Comic Fury Webcomic Hosting - Neil Gaiman's Advice to Comic Writers and Artists

If you haven't seen this gem floating around the internet within the last few days:

www.bluecanvas.com/magazine/articles/neil-gaimans-keynote-address

It's about 20 minutes long but it's chock full of amazing advice from the man who brought you Sandman, Coraline and a multitude of amazing things. Here's some of my favorite points from the speech:

- Make good art. Money isn't always going to come for-sure, but at the very least, you can have something you're proud of.
- Set a goal, and ask yourself if what you're doing is getting yourself closer to the goal or getting you away from it. Don't be afraid of turning down jobs if you think it'll take you steps away from your goal.
- The "rules" of the industry are constantly changing, it's hard to predict what will happen next, even within the next 2 years. Therefore, make good art.
- Mistakes happen, and you should always make mistakes. It means you're learning.
- Make good art in the good times and bad. Just make art.

Thoughts? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them.

Here's something I actually saw before you posted this.

Gaaaaaaaaaaaimaaaaaaaaaaaan

*drool*

Excellent advice C: Thanks for posting this!

I'll listen to anything the writer of Sandman says. Thanks for the link.

I still can't believe Gaiman really looks like that.

Haha, I love this XD
Whatever happens, you gotta make good art :D

Touching words.

That was very motivating, thank you.

He is just awesome. I love his line about make good art in the good times and bad. I know that kind of giving up on art during the bad times is one of the things I have regretted the most.

I was just thinking about giving up on art for good, so I needed this.

Gaiman is an awesome person, he's been my idol for the past 5 years or so for a reason. :3

He totally looks exactly like how I pictured him -- As Frank Miller's less stylish older brother.

I like how he totally never went to college. Saved himself a few dozen grand and a totally worthless piece of paper, obviously.

(Hmm I used a lot of "totally"...)

He just looks like Ross from friends to me.

Also this. For those who are incapable of watching a 20 minute speech.

Neil Gaiman why are you in my falafel?

my world view has been shattered

People should watch this even if they could sit through the 20 minute speech. Both are great.

This reminds me that I might have seen Neil Gaiman at the Seattle airport... I still don't know if it was him... ^___^

Dear Neil Gaiman:

If I knew how to make good art, I would already be a good artist. I wouldn't need your advice on how to make good art, so eat me! :D

Sincerely,

Phantos.

I think you are missing out on some of his message.

At least for me the idea of making good art is not "oh look at the absolutely perfect thing I drew" but rather "I made something that is important and meaningful to me." I can't really say it right, but the message of making good art is not making some perfect thing you are expected to make (though that can be fine), but rather making something that is important.

Inspiring -- thanks for posting!

Inspiring -- thanks for posting!