Here's a job you won't find on Monster.

Here's a job you won't find on Monster:
(New Deadline: July 21, 2005)

Update (07-21-05):

You can keep the submissions coming through the night, I've read and replied to 400 emails personally, I have about another 255 to go. If you still haven't received a response, it's because I'm still going through emails and submissions. I'll try to respond to everyone before this weekend is over. Thanks to everyone who sent their work, I received about half a gig of entries, some very professional, very polished submissions. I'll post another update soon.

Update (07-18-05):

I've been getting a lot more submissions than I expected, and a lot of them really kick ass. I've moved the deadline forward from the 29th to the Thursday, July 21 2005. This will be the final date for all submissions.

I'm looking for illustrators who will potentially work with several other artists on my upcoming book. Here are my requirements:

1. You don't suck. You don't need to be a hot shit artist with tons of experience, but your work needs to be polished. This is open to pretty much anyone who gets the style down. Having previous publishing experience is a plus, but not necessary.

2. You need to be familiar with, and a fan of, my writing. If you sent me an email like: "HEY MADDOX YOUR GOING SOFT, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LIKE BEN STILLER," you don't get it, and you won't; this isn't for you. The more familiar you are with my work, the more qualified you will be.

3. Most of the artwork I need will be about 3"x2.5" (7.6x6.6 cm), black and white or gray-scale, at 300dpi or higher.

4. You need to have access to a computer, scanner or any software you use to create your artwork (I don't really care how you do it, as long as you can get a clean electronic file to me with a quick turnaround). You need a good internet connection for file transfers and email communication. I will be communicating mostly through email, or some non-MSN Messenger chat protocol, so as obvious as it seems, this is a must.

5. You need to have enough time to bust out several images per day. I'm on a tight schedule, so this will be a pretty hectic pace for about a month or so.

That's pretty much it. If you're able to meet the above requirements, the next step is to send me a few samples of your artwork. Here's what I'm looking for.

A. Picture of someone getting punched in the face. I'm intentionally leaving this description vague to see what you come up with based how you perceive my style of writing.
B. Send me a picture of a lumberjack and a bull. They can be in whatever pose you want, just as long as long as it doesn't involve oral. Anal is also frowned upon, don't be an asshole.

You may send me as many samples as you want, as often as you want until the deadline: July 21, 2005 (you have approximately 2 full weeks from the time of this writing). Send all samples to: book@thebestpageintheuniverse.net . Please include your first and last name with every submission. If you have an online portfolio, feel free to send that too (not the actual files, I don't want to download 2 gigs of your career, just the URL). If you need an additional hint for the type of style I'm looking for, email me at the above address.

Do not send the samples in color. Black and white or gray-scale only please. Your portfolio--if you have one--can include whatever you want, but these samples need to be two tone B&W or gray-scale.

Do not send these samples in 300dpi. I need the actual artwork to be in 300dpi or higher, but these samples can be in whatever resolution you like, just as long as I can see the artwork clearly.

Send samples in any format you wish, except TIFF, because that shit is obnoxious (.jpg, .gif, .png and .bmp are preferred).

Do not send the samples to maddox@xmission.com, they will be ignored. Send them to: book@thebestpageintheuniverse.net only.

If you have any specific salary requests, state them in your email, otherwise compensation will be discussed after your samples are chosen for consideration.

Standard disclaimer: I won't publish any of the images you send me without your permission. Keep in mind that I'm already working with images similar to the samples in my descriptions, so if you're afraid I might rip off your work, then don't send it to me.

Final note: If you know of any fans who might be interested but don't know about this, drop them a line. I know I have a lot of very talented readers who will be interested. Many will enter, few will win. Although I'm only looking for one or two artists, I may be interested in working with you in the future on other projects, so don't let these odds dissuade you. All artwork may be subject to approval by the publisher, but it's probably not going to be an issue.

You have two weeks. Go.

Update:

I've received a lot of great samples, but most of them are too stylized. What I'm looking for is simple black lines with an emphasis on anatomy. No exaggerated proportions or distinguished styles. I may be working with several artists, so if you have a unique look to your illustrations, it may be hard to integrate with other styles.

Also, I've received quite a few submissions from people who work for big movie studios and comic book companies. Some of you might be overqualified for this book; I have a limited budget to work with. On the other end of the spectrum: no Paint submissions. Paint submissions might be okay for the sketch, but realistically you won't find them in this book.

276,866 people sent their artwork to the wrong email address, pissing me off and rendering their submissions useless.

maddox@xmission.com

Back to how much I rule...