How should I try to break into the comic book industry?

Hi Camilo!

I am so excited that you are into comics! ME TOO! - which ones are you currently reading? And do you have any authors or artists that you admire?

Full disclosure, I have never officially published a comic for the public, nor am I an artist, but I have had experience creating a comic for my employer for a special event, and I am a huge fan of comics as well! I read many different runs from Marvel, DC, and Image.

My advice to you is to jump in head first. Have a vision for characters, their strengths and weaknesses, and start creating them. Create many different versions of them, and have them on stock. Once you have a "portfolio" of sorts (though I shy away from that word), go to your local comic book shop and ask about meet up nights (or you can easily do this online as well). Meet up night are when artist like yourself, are looking for writers, and vice versa. It's a great way to meet other people in the comic industry, as well as find people who you think you can work with.

Brian Michael Bendis (Author of All New X-Men) said that the one thing that has given him success over time is finding the right people to work with. You have to have chemistry with an author, artist, inker, colorist, etc. When you have chemistry with those people, creating something that people will want to read and consume is easy. But it starts with finding the right people. I encourage you to take your portfolio to a comic meet up night in your area, and/or search for writers looking for artists online, and offer to partner up.

The more you create for people to see, the more likely you are to find people to work with, and eventually make this a career. So don't be afraid, and put yourself out there!

Hope that helps :)