garth Ennis issues, as I haven't gotten through the whole series) so we decided to do a story that picks up Danny Estacado after the events of issue #100. The (fairly large) leap/hook from there is that while the former residents of the Darkness are being led off by the mysterious robed stranger to another afterlife, some demons prey on the column of refugees and capture some of their souls to be sold off in hell.
> 
> It's a fairly light-hearted tone to keep with Danny's personality from the Darkness issues where Jackie runs into him in the Darkness and he just cracks wise and drops one-liners. If anyone wants a read, hopefully the link below works. Would be good to know what you think, as it's the first time we tried a comic script!
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/hs57oddyn7...inal.docx?dl=0


Slowly getting my way through posted scripts and here is my thoughts on the second one.

I like Darkness, Danny Estacado and Garth Ennis. All great choices.

Good sense for visuals. One thing an unknown writer should always strike for is, to make the story visually compelling. Once the readers pick up a book from a newbie, he/she has to double impress them. It's no place for "Talking Heads",  procrastination and small talk... unless it's funny or has a big payoff, at the end. This script, if given the proper artistic treatment, will grab the attention.

No stalling - action followed by action from start to finish, just as it should be for a one-shot... with a touch of flare for dramatic. Nice.

Analytical narrations provide consistency... and fun.

The Biblical references are hysterical, and the parallel between the leafless trees in Manazz' cathedral and the nature of the "Original Curse" (BTW, missed opportunity for a better title, IMHO) shows dedication to small details.

The only things left unexplained were: Why Manazz' didn't kill her cousins or went after the curse, herself? It's nothing a good story can't shed light on, but it was kind of left hangin' in the air.

Impressive work for a first comic book script. Great grasp of the potentials, offered by the media.

Overall, I loved the humor and the action. Would definitely like to read this story in a book. Sets a high standard for all the winning scripts.

Speaking of which... it must be a drag to conform to abstinence, until the winners are officially announced. Eh? (You know who)

----------


## Dunklezahn

Did Pauulll win? I know he was a great help to some people on this thread.

If he won next year I will re-register under a new name, provide advice to as many people on here as possible and heap praise on the publisher before I drop that the closing date of the contest coincides with my birthday.

----------


## Attila Kiss

> Did Pauulll win? I know he was a great help to some people on this thread.
> 
> If he won next year I will re-register under a new name, provide advice to as many people on here as possible and heap praise on the publisher before I drop that the closing date of the contest coincides with my birthday.


Ha-Ha.
I'll do the same.

Nah, but does make you wonder, does it?
Besides, it's a widely known fact that, once someone finds a way to break into the industry, that door will be shut tenfold.
I only had one question this year, and it was answered by Top Cow, not Pauul. 
However Pauul, never accepted my friendship request nor followed me on the twitter, so it does bring up the intention of his help.
If he won, then the biggest benefit of helping others, went to him. 
I'm not bitter or anything. In fact, it would be nice if some of the winners are from this board, including him, but his story will be compared the most to all the ones that haven't won, I suppose.
Winning the judges vote was only half the battle. Hmm, I wonder who said that?  :Smile:

----------


## Daniel Brian Mobley

Dear Brothers-In-Arts,

I just wanted to share my entry with you guys now that the Hunt is over, and thank you all for you continued thoughts, comments, and overall professionalism.  
Due to you all's indomitable spirit, I am very pumped for the next Talent Hunt!  Hope you are too!  Keep doing what you do, and I look forward to continuing through 
all the PHENOMENAL artwork and stories! :Smile: 

Sincerely,

Daniel Brian Mobley

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byn...S1E/view?pli=1

----------


## JVillain

> Ha-Ha.
> I'll do the same.
> 
> Nah, but does make you wonder, does it?
> Besides, it's a widely known fact that, once someone finds a way to break into the industry, that door will be shut tenfold.
> I only had one question this year, and it was answered by Top Cow, not Pauul. 
> However Pauul, never accepted my friendship request nor followed me on the twitter, so it does bring up the intention of his help.
> If he won, then the biggest benefit of helping others, went to him. 
> I'm not bitter or anything. In fact, it would be nice if some of the winners are from this board, including him, but his story will be compared the most to all the ones that haven't won, I suppose.
> Winning the judges vote was only half the battle. Hmm, I wonder who said that?


I have a feeling Pauul won too. His silence of late speaks volumes. I don't think questioning his intentions is a path we should go down. If he did and said all he did as a strategy to gain attention and the judges favor then it worked, and Congratulations to him. I think he did it out of genuine desire to help and that made him stand out. I mean when I think of it, there were people with questions here and he stepped up. He helped me just by posting his timeline. Matt and Ryan were rarely on here, they're both too busy, so Pauul was a blessing. Before you ask no I don't know Pauul, and I'm not his friend on Facebook either. 

The end of the contest coinciding with his birthday was nice it's good to have that on your birthday it's one of those memories you carry and it becomes so much more. My uncle died on my birthday, so did my grandfather a year before I was born. My cousin was also born the same day. It's one of those things that life does.

----------


## Rob_King54

> I have a feeling Pauul won too. His silence of late speaks volumes. I don't think questioning his intentions is a path we should go down. If he did and said all he did as a strategy to gain attention and the judges favor then it worked, and Congratulations to him. I think he did it out of genuine desire to help and that made him stand out. I mean when I think of it, there were people with questions here and he stepped up. He helped me just by posting his timeline. Matt and Ryan were rarely on here, they're both too busy, so Pauul was a blessing. Before you ask no I don't know Pauul, and I'm not his friend on Facebook either. 
> 
> The end of the contest coinciding with his birthday was nice it's good to have that on your birthday it's one of those memories you carry and it becomes so much more. My uncle died on my birthday, so did my grandfather a year before I was born. My cousin was also born the same day. It's one of those things that life does.


I agree. I don't think it's a road we should go down. While I agree that it is funny that (if Pauul won) the guy that helped the most on this board won, I have a hard time believing that the winner of a contest like this would be decided by the person who helped the most on a message board. Perhaps he just had one of the best scripts. If I remember correctly, he said he submitted like 3 or 4 scripts. Either way, congrats to him if he did win!

----------


## NicoIzambard

Hi guys,
I thought I would come by to share one of the scripts I wrote. I did write three and this was my favorite. It is about Ji-Xi, the bearer of the Thirteenth Artifact.
Thank you all, you all made this thread a great place to come check out during the months leading up to the end of the contest.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cj2hzbt071...yNico.rtf?dl=0

----------


## Monkeypants

Thanks to everyone who posted scripts, I'm going to read them and reply with comments ASAP. My Witchblade/Magdalena script is below if you're interested. I'd appreciate any feedback.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n7dmmkjt49...20War.pdf?dl=0

----------


## JVillain

> I think the most valuable lesson from this was being put under a deadline to finish something. I have about 8-10 short stories where I started them with plenty of enthusiasm, then just kind of trailed off when I stopped feeling inspired. Having to actually finish something taught me to just sit down and keep writing, inspired or not. And, of course, often within 10 minutes a scene would hit me and I'd be away. 
> 
> My partner and I had never really read Top Cow comics before so when we decided to enter this, it had to be something that didn't rely too heavily on continuity. We liked the tone of the Darkness (particularly the early Garth Ennis issues, as I haven't gotten through the whole series) so we decided to do a story that picks up Danny Estacado after the events of issue #100. It's a fairly light-hearted tone to keep with Danny's personality from the Darkness issues where Jackie runs into him in the Darkness and he just cracks wise and drops one-liners. If anyone wants a read, hopefully the link below works. Would be good to know what you think, as it's the first time we tried a comic script!
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/hs57oddyn7...inal.docx?dl=0
> 
> Thanks of course to Top Cow for the opportunity



Man I really liked your story. The tone is awesome, lots of action.  I feel like I haven't read enough Top Cow comics to know how accurate your depiction of Hell is, and don't know the character of Danny Estacado either, so maybe I'm not the best for feedback. I did find that a lot of the panels described were medium shots, and many of them, the same panel with a slight variation. I also would have made the Bath House, pools of Iced water...like that would be the ultimate luxury in Hell. I think you should go forward and try to get this published somewhere else. It's so stand alone, and the mentions of the Darkness are so minimal. I also cracked up at the line of not taking names. I would describe this story as like John Wick goes to hell.

----------


## NicoIzambard

> Thanks to everyone who posted scripts, I'm going to read them and reply with comments ASAP. My Witchblade/Magdalena script is below if you're interested. I'd appreciate any feedback.
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/n7dmmkjt49...20War.pdf?dl=0


Hey Monkeypants,
I just read your script and enjoyed it. Overall, I thoughts it was a great story.
Questions:
Does Victoria speak French? (I was not sure)
Your formatting is really pro. I would just add the number of panels per page at the top, like this: "PAGE 1 (5 panels):"
Antoher thing to watch is where you place your reveals, how you use the page turns. For example, it might have been more intriguing to reveal the big slimy creature after the page turn and not at the end of the page, you see what I mean?
Great job though, with scripts that good, no wonder Matt had a hard time choosing.
-Nico

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

As I sit here, bleary-eyed in the George Bush International Airport, in Houston, Texas, running on no sleep and just praying that my plane will take off, I am reminded that the winners will be going live pretty shortly. So I just wanted to extend an enthusiastic, albeit exhausted, thank you, to all of you, for submitting.

This year, more than any so far, made me wish we could open up a whole slew of slots for runners up and winners, because so many of you have created art that is deserving of publication. I can only hope that this means you've found creative partners through this process, or at least realized that you've hit your creative stride, and your career is already looming bright and shiny in your optimistic comics' baby eyes.

Seriously. I am humbled. That you all took so much effort to produce so much beautiful art and script for me to squint at in the wee hours of the night, appreciating it all by myself like some kind of Editorial Smeagol, means so much to me.

I hope to see a whole lot more from all of you, winners or runners up or Secret Top 10s and Top 40s That Only Matt and I Know About.

Keep up the good work, gang - you've all been the best.

----------


## Top Cow Ryan

Also, as I scroll through I'm seeing a lot of weird paranoia springing up about who's gonna win and why...

Don't fall down that road, kiddos. The Winners were selected by myself and Matt, with input from Marc and some of our other staff - obviously taste will play a part in that, and maybe that may mean that someone who really feels they deserved to win won't. I'm sorry if that's the case - there were a couple people I might've fought harder for if it were possible, but I'm not the Talent Hunt Dictator - and all that means is that I'll do my best to advance those people's careers as and Editor, outside of the Talent Hunt.

But as for someone like Pauul using his freakish-encyclopedic knowledge of the TCU as some sort of tactic...don't believe it. I don't know the guy at all, but I've read pretty much every post in here, and his all smack of someone who just wants to help.

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

I'll start diving into the scripts on here this weekend (on a field trip with my students to Orlando right now).

Here are my scripts if anyone is interested. Feedback welcome, even if it's harsh. I've written a lot of prose, but am still a relative newbie at comic scripts.

Carnival of Regret

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jwmq0fq0ig...gret.docx?dl=0

Parallel Lives

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8eue03uzop...ives.docx?dl=0

----------


## JVillain

> As I sit here, bleary-eyed in the George Bush International Airport, in Houston, Texas, running on no sleep and just praying that my plane will take off, I am reminded that the winners will be going live pretty shortly. So I just wanted to extend an enthusiastic, albeit exhausted, thank you, to all of you, for submitting.
> 
> This year, more than any so far, made me wish we could open up a whole slew of slots for runners up and winners, because so many of you have created art that is deserving of publication. I can only hope that this means you've found creative partners through this process, or at least realized that you've hit your creative stride, and your career is already looming bright and shiny in your optimistic comics' baby eyes.
> 
> Seriously. I am humbled. That you all took so much effort to produce so much beautiful art and script for me to squint at in the wee hours of the night, appreciating it all by myself like some kind of Editorial Smeagol, means so much to me.
> 
> I hope to see a whole lot more from all of you, winners or runners up or Secret Top 10s and Top 40s That Only Matt and I Know About.
> 
> Keep up the good work, gang - you've all been the best.


Thanks for the kind words man. I raise my metaphorical glass to all here for their hard work, and the guts to put themselves out there and to create something. I can only speak for myself but, even though I did not win I learned s lot, I learned about myself, I learned about Top Cow, and it's characters. And I also learned about the business of comics. So thank you

----------


## Pauul

> But as for someone like Pauul using his freakish-encyclopedic knowledge of the TCU as some sort of tactic...don't believe it. I don't know the guy at all, but I've read pretty much every post in here, and his all smack of someone who just wants to help.


Thank you, Ryan.

Although I do love a good conspiracy theory, I can confirm that I'm not an evil genius.

I know with something like this, it can feel like you're in competition with people, but I'm friends with a lot of other writers and I always want them to do their best.

The same for the folk on here.

I hope a lot of you enter next year and win this thing.

Or, as in my case, get a Writing Runners-Up spot. Which is just as awesome.

Helping people out is totally not a strategy for winning, but I hope you guys do come back next year and help out any new arrivals.

You want to use the strategy that I actually used? Research the hell out of the material. Read every single thing you can find. Start with _IXth Generation_, pick up the _Aphrodite IX_ hardcover, go read every issue of _Cyber Force_ Rebirth and then, once you've learned everything you can about the _IXth Generation_ world, go pick up other Top Cow books to learn about the Artifacts.

Know everything there is to know so you can use continuity to your advantage.

If you're new to comic book writing, pick up books on comic book writing. Practice. Hone your skills.

And when the Talent Hunt comes around again, give it your all. Come up with great ideas. If you have time, write more than one script, to show how varied your writing can be.

I look forward to seeing which of you win next year.

----------


## omorales81

Congrats Pauul, and all the other winners - well done!

And in terms of this from Top Cow Ryan: _"I hope to see a whole lot more from all of you, winners or runners up or Secret Top 10s and Top 40s That Only Matt and I Know About."_ All I can say is this

*OH-OH-OH LORD, I WANT TO BE IN THAT NUMBER, WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHIN' IN!*  :Embarrassment:

----------


## RamblingBeachCat

> Thank you, Ryan.
> 
> Although I do love a good conspiracy theory, I can confirm that I'm not an evil genius.
> 
> I know with something like this, it can feel like you're in competition with people, but I'm friends with a lot of other writers and I always want them to do their best.
> 
> The same for the folk on here.
> 
> I hope a lot of you enter next year and win this thing.
> ...


Pssshh...don't think you can fool us, Paul. We're all well aware of your nefarious plan to rig the Top Cow Talent Hunt in your favor by offering extraordinarily helpful advice to other fellow writers. 

In all serious, a heartfelt congratulations. I won't even try to deny the scoring envy I feel towards those who won, but I'm definitely glad that one of them was you.

----------


## JVillain

> Thank you, Ryan.
> 
> Although I do love a good conspiracy theory, I can confirm that I'm not an evil genius.
> 
> I know with something like this, it can feel like you're in competition with people, but I'm friends with a lot of other writers and I always want them to do their best.
> 
> The same for the folk on here.
> 
> I hope a lot of you enter next year and win this thing.
> ...


Ok my Miami/ Cuban is coming out of me..."Bro look at this guy, he's like a fucking saint how graceful Ave Maria Purisima!" 
Seriously though, Congratulations! I'm really happy for you man! I expect great things from you. The thing about comics and writers is doesn't it feel like the same 10 people write all the books? Maybe nobody wants to write comics, there's no money in it. And there are a lot of comics out there, just not a lot of good ones. Yet, The level of talent I've seen on this thread just speaks of how many awesome artists and writers are out there scratching at the door like hungry wolves waiting for a chance to get in and just tear shit up. It's so hard, so congratulations again, do us proud.

----------


## JVillain

> Congrats Pauul, and all the other winners - well done!
> 
> And in terms of this from Top Cow Ryan: _"I hope to see a whole lot more from all of you, winners or runners up or Secret Top 10s and Top 40s That Only Matt and I Know About."_ All I can say is this
> 
> *OH-OH-OH LORD, I WANT TO BE IN THAT NUMBER, WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHIN' IN!*



Amen Brother! If you can will it you can make it so. I will never know, but I have to believe I was somewhere in there (Like the demon in Mechanthon's script) it adds fuel to the fire and motivation. The Rocky Theme is playing in the background, I'm drinking raw eggs and rolling my sleeves up at the drawing board. One of the forty, One of the 10, One of the four. I'm there!

----------


## KY Matty

Hey guys!  Congratulations to all of the winners!  I would have posted much earlier, but my computer has been on the fritz and I have been absurdly busy.  I'm looking forward to next year, especially having a heads up on the material.  I will post my script on here soon, I just don't have time right now.
Here's to hoping this thread stays alive.  I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
Rock on and good luck on the next Talent Hunt!

----------


## tfinnah

First time poster. I'm glad that Pauul was able to reply finally because truth be told, I was starting to get a little bummed out by the thought of jealousy or cynicism starting to seep into this board. Regardless of his help to people who asked questions, maybe he's also just a good writer in addition to being nice, which is the main reason he placed in the top? And even if it were true that his willingness to help people helped him in the final estimation (which I'm 100% convinced is not the reason) I was actually GLAD to think Pauul may have won a spot in part because he took his own time to lay out continuity for others who were asking rather than keep it to himself. Isn't that the kind of people who we WANT to do well? 

This is one of the few times on the internet I've seen people be cordial to each other when in competition with one another, and I hope that "losing" for the rest of us doesn't sour that. I don't post, but I read what others write here, and I'm appreciative of the time everyone takes to help one another (as I'm sure a lot of people who don't post are).

I've entered 3 times, lost 3 times. I've entered other writing contests; won some, lost more. I hope everyone respects and really appreciates the unique opportunity we have. I think someone mentioned before they were a screenwriting major (as am I). I can promise you that there is an entire cottage industry of people who are willing to promise you the moon as long as you pay an outrageous fee to them. And for that fee you might get someone with no major connection to the industry reading your script, and even the "winners" have their IP rights to the script forfeited. This contest is FREE, which is crazy, and you get two guaranteed comics professionals reading your stuff, one of whom is the COO! And they do it while they work on their projects AND try to enjoy their own personal lives. It's honestly shocking there isn't submissions in the thousands, trust me.

The lack of feedback does suck. If there's anything that might make me not enter on a particular year, it might be that along with schedule. But you know that going in and no other comic companies are going to take the time to tell you why it just didn't fit their taste, if it needs polish, etc. Professional coverage for screenwriting is not cheap, and it may not even help you as much as you think. 

So just believe in yourself, your style and keep writing. As someone lucky enough to work in a relative related field, trust me, this contest is awesome because of Top Cow and the people on this forum who help out their fellow entrants. And I can promise that even if you won, that's just a crack in the door. You always gotta hustle to keep it going. 

So congrats to Amit, Charles, Camilla, Paul, Kelly, Eli, D.P, Jim, and Francesca. And of course to all the peeps at Top Cow. 

And if anyone wants to collaborate with a writer (doesn't have to be exclusively comics) hit me up. There's honestly so much great work that has been posted here, all we have to do is keep grinding. Plus, what else are you going to do? Writers write, artists draw.

----------


## KY Matty

Okay, here is my script.  Towards the end it may be obvious that one of the things that weakens it is a lack of familiarity with the source material (a problem that I do not intend to have for the next Talent Hunt).  I found out about the competition at the end of February, so I read everything I could find that was free on the internet, read all the wiki stuff, and borrowed my buddy's _Witchblade_ compendium (first fifty issues).  After researching as much as I could in the small window of time I had, I realized I didn't have time to do anymore research and had to jump on getting a script written.  So, this is my version of a story about a minor character.  I hope you like it and I look forward to reading your scripts soon!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7...VzA&authuser=0

----------


## Killscreen

Congratulations to all the winners judging on artist winners and the other artists from this forum the quality of the entries this year is phenomenal. Thanks to Top Cow again for all the work they put in each year to this contest you guys are legends. Roll on the next one.

Here's my script submission for you guys to review, any feedback would be greatly appreciated! It's a Witchblade story set in the future with a new bearer, tried to play a new angle on the idea of who can weld the Witchblade. Let me know what you think.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...BB495EE3%21234

----------


## Pauul

> First time poster. I'm glad that Pauul was able to reply finally because truth be told, I was starting to get a little bummed out by the thought of jealousy or cynicism starting to seep into this board. Regardless of his help to people who asked questions, maybe he's also just a good writer in addition to being nice, which is the main reason he placed in the top? And even if it were true that his willingness to help people helped him in the final estimation (which I'm 100% convinced is not the reason) I was actually GLAD to think Pauul may have won a spot in part because he took his own time to lay out continuity for others who were asking rather than keep it to himself. Isn't that the kind of people who we WANT to do well?
> 
> This is one of the few times on the internet I've seen people be cordial to each other when in competition with one another, and I hope that "losing" for the rest of us doesn't sour that. I don't post, but I read what others write here, and I'm appreciative of the time everyone takes to help one another (as I'm sure a lot of people who don't post are).
> 
> I've entered 3 times, lost 3 times. I've entered other writing contests; won some, lost more. I hope everyone respects and really appreciates the unique opportunity we have. I think someone mentioned before they were a screenwriting major (as am I). I can promise you that there is an entire cottage industry of people who are willing to promise you the moon as long as you pay an outrageous fee to them. And for that fee you might get someone with no major connection to the industry reading your script, and even the "winners" have their IP rights to the script forfeited. This contest is FREE, which is crazy, and you get two guaranteed comics professionals reading your stuff, one of whom is the COO! And they do it while they work on their projects AND try to enjoy their own personal lives. It's honestly shocking there isn't submissions in the thousands, trust me.
> 
> The lack of feedback does suck. If there's anything that might make me not enter on a particular year, it might be that along with schedule. But you know that going in and no other comic companies are going to take the time to tell you why it just didn't fit their taste, if it needs polish, etc. Professional coverage for screenwriting is not cheap, and it may not even help you as much as you think.
> 
> So just believe in yourself, your style and keep writing. As someone lucky enough to work in a relative related field, trust me, this contest is awesome because of Top Cow and the people on this forum who help out their fellow entrants. And I can promise that even if you won, that's just a crack in the door. You always gotta hustle to keep it going.
> ...


Thanks for the kind words.

As for the person who studied Screenwriting, that would be me.

I have a Masters degree in Screenwriting from Screen Academy Scotland. My undergraduate degree is in Screenwriting too.

As a qualification, it's pretty useless. But everything I learned while studying, has helped me a lot.

You don't only learn about writing. You take a look at the business side of the industry as well, which you need to have a keen understanding of if you are going to succeed.

That, and it developed my researching skills. Which was really useful for learning more about Top Cow continuity.

----------


## Tcth

Hi everybody.  Long time lurker here.  My quick story - I haven't drawn since I was a kid, when my dream job, like so many here, was to grow up and draw comic books.  For whatever reasons (which I still can't really figure out), I never really pursued it.  Flash forward 25 or so >cough< >cough< years, to my coming upon this contest.  I figured hey, why not.  Well, I didn't finish by the deadline, but I entered anyway.  I knew that I couldn't win because the pages were incomplete (besides whatever other reasons of course), but I felt like not entering after putting so much work in to it was just too much like quitting.  Suffice to say I didn't win.  But I'm glad I entered.  It got me back in to the drawing groove, which is great.  If these pages were done, they would have represented the first eight pages I ever really drew (as a kid I drew stand-alone drawings mostly, and maybe finished 3 or 4 consecutive pages only really once or twice).  

Figured I'd post my entry, just for the heck of it. 

I'd like to thank Top Cow for sponsoring this contest, it's a really great thing to do for struggling artists and writers. 

Bigger version here:
http://grimlockbedi.deviantart.com/a...ages-535861589

8-pages.jpg

----------


## Daniel Brian Mobley

> Hi everybody.  Long time lurker here.  My quick story - I haven't drawn since I was a kid, when my dream job, like so many here, was to grow up and draw comic books.  For whatever reasons (which I still can't really figure out), I never really pursued it.  Flash forward 25 or so >cough< >cough< years, to my coming upon this contest.  I figured hey, why not.  Well, I didn't finish by the deadline, but I entered anyway.  I knew that I couldn't win because the pages were incomplete (besides whatever other reasons of course), but I felt like not entering after putting so much work in to it was just too much like quitting.  Suffice to say I didn't win.  But I'm glad I entered.  It got me back in to the drawing groove, which is great.  If these pages were done, they would have represented the first eight pages I ever really drew (as a kid I drew stand-alone drawings mostly, and maybe finished 3 or 4 consecutive pages only really once or twice).  
> 
> Figured I'd post my entry, just for the heck of it. 
> 
> I'd like to thank Top Cow for sponsoring this contest, it's a really great thing to do for struggling artists and writers. 
> 
> Bigger version here:
> http://grimlockbedi.deviantart.com/a...ages-535861589
> 
> 8-pages.jpg



VERY NICE work! That's a big deal that you entered past the deadline--says a lot about your integrity and passion for the medium. Keep up the EXCELLENT work--looking forward to seeing more! :Smile:  I entered the hunt as a writer--my entry is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byn...S1E/view?pli=1

----------


## Tcth

Hey thanks a lot Daniel Brian Mobley.  I actually snuck in just before the deadline, it's just that I submitted an incomplete entry.  Thanks for taking a look at the pages and for the feedback.  I will try to take a look at your script when I get chance!

----------


## Claonnie

"Getting published in comics has never been simultaneously easier and harder than it is now," Hawkins told CBR sumitomo connector

----------


## Daniel Brian Mobley

> "Getting published in comics has never been simultaneously easier and harder than it is now," Hawkins told CBR


Indeed....yep.  Indeed. :Smile:

----------


## AmericanAstronaut

Rejected script! Better luck next year. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1h...ew?usp=sharing

----------


## WaddyisOsvaldo

> Hey guys!  Congratulations to all of the winners!  I would have posted much earlier, but my computer has been on the fritz and I have been absurdly busy.  I'm looking forward to next year, especially having a heads up on the material.  I will post my script on here soon, I just don't have time right now.
> Here's to hoping this thread stays alive.  I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
> Rock on and good luck on the next Talent Hunt!


KY Matty and all my other fellow Talent Hunt losers -- let's not squander all the hard work and good will we've invested here. This is a call for us to use this experience to become better writers, to crack the code and to figure out why we didn't win. What made our scripts lesser-than? What will make us winners? The best way to do this is to have others rip our work. Then we should go back and dissect our stories once more, after they've been critiqued. Let's tinker, learn from our mistakes, embrace what worked and come back next year to win this thing. 
I propose we start a program of Pay-It-Forward critiquing. I've written up a brief critique of KY Matty's script and posted it below. All I ask in return is that KY Matty write up a critique of someone else's work posted on this site. It doesn't have to be too in depth, but try to give some constructive feedback. For the rest of you, if you have your work critiqued, you should in turn, critique someone else's. Or better yet, even if you haven't had your work critiqued, click on one of the script links in this thread and read/critique one right now. 
Of course, critiques should be respectful, but we also shouldn't feel like we have to pull punches either. What do you say? Let's dig in and make our failure count for something. And with that, I give you my critique of "Tsin-Tsen's Inferno" by Matt Rogers. 

I considered doing a Tsin story for my entry. Hes a great character and I think youve done a very nice job of telling a powerful emotional story here that pushes this character forward in interesting ways. 
In a general sense, I think the dialogue/captions are a bit stilted, while its tough to put my finger on why sometimes. However, below Ive pulled out a few examples. 

On page 2, I dont know what these demons look like. It may be my unfamiliarity with the Witchblade universe, but at least a little description would have been nice for me.  I think some of Tsins exposition is a bit extemporaneous. There are times when you can write a bit tighter. And other times, when I feel you can open up wider and make your descriptions bigger and more vivid for the artist to inspire your artist.  

I like the opening fight scene. Its crisp, and his voice over about being an improv artist guides us nicely though it. That moment when he snaps the demons neck, *CRACKLE*  great stuff. (A style note, you should keep to the present tense in your action if thats the tense youre working in. PAGE 3, Panel 4 should have read: Tsin snaps the demons neck.) 


Your panel count is off on Page 7. Personally, I consider these kinds of things minor mistakes that an editor or artist can easily catch and fix. But some people get mental over this kind of thing. 


Write tight, ie: Page 7 Panel 2: Over Fathers shoulder the swords hang on the wall in the background. Theyre over his shoulder on the wall  we can assume its in the background, unless the artist has a better way of showing it. Nevertheless, I really like this page, with flame tongues licking the ceiling from off of (Malis) body. 

Page 12, I like the echoes of the back-story we just left behind on the previous page. 

I think the writing can be a bit stilted at times, where the dialogue can sound more conversational, the captions more crisp, and the descriptions more detailed and immersive. Heres an example from Page 17: Panel 2: Mali stands in a gateway that is surrounded by fiery fog. Above his head is the bottom half of a sign reading, ye who enter here. 
This is a great image, and I think you can feed your artist a lot more here, and then of course, let him or her riff off of what your imagination conjures. Tell me more about Mali? What emotion is imprinted on his face? Is he hunched about to pounce or grasping at pillars to hold him up  still run down from his last run-in with Tsin or is he running his fingers through his hair like Jennifer Beals doing the dance to Maniac?  That sign that hes stepping on, is it wrought iron? I assume it is, but tell me. I think there are a lot of opportunities throughout for even more descriptive or engaging writing that are squandered. 

All in all however, I think this story is well structured and entertaining and I enjoyed reading it. I think you could definitely be among the 40.

----------


## WaddyisOsvaldo

Oh, and here's the link to my losing script: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByZ...ew?usp=sharing

It's an Aphrodite IX story that takes place in between the recent Aphrodite IX nine-issue series and IXth Generation. Enjoy. 

_(For every review/critique I receive, I'll give one —*not necessarily in return, but I will critique one of the losing scripts posted on this thread.)_

----------


## omorales81

OK, Magdalena fans (I hope there is at least one of you among this group), here is my script. I've never used Google Drive before, so I hope I'm doing this right:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Q...ew?usp=sharing

Admittedly I haven't read any other scripts except for MonkeyPants', and I rather enjoyed his team-up of Witchblade and Magdalena in his "Cold War" story. I was brand new to the Top Cow Universe last November when I heard about this contest and I gravitated toward Magdalena because of my affinity for the Spear of Destiny. I wrote this in a manner that I hoped would be consistent with Magdalena's world, but also easy enough for a new reader to pick up and read with the use of informative, establishing captions. 

Appreciate any feedback.

Also, I was invited by the inventor of "Free Comic Book Day" to have a table at his sidewalk mini-con for Indie creators in the Bay Area. He said Top Cow's local marketing guy and a former Talent Hunt winner will be there too. If I remember, I'll try take a picture with those dudes and post here for you all to see.

----------


## sh4d0vvkn1ght

I lost and love it. Thanks for the opportunity, it was a great experience   :Big Grin:  .Thank you all and if you have   time  take a look to my art for this contest. 
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...-001-520988246
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...-002-520988700
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...-004-520989308
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...-005-520989567
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...-006-520989913
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...-008-520990297
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...e-10-500954066
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...e-11-504345239
http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...e-12-508127979

----------


## Pauul

I thought just Athena IX and Apollo IX were getting One Shots, but it looks like Poseidon IX and Artemis IX are getting them too.

If anyone hasn't picked up the hardcover of Aphrodite IX yet, then you should.

Lots of good background information. It includes the David Wohl original series which has some great characters (Abraxis is visually really interesting) and some interesting plot points which have yet to be picked up in the latest series.

My copy arrived over the weekend. I'd read all the Rebirth stuff but I had really wanted to get a look at the previous series too (given that it is at least partially in continuity).

Plenty of cool things to research.

----------


## thomservo1138

Long-time lurker, first-time poster.

I had entered the contest this year in the writer category but sadly did not make it. For your amusement, I put the script up on my website.

http://wp.me/p2LSmi-dS

----------


## KY Matty

> KY Matty and all my other fellow Talent Hunt losers -- let's not squander all the hard work and good will we've invested here. This is a call for us to use this experience to become better writers, to crack the code and to figure out why we didn't win. What made our scripts lesser-than? What will make us winners? The best way to do this is to have others rip our work. Then we should go back and dissect our stories once more, after they've been critiqued. Let's tinker, learn from our mistakes, embrace what worked and come back next year to win this thing. 
> I propose we start a program of Pay-It-Forward critiquing. I've written up a brief critique of KY Matty's script and posted it below. All I ask in return is that KY Matty write up a critique of someone else's work posted on this site. It doesn't have to be too in depth, but try to give some constructive feedback. For the rest of you, if you have your work critiqued, you should in turn, critique someone else's. Or better yet, even if you haven't had your work critiqued, click on one of the script links in this thread and read/critique one right now. 
> Of course, critiques should be respectful, but we also shouldn't feel like we have to pull punches either. What do you say? Let's dig in and make our failure count for something. And with that, I give you my critique of "Tsin-Tsen's Inferno" by Matt Rogers. 
> 
> I considered doing a Tsin story for my entry. He’s a great character and I think you’ve done a very nice job of telling a powerful emotional story here that pushes this character forward in interesting ways. 
> In a general sense, I think the dialogue/captions are a bit stilted, while it’s tough to put my finger on why sometimes. However, below I’ve pulled out a few examples. 
> 
> On page 2, I don’t know what these demons look like. It may be my unfamiliarity with the Witchblade universe, but at least a little description would have been nice for me. … I think some of Tsin’s exposition is a bit extemporaneous. There are times when you can write a bit tighter. And other times, when I feel you can open up wider and make your descriptions bigger and more vivid for the artist to inspire your artist.  
> 
> ...


Hey man, I really appreciate you workshopping my script.  I was hoping that this thread might turn into something like this.  Time permitting, I intend to pay it forward.  
I agree about more description with Mali's face.  I'm not sure about the description of the demons though.  I intentionally left that obscure because I was thinking in terms of not wanting to step on an artists toes.  But, I can see how more description would add to the script.  That may depend on the artist that the writer is working with.  
I absolutely agree with consistency in tense.  I'm actually a little embarrassed.  That's amateur.  But, that's why there are editors and my description wouldn't go in the book anyway.  I wouldn't mind you being a little more specific about where my writing feels forced.
I do hope I am among the top 40.  But it's probably best that I don't know.  It wouldn't change what I do.  I would still submit more writing.  Knowing if I made the top 40 would only serve to give me one of two differences in mentality: "I've almost got this" vs "Why do I keep doing this to myself?"  Either way as long as my mind and body will let me, I will be submitting writing.
This is my first chance to respond to this (weeks later).  Once I have the time I will workshop your script and workshop whoever else wants notes.
Again, I appreciate it and I appreciate the professionalism.  All of your criticism was constructive.
Holla!

----------


## Juan

I'm curious if this is the same thread that will be used for the 2016 talent search starting on Sept. 15th 2015 and ending in 2016.  If not, is there one set up yet?  Thanks.

----------


## Monkeypants

I just want to point out how fantastic Top Cow continues to be about this Talent Hunt. if you download the new 2016 Talent Hunt rules, you can read the scripts for four new Top Cow comics. I know they're intended for artists, but they're invaluable for writers. For example, if you purchase the brand-new, excellent Athena IX #1 by Ryan Cady and Phillip Sevy, you can immediately compare it to Ryan's original script. And the fact that anyone who submits by January 15 will get a one-paragraph written review/feedback? Wow. No other comic book company is doing this. I hope everybody takes advantage of this opportunity.

----------


## sjmancione

Regarding the most current Talent Hunt (to end in 2016) I downloaded all the submission guidelines, but cannot find a clear explanation of how much art a contestant should submit.  It says that they are accepting just pencils, or pencils and ink, etc. but it never says "5 pages of art need to be submitted" or anything like that.  Under "Writers", it specifies an exact page count for a script, but I can't find anything on how much art.  Can anyone clear that up?

----------


## ComradeJ

Hi all,

Newbie here in CBR and I just saw the post about the new Talent Hunt 2015-2016 coming this fall, I just have a few questions about it, if anyone knows the answer.

One of the sample scripts they provided has 21 pages.

For artists, is the full 21 pages required? 

If the _whole_ script isn't required, how many pages, minimum, are required for submission for the Talent Hunt?

Are digital pencils/ink fine?

----------


## sjmancione

I was wondering the same, I looked through the previous contest's thread and it was 8 pages minimum for sequential art,  I'm guessing that's what it is this year...?

----------


## SaraKpn

Hi, I assume it will be the same as all previous talent hunts. 8 pages minimum is required for artists. Yes, pencil/ink is fine. If you ink or color some else his work, you can't submit for the talent hunt.

----------


## Lightningmax

Let's start with some encouragement!

Just because you didn't win doesn't make you a loser!

Art is subjective.  A contest about art would therefore be subjective.  It does not mean that you are not a good artist (which includes the art of writing), it just means that you were not chosen.    

Further, if you equate contests with taking tests, then the ability to be successful on a test does not mean that you will be successful at the task.  There are always people who are good at taking tests, just as there are people who are good at winning contests.

You will be disappointed, you are human.  But don't denigrate yourself or put yourself down, there are plenty of people in life who are willing to do it for you, don't you join their team.  On to talking about the contest!

----------


## MrJ

The reading list in the rules is pretty good place to start. But personally I found it helped to read Aphrodite 0-5 The original run as it ties into her later rebirth arc. Read that first then Cyberforce Rebirth Then Aphrodite Rebirth, Then Aphrodite hdden files and Cyberforce/Aphrodite #1 then onto IXth Gen. Its a bit dense at first but a little research about the characters first and you should be fine and bare in mind that the Cyberforce Rebirth are new versions of Cyberforce so they may be different to what you find in any profiles about them.

----------


## MrJ

Hey Pauul You seem to be the mofo in the know, I was wondering about that line in rules that says, 	
 * **This round your submission must be set in the futuristic*timeline/world established *in Aphrodite	IX, Cyber Force and IXth Generation and can feature any character included in any of those three titles in any time from*present day to *the 2827 AD timeline of IXth Generation**

Im not sure of the meaning of this. Does it mean it has to be set in the year 2827 only? does it mean i cant use say a character like RipCLaw because he is not in IXTH GEN? ANy help about this from you or MATT or ANYBODY at all would be greatly appreciated. 

BTW Good luck to everyone who enters.

----------


## settlechaos

Hey, I wondering since the writer entries have to work with in the IXth generation cannon is it allowed for the script to take place before Aphrodite IX became the bearer of the Witchblade and also are we allowed to have flash backs to past to when Sarah and other women where bears?

----------


## Pauul

> Hey Pauul You seem to be the mofo in the know, I was wondering about that line in rules that says,
> * **This round your submission must be set in the futuristic*timeline/world established *in Aphrodite IX, Cyber Force and IXth Generation and can feature any character included in any of those three titles in any time from*present day to *the 2827 AD timeline of IXth Generation**
> 
> Im not sure of the meaning of this. Does it mean it has to be set in the year 2827 only? does it mean i cant use say a character like RipCLaw because he is not in IXTH GEN? ANy help about this from you or MATT or ANYBODY at all would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> BTW Good luck to everyone who enters.


Hey guys, given that I won't be entering this year (being one of the Runners-Up from the previous Talent Hunt) I likely won't be on here as much.

However, I'm thinking of working on a blog featuring relevant research and other helpful things, so if I do that, I'll post a link here.

I would recommend everyone reads the official documents closely as your question is answered there;
*
**This round your submission must be set in the futuristic timeline/world established in Aphrodite IX, Cyber Force and IXth Generation and can feature any character included in any of those three titles in any time from present day to the 2827 AD timeline of IXth Generation. If your story conflicts with published continuity it will be automatically rejected.*

It says from present day to the 2827 AD timeline.

Given that say, Ripclaw isn't around in that timeline, I think it's safe to say you can set your story in the present day.

However, I'm betting you have a better chance of winning if you set it in the future, as the final issue of Cyber Force Rebirth covers their activities for years beyond the present AND a new Cyber Force series has been announced which we don't yet know the content of.




> Hey, I wondering since the writer entries have to work with in the IXth generation cannon is it allowed for the script to take place before Aphrodite IX became the bearer of the Witchblade and also are we allowed to have flash backs to past to when Sarah and other women where bears?


Yeah, I would say that the timeline between the end of Aphrodite IX Rebirth and the IXth Generation would be a great place to set your stories. And I would say flashbacks would likely be okay, as long as they are brief, but you can't just use the world of Aphrodite IX as a framing device to tell a Witchblade story.

I mean, there isn't anything in the rules which says you can't, but it clearly isn't what Top Cow is looking for.

If you want to win, you need to write a story which Top Cow is going to want to publish.

----------


## CreationNation

This may have been covered somewhere else so I apologize if so.  I dont have access to Social media sites right now.  Is there a link to the files for the newest talent hunt?

----------


## Pauul

> This may have been covered somewhere else so I apologize if so. I dont have access to Social media sites right now. Is there a link to the files for the newest talent hunt?


The link was posted on this Comic Book Resources article; http://www.comicbookresources.com/ar...he-competition

----------


## CreationNation

Pauul,

Much appreciated!

----------


## settlechaos

I just finished reading all four issues of IXth Generation in one sitting. Great stuff, it looks like Matt Hawkins has a lot of plans for the IXth story line. I was really interested in Hephaestus IX and how the Bloodsword effected his mind. I think I might write something with that. I'm also curious about Hermes IX she doesn't show up much in the series and bears a strong resemblance to Velocity. I need to know more.

I haven't read the one shots and Hidden Files, but I will soon.

----------


## omorales81

> However, I'm thinking of working on a blog featuring relevant research and other helpful things, so if I do that, I'll post a link here.


@Pauul, it would be huge if you followed through with a blog that gives chronological guidance in the form of a timeline that mirrors the Universe that entrants need to follow. Meaning: read X first as a foundation, then Y for (fill in blank) reason, then Z, and so on.

----------


## Pauul

> @Pauul, it would be huge if you followed through with a blog that gives chronological guidance in the form of a timeline that mirrors the Universe that entrants need to follow. Meaning: read X first as a foundation, then Y for (fill in blank) reason, then Z, and so on.


I was thinking of re-posting the timeline I made earlier in the thread.

I'm currently updating it with the events from the Cyber Force series itself and then I'll likely move onto the Aphrodite IX time period.

----------


## Snargelflause

I have a question mostly about art, I'm sorry if this has been asked previously.

If I wish to submit both art and a script, can I draw my own script, or perhaps another one I find online that abides by the characters and their inherent timelines, or must I only use one of the scripts given in the packet?

This will be the first year I have been brave enough to try submitting some art and I would like to make sure it isn't instantly rejected because I misinterpreted the guidlines.
Thanks to all and any that can help  :Smile:

----------


## SaraKpn

> I have a question mostly about art, I'm sorry if this has been asked previously.
> 
> If I wish to submit both art and a script, can I draw my own script, or perhaps another one I find online that abides by the characters and their inherent timelines, or must I only use one of the scripts given in the packet?
> 
> This will be the first year I have been brave enough to try submitting some art and I would like to make sure it isn't instantly rejected because I misinterpreted the guidlines.
> Thanks to all and any that can help


I don't see why not (correct me if I'm wrong, anyone!) In that case, you'll need to enter both as a writer and an artist; submit both the written script and the artwork. I know that is possible.
If you don't draw your own script, you can either co-op with another contestant or pick one of the four scripts posted. No other scripts are allowed. That I'm sure of.

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## ciaomeingott

> I was wondering the same, I looked through the previous contest's thread and it was 8 pages minimum for sequential art,  I'm guessing that's what it is this year...?


I may have missed the answer thumbing through this Discussion Thread, but I am wondering about the eight pages of art. Does the 8 pages have to be continuous sequential pages, or can the pages be groups of pages chosen from the script?

Thank you!!!!

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## Attila Kiss

Hello fellow contestants.

Hope you're all well and ready for the next round.
This is a very exciting new contest. Very hard... but exciting nonetheless.
Read through everything that was suggested in the rules, and have to complement the new direction Top Cow took with this property.
It must be a helluva cheat-sheet to keep everything in sight, which makes the novice writers job that much harder.
I mean even Matt had a small goof, and he's THE Man. (i.e. Hephaetus has no recollection of being resurrected for the first time, 25 years later in Issue #1 of IXth Generation, but in Issue #2 at the "last supper" scene Velocity clearly toasts to the first successful sync, at the time when it happened, with Hephaetus standing right beside her.)

I have an idea for a story, however the fact that IXth Generation series is not at the end makes me nervous.
The nucleus of my one-shot is very fragile. For now it holds together, but not knowing what will happen in the remaining issues of the series, makes it vulnerable.
One small event can shatter the most interesting part. Have to keep close eye on the future developments. 

I would also like to grab this opportunity and ask if any artist wants to collaborate? Feel free to hit me up.

Best luck to the entrants, and looking forward to read all the works from the previous contest winners.

It was said before but it should be repeated, 
Thank You Top Cow for this amazing opportunity.

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## gonzoliving

I'm looking forward to be able to get my hands on the IXth Generation TPB that is being released on September 8.

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## Lightningmax

> I may have missed the answer thumbing through this Discussion Thread, but I am wondering about the eight pages of art. Does the 8 pages have to be continuous sequential pages, or can the pages be groups of pages chosen from the script?
> 
> Thank you!!!!


Sequential pages are what they are looking for.  Choose a set of eight sequential pages from the whole script.

If you work: Thumbnails, At Size Layouts, Finished pages  -- then is should be easy to pick out the the strongest pages.  But the measure of a true professional is how well she draws the parts that are NOT interesting to her.  Try to find a good mix -- eight pages with interior locations, exterior locations, multiple culture sex age height weight characters, emotional scenes and birds, there should always be birds or squirrels.

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## Ryan Lord

The rules pdf states:




> UNPUBLISHED
> What does this mean? Im going to narrow it down specifically that if youve done work for any of these companies or any of their affiliates, divisions or imprints you cant participate:


I've colored a few covers for Boom, but other than that have never had my own digital art published, i.e. my only published work is coloring other people's art. Anyone know if that disqualifies you? It doesn't seem like it would since they're not looking for colorists in particular, but I thought I'd check before I spent time on any pages.

Thanks!

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## ClintonFarley

Hello everyone, Its my first try at the artist talent hunt. If anyone wants to add me as a friend on facebook look me up www.facebook.com/clinton.farley.art i always like having other artist friends to chat with.

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## settlechaos

> Hello fellow contestants.
> 
> Hope you're all well and ready for the next round.
> This is a very exciting new contest. Very hard... but exciting nonetheless.
> Read through everything that was suggested in the rules, and have to complement the new direction Top Cow took with this property.
> It must be a helluva cheat-sheet to keep everything in sight, which makes the novice writers job that much harder.
> I mean even Matt had a small goof, and he's THE Man. (i.e. Hephaetus has no recollection of being resurrected for the first time, 25 years later in Issue #1 of IXth Generation, but in Issue #2 at the "last supper" scene Velocity clearly toasts to the first successful sync, at the time when it happened, with Hephaetus standing right beside her.)
> 
> I have an idea for a story, however the fact that IXth Generation series is not at the end makes me nervous.
> ...


I was having a similar problem too. It's difficult to plan a story when you don't have control of the content in the story. It's also discouraging when we have no knowledge of where IXth Generation is going. I imagine that in the professional comic book community that there is more coordination between writers working in a shared universe or notes from editors saying stuff like "don't do this, because this writer is going to do this." So we are basically going into this blind. But I've found a way to work with this first everything you write can not make any changes in continuity and second it might to change the time setting of your story like perhaps instead of the story occurring after the events of the latest issue of IXth have it set before IXth. You could for example tell a story of what happens in the 25 years between Hephaetus being resurrected and issue #1. That way you know where the story is going and if the ending can work continuity.

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## ClintonFarley

Is this page setup to help pair artists and writers on the talent hunt.. or is it recommended to follow one of the pre-written scripts that are given instead
..

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## Attila Kiss

> I was having a similar problem too. It's difficult to plan a story when you don't have control of the content in the story. It's also discouraging when we have no knowledge of where IXth Generation is going. I imagine that in the professional comic book community that there is more coordination between writers working in a shared universe or notes from editors saying stuff like "don't do this, because this writer is going to do this." So we are basically going into this blind. But I've found a way to work with this first everything you write can not make any changes in continuity and second it might to change the time setting of your story like perhaps instead of the story occurring after the events of the latest issue of IXth have it set before IXth. You could for example tell a story of what happens in the 25 years between Hephaetus being resurrected and issue #1. That way you know where the story is going and if the ending can work continuity.


I placed my story in that same time frame of 25 years establishing the Kingdoms, and I haven't changed anything in continuity. In fact, everything goes along nicely with what we know so far, but... there is a twist, that makes the whole story interesting, and that twist is in jeopardy. I have a strong feeling the circumstances will change and render my efforts useless. If that happens, I'll sit this one out, unless I can think of another one.

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## Attila Kiss

> Is this page setup to help pair artists and writers on the talent hunt.. or is it recommended to follow one of the pre-written scripts that are given instead
> ..


It's set up if you want it to be set up. All you have to do is reach out. Nice art, BTW.
As far as I know, there's been team winners of this contest, previously. If I'm not mistaken: the last one, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Even if you work as a team, the entries are judged on it's own merits... me thinks.

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## Eddon't callmestark

Your posts have been like solid gold mate thanks!, I have a question to ask of you because in a course of creative writing my mentor told me that I lack "character driven stories" would you be so kind as to provide some intel on what makes a story "character driven" because i thought that as long as it was about telling the important story in the life of a character would make that trick, also English is not my native tongue so please I beg you be lenient with my grammar, thanks man.

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## SaraKpn

> Your posts have been like solid gold mate thanks!, I have a question to ask of you because in a course of creative writing my mentor told me that I lack "character driven stories" would you be so kind as to provide some intel on what makes a story "character driven" because i thought that as long as it was about telling the important story in the life of a character would make that trick, also English is not my native tongue so please I beg you be lenient with my grammar, thanks man.


I think I can help you with that. 
A plot/action-driven story focuses on events that happen outside of the character's control. When the plot drives the story, external things motivate the character to take action.
The focus lies on the external events and the character is basically along for the ride. This is like watching an action movie. It also means the story isn't very deep and relies more on thrills and entertainment.
A character-driven story focuses on the feelings and inner motivations of the character himself. So the character is the source of why the story takes place, unlike with the plot-driven one.
It often has the character grow or evolve in some way, where he must overcome personal/emotional obstacles. This would be like watching a drama. In this case, the audience should feel involved with the character, while in a plot-driven story the events provide the tension (like a time-bomb for example).

I hope that helps. Good luck  :Smile:

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## Attila Kiss

> Your posts have been like solid gold mate thanks!, I have a question to ask of you because in a course of creative writing my mentor told me that I lack "character driven stories" would you be so kind as to provide some intel on what makes a story "character driven" because i thought that as long as it was about telling the important story in the life of a character would make that trick, also English is not my native tongue so please I beg you be lenient with my grammar, thanks man.


Like Sara said, think of the plot driven story as an Action Movie. Perhaps Martial arts film, where the cast is not trained in acting. Their lines are very limited to serve the story not the character. On the end you will most likely remember something that happened in the movie. You will also think of the cast member by his real name not the name he used in the film.

While the character driven story is a Drama, where the character will stop to smell the roses... if you will. Reflection into their inner self will explain what they do, why and how that makes them feel. On the end you will either like or hate the character. The story will only linger in your memory.

In comic books short stories and one-shots are better suited to be plot driven, because you don't have the space to develop the characters properly. While the ongoing books need character building to humanize the story. It's "talking-heads" vs. "constant battles". Finding the right balance is what makes the comic books interesting. In any case, listen to your mentor.

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## Shrike

Hi everyone. I'd heard about the Talent Hunt before but this is the first year that I'm determined to submit a script. There's lots of work ahead, but I'm looking forward to it!

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## Lightningmax

> Like Sara said, think of the plot driven story as an Action Movie. Perhaps Martial arts film, where the cast is not trained in acting. Their lines are very limited to serve the story not the character. On the end you will most likely remember something that happened in the movie. You will also think of the cast member by his real name not the name he used in the film.
> 
> While the character driven story is a Drama, where the character will stop to smell the roses... if you will. Reflection into their inner self will explain what they do, why and how that makes them feel. On the end you will either like or hate the character. The story will only linger in your memory.
> 
> In comic books short stories and one-shots are better suited to be plot driven, because you don't have the space to develop the characters properly. While the ongoing books need character building to humanize the story. It's "talking-heads" vs. "constant battles". Finding the right balance is what makes the comic books interesting. In any case, listen to your mentor.


I beg the differ.   The one shots being released for the IX universe are "character driven" stories.  A character driven story can focus on an aspect of the character, the growth of the character or the point of view of the character.  One of the most famous pov (point of view) character driven stories was Marvels.  The Silver age of Marvel comics through the eyes of a non superhero character -- Kingdom come form the same team would be another.  One shots and miniseries are excellent tools for exploring character -- which is what a character driven story would be.

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## Attila Kiss

> I beg the differ.   The one shots being released for the IX universe are "character driven" stories.  A character driven story can focus on an aspect of the character, the growth of the character or the point of view of the character.  One of the most famous pov (point of view) character driven stories was Marvels.  The Silver age of Marvel comics through the eyes of a non superhero character -- Kingdom come form the same team would be another.  One shots and miniseries are excellent tools for exploring character -- which is what a character driven story would be.


The examples you brought are all from established franchises where the premises of the story were already set. It's easy to neglect the plot and run with the character instead. However, I was referring to, although didn't specify, one-shots created only to be one-shots with completely new characters away from any universe... and within standard 22 comic book pages. That being said, you can do it, but it will bore the hell out of me in a comic book form, which is a visual media and not a prose.

*edit. You are right about mini series, but I wasn't referring to them.

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## Shrike

Character driven doesn't have to be reduced to drama. A lot of bad drama is plot-driven (like soap operas).
We're still talking well-established series and characters but compare Marvel's Secret Wars with Civil War (granted, there was almost two decades of storytelling growth in between) and you'll immediately see the difference between plot driven ("Stuff is happening, what do we do? ARGH, more stuff is happening now!") and character driven ("I'm taking this action which is in my character." consequences ensue). Both have piles of action, but Secret Wars was a pretty boring story.
Your character-driven story should still have a plot, it's just that the plot is moved forward by the characters, rather than the characters being moved forward by the plot.

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## Lightningmax

> I placed my story in that same time frame of 25 years establishing the Kingdoms, and I haven't changed anything in continuity. In fact, everything goes along nicely with what we know so far, but... there is a twist, that makes the whole story interesting, and that twist is in jeopardy. I have a strong feeling the circumstances will change and render my efforts useless. If that happens, I'll sit this one out, unless I can think of another one.


Dude, don't sit it out! A writer writes!  I know you've got more than good one story in you!  There is a full world that needs exploring.  There has been very little world building on this project, so this is open to a lot of work.  The "good" land area is on the equator. The equator is considered between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn -- the width of the Earth at the bulge of equator is 24901 miles.  What is going on with the rest of the Earth?  Polar bears, penguins and other wildlife may have survived and evolved.  Did any gen active or cyborgs found kingdoms in the wastelands?  The oceans are usually fairly hardy eco systems and may have recovered from current damage and may have survived the Cataclysm. You have several hundred years of unexplored gen active or cyborg history.  25 years of IX rule -- which means what?  What of current commerce, education, trades?  What of cyborg movement between cities?  What of agriculture?  What do cyborgs eat?  Are there foodies?  Entertainment?  There are a eight million stories in the city, we have nine cities to explore.

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## Attila Kiss

> Dude, don't sit it out! A writer writes!  I know you've got more than good one story in you!  There is a full world that needs exploring.  There has been very little world building on this project, so this is open to a lot of work.  The "good" land area is on the equator. The equator is considered between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn -- the width of the Earth at the bulge of equator is 24901 miles.  What is going on with the rest of the Earth?  Polar bears, penguins and other wildlife may have survived and evolved.  Did any gen active or cyborgs found kingdoms in the wastelands?  The oceans are usually fairly hardy eco systems and may have recovered from current damage and may have survived the Cataclysm. You have several hundred years of unexplored gen active or cyborg history.  25 years of IX rule -- which means what?  What of current commerce, education, trades?  What of cyborg movement between cities?  What of agriculture?  What do cyborgs eat?  Are there foodies?  Entertainment?  There are a eight million stories in the city, we have nine cities to explore.


Nice roundup Lightningmax. There are things to be explored, and to reflect on our previous posts... characters to add dept to + a one paragraph review of the early submissions are all very encouraging incentives, but time is something I have to manage wisely. I can't devote all my hopes into this contest. One story might be all I can sacrifice. It also helps me focus better. So far there is no threat to my idea. It might end up being written.

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## Lightningmax

> The examples you brought are all from established franchises where the premises of the story were already set. It's easy to neglect the plot and run with the character instead. However, I was referring to, although didn't specify, one-shots created only to be one-shots with completely new characters away from any universe... and within standard 22 comic book pages. That being said, you can do it, but it will bore the hell out of me in a comic book form, which is a visual media and not a prose.
> 
> *edit. You are right about mini series, but I wasn't referring to them.


Again I disagree -- I don't think that familiarity with the source material makes character exploration pieces easier.  We all share essentially the same emotions so exploring how someone in a different setting would feel is easy.  Character exploration example:  A child who sees the "saviors of cyborgs" for what they are --  how would that child respond?  Although long lived the cyborgs still bear children and twenty five years is a generation.  Would she be an insurgent?  Would she be an spy? Would she want to be on the IX's side? There could be intrigue and bloodletting in exploring how she achieves any of those goals, but the why of her motivations would be what makes it character driven.

"Making comics like the pros" by Greg Pak ad Fred Van Lente says, "the premise can be stated in a sentence with a massive cosmic truth that describes the journey your characters are taking" -- how are you using the term premise?


To me the secret of good storytelling is answering the questions of the premise as completely as possible. 

Character exploration does not have to be talking heads...

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## Lightningmax

> Nice roundup Lightningmax. There are things to be explored, and to reflect on our previous posts... characters to add dept to + a one paragraph review of the early submissions are all very encouraging incentives, but time is something I have to manage wisely. I can't devote all my hopes into this contest. One story might be all I can sacrifice. It also helps me focus better. So far there is no threat to my idea. It might end up being written.


Awesome man I don't want to lose you!

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## Lightningmax

Charles Soule -- https://charlessoule.wordpress.com/c...riting/page/4/



I’m getting one question more than any other these days – whether it’s phrased as a comment (e.g. “I don’t know how you…”) or a straight up query (“How do you…”), people want to know how I’m managing my workload. I’m way overdue for a post here in any case, and it seems like this will be a good opportunity to talk about the projects I have happening right now as well as reflect a bit on the insane year that has been 2013. So, this, then, is…
…HOW I DO IT.
I am currently writing seven monthly titles – Superman / Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing and Red Lanterns for DC; Thunderbolts, She-Hulk and Inhuman for Marvel; and a creator-owned title called Letter 44 from Oni Press (read the entire first issue for free here!) That essentially means I’m generating 140 pages of script per month, every month.  My pagecount for 2013 is 1116. If I stay on this path, my pagecount for 2014 will be something like 1680. Every script that gets turned in also (usually) requires at least one rewrite to incorporate editorial notes (those are thankfully pretty quick, most of the time), art review and then a lettering pass, all of which have their own deadlines. There’s also a PR component, represented by interviews, Twitter, Facebook, blogging, convention appearances and store signings.
In addition, I’m running a law practice – it’s small, but that doesn’t really matter as far as workload. (Small aside, for years, while I was breaking in, I never mentioned the day job. I was concerned about negative associations with that profession, and intimations that it was somehow easier for me than it might be for others who didn’t have massive student loans and 80-hour work weeks to contend with… seems silly in retrospect.)
There are other things I do that take up time as well, but I don’t know that you actually need my minute-to-minute itinerary.  Suffice it to say that my ass is BOOKED UP.
It is extremely important to me that the work doesn’t suffer in quality because of obligations towards quantity. That’s obviously very important on the creative side, but also professionally crucial on the law side. I’ve always had to handle significant workloads, ever since graduating from law school, but these days it’s on an entirely different level. Here are a few strategies I use to hold things together and make sure the books remain entertaining and deadlines get hit:
1. Decide. This is ultimately the most important point. I considered this path carefully, and I have decided that I can handle it, and I will do what is required to make the preceding clause true. We all have much more time and focus than we think we do. We’re capable of amazing things. We just have to decide to do them.
2. Organize. I make lists constantly. I have a to-do list that appears in several different places (phone, email, whiteboard, desktop), which I update as new obligations hit my desk. (The idea being that I’m constantly being confronted with reminders of the next set of tasks on my plate). I have a stack of different-colored moleskines, each assigned to a different title, so I can quickly grab whichever book I need and all of the notes remain in one place moving forward. Everyone will have their own system, but I think that it is crucial to have a system. I have a good memory, but if I can offload mental processing power that I would otherwise use trying to remember what I have to do next, or what I’ve already done, so much the better.
3. Recognize. The world is constantly vying for your attention. That’s the entire purpose of the adspace that invades our consciousness during almost every waking moment. Try to eliminate distractions, to the extent possible – shut off your internet and phone when you’re working, write longhand first drafts, all of that. Beyond involuntary timesucks, there are the ones we choose – video games/TV/Netflix, screwing around online, getting hammered or high, just generally bumming around. “Wait,” you’re thinking, “that shit is what some would call fun.” Yup. I haven’t cut out the good times, but see (1) – I try to restrict that stuff to what I need, instead of what I want. This is where I might lose people, but it’s one of the most honest answers to the “how I do it” question. I do it by deciding that I want to do the truly important stuff well instead of spending time on stuff that, ultimately, doesn’t matter.
4. Say No. I turn down things all the time. You might not think so, based on the workload, but I do. I just said no to a gigantic project, because I didn’t think I could do that without compromising some of the other work I’m doing. I turn down(some) interview requests, store appearances, convention appearances, social stuff, even clients – this goes back to (3) – I know what I want to achieve, and if I can’t draw a relatively straight line between [x] (a potential obligation) and [y] (a goal), then I just say no. Hmm. It’s possible that I’m coming across as a bit psychotic, but it’s not really that bad – I love doing the work, otherwise I wouldn’t be so focused on trying to do it well.
5. Run. I’ve learned that, despite points 2-4 above apparently being concerned solely with locking my life down as tightly as possible and micro-managing the hell out of every second of every day, that’s not great for mental health or creativity. So, I put myself in situations where my brain can just do its thing, away from the lists and schedules and rigor. I run every other day, usually for about an hour. I often set myself a question at the beginning of a run (what will Red Lanterns 30 be about? How should the final battle between Swampy and Seeder play out?) and then by the end of it, I often have my answer. It’s not a conscious thing – it’s about letting my mind just work, and the exercise tends to let that happen. I don’t know what the equivalent would be for others, but this is a crucial part for me – without it, I’d have cracked in half a long time ago. Plus, it’s, you know, healthy.
6. Pre-Write. I don’t often sit down to write without having a pretty solid idea of what’s going to happen on each page of a script. I do this by outlining issues in several phases ahead of time – usually in those multicolored moleskines I mentioned above. My first pass is just a general splorch of every idea or plot point that I think might fit in the issue. That isn’t always done all at once – it can happen over several days, as I have new ideas. That gets refined into a second pass that starts to look like an actual story outline – it’s a list of the plot points that need to be in the issue. Then that turns into a page breakdown, where I say that pages 1-3 will cover scene X, with points A-D covered, and sample dialogue. From there, I script. So, I’m almost never sitting and staring at a blank page. If nothing else, I can type in the page breakdowns to the script, so I have, say, 50% of the finished product that I can shape if I have to. I’m a firm believer in the idea that you don’t have all of your good ideas at once. Your subconscious needs time to work on a story, to build on existing ideas, and getting your first version of those ideas down (somewhere, anywhere) frees up your mind to find the next iteration of those thoughts.
7. Sit Down and Don’t Stand Up. When it’s time to script, sit down and don’t stand up until it’s done. I usually write a full script in a day, most often in 3-5 hours. I often go somewhere that isn’t my usual environment, like one of several local coffee shops or bars (bars, I find, are better for pre-writing, while coffee shops are better for scripting, but each to their own), but your mileage may vary.  The point is that I try to put myself in a situation where I can just do that – turn off phone, turn off internet, etc. (see (3).) This one might not work for everyone – some people write in chunks and it works just fine – but this post isn’t about how they do it, it’s about how I do it.
8. Decide. Seemed important enough to put it on the list twice.
So there you have it. More or less, how I do it.  I expect that this will evolve – I don’t know that I’ll always be writing seven monthly titles – I’m doing it now because I don’t want to drop off books that I don’t feel like I’ve “finished,” or where I might be letting people down if I did. However, several of the books I’m writing do have planned endpoints (for me, not necessarily for the books), and so I think I’ll move along to new projects here and there in time. Seven is a lot. I’m not pretending it’s not.

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## SaraKpn

Hello everyone. 
In case any of you missed it, Matt Hawkins posted that after this talent hunt, they're taking a year off, possibly 2. 
So if you were planning to sit this one out, there would be a long wait ahead of you. This also means we have to try extra hard this time.
None of us are getting any younger, right?  :Wink:  Or...you know...if you don't wanna hold out for 3 years on getting published.
Link to Matt's FB: https://www.facebook.com/Selfloathingnarcissist?fref=ts

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## Shrike

> Hello everyone. 
> In case any of you missed it, Matt Hawkins posted that after this talent hunt, they're taking a year off, possibly 2. 
> So if you were planning to sit this one out, there would be a long wait ahead of you. This also means we have to try extra hard this time.
> None of us are getting any younger, right?  Or...you know...if you don't wanna hold out for 3 years on getting published.
> Link to Matt's FB: https://www.facebook.com/Selfloathingnarcissist?fref=ts


Yeah, I saw that. It sucks for us, but they put hundreds of hours into it each year so I can definitely see why they'd want to take time off or end it completely. It's not like we're paying them for the time they take making the contest happen, and they do have a business to run and personal lives to lead.
Still, I'm taking it one day at a time until this year's contest closes and giving it my all. Keep working, keep writing, and remember that just because this contest is closed doesn't mean you can't get published in comics.

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## JH014

Does anyone know if there are any specifics about the third uprising? A few characters seem to mention it in passing. I can't seem to find any information other than a date.

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## Mathew

> Does anyone know if there are any specifics about the third uprising?


Only that the timeline established in Aphrodite IX: the Hidden Files places it four years before Aphrodite awakens in Rebirth #1.




> 695ND PHASE 8 INITIATED - PEACEFUL DIPLOMACY BETWEEN GEN AND CYBORGS INTENTIONALLY THWARTED THIRD UPRISING
> 
> 699ND APHRODITE IX AWAKENS IN PRESENT FOURTH UPRISING - THE PRESENT

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## JH014

That's all I could find as well. Thanks.

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## KY Matty

Hey folks!  Long time no post.  I have had very limited computer access for the last month or so.  
So, I have exactly 0 of the source material.  Does anybody know if there are compendiums for these books?  If so, does anybody know where to get them on the cheap?  I have looked through Ebay and Amazon with little success.  I have read what I have found available on the internet, but that is about it and as far as really knowing the world, I'd like to have gone through all of the material.
@Pauul any suggestions?

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## Shrike

> Hey folks!  Long time no post.  I have had very limited computer access for the last month or so.  
> So, I have exactly 0 of the source material.  Does anybody know if there are compendiums for these books?  If so, does anybody know where to get them on the cheap?  I have looked through Ebay and Amazon with little success.  I have read what I have found available on the internet, but that is about it and as far as really knowing the world, I'd like to have gone through all of the material.


A lot of the source material is still pretty new (more so the TPBs), so you probably won't find a lot of them on the secondary market yet. I'd guess the cheapest would be to borrow from someone who has them if you know anybody, or try to pick up some individual comics from stores with back issues.

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## JVillain

> Hey folks!  Long time no post.  I have had very limited computer access for the last month or so.  
> So, I have exactly 0 of the source material.  Does anybody know if there are compendiums for these books?  If so, does anybody know where to get them on the cheap?  I have looked through Ebay and Amazon with little success.  I have read what I have found available on the internet, but that is about it and as far as really knowing the world, I'd like to have gone through all of the material.
> @Pauul any suggestions?


Some of the issues are available for free at the Top Cow website. Some are available at a discount digitally on Comixology. I say wait for the contest to officially kick off. The kickoff often coincides with digital sales on Comixology. That's how I got my research material last year.

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## Pauul

> Hey folks! Long time no post. I have had very limited computer access for the last month or so.
> So, I have exactly 0 of the source material. Does anybody know if there are compendiums for these books? If so, does anybody know where to get them on the cheap? I have looked through Ebay and Amazon with little success. I have read what I have found available on the internet, but that is about it and as far as really knowing the world, I'd like to have gone through all of the material.
> @Pauul any suggestions?


The best advice I could give would be to pick up the _Aphrodite IX_ hardcover. But, it is very far from cheap.

End of the day, if you really want to win this, you're going to have to invest a lot of time and a bit of money.

Oh, and I got my blog up and running; https://paulpennawrites.wordpress.com/

So far, I've only made a couple of posts about the Talent Hunt but I'll hopefully be making more once the new Talent Hunt officially launches.

I'm not going to be visiting this thread as often, so I thought it would be a good idea to put any tips, advice etc all in one place.

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## Guyyoudontknow

In the past, Top Cow has allowed for multiple submissions from writers, but I didn't see any such language in the materials.

Has anyone heard whether they're accepting multiple scripts from individual writers this year?

Also, thanks to folks like Pauul and LightningMax and all the others who do so much to make these Talent Hunt boards so helpful each year.

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## ClintonFarley

I have like 4 writers wanting me to draw up their scripts are artists allowed to do multiple submissions or are they just allowed one.?

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## Lightningmax

> I have like 4 writers wanting me to draw up their scripts are artists allowed to do multiple submissions or are they just allowed one.?


Yes -- You can enter multiple times.  You just have to put a signed form with each one.

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## Lightningmax

> In the past, Top Cow has allowed for multiple submissions from writers, but I didn't see any such language in the materials.
> 
> Has anyone heard whether they're accepting multiple scripts from individual writers this year?
> 
> Also, thanks to folks like Pauul and LightningMax and all the others who do so much to make these Talent Hunt boards so helpful each year.


You're welcome! I want to be more helpful this time! I want to be Pauul!

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## Attila Kiss

Are we there, yet?





> I want to be Pauul!


That's the spirit!

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## settlechaos

Today is the day. The start of the contest. Who's ready?
-points thumbs at face-
"This Guy!"

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## Potkaniak

i guess I should start reading source materials. Seems like a tons of pages to read and I am still confused about it a bit, but I believe it will be fun. I am a bit afraid of writing script in English though  :Big Grin:  
I have one question about art submissions. I have checked several pages of this topic but I am still not sure. Artist submits drawn pages based on script. Those pages need to be B/W pencil-work or can be digitally drawn and colored? I don't draw myself, but my partner draws a lot digitally and she would like to enter. 
I think that one paragraph feedback will be nice motivation for lot of people  :Big Grin:  good luck everyone and have fun writing/drawing!

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## Shrike

> Oh, and I got my blog up and running; https://paulpennawrites.wordpress.com/
> 
> So far, I've only made a couple of posts about the Talent Hunt but I'll hopefully be making more once the new Talent Hunt officially launches.
> 
> I'm not going to be visiting this thread as often, so I thought it would be a good idea to put any tips, advice etc all in one place.


Hi Pauul. Thanks for sharing the link! I'll be following your blog for sure.

For everyone else, how's everybody progressing in the Talent Hunt?
So far I've just been reading and re-reading the source material. I haven't hit upon a really killer idea I want to write yet, but I'm sure it will come soon enough.

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## TotalSnorefest

Hey everyone, just a post to notify everyone following this thread that there is a shiny new thread for the 2016 Top Cow Talent Hunt up right now! It can still be found in its usual place, atop the Image forum, or by following this link. Good luck to all contestants!

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## Lightningmax

> Today is the day. The start of the contest. Who's ready?
> -points thumbs at face-
> "This Guy!"


Ready to get it on!  I've read the scripts that they have supplied.  I've started designs and layouts.  I intend to complete eight pages from all scripts as well as write and draw my own script. Look forward to seeing you in the new thread.

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## Lightningmax

> i guess I should start reading source materials. Seems like a tons of pages to read and I am still confused about it a bit, but I believe it will be fun. I am a bit afraid of writing script in English though  
> I have one question about art submissions. I have checked several pages of this topic but I am still not sure. Artist submits drawn pages based on script. Those pages need to be B/W pencil-work or can be digitally drawn and colored? I don't draw myself, but my partner draws a lot digitally and she would like to enter. 
> I think that one paragraph feedback will be nice motivation for lot of people  good luck everyone and have fun writing/drawing!


I understand the difficulty writing in another language.  An artist can submit in any art format digital or analog, the most important thing is that the storytelling is clear and characters are recognizable.

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## Lightningmax

> Hi Pauul. Thanks for sharing the link! I'll be following your blog for sure.
> 
> For everyone else, how's everybody progressing in the Talent Hunt?
> So far I've just been reading and re-reading the source material. I haven't hit upon a really killer idea I want to write yet, but I'm sure it will come soon enough.


Killer idea -- a serial killer in the future?  Not bad -- how do you kill a cyborg?  Or a serial killer that hunts the IX Generation -- maybe the killer keeps killing the same IX? Cool.  Would the IX care since they can just be reborn repeatedly?  Lot of material to mine there.

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## Shrike

> Killer idea -- a serial killer in the future?  Not bad -- how do you kill a cyborg?  Or a serial killer that hunts the IX Generation -- maybe the killer keeps killing the same IX? Cool.  Would the IX care since they can just be reborn repeatedly?  Lot of material to mine there.


Nice. That'd definitely be the way to go if you want to see how much blood and violence you can fit into a single issue.  :Smile:

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## Lightningmax

> Nice. That'd definitely be the way to go if you want to see how much blood and violence you can fit into a single issue.


You said killer idea   :Big Grin:

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## sh4d0vvkn1ght

I just finished my eight pages art and i will propably sent my submission in a few days. I have a question about limit size . is it ok to half the size of my art ( 11''x17 '' to 5.5'' 8.5 '') because when i decrease the quality still dosnt meet the email of 10 mb submission limit?

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## Mathew

You would probably want to reduce the resolution to 72dpi which will bring a 7"x10.5" file down to around 250-300kb when saved as a jpeg at maximum quality. I'd assume that all the entries would be viewed on a screen rather than being printed out.

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## sh4d0vvkn1ght

Thanks for the answer Mathew. It helped a lot. A preview of my submission can be viewed here http://sh4d0vvkn1ght.deviantart.com/...-1-8-562193513 (since we the artists can post our art before contest ends  :Big Grin:  ) . There are some changes between the panels of the script of the contest and the published Athena IX #1 comic but i suppose we should follow the script and so i have done. Feel free to use my page as reference if you cant find the reference comics  :Big Grin: . best luck to everyone.

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## PedroHAdamo

Just out of curiosity, has it been established anywhere what kind of world exists between the City-States?  Is there some variety, life or exploitable resources, or is it all barren?

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## Jay

Just a quick question. I just recently found out about the talent search and was planning on doing 8 pages from Athena IX, but the script and the issue vary a bit here and there, some things say full page and its not in the issue or a head is supposed to be stomped on when its not in the issue etc.

I was just wondering, should I adhere more to the script or what is in the final issue? Or a mix of the two? I have no problem interpreting the script, but wasn't sure if the changes were made in later edits by the writer or if the artist made them.

I've already done turnarounds for the characters to get the look and feel that I want, as well as thumbnails for the 8 pages, but since I'm assuming you'll be comparing the actual printed issue to my work, I just wanted to save some time and see what the Judges and the rest of the team thought.

Thank you for your time.

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## GMaestri

So I finished pencilling 8 pages for Top Cow´s Talent Hunt, now how do I submit? I mean, I pack them all in a pdf with a weight of less than 10 mb, right? And what do I do with the submission agreement? I print it, fill it and then I scan it? Do I sent it in the same mail or in a different one? Or do I pack it in the same pdf as the pages? Thanks for reading, hope someone replies

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