Every year during convention season, I look at literally hundreds of portfolios. Sometimes it seems like that’s all I do. It’s just part of an editor’s eternal quest for an artist for the next fill-in issue, or for the next great artist who will make the industry and the fans sit up and take notice. It’s a time-consuming process, both for the editor who sits through hours of portfolio showings, and for the would-be artists who are waiting in line for their turn. Still, it’s the only way we’re going to get that one-on-one time with one another. So, if we’re all going to invest the time, let’s plan to make the most of it!

Here’s what I need you to do:

* Treat the review session as an audition -- a job interview. You’ve come looking for a job, and I’m there looking for artists to hire. Be professional, be alert, and be aware that you’re making a first -- and probably lasting -- impression. I’m not saying you need to show up in a suit and tie, but if you slept in your clothes, you might want to put on a clean shirt before getting in line.

* Come prepared. This is important. Know what you want to show, and have it arranged in your portfolio in the order you want to show it. It’s usually best if you put your newest work up front. I don’t need to see everything you’ve ever drawn, just your most recent and/or your best work. Bring a set of 8 ½” x 11” copies of the work you’re showing, with your name and contact information on every page. I may not ask for you to leave it with me, but I might.

* Show comics work. See, virtually all of the jobs for artists in comics involve telling stories with images. Dynamic cover drawings are great, and character studies and sketches are fun to look at, but what every editor needs is an artist who can draw the twenty-two interior pages of a comic book. I want you to show me proof that you can tell a story -- panel by panel, page by page. And not just a splash page with a couple of following pages. I want to see enough consecutive pages that I can feel secure that you can make the quiet moments of a story as interesting as the fight scenes, that your scene transitions are clear, that you can (and will) draw backgrounds where necessary, that you can draw buildings, furniture, cars, trees, and normal people with the same skill that you draw superheroes, monsters, and spaceships. If you can bring six to eight completed, consecutive pages, that’s probably all you’ll need.

Here’s what you can expect from me:

* An honest critique of your work. I know that waiting in a long line to show your work to a stranger can be both nerve-wracking and boring. Just try to relax, treat it as a learning experience, and keep in mind that you and I are both there because of one underlying reason: we both love comics.

See you at the conventions!

Randy Stradley
Editor