Today marks the official beginning of my campaign to find a comic book to ink. It doesn’t have to be a regular gig, or even a full issue, but I’ve been practicing and getting my hand back, and I’m ready to get a fresh credit to my name as an inker. To be more specific, I’m looking for a paid gig that will definitely be published, and not spec work or unpaid samples. My page rate is very negotiable, as I’m looking to rebuild my name and reputation after a long break. My line work is clean and I’m fast, having done two pages a day when required. I’ve never missed a deadline, and was often the person editors would send work to when others fell behind. I can also do lettering and coloring if need be. I can do traditional hand drawing with ink on paper as well as digital inks from scans.

I’ve visited the Marvel, DC and Image submission guidelines, and the general consensus seems to be, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you. Put your work out there, network with people, and get yourself noticed.” Well, here I am. If you’re an editor, drop me a note. If you’re an artist who is looking for an inker, or knows someone who is, drop me a note.

My first professional work was on a book called The Tick, over Ben Edlund’s pencils. From there, I worked on many of the Malibu Ultraverse titles in the 90s, working over a slew of diverse and talented pencilers. After Malibu was absorbed by Marvel, I didn’t have steady work, so I self-published a few books of my own called Shanghai, which I write, drew, colored, lettered, and acted as publisher, dealing with the printers and distributors. I returned to the mundane art fields, while still dabbling in comics here and there. The last book I worked on was the World of Warcraft comic for DC.

About a year ago, I started buying comics again, and discovered that there are still plenty of great stories being told in the world of sequential art, and some amazing new artists. I dusted off my crow quills and virtual inking tools, and got my hand back. I don’t where this quest will take me, but I was happiest when I was inking comics, and I want to reconnect with that again, even if it’s just for a little while.