Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, sean murphy

Sean Murphy Cancels Apprenticeships But DC Comics Asks To See Applicants

We've talked about Sean Gordon Murphy's apprenticeship scheme before. A very popular residential scheme for young comic book artists to get hands on experience, critique and work. Last year's intake had done rather well out of it.

I'm thrilled to say that 3 out of 5 of my students have landed work with major publishers–two with Marvel and one with Boom! Studios…and Cafe Racer isn't even out yet. I'd love to think that the Apprenticeship had a hand in their success, but the truth is that each artist got work based on the caliber of the talent they possessed long before I got my hands on them. I did what I could for them on my end, which included sharing all my editorial contacts, vouching for their professionalism with publishers, and advising with contracts where I could. When Cafe Racer is published, I plan on handing out copies to every editor I can while visiting the Marvel and DC offices until I get 100% placement for all my students.

And he recently announced a second year.

But sadly, Murphy has had to cancel this year's scheme. He writes,

We regretfully announce that the Sean Murphy Apprenticeship will be cancelled for the time being.

The biggest reason is due to scheduling concerns. With the commitments to both Tokyo Ghost and a Chrononauts movie, I've decided I need to focus on the work at hand rather than adding more. Readers and comic shops deserve timely publishing schedules, and I never want to be responsible for any delays.

There's also the legal aspect. My wife and I spoke with our lawyer at length, and she recommended shutting the program down due to the increasing risks. What was initially meant to be a small operation to support up and coming artists has beautifully grown into something larger than we ever imagined. But with this, along with our pressing schedules, we feel that we are unable to keep up with the daunting legal responsibilities associated with this sort of growth.

But for those who applied for this year's program, not to worry, all is not lost.

The significance of this?

Photo by Tana Ford.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!