Jack Foster didn’t plan to become a comic publisher. He just wanted to be an artist. But, one thing led to another, and now he and his Reckless Eyeballs imprint are the focus of the latest Small Press Spotlight.
Foster got an early start in the comic industry through a job at Wilson’s Book World in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was a teenager at the time, and the direct market was still in its infancy. During his four or five years there, he helped set up the shop’s pull-and-hold system and eventually took over the ordering process. At the same time, he was already teaching himself to use watercolors and create his own comics. He eventually moved on to a “more adult” job, but maintained his interest in the material.
As time went by, he decided to pursue work as a comic artist. As part of that effort, he needed a portfolio to show around conventions. To help his art standout a bit from all the other portfolios at SDCC, he decided against showing off some of his random best pages. Instead, he wrote a 5-6 page story and presented a portfolio that could show off his multi-page story telling ability. It was told from a supervillain’s point of view, and he titled it “Gun”. He didn’t have a breakthrough that year, but the story he made up stuck with him. He continued to develop the idea, and the mini-comic eventually grew into a full series. After writing detailed scripts for the first three issues, he started the long process of painting the pages.
While working on the comic, he began submitting it to various publishers in hopes they would carry it. In his words, the response was a “resounding ‘no, thank you.'” Despite the seeming lack of support from the industry establishment, Foster bears them no ill will. The whole market fights for shelf space and attention, especially smaller publishers, and the battle is even fiercer for indie comics about super heroes. When their low-risk appetites didn’t accommodate “GUN”, he decided to make his own opportunity and publish the book himself.
During this time, he had also been pursuing additional interests such as poetry, prose, and other artwork. Foster began posting some of this material to his Reckless Eyeballs blog in mid-2010. Once his stray art had piled sufficiently high, he decided to do something with it. In late 2013/early 2014, he began crafting a 34 page “annual”, a tongue-in-cheek way to showcase some of his best material in physical form. This comic was the first one he made under the Reckless Eyeballs banner, and it included a five page preview of “Gun”.
By mid-2014, he had finished the first 28 page issue completely and begun work on the second. He created a high-quality submission portfolio to send to Diamond, and he started a Kickstarter campaign to cover his printing costs. Even though the kickstarter hit its goal in just eleven days, Foster had another setback when Diamond wasn’t interested in carrying the book. Along with their decline, they sent an explanation and offered a chance to reconsider if he would alter the book according to their suggestions.
Their criticisms echoed some of the publishers who had also turned “Gun” down: wordiness and pacing. Addressing their concerns led to an additional six pages being added to the comic, but Diamond refused the book again. Saddened but not defeated, Foster decided to continue trying to get his book in the hands of readers. Some of his kickstarter funds had been earmarked for ad space in “Previews,” but now it’s been re-purposed to promote the book through other channels as Foster begins the difficult task of self-distribution.
Self-distribution is an insurmountable hurdle for most creators, and it’s where most of them give up. Because so few make the attempt, Foster’s found precious little help to guide him. This information deficit seems unusual, given how many tutorials and how-tos there are for all the other elements of comic creation. As he moves forward and learns what does and doesn’t work, Foster’s doing his part to help future self-distributors by keeping a record of his journey.
Looking forward, the future of Reckless Eyeballs is uncertain. Foster is committed to completing at least the first three issue arc of “Gun”, and he would like to keep additional issues of it and other projects under the Reckless Eyeballs umbrella. Doing so requires a minimum level of success, and making his way into Diamond would go a long way to get him there. Although they’ve turned down “Gun” #1, he hopes to have more luck when he submits a collected edition of “Gun” in the near future. In the meantime, he’s working to grow the audience for his material as a way to demonstrate the kind of demand Diamond will notice.
Check back later today when the Small Press Spotlight examines the first issue of “Gun” to see if you should be a part of that audience.
