What does it take to write for IDW?

Over the last 25 years the Transformers have appeared in media from the exquisite to the scribbled and been licensed to the responsible and the... Pat Lee. Discussion of all the branches of TF media within!

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sprunkner
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What does it take to write for IDW?

Post by sprunkner » Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:01 pm

Eh? I think my resume's okay. Besides, I have this one idea...

Seriously, how do these relatively inexperienced guys like Holmes get involved?
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Post by spiderfrommars » Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:26 pm

The Mosaic guys could be in the running...

Holmes originally pitched to DW didn't he? It probably looked good on paper. I remember people were pretty excited.

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Post by Best First » Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:07 pm

mosaic would def be a good way in i think.

i have an idea for one, but i need to condense it to a page without losing the awesomeness.

Sprunk, maybe we can team up - i have this cool idea for loads of cameos and a Kremzeek appearance - it will be awesome. We can be the new Brad Mick.
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Post by Guest » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:49 pm

Best First wrote:i have an idea for one, but i need to condense it to a page without losing the awesomeness.
It's not the one that involves a lot of tapping of bling, is it?

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Post by Yaya » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:57 pm

I know without a doubt that some of us here could write a damn good story worthy of publication.

I really believe that I could do it, given the time. It wouldn't be an easy task, and I wouldn't be one to reproduce the magic time and time again. But once in a while? Sure.

Given our experience and knowledge of the Transformers over the years, how could we not do a competent job?
"But the Costa story featuring Starscream? Fantastic! This guy is "The One", I just know it, just from these few pages. "--Yaya, who is never wrong.

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Post by BB Shockwave » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:43 pm

Actually, I'm pretty much counting on the writers of some better Mosaic comics will get a chance. Hence, I'm writing one too. :ididit: Anything else... would be illogical. :ididit:

It's about Ravage, BTW. I have a fellow Hungarian Transfan penned for inks and color, but I'll try to do the pencils myself (or fail utterly and ask him to do it). Story is done already... :)
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Post by sprunkner » Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:58 pm

Okay, but which one gets to be Brad and which one gets to be Mick?
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Post by Shanti418 » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:18 am

sprunkner wrote:Okay, but which one gets to be Brad and which one gets to be Mick?
*Insert Off Color Irish Joke Here*



Seriously though, there is no doubt that ANY and ALL of us could write a Transformers epic on part with LOTR or The Odyssey in the space of a page. Our understanding of narrative and characterization, if truly revealed to the world, would put 85% of the world's authors out of work, and could revolutionize the way humans exist, much like Wyld Stallions did in the historical documentary Bill & Ted's Excellent Journey.

It's just a shame we're so f****ing lazy.



*tosses ball back to sprunk and BF*
Best First wrote:I thought we could just meander between making well thought out points, being needlessly immature, provocative and generalist, then veer into caring about constructive debate and make a few valid points, act civil for a bit, then lower the tone again, then act offended when we get called on it, then dictate what it is and isn't worth debating, reinterpret a few of my own posts through a less offensive lens, then jaunt down whatever other path our seemingly volatile mood took us in.

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Post by Kaylee » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:51 am

I'm usually up for any artwork needed :)

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Post by Best First » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:58 am

Shanti418 wrote:
Seriously though, there is no doubt that ANY and ALL of us could write a Transformers epic on part with LOTR or The Odyssey in the space of a page. Our understanding of narrative and characterization, if truly revealed to the world, would put 85% of the world's authors out of work, and could revolutionize the way humans exist, much like Wyld Stallions did in the historical documentary Bill & Ted's Excellent Journey.
And lo he was dubbed Ishin Ookami. ;)

One thing i do find, i used to have a really strong appetite and (what i thought were) solid ideas around adding to the TF myth, but as the quality of what we get gets better (mostly) i find those fires die down a bit.

then again just to have one page of published TF gubbins somewhere 'proper' would be sex.

Plus alos Megs origin makes me think, hah, why not. Thing is if i had written that i would have burned it and never told not noone, maybe that's where we are going wrong.

The main person i wanna see write a TF comic from here is probably Pops - that would be some R rated genius.

Oh, and i'm Mick. If i get called Brad i sound too yankee doodle and that might affect my ability to get laid with my accent.
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Post by sprunkner » Wed Nov 14, 2007 2:36 pm

Best First wrote:If i get called Brad i sound too yankee doodle and that might affect my ability to get laid with my accent.
You mean you haven't been faking that accent? Huh. I have to readjust my worldview.

Maybe a page from the point of view of Bludgeon as he sits in stasis-lock after Stormbringer? Imagine the irony--he was defined by movement before.
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Post by Best First » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:22 pm

yeah, i thought about that.

one of the things that irks me slightly about Mosaic is that some people go for really obvious ideas, plugging gaps that didn't need to be plugged/picking up on obvious tech spec details, and do stuff with a charchter that some times prohibits a more interesting strip.

i.e there has already been a Bludgeon one about the shell, although it sjust him looking at it and sensing a kinship with it - which is a little ham.

My thoughts were him basically overcoming whatever has happened to his brain and the final frame being a twitch of the hand.

But its maybe a bit obvious.

Plus i think there needs to be something factoring of the fact in this coninuity his fanatacisim has taken a different direction. I mean believeing that Thunderwing is some kind of destructive messiah who will restore Cybertron by blowing it up is pretty bloody stupid isn't it? Why is he like that?

So maybe a piece about faith?
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Post by Brendocon » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:39 pm

I thought he believed Thunderwing would restore Cybertron by blowing other planets up... :o

Fairly typical religious genocide thing really, isn't it? "We shall attain glory in the eyes of our god by killing all the heathens!"

Cosmic energy balance thing? Life is in equilibrium... if you kill one thing, the life has to go somewhere else. Therefore the redistribution of "life energy" from the destruction of the rest of the universe would see Cybertron reinvigorated.

?

Personally I'm tempted by the notion of a mosaic piece whereby Wheeljack realises he's got a well cool weapon that could repel the Decepticons attacking Autobot City, but it blows up in his face and kills both him and Windcharger. But the more I think about it, the more wank it seems.

That or Barricade peering down off the fly-over, seeing Prime chopping Bonecrusher's head off and thinking "hrm. I wonder if Frenzy needs my help off in the other direction..."
Grrr. Argh.

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Post by sprunkner » Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:17 pm

Best First wrote:My thoughts were him basically overcoming whatever has happened to his brain and the final frame being a twitch of the hand.
I like that... though I like the religious bit too. Especially since it's a shout-out to the Last Autobot. Maybe for him the peace of meditation is the same as the chaos of battle? I will need to think some more.
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Post by BB Shockwave » Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:54 pm

I had a fanfic idea in a typical "What if..." style (narrated by the Watcher) where that fabled shot by Octopunch (In Primal Scream) doesn't richochet off Grimlock's back, but kills him... Thus Primus doesn't wake up, the Bots are teleported back to Earth by Xaaron and Bludgeon and co. are left in the chamber of Primus... you can guess from there. ;) I pretty much wanted to show how Bludgeon will make his idea of a god (the Ultimate Warrior myth) be realised no matter if it was true or not... Thus him becoming a sort of avator for Primus' energies. (and I planned to put Unicron into the mix too at some point.) But I'm too lazy to draw/write, as Shanti so eloquently put it. :)
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Post by Best First » Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:54 pm

well, it would not be too hard to combine the two i think - some kind of philosophical struggle could parralel his struggle for control over the shell.
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Post by Brendocon » Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:44 am

How DARE you imply that you'd use metaphor or allegory?

Do you see professional writers like Mad Brick or Eric Holmes using such crude literary devices? NO. Explosions and cartoon references. That's what makes fiction, dammit.

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Post by sprunkner » Fri Nov 16, 2007 5:18 am

Yeah. Yeahhhh. We'll talk more when school lets out and I can breathe.
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Post by Best First » Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:36 am

yes, i am working my balls off as well at the mo...

but soon things will be getting rent asunder all over the place.
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