Frequently Asked Questions
I'm not a comic person I'm a [Model, Musician, Animator, Filmographer, photographer, other, etc.] why should I join?
Who is Dark Elf Designs?
Dark Elf is more than a publishing group or comic company. We are a community of professional, amateur, and Pro-am artists, writers, models, photographers, videographers, directors, producers, musicians, animators, designers and just plain talented individuals working together toward a common cause. In a nutshell we are a Talent firm with a publishing company attached. We4 are also an INTER-dependent Co-Op with a focus toward comics and Graphic Novels. We are creating a springboard for talented individuals to enter the publishing and entertainment industry and to gain experience and recognition within these fields. We make and Sell art Prints, Calendars and numerous other amounts of Media pertaining to our artists models ands so on.
What are the company's goals?
The only way that the little guys (the little independent presses and publishers) tp have any chance of competing with the big guys down the block that keep stealing our lunch money is to gang up on them! If we all work togetheras a team and lend a helping hand when necessary to take care of each other. This working together betweeen Dark Elf Affiliated Members and Studios very well could be the next wave of hard hitting talent. Independant publishers open and close their doors too often and in this nightmarish publishing world where few are able to even eke out an existence, Dark Elf encourages collaboration and provides the means for up and coming talent to work together, share ideas, find others to work with, and most importantly GET PUBLISHED! The reason for our success is all dependant on each other that is why we say we are not an independent publisher and we are not just a Co-Op we are and Inter-dependant Co-Operative, creator controlled, publishing group.
Who are the members of the Dark Elf team?
Our members come from all over and have a broad range of skills and talents. Check out our Members Page Some of our members are just starting in this field and are working on their first projects, while some of our members have been published by Marvel, Image, Harris Comics, Wizard Magazine, Preview and legions of small press and independent publishers. It's our ability to bring this talent pool together and that is what sets us apart.
Who is Brian Germain?
Brian Germain is founder of Dark Elf Designs as Executive Director he is the one who ultimately decides who and what to publish and on what schedule. He can be found on the Dark Elf Authors page. Email him at brian@darkelfdesigns.com
Can I be a member?
Before Joining Dark Elf Designs Ask yourself these three questions (1) What Can you do to Help Dark Elf Designs be a better company? (2) What can you do for Dark Elf Designs as a [insert job title here]? and lastly (3) What do you hope to gain by joing a company like Dark Elf Designs? If you are looking for a high paying job with a steady paycheck currently you are looking in the wrong place. Dark Elf Designs Pays on Spec. Meaning we pay a percentage of dividends based on our profit margin. ie; creators don't get paid until the work is done and it sells. We run into people wanting huge page rates all the time and yet they are having to look for work at the same time (perhaps the two are linked?) bottom line is many people at Dark Elf Designs have had to work day jobs and "real" labor in the past and we as a whole know we didn't get our paycheck until the work was done and then we still had to wait a week after that to get our paycheck for the week before. It's the same thing with comics only the life cycle of a comic is longer than a fast food job week. We’re always looking for motivated people who love what they are doing and are willing to do what it takes to succeed. We want people who are willing to collaborate and are willing to trade work with each other. Some of our members are just beginning and don't have thousands of dollars to produce comics. But if you're an artist that needs a writer, chances are we have a writer that needs an artist. So if you have a story idea or are an artist, writer or in some way work on comics we’d love to hear from you!
How do I become a member?
If you are interested in becoming a member of Dark Elf Designs you must fill out and submit a Membership application form with all the correct pertinent information via e-mail and or snail mail there is no application fee at present and a filled out application doesn't guarantee membership. Brian Germain or David Flanary will contact you to confirm whether or not you are "eligible" for membership at which time you will have to fill out a membership agreement.
I’ve always wanted to make comics what should I do?
Make them! For a discussion on this topic by people who are trying to make a living doing what you have dreamed of, click the link below to check out Brian’s So You Think You Have What it Takes to be a Comic Creator thread at Penciljackforum.com.
Does Dark Elf publish anyone?
No, Dark Elf Designs makes it a practice to generally publish only Dark Elf Designs members. This doesn't mean that we won't publish tyou or your studios books this means that you and/or your studio must become Dark Elf Members to be published. Please note that the Dark Elf Designs membership does not pertain to exclusivity and you may still get published by other studios while working on projects with Dark Elf Designs. If you are looking to work with a team, have fun and produce a marketable product, we would love to publish you.
How do I get published through Dark Elf Designs?
If you have a script or some pages drawn check out our submission guidelines. If you are looking to be paired with writers or artists send Brian an email at brian@darkelfdesigns.com and he will begin working on getting you matched with the right person to make your project happen.
Will it cost me anything to get published?
No. There are different services that Dark Elf offers, but for the most part we take care of everything. If you want to cover some of the printing or other costs then we can work out other arrangements and usually get your work completed and published faster, but generally speaking we handle it all.
How much money will I make if Dark Elf publishes my comic?
You will be paid based on how well your book sells. Dark Elf will pay for all expenses of the book, find you people to work with, and get it printed. For these services we will take from the sales of the book all printing and other expenses plus 25% of the net profits (Generally somewhere in the vicinity of 38% total) Everything else belongs to you as the creator! It is then up to you the creator to pay your creative team which will be done based upon a pre-drawn agreement between you(the Creator), Dark Elf Designs and the Creative team.
Does Dark Elf provide artists/writers/inkers/etc?
Yes we do. We have many artists/ writers that belong to our family and will work very hard to provide the proper match for your project.
Do I get to choose my artists/writers/inkers/etc?
If you have already have everyone in place and just need us to print, that’s fine. If you need the assistance, just let us know!
How long does it take to get a project published?
Projects are generally published according to our priority queue. priority changes based on nearness to completed project, investment into project, chronological sequatial order, and marketability. on first come first served basis, but we do give certain projects a little more priority (if the client is paying the bills, for example) We work very hard to print as many books as possible in a year, however.
How do I submit a story/idea?
Please see our submission guidelines.
What format should my submissions be in?
Image files should be 300 dpi .jpg, .tif, or .psd format if absolutely necessary. Zipped or archived via our ftp or sendspace. Please see our submission guidelines.
What type of stories does Dark Elf publish?
We publish almost any type of work. If you have anything that is of an adult nature we may work with one of our sister labels with your project, but we can certainly accommodate you.
Do you publish only comic books or other formats?
We can publish anything you need. We specialize in comic books, and art prints. but we can work with almost any format. Keep in mind special projects might require additional time or effort and may require pricing or payment negotiations.
How long should my book be?
Comic books will be printed at 24-32 pages. We prefer scripts that are 18 to 24 pages in length. However we believe that the length of the story should be however long the proper length should be for telling that story. For instance if you did the entire The Illiad in one comic book that was eighteen pages long you'd have alot of story crammed into one issue that overall probably wouldn't do The Iliad justice at all.
Do you publish in color?
Yes, but production costs and time involved both increase dramatically for color printing. Currently Dark Elf Designs does not cover the cost of printing in color. Dark Elf will pay the cost of printing in black and white, but the extra expense would be left for the creator.
What are Dark Elf's hiring rates?
We do not ‘hire’ per se, we publish! We will coordinate your project if necessary and find you others to finish your project, as well as edit, produce and print your book but we do not hire on a permanent basis.
What are your deadlines like?
In a word, lenient. Deadlines are determined on a project by project basis and are based on production time tables and other factors too numerous to speculate on except at the time of planning. Generally speaking we try to give as much time to work on your projects as possible.
How do I write comics?
We’ll hook you up with a writer if you need it, even some who are willing to give advice or collaboration… we can also find a writer to finish something you’ve created if you aren’t the writing type. Check out our Members Page to see who might be available to help you.
Does Dark Elf provide Art, inking, or writing tips or other classes and tutorials?
We can pair you with others in your chosen field or we can pair you with someone that can complete the portion of your project you need help with. There are also a lot of great resources on the web and some excellent books on these topics written by the some of the best in the field. For a fee for non-members Dark Elf Designs offers consulting and training and tips on various aspects of comic book making. While you are here feel free to check out our tips/tricks section
What tools/pencils do you use?
This would vary widely from artist to artist and from project to project. Between us there’s little we can’t cover! Be sure to stop by our Tips/Tricks section for more Information.
How much does it cost to print?
Printing costs vary from project to project.
I'm not a comic person I'm a [Model, Musician, Animator, Filmographer, photographer, other, etc.] why should I join?
Art and Design pervades every level of the entertainment industry from Cd covers to magazine layouts to photo touch up to web design, and we all can use it all to crossmarket with and for each other including Dark Elf Designs itself.
