August 2010

will be a great company, but limited

Eventually I reflected on the "general states of the comic strip" will be that I can not resist the lure of fashion.
These are a bit 'reflections on the subject that I threw down on Kinart. I cut the first two lines that made reference to another post and they were not interesting.

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Since it was reported that the meeting of the authors of Lucca in the reactions were quite homogeneous:

- on the one hand a number of authors complains and asks decent
payments - other Apart from a certain number small publishers complained about the criticism addressed to them and says star of conducting their work in a more or less flawless.

I think, ultimately, the controversy 'authors vs small publishers' leaves really make any difference, the problem is not the type of treatment offered by small, but the fact that it has become almost impossible, Italy, contact a publisher who is not a little.

From my point of view, from the author, most of the Italian comic book world see it as the smoking ruins of bombed regularly from Canada full of shit. The situation is tragic, fewer and fewer readers, very low print runs, indecent or no payment. Small publishers are now the majority of this landscape, but to hear which of them to pronounce on the matter, do not acknowledge any responsibility for the current situation. Okay, 'we say that it is important to understand and distribute the blame, or at least not central to my argument, let's say it's all the fault of the market crisis, a voodoo curse, a plot of U.S. intelligence activities, weaken the Mediterranean area of \u200b\u200bthe balloon in order to promote the penetration of the comic overseas. It matters little, we take as fact that:

- most of the Italian publishers are not able to pay a decent amount to its authors and to spread even worthily their work.

Take the case of a young writer determined to make his passion into a co-write or draw comics working in the field, he wants his art to be recognized, appreciated, valued and properly paid (and he's turned this speech, all those who make comics just to have an album to show your mom or go to the forum to say "I'm an author" may return to Farmville, then I do not know what the fuck that is). Will make his first experiences as everyone at the KittysinKula Comics, a small publisher, paid little or nothing, but in the end is still living with mom and dad and if you can afford. Will an accredited, two, then probably that thing called life comes to tell him that should make a quantum leap, should begin to earn at least decent numbers, together with a better publisher. Here, in Italy today hardly anyone can meet these its basic, legitimate (if we have the ability, of course) aspirations. In Italy now, in the field of comics, there remain very few publishers can pay an author as it deserves: Bonelli, Astorina, published by Paulist Press and little else (I do not want people I have forgotten), even Disney is going through a terrible period, he sent home many employees and the wages were reduced, in short, that door is closed for the time being (the fact that Disney, for many, is still indicated as an employer at the time papabile gives me some concern and makes me ask the real knowledge of the situation of these people). It is obvious that these few names can not absorb the huge range of authors, or aspiring, that our country produces. Just as it is obvious that not all future cartoonists Italians have a style appropriate to these publishers, just look at this forum to realize that most of the aspiring comic Italian has many other aspirations. Thus, these authors do? Mica may continue for years and years to work for that big that the publisher pays ten euro (I'm optimistic) at the table, but will have to earn a living in the reality that I know if one, I know, 25 years still can not scrape together a living wage at least equal to the minimum wage of a farm worker is likely to make life which is genuinely problematic. A

counsel with all my heart: get out. I know it's sad, we would all like that here in Italy things were different (oh my God, not all all, maybe someone is okay) but you have to deal with reality sooner or later. Example: you think the U.S. is your target market? Get in touch with a few small American publisher, have it there 'is blessed mess. If you can grow as authors, one day you will have the material already published, with all the trappings of its publication overseas to show the great U.S., and hopes to enter their ranks. Meanwhile you have already confronted with the mentality and the rhythms of the local market, and if you were lucky, maybe you made some money over and above what you would do at home. Think you're ready for big? Knock on the door now, not tomorrow, now. Ditto for France, there Carabas or small publishers as Claire De Lune (the first two that come to mind) pay at least € 100 for a table in b / w and just take a look at their catalog to understand that quality is not required stratospheric. Of course, not be a paradise, but there are likely to encounter scoundrels, publishers improvised, and the life; but if there is a risk, here is almost a certainty, and there is also the possibility, if you can do, to build a respectable career.

I am convinced that working only in this small world of Italian in the long run does not help to grow, and is a subject that goes far beyond the bad or the payments made to be followed by self-appointed editor of dubious ability. First, this system does not reward quality, there is a factor in the selection of authors who weighs more than others: the willingness to work for miserable conditions. This means that the most talented artists, or more secure in the knowledge their own, they simply go there where working conditions are better. Even if you are in an ongoing "work" for micro-Italian publishers does not mean that it is because you are good enough, but because you are desperate enough. So it is difficult to measure their chances of being able one day to the cartoonist's craft. Often a small Italian publisher can make sure your register in a run five hundred / thousand copies, a publishing point of view a thousand copies is a drop in the ocean, nothing. Even selling them all you would never have the certainty that your work is truly appreciated by the public, whether your style runs and can afford higher sales, and even if you doubt this, do not will certainly be here for you will have confirmation.

Obviously, my opinion is only reinforced by my personal history. I know several people continue to bounce from a small Italian publisher to another, in the middle I've seen it all, obviously the more fortunate are those with a family situation very solid at the back, some live in poverty, the limits of deprivation, unable to build a life, get a pension, bring up their children, others continue to live in this state because, distrustful of their own means, do not even try to make that leap, others that leap, it is clear, they never will but continue to publish their KittysinKula Comics ago hope that one day ... Some played at thirty still live with their parents because they would not otherwise have to live that, despite working for years as a cartoonist in Italy, others try to make a living, but soon were forced to go back to mum because she does not know how to pay ' rent. This is very sad.

There are still months to "states General of Italian comics, the publishers tell us that they have no faults, Gianfranco Goria, director of the union tells us (from the blog of Luke Woods) that if the authors of the problems is not blame the union, the cartoonists, in turn, in principle do not seem to admit that you have accepted for years and years of work for pitiful wages have helped to create this panorama. We do not know with certainty what will be discussed at the meeting in Lucca but one thing seems clear already, the least common multiple of the comparison will be the removal of ownership. Pace of an old Italian custom.