You may wonder, why this site says that it is about comic book leadership, when we really have talked nothing about comic books. The reason is this: You will never “win” at anything if you don’t know the rules in which you play the game. I don’t want you to follow someone else’s rules. In the words of Yoda, “You must unlearn, what you have learned.”

Almost everyone I’ve talked to in the comic book market has been playing by someone else’s rules. You want to “break into comics”, so you go to the right schools, meet the right people, hone your skills, work hard, show your portfolio a few million times and finally, you enter the game. The work has paid off. Now you have to play by another set of rules. Work for us, do your work, on time, be punctual, be practical, be better. (If you are doing this, and you control your own game, you have succeeded! If you aren’t, then you haven’t, so listen up.)

You keep telling yourself “this game is about my art and my creative endeavors.” You may tell yourself, “My time is justified because I like doing what I’m doing.” Even if you self-publish, you write, draw, ink, letter, print, try to sell your book at conventions, on-line, on e-bay, or anybody that will listen. Will you please buy my comic book?” Quite honestly the winners are few. And even when you win the job, the promotion, or the contract, you sometimes lose. It’s time to change that.

Make your own game. Play by your own rules. Don’t be afraid.