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Countdown to Wednesday: An Inside Look at the Comic Biz and How to Break In
Other // Unrated // August 5, 2003
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
Comic books were, for quite a long time, the center of my life and existence. Every cent I could scrounge together went towards picking up a weekly stack of comics, and my similarly afflicted friends and I all knew that we were going to break into the industry and become multi-millionaire comic artists. It takes a considerable amount of talent and persistence to even have a shot, and focusing one's passion as a reader into a career is a daunting task. "Breaking into comics, especially as a writer, is like breaking into a high-tech military compound, " says writer Mark Waid. "The first thing they do once you're in is cover that way up and seal it off so that nobody else can ever get in that way again." Countdown to Wednesday, spearheaded by artist Marc Silvestri's Top Cow Productions, pierces the industry veil. The feature-length collection of interviews offers an extensive amount of insight as to the inner workings of comics, both from creative and business standpoints. Along with providing an incomparable set of information as to what goes into producing those 22 pages each and every month are suggestions from professionals on further developing nascent talent and how to get submissions in front of the right people.
Countdown to Wednesday is broken up into six segments that can be played consecutively or individually. First among them is the "Introduction" (2:20), which, among others, includes comments from Stan Lee about the drive creativity inspires, Marc Silvestri detailing his use of stealth and deception to break into the industry, and Top Cow president Matt Hawkins noting the close relationship between fans and creators that's unique to this particular medium.
The "Writing" segment (37:22) begins with a brief discussion on the role of the writer both in individual comics and the industry as a whole, such as how the marketplace has changed to embrace writers following Image's reign ten years ago. Stan Lee, Mark Waid, Paul Dini, Marc Silvestri, and seemingly every editor at Top Cow continue with suggestions on how to break in as a writer. It's tougher than getting a gig as a penciller or an inker because an editor can't instantly decide with a quick glance at a page of type if someone can write comics. Some texts are recommended as a reference, and, using film as an analogue for penning comic books, a number of screenwriting texts are among them. The importance of brevity in submissions is noted, as is the importance of having something published to show to an editor, no matter how small a scale the publication may be. The writers go on to discuss their individual approaches to writing, including a brief debate of the initially unscripted Marvel way vs. writing full, detailed scripts. Finally, the participants talk about the process of writing for a company, including time management and the relationships established with artists and editors.
Not surprising for such a visual medium, "Art" (39:42) gets the most attention. The segment covers each and every facet of comic artwork, including pencilling, inking, coloring, and lettering. Much of the discussion revolves around honing the craft, from recommending specific books on each portion of the process to instructional outlets like the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in New Jersey. As with the "Writing" segment, this portion of Countdown to Wednesday also provides suggestions for budding artists to get their foot in the door, as well as providing a glimpse into the environment and responsibilities of which many fans might not be fully aware.
"Self Publishing" (9:24) delves into the pros and cons of taking on that level of work yourself, balancing control and having a finished product to use as a calling card in the industry with the pricey overhead and having to stand out among the several hundred comics released each month. To help overcome the latter are discussions about distribution, attracting the attention of retailers through promotional offerings and efforts, as well as how to make it into Diamond Comics' monthly "Previews".
After the writing, pencils, inking, coloring, and lettering, there's still an additional layer of polish that goes into making a comic complete, and that level of production is the focus of "Putting It All Together" (6:04). The discussion with Top Cow's production staff involves an explanation of the role of post-production, the necessary skills involved, and the tools of the trade. It's mentioned that production makes for an excellent starting point to virtually every other aspect of the industry, and for those interested in using production as an intermediate step, some suggestions on how to break in are also provided.
The final segment is "The Business of Comics" (7:49), which includes notes about the various types of markets, the typical mistakes made in promoting new books, and the headaches of missed deadlines causing comics to hit store shelves late. Merchandising and the translation of comics to film and TV are also touched upon.
Countdown to Wednesday tackles every conceivable step of creating a comic book, from concept to completion. Despite its hefty running time, the discussion manages to remain extremely interesting throughout, never once coming across as dry or dull. Though much of the discussion is clearly geared towards those looking to establish a career for themselves in the industry, Countdown to Wednesday doesn't do so at the expense of viewers with more of a casual interest like myself. The discussion is also very honest, willing to point out the downsides of the industry and the innumerable challenges that have to be overcome to even have a chance at working on a professional level. Countdown to Wednesday's release on DVD includes a number of supplements as well, making for an even more compelling purchase for comic collectors.
Video: The direct-to-DVD Countdown to Wednesday is presented full-frame. The digital video photography is sharp and has a clean, professional look to it, and the translation to DVD occurred without introducing any flaws or concerns of note.
Audio: The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio (160Kbps) is pretty straightforward, consisting entirely of the documentary's various participants chatting with a light techno-inflected score playing underneath. In the rare instances that the music is more prominent, there's a healthy thump, but otherwise, the material understandably doesn't ask much of the soundtrack. The participants are all clear and easily discernable, though the different environments in which they were recorded gives the audio somewhat of a disparate sound as Countdown to Wednesday switches from one interviewee to another. The differences are noticeable, but not dramatic enough to be particularly distracting. The same can be said of the brief loss of sync for ten seconds or so starting around the 24:24 mark in the "Art" segment. Such exceedingly minor quibbles are easily overlooked and don't get in the way of the track from doing its job.
For anyone who's curious, there are no subtitles, closed captions, or alternate audio tracks.
Supplements: The first of the disc's extras is a "Still Gallery with Audio Commentary" (3:34), featuring writer Brian Holguin and penciler Eric Basaldua taking a look at three pages from the first issue of "Magdalena". Holguin and Basaldua chat about the thought behind translating certain elements of the script into something more visual, establishing the personalities of such recently introduced characters, and the variety of their expressions, along with a number of other comments. The footage also alternates between the pencils and the initial script to provide a further point of reference.
Offering a further peek into the inner workings of the comic industry is a "Top Cow Production Meeting" (4:48). No hairpulling or fist fights, though there is chatter about proofs, the status of various pending books, and coloring directly from pencils.
The ups and downs of the interning process are mentioned throughout Countdown to Wednesday, and this concept is touched upon further in "Being an Intern" (3:00). Three interns are interviewed briefly, discussing what they've learned at Top Cow, their current projects, where they see themselves a decade from now, and the downsides of interning.
"Outtakes" (2:24) are quick debates in which some of the documentary's participants debate the merits of such varied pairings as Chex vs. Quisp, Cops vs. American Idol, and wrist lock vs. knee strike.
Finally, Stan Lee contributes a PSA (2:37) for A.C.T.O.R., an organization that lends a hand to struggling comic book veterans.
The video extras are all presented full frame and feature Dolby Digital 2.0 (160Kbps) audio.
The DVD-ROM portion of the disc features some additional cross-platform extras as well, beginning with a Quicktime trailer for Countdown to Wednesday. The remaining supplements are HTML-based. A "Job Tree" describes the structure of a typical comic book company, from the CEO to inkers to merchandising. A "Resources" index lists some of the text references mentioned in Countdown to Wednesday, along with links to related industry websites. The disc also includes a link deep into the movie's site that promises to offer over twenty hours of additional footage, though that URL is currently not functional. The DVD-ROM portion appears to be more of an afterthought, featuring a couple of blatant typos ("Edior in Chief", "Take a peak at...").
Countdown to Wednesday features a set of static 4x3 menus with animated transitions. The level of animation can be a bit unwieldy when navigating through the menus. If I wanted to pop in the disk and go directly to the 'Lettering' section, it takes four clicks (or five, to skip past the opening promo) and nearly 45 seconds to get there. Most of the primary segments are divided into chapter stops, and the individual chapters can be browsed through submenus under 'Segment Selections'. Countdown to Wednesday is an SSSL disc, comes packaged in a keep case, and does not include an insert.
Conclusion: The excellent Countdown to Wednesday is an indescribably comprehensive look at the comic book industry and should prove to be well-worth a purchase to even casual fans of the medium. Highly Recommended.
Boring Image Disclaimer: The screen captures in this review are compressed, slightly digitally sweetened, and don't necessarily reflect the appearance of the footage on DVD.
Related Links: The official Countdown To Wednesday site is still in the works as of this writing, but the temporary site up now provides a list of interviewees and a trailer.
Countdown to Wednesday is broken up into six segments that can be played consecutively or individually. First among them is the "Introduction" (2:20), which, among others, includes comments from Stan Lee about the drive creativity inspires, Marc Silvestri detailing his use of stealth and deception to break into the industry, and Top Cow president Matt Hawkins noting the close relationship between fans and creators that's unique to this particular medium.
The "Writing" segment (37:22) begins with a brief discussion on the role of the writer both in individual comics and the industry as a whole, such as how the marketplace has changed to embrace writers following Image's reign ten years ago. Stan Lee, Mark Waid, Paul Dini, Marc Silvestri, and seemingly every editor at Top Cow continue with suggestions on how to break in as a writer. It's tougher than getting a gig as a penciller or an inker because an editor can't instantly decide with a quick glance at a page of type if someone can write comics. Some texts are recommended as a reference, and, using film as an analogue for penning comic books, a number of screenwriting texts are among them. The importance of brevity in submissions is noted, as is the importance of having something published to show to an editor, no matter how small a scale the publication may be. The writers go on to discuss their individual approaches to writing, including a brief debate of the initially unscripted Marvel way vs. writing full, detailed scripts. Finally, the participants talk about the process of writing for a company, including time management and the relationships established with artists and editors. Not surprising for such a visual medium, "Art" (39:42) gets the most attention. The segment covers each and every facet of comic artwork, including pencilling, inking, coloring, and lettering. Much of the discussion revolves around honing the craft, from recommending specific books on each portion of the process to instructional outlets like the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in New Jersey. As with the "Writing" segment, this portion of Countdown to Wednesday also provides suggestions for budding artists to get their foot in the door, as well as providing a glimpse into the environment and responsibilities of which many fans might not be fully aware.
"Self Publishing" (9:24) delves into the pros and cons of taking on that level of work yourself, balancing control and having a finished product to use as a calling card in the industry with the pricey overhead and having to stand out among the several hundred comics released each month. To help overcome the latter are discussions about distribution, attracting the attention of retailers through promotional offerings and efforts, as well as how to make it into Diamond Comics' monthly "Previews".
 |
| Stan Lee demonstrates how to write dialogue the Marvel Way |
The final segment is "The Business of Comics" (7:49), which includes notes about the various types of markets, the typical mistakes made in promoting new books, and the headaches of missed deadlines causing comics to hit store shelves late. Merchandising and the translation of comics to film and TV are also touched upon.
Countdown to Wednesday tackles every conceivable step of creating a comic book, from concept to completion. Despite its hefty running time, the discussion manages to remain extremely interesting throughout, never once coming across as dry or dull. Though much of the discussion is clearly geared towards those looking to establish a career for themselves in the industry, Countdown to Wednesday doesn't do so at the expense of viewers with more of a casual interest like myself. The discussion is also very honest, willing to point out the downsides of the industry and the innumerable challenges that have to be overcome to even have a chance at working on a professional level. Countdown to Wednesday's release on DVD includes a number of supplements as well, making for an even more compelling purchase for comic collectors.
Video: The direct-to-DVD Countdown to Wednesday is presented full-frame. The digital video photography is sharp and has a clean, professional look to it, and the translation to DVD occurred without introducing any flaws or concerns of note.
Audio: The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio (160Kbps) is pretty straightforward, consisting entirely of the documentary's various participants chatting with a light techno-inflected score playing underneath. In the rare instances that the music is more prominent, there's a healthy thump, but otherwise, the material understandably doesn't ask much of the soundtrack. The participants are all clear and easily discernable, though the different environments in which they were recorded gives the audio somewhat of a disparate sound as Countdown to Wednesday switches from one interviewee to another. The differences are noticeable, but not dramatic enough to be particularly distracting. The same can be said of the brief loss of sync for ten seconds or so starting around the 24:24 mark in the "Art" segment. Such exceedingly minor quibbles are easily overlooked and don't get in the way of the track from doing its job.
For anyone who's curious, there are no subtitles, closed captions, or alternate audio tracks.
 |
| Sample pencils from Eric Basaldua's "Magdalena" |
Offering a further peek into the inner workings of the comic industry is a "Top Cow Production Meeting" (4:48). No hairpulling or fist fights, though there is chatter about proofs, the status of various pending books, and coloring directly from pencils.
The ups and downs of the interning process are mentioned throughout Countdown to Wednesday, and this concept is touched upon further in "Being an Intern" (3:00). Three interns are interviewed briefly, discussing what they've learned at Top Cow, their current projects, where they see themselves a decade from now, and the downsides of interning.
"Outtakes" (2:24) are quick debates in which some of the documentary's participants debate the merits of such varied pairings as Chex vs. Quisp, Cops vs. American Idol, and wrist lock vs. knee strike.
Finally, Stan Lee contributes a PSA (2:37) for A.C.T.O.R., an organization that lends a hand to struggling comic book veterans.
The video extras are all presented full frame and feature Dolby Digital 2.0 (160Kbps) audio.
 |
| Top Cow top dog Marc Silvestri |
Countdown to Wednesday features a set of static 4x3 menus with animated transitions. The level of animation can be a bit unwieldy when navigating through the menus. If I wanted to pop in the disk and go directly to the 'Lettering' section, it takes four clicks (or five, to skip past the opening promo) and nearly 45 seconds to get there. Most of the primary segments are divided into chapter stops, and the individual chapters can be browsed through submenus under 'Segment Selections'. Countdown to Wednesday is an SSSL disc, comes packaged in a keep case, and does not include an insert.
Conclusion: The excellent Countdown to Wednesday is an indescribably comprehensive look at the comic book industry and should prove to be well-worth a purchase to even casual fans of the medium. Highly Recommended.
Boring Image Disclaimer: The screen captures in this review are compressed, slightly digitally sweetened, and don't necessarily reflect the appearance of the footage on DVD.
Related Links: The official Countdown To Wednesday site is still in the works as of this writing, but the temporary site up now provides a list of interviewees and a trailer.
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