"Don't waste your time, don't waste your time, Don't waste an hour of your life" - Motorhead

Business versus Art is a dilemma that has plagued just about anyone involved in producing entertainment since the Greeks first developed their tragedies.

(The story goes that tragedies developed out of the choral Dithyrambs, regular competitions of songs to praise Dionysus in which the first prize was a goat. "Tragedy" literally means "goat-song", and it's not difficult to imagine the artistic compromises that might have been made to secure that prize. I digress.)

In comics - which is, in its mainstream form, a commercial form of entertainment - the conflict is as great as it is anywhere. But some news I was told at the Bristol Comics 2002 Festival a couple of weeks ago cast the dilemma into a new light for me with regards to the way it affects new creators, and specifically new writers, to the field. (I won't say "medium", because here I'm talking purely about those trying to sell their talents to editors.)

Now, there aren't too many things I can talk about with much authority in comics, but being a new writer is definitely one of them. And one of the side effects of being a new writer is knowing lots of other people in the same situation.

One particular friend of mine, Lee Barnett (who wrote Friday's essay on comics and kids), has been trying to sell pitches for back-up stories to the likes of Marvel and DC for some time now. SPIDER-MAN, BATMAN, all the usual suspects; you name it and Lee has pitched for it. He's a big fan of these comics, and like thousands of other hopeful writers, wants to write them himself.

'How many would-be writers out there are wasting their time?' The thing is, Lee's already a professional writer; for a few years he regularly penned skits and comedy monologues for a show on BBC Radio 4. More people have been exposed to Lee's writing than Grant Morrison reaches with NEW X-MEN in an entire year, but those people have no idea who he is. And even this pedigree wasn't cutting any ice in comics. Try as he might, Lee just couldn't get a firm gig with either of the Big Two.

Lee sold his first script a few weeks ago. And it's nothing to do with superheroes. It's a creator-owned horror story.

This got me thinking; how many would-be writers out there are wasting their time?

Think about it. Pitching to write back-ups for X-MEN or SUPERMAN is akin to asking the producers of CSI if you could perhaps, maybe, if they felt like it and had a gap in the schedule, write an episode for them. I mean, come on. What rookie writer in their right mind is going to try that? Because you know they must be absolutely swamped with people, and most of them seasoned professionals, trying to get the same gig.

Sure, you might be better than all of them, but you'll still be overlooked; because why should they even bother looking at your pitch when they have people who've already worked in the industry for years banging down their doors?

So this is a call to all the young writers out there who are trying to convince editors to let them write an eight-page WONDER WOMAN story.

Why waste your time?

See, this is where the problem of Business versus Art comes in (and let's be honest - in comics, you can change that to "Professional versus Fanboy" without much of a stretch).

There's no secret here; this isn't some great revelation. Thousands of other unpublished writers are trying to do exactly the same thing as you. Hundreds of professional writers are already on the phone to Marvel and DC editors, pitching away. And of those, maybe twenty will actually be given some work over the next year.

'Do you want to write comics? Or just CAPTAIN AMERICA?' You don't need to have a head for business to see that those odds are daunting. And yet, thousands of people stubbornly say, "But I will beat those odds, and I'm going to keep fighting."

Well, good on you. Carry on, with your undaunted spirit. But here's a thought - why aren't you pitching anything else? Why aren't you writing other stories, brand new stories, during the moments between printing off another copy of your Incredible NIGHTWING epic to shove in an envelope?

(An aside: Yes, I'm aware that DC recently published HAVEN, a JLA story by a team of two young unknown writers. I'm also aware that DC followed the announcement of this project with a very public statement that this was the first time in a long time they've bought such a pitch, and the chances of it happening again anytime soon are extremely minimal. Take the hint.)

The fact is, right now - and despite what some industry doomsayers will tell you - you have a damn sight better chance of selling something new than of muscling in on the ever-tighter world of established superheroes. Probably the best chance since the black and white boom of the '80s, in fact. Take advantage of it, for heaven's sake.

Forget your dreams of working for The Big Two; leave them on a shelf, to be dusted off after you actually have some kind of track record.

It's no use crying about the purity of your art. Because if you want to make a career out of this - if you want to earn enough money to make a living from writing comics - then by default you're setting yourself up as a businessman. And the first rules of business are; (1) Find a gap in the market; (2) Fill it.

Unkind fact: right now, there's no gap in the superhero market for unpublished writers. So do you want to write comics? Or do you just want to write CAPTAIN AMERICA?

Because if it's the latter, carry on. You're just making it easier for the rest of us.

Antony Johnston is the author of JULIUS, SPOOKED and THE LONG HAUL. His new ongoing series WASTELAND begins in July 2006.

This article is Ideological Freeware. The author grants permission for its reproduction and redistribution by private individuals on condition that the author and source of the article are clearly shown, no charge is made, and the whole article is reproduced intact, including this notice.