People have said that bot realising they are talking absolute rubbish. Yes, I have beenwriting everything from comics, technical and general intertest articles since the 1970s. I have been involved in editorial work, publishing comics and magazines as well as books since the 1980s. I heavily promoted MU Press, Blue Comet Press and other companies in the 1980s-1990s and before they became "cool" for a short period I promoted and pushed Archie Comics before they decided to just stop for no reason.
I did scripts for Marvel UK, Fleetway and others over the years and I get more ideas for comic strips and series in my head daily.
However, none of that means that I can just "walk into" comic work with a company because experience is not valued as much as ticking the right trendy boxes.
It is that simple. I was asked the other day whether I had ever submitted project ideas to Archie since I have never made a secret of the fact that I am a big fan of the companies action characters? Yes, I have. Last time was December 2025 and as usual not even the "professional courtesy" of a response.
I hate the shatter illusions but that is just how it goes these days. There are things I regret such as backing and supporting and heavily pushing companies who tell you how grateful they are that you are supporting them but then, when it all pays off, it's a case of "Terry who?" I've even had artists who I helped get into the industry do similar and even claim they've never met me when there are interviews I carried out with them in print.
Comics have always been a back-stabbing industry as Louise H. Diamond and others have found out over the decades. A contact with Fantagraphic Books in the U.S. showed that even written contracts are worth nothing if a publisher wants to screw you over with illegal sales of rights to foreign publishers against the contract. Money is the only interest people have so I learnt early on.
New ideas are NOT valuable while rechurning the same stories and events over and over again are. How many "Crises", how many "Secret Wars" how many "This worked and sold in the 1979s/1980s" and the saps will still buy it can companies churn out -they are doing it again now.
I have to put all the ideas have into Black Tower comics because, putting aside bigger companies, I have tried smaller Independent companies/publishers. No deal.
So please get the idea out of your head, if you ever think it, that I can make a living through other companies as a writer, etc. I cannot.
