There are a whole lot of "Need Artist" posts here in DD, but very few get their wish. However, I do know that there are a few individuals here who do work with very capable artists (yes, multiple artists even). So I'm wondering, how did you gather your art team? Did you just get lucky?

I'll start off. I'll limit things to my current collaborators on DD.

Ed Bangalan, my co-artist:
I befriended him way back at Impromanga. After that site disappeared, we lost touch. Then one day he emails me and asks me if I wanna help him on a for-fun manga project which draws monthly episodes based on a given mystery topic. That's how FIGHT started and how we became a team. He's actually someone I wouldn't mind befriending in RL, but he lives in Canada so that's out.

DigitalCAPS, who lettered some of FIGHT 2 pages for me:
He basically just answered my DD request for a letterer. He's like a professional letterer, so I don't know what he was thinking LOL. Since he obviously prioritize paying gigs 1st, I currently work under the assumption that he won't be helping on the next chapter. This dude is fast (guess that's how you are when it's a living). I was unaccustomed to dealing with someone who worked so fast on something I consider a hobby; he stressed me out LOL.

Lifestream, who's currently colouring FIGHT 2 pages for me:
I was fishing around in DD forum and snagged him quick when he put himself up as a free colourist. He's a slippery one: last time he refused all comers (including myself). This time, I dunno, he says he likes my lineart, and so far it's a smooth working relationship and I daresay the pages look great - He even fixes my lineart mistakes! He also coloured those banners of mine you see below in my sig.

Edit:
I should also mention JustNoPoint for all the help on modifying my comics html layout. Otherwise I'd have no idea on how to put up exchange banners and such.

Me Myself and I make a somewhat ok team. I can't stand Myself's writing at times. And I's colors are always late. But hell, they work cheap.

There's no way I could have afforded another artist working on Nadya. The good thing about doing everthing solo is that I don't have to answer to anyone's set rules, and it's how I want the story to look in the end.

Ha! art team. Good one.

i found my writer for bilaran wars in the digital webbing forum.

but after a while i gained the confidence to write stories by myself because it felt more visceral and remained one voice instead of multi voiced

i put up an add offering to pay for quality art and when i found people i liked i went with em.

I drew satanic symbols all over my house, then a greater Beholder demon appeared. He draws my comics for me, but he's one of the ones that stabbed out his main eye to increase his magic power. So sometimes his art goes all wiggly. He also has to draw with his tentacles, so its even tougher.

As for my writer, I got a few guys I meant in prison, monkeys trained to smoke, and the ghost of Hitler to write for me. Their the reason my comics are so perverted.

I have NOTHING to do with my comics myself.

If you don't have collaborators on your comics, refrain from coming here and making irrelevant jokes. I asked a serious question.

Are you suggesting that this is the internet and the internet is serious business?

Yes, yes he is.

But all lulz aside, I originally had some partners to work on American007 as a forum project. One was a co-writer, other was assistant/advisor. It didn't last long, and I pretty much assumed all part of the comic.

mlai
If you don't have collaborators on your comics, refrain from coming here and making irrelevant jokes. I asked a serious question.

Until I get todays list of warnings from an administrator, I won't dare back down from anything I said.

I posted the topic because I was wondering about how some other DDers scraped together collaborators, because it's pretty hard to do and as I know there are only a few ppl who succeeded.

I don't really post new topics unless I have something to show or something to ask.

It doesn't matter to me if this thread dies from lack of replies. The silence itself would be a testament to the difficulty. But intentional derailment is another matter.

let's get back on topic.

I've been friends with TitanOne (who does some Photoshopping for Due East) for about 10 years -- and he offered to help. I've been married to my wife (who co-writes Due East) for 12 years (known her for 16) and I asked her to join this endeavor then she agreed. And my 11 year old son likes to proofread on occasion (he caught an error on page 1 of Book Three)! :)

I guess you could say I gots connections...lol!

I found the artists I work with mainly through the forums but each one was slightly different. Perseverance is the key!

For Shades , I advertised on several forums and was very lucky that Harsho responded to the post at Komikwerks within a very short time.

For The Spires [brokenvoice.co.uk], I did the same but was unsuccessful in finding an artist whose style would suit the story. I therefore trawled through the work at artWanted and, after several months, I found some samples of Fabrizio's work and approached him direct.

For Hunted [brokenvoice.co.uk], I tried both advertising in forums and direct approaches without luck. After two years, I responded to a post by Kyri at the OnlineComics.net forum (yes, artists looking for writers do exist even if they're rare!) The lesson to be learned from this one is, if you believe in your project, don't give up. While you're looking, just keep working on it (or, if it's finished, start writing another!) so that the long, slow haul doesn't get you down.

Other forums with "Collaborators wanted" sections include Digital Webbing, PencilJack and TalkAboutComics. Posting a Bulletin at ComicSpace would also be an option now.

marine
I have NOTHING to do with my comics myself.

hahahahahaha. I seen some guy on another board asking if there was a job out there thta would let him come up with concepts and get paid for them, so other people can write and draw them. I'll let him know what he has to do.

RobertTidwell

marine
I have NOTHING to do with my comics myself.

hahahahahaha. I seen some guy on another board asking if there was a job out there thta would let him come up with concepts and get paid for them, so other people can write and draw them. I'll let him know what he has to do.

Yeah, but I don't get paid for penis. It'd be nice to have some income from it.

Really though, I work my ass off on penis. Everyday I'm on call to write down ideas for penis. little jokes or characters I come up with. anywhere I am. The vast majority of penis is characters from other projects that didn't get featured heavily in them (like Abortion Man or the Robot Demon) but some like Big Angry Black Guy are penis originals that just developed over time as just background mutant characters. Some are taken from my stand up act, like Dracula. I'm always drawing new characters, working on new story ideas, new pages, new extra content like Vinhead and my cartoons. Its a lot of work to make my comics.

However,

I'm not above of working with a group, and sometimes I do get some ideas from others. If not inspiration from their lives or stories they tell about people they saw, just a general idea like "What would big angry black guy say about Don Imus?" stuff like that.

On occasion two dudes I go to for help as proofreaders/contributors are:

One acquaintance of mine generally comes up with a lot of off color jokes. He just calls me up and tells me his ideas or something funny he saw someone do. He also says I should do more pages that end up showing womens breasts or asses too. He's very excitable and adds the word "dawg" and "homie" to every other word. Also he often says "know what I'm sayin," and often I answer back with "No. I haven't a clue what you're talking about." A lot of times I call him to discuss Big Angry Black Guy and he usually comes up with a line or two. He's an expert in hip hop culture, and keeps me up to date on the latest slang. I've known this guy for the last twenty years or more, he's great dude. Works at McDonalds, likes boxing and working out, and is a honest good dude. I don't see him as often as I'd like to, but I'd say he's one of my best friends.

Another friend generally comes up with sadistic and gross stuff for penis. He's actually a horror writer who does a short stories for magazines like Red Scream and other horror crap no one ever heard of. I met him when I did college awhile ago. I've known him for maybe two years, and he has a similar sick sense of humor. I can't think of anything specific he adds to penis. I know I got his approval for a lot of the latest bunch of penis stuff, like the Chester story and Man With Chainsaw. He's a good filter to go through if something isn't bloody enough or doesn't have the right amount of poop.

Those two, I take their opinions a lot more than anybody else's. Generally, anybody that comes over to the house I show off my cartoons to them. I had a female friend that thought any sexual jokes in penis were great, any time nudity or cum was involved she would giggle cartoonishly at it. I try and filter in what everybody wants. Gross poop jokes, dirty off color possibly racist jokes, nasty sexual humor, long and wacky stories that go off in bizarre tangents, outragous situations, bad taste, crummy artwork, great artwork, frequent updates always on schedule, and lastly try not to use the same situation or joke twice in a row. It seems okay to do a similar page a few weeks later, but you gotta change the variables up. Like I remember one page was of Buttman sneezing poo all over Tranny. I did almost the exact same thing with him sneezing poo on a robot and short circuiting him a few weeks later. I think thats the only blatent recycle that I've done. A lot of the characters do similar stuff, but the variables change. Sales Goblin's sthick is that he shows up to sell stuff and people get angry with him. Like sitcoms, its the same situation every week with different variables put in. Like this week he might try and sell something to the devil who stabs him with a pitchfork, or he might try and sell something to spider-man and be shot with webbing, its all about being different while staying the same.

Its a tough balancing act to do, but penis is better now than its ever been.

Oh Mlai is going to be so thrilled about you hijacking her topic into a "Penis" plug o_O

On topic it seems me and Meechi from Cram Session will be teaming up. He offered to help me draw my comic in a comment and I thought it was a joke.

Then I get a PQ from him saying he really in interested. So now he is making the cover for my next issue as a test run and from there we plan to work on issue 4 together. I'll color, he draws. I'll still be doing issue 3 so he can have more breathing room. This will be a totally new experience for me and I can't wait to see how it will work/turn out.

I never asked for any help and love the hell out of him for the offer!

JustNoPoint
Oh Mlai is going to be so thrilled about you hijacking her topic into a "Penis" plug o_O

On topic it seems me and Meechi from Cram Session will be teaming up. He offered to help me draw my comic in a comment and I thought it was a joke.

Then I get a PQ from him saying he really in interested. So now he is making the cover for my next issue as a test run and from there we plan to work on issue 4 together. I'll color, he draws. I'll still be doing issue 3 so he can have more breathing room. This will be a totally new experience for me and I can't wait to see how it will work/turn out.

I never asked for any help and love the hell out of him for the offer!

she wanted a serious post.

My artist was a friend of mine from college. Now he won't do it at all. His friend worked on it with us and I found his ideas suck, but his character is great to have in the comic. For those of you with an art team you're very lucky.

I took out ads on a dozen forums and Internet classifieds sites, did interviews for three months, and give money to the people who for whatever reason impressed me the most.

Originally I was looking for someone who'd be willing to do the art on one of those "if we get paid you can have a percentage of the back end" deals, but not too surprisingly, nobody (whose artwork was worth a crap) was interested in such an arrangement.

Now it's a matter of promoting the hell out of what I've got and waiting to see whether or not I can start generating revenue faster than I'm running out of capital. ;-)

I married my artist. Can't recommend it to everyone. They are a moody lot.

When I need something that for some reason Ethan can't draw, I just take days and do it myself.

I've had bad experiences with helpin' out. Not to say I wouldn't hook up on a project; but, I wouldn't spearhead it.

maritalbliss
Not to say I wouldn't hook up on a project; but, I wouldn't spearhead it.

Wise woman. This time last year I was 100% writer. Now I'm about 15% writer and 85% business manager. I'm hoping I can at least get a 50%/50% split eventually.

maritalbliss
I married my artist. Can't recommend it to everyone. They are a moody lot.

When I need something that for some reason Ethan can't draw, I just take days and do it myself.

I've had bad experiences with helpin' out. Not to say I wouldn't hook up on a project; but, I wouldn't spearhead it.

Warg, I gots to marry me an artist now! *Runs out and finds himself one*

Hyptosis
Warg, I gots to marry me an artist now! *Runs out and finds himself one*

Hot dang, you found one that fast eh? GJ!