There's a phone call I'm sick of getting.
The call I really dislike is the one from a total or near-total stranger who is searching
for a talented professional writer or artist who will work for free. They usually have a
sure-fire idea for a hit movie or TV show, but they need a writer or an artist to help
put it together and they have no money.
There is no such thing as an idea so fabulous that, based on it alone, anyone could reasonably predict a smash hit. Not even the comic strip Peanuts was that incredible an idea, in and of itself. The genius of Charles M. Schulz in executing that idea probably had a little something to do with its success.
But let's imagine that Mr. Schulz and his strip never existed. You walk into the offices of United Features Syndicate and you say, "Hey, how about doing a comic about kids who talk somewhat like adults?"
Editors suddenly stop whatever they're doing. Secretaries cease typing. Interns drop the crates they're carrying. Everyone rushes up to you. "Tell us more," they yell, excitedly.
"Well," you say, "The main kid is a real loser who never wins a baseball game...and there's this kid with a blanket and another one who loves Beethoven. Oh — and I was thinking maybe there could be a dog who sometimes thinks he's a World War I flying ace..."
The editor-in-chief goes berserk. He or she grabs up the phone and calls the president of the syndicate. "Mr. United? Drop whatever you're doing and get down here right this minute."
The president hurries down and they make you repeat the whole thing for him. This time, you append, "Hey, I just had a thought! What if the loser kid has a crush on a little red-headed girl?"
"Genius," they all agree. "How soon can we start?"
"I don't draw," you say. "We'll need someone who does."
"Oh, that's right," Mr. United mutters. "I keep forgetting comic strips need artists. Well, go out and find someone who can draw."
You say, "But I don't know any cartoonists."
The editor chimes in, "Make some calls. Maybe you can find some strangers who will recommend excellent artists to draw up samples for no pay..."
Excerpted from POINT OF VIEW by writer Mark Evanier.
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