Comic book creators get help

You've created the coolest comic-book character. You're sure it will be the next Batman, Superman or Spider-Man. But how do you get your character on the printed page? Do you self-publish? Or try to sell your creation to one of the big companies? Brian Saner-Lamken hopes to provide answers through examples in ProMotion: How Today's Creators Broke into Comics...And Their Advice to You!, a 170-page softcover book he self-published through Boardwalk Press. Saner-Lamken, a comics journalist who has written for the Comics Buyer's Guide, interviewed more than 70 publishers, editors, writers and artists for the book, ranging from Marvel's Stan Lee -- a legend in comics who created numerous Marvel characters and still writes the Spider-Man strip that runs daily in The News -- to today's top comics creators and self-publishers. Each creator is spotlighted individually, with segments on "breaking in" and "advice to aspiring creators." "There have been books and articles on breaking into comics before and they were always concerned with the technical aspects of things," said Saner-Lamken. "Not that I didn't want to be able to impart practical advice but, to me, the inspiration was at least as important as the perspiration." How to get the book ProMotion: How Today's Creators Broke into Comics...And Their Advice to You! is available through comics specialty stores or select mass-market book stores for $14.95. You can also order it through the mail for $17.95 postpaid, payable to Brian Saner-Lamken, at Boardwalk Press, P.O. Box 362, Wynnewood, Pa.