I don't think one way is necessarily better than the other, and I agree that people should ask themselves what direction they would like to move in and trust their gut feeling. Authors who write unoffensive things meant to appeal to a broad audience would probably benefit from developing a relationship with an agent. Most comic artists I…
I don't think one way is necessarily better than the other, and I agree that people should ask themselves what direction they would like to move in and trust their gut feeling. Authors who write unoffensive things meant to appeal to a broad audience would probably benefit from developing a relationship with an agent. Most comic artists I've had the opportunity to meet remained independent, and much of that had to do with the subject matter of their comics. They either self-publish or publish through small independent publishers, and I imagine any suggested edits would be for clarity and not content. For myself, the best route seems to be to go through a reputable indie publisher like SLG or Ka-Blam. That does not mean I would not entertain a conversation with an agent who works with a large publisher, as it's good to keep an open mind, and people can surprise you. However, I would not feel confident that my vision would go unaltered. Asking them if they would change anything about Johnny the Homicidal Maniac if they published it today would make a good test of merit.
I don't think one way is necessarily better than the other, and I agree that people should ask themselves what direction they would like to move in and trust their gut feeling. Authors who write unoffensive things meant to appeal to a broad audience would probably benefit from developing a relationship with an agent. Most comic artists I've had the opportunity to meet remained independent, and much of that had to do with the subject matter of their comics. They either self-publish or publish through small independent publishers, and I imagine any suggested edits would be for clarity and not content. For myself, the best route seems to be to go through a reputable indie publisher like SLG or Ka-Blam. That does not mean I would not entertain a conversation with an agent who works with a large publisher, as it's good to keep an open mind, and people can surprise you. However, I would not feel confident that my vision would go unaltered. Asking them if they would change anything about Johnny the Homicidal Maniac if they published it today would make a good test of merit.