Comments on: About

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:13:30 +0000

Hahah, I love it. Sadly, neither Dana or I play much XBLA. I actually use my live account solely for TV, which is weird and lame I know. Sorry!

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:24:31 +0000

wait….that came out weird….

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:24:09 +0000

Hey, do either of you guys have an Xbox, cause I’m dying to play with you!

By: Dana

Dana — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:45:41 +0000

thanks for the heads up, it should be fixed now!

By: Squidwalk

Squidwalk — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:04:15 +0000

I think the popular comics examples in the “WHAT’S IT ABOUT” section are mis-linked. The links for “Not the Answer I was Looking for” and “Pilgrims Beware” both link to your “Career Day” comic.

By: Spoon

Spoon — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:32:10 +0000

Lead Paint Comics are my new official favorite comic site, Mikes writing is great and Dana’s art makes me jealous in a giggly way. Smart ass geniuses who speak either what im thinking or am not smart enough to think are awesome. I look forward to each new update.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:42:01 +0000

I welcome it.

By: Jack Vermicelli

Jack Vermicelli — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:16:30 +0000

You realize you’re helping the competition, right?

By: Connor

Connor — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:18:01 +0000

I really want to see Dana throw a toaster. You should do it, and film it. I volunteer my toaster for this endeavor.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 30 May 2010 21:36:28 +0000

Haha, oh god, first of all, I wouldn’t say that I’ve “made it” as a writer, though certainly I appreciate the compliment. That said, here are some things I did that I feel helped things work out for me:

-Get an internship at some kind of magazine or other publication. Don’t expect to be paid, but make sure they let you write a few things for them (for your portfolio). I did mine about two years AFTER graduating, as did one of my co-interns, so don’t freak if you’re a little late in finding one.

-Get what freelancing gigs you can. I know this can be very hard when you start out, but don’t stress and just keep trying to find someone who will let you write for them. The best way I’ve found is to know someone within a magazine/pub, or to aim for really small, local publications. Don’t expect to get paid a lot, if at all. Freelancing is important because it shows that you’re serious about writing and people actually want to print your work.

-If you’re still in school, apply to as many writing contests as you can (if your school hosts such things). Try and win them. If you’re out of school, maybe you can still dig up a contest someplace. As long as they’re not named something horrendous, like “the world’s shittiest writers,” the contest accolades will be a meaningful addition to your resume.

-Build a portfolio. You’re going to need 3-5 strong and exceptionally clean (meaning error-free) pieces of writing. Get a diverse collection together, something like a short story/opinion piece, a straight journalism article, and maybe some little, blurby copywriting-style things. Be sure to only send writing samples that are appropriate for a given job (no Saw-esque screenplays to Disney for example), and try to keep your samples short, as most places only take 1-2 pages per sample. Always send your BEST work. Have your friends help you pick pieces if need be (and while they’re at it, have them proofread your work for you too).

-Apply to EVERYTHING. Writing jobs are incredibly competitive, so you’re going to have take a lot of shots to have a chance to get in anyplace.

Aside from the above, I’m not sure what else to add. How I got my job today is sort of boring, I just went on the interview, they liked my work and decided to hire me. Nothing really special or tricky about it.

Hope this helps!