FLIGHT

hey everyone,

i wondered if print pays off? how much does an artist get per sold book or does he get paid a certain amount fixed? and how much does he get off translated comics? is the amount rather dependent on the length of the comic or the price it is sold for? how much difference is their for a well known artist compared to a first publication? is there different situation from country to country or is it rather publisher to publisher?

thanks alot,
kaos

The comics industry isn't financially healthy if that's what you're asking. The success of anyone in this industry will stem from the quality and exposure of their work, so it depends on who you're talking about. If you're a comic artist and these are your concerns going in, you're already off on the wrong foot. Just draw and draw and stop thinking about this stuff. Things will play out very differently for each individual. Each artist will work out a different deal for themselves based on their talent and output and the nature of their relationship with the publisher. However, none of this should be a concern if the work isn't good. Just worry about creating good material and perhaps somewhere down the road you will have the fortune or misfortune of having to deal with all this stuff.

_________________

generally speaking you are right of course. and as an artist i would have to ask other people. i wouldn't ask people in the states, but in my home country. but, right now i am working on an article about how the internet changes opportunities for content producers. i am evaluating the general and financial chances for things like software, music, books. i would like to include comics into my list, but i am still lacking the numbers. publishers on the other hand are often not very open in talking about their contract policies, so i thought i ask the artists.

still hoping for a more specific answer.
yours,
kaos

I may have misunderstood your question completely but here's what I know..

I ran into this problem. After I started working for gotfrag.com, (which pays me a stipend every month for 4 comics), after the Counter-Strike community saw my work I received a TON of requests for different jobs. All sorts of stuff, mainly caricatures, but cd covers, wallpapers, comics for their site's and other crap too. Well, I took one assignment to start, to test the waters so to speak. I felt okay about it since these guys were in one the top clans in the world, and were sponsored by intel, and nvidia. So they wanted me to draw a groupshot of their members for their website.

Well since every piece takes a different amount of time, I told them I work at an hourly rate. I figured $20 an hour was a fair price. ( I really didn't know what to ask, but a friend of mine from work, who is a graphic artist, said that 20 bucks is a good price for someone who is just starting out But since I really don't have much experience on this end, I told them that I could be flexible. At any rate, all the pieces for the guys took about 12 hours... they pay with paypal, I don't release the final cut to them until the money has been transferred. Also, like in this instance after receiving the payment I sent them signed copies and indvidual caricatures via fedex. (I included the shipping in the cost) All in all the process went very smoothly. I was extremely skeptical to do buisness over the internet, and always showed them drafts with my name slapped all over it. But in the end it worked out well. They loved the pieces, and I got some extra cash to throw into the Europe Trip fund.

I'm currently working on 2 more assignments. I just kinda learn as I go, and hope for the best

But like Kazu said, it's definetly based on exposure, and finding a niche. I happened to play a game that 300,000 other people play. I do a comic for a website that is the #1 visited website for this game. All of this opens doors to other assignments.. The funny thing is.. I will totally admit I'm not anywhere near the caliber of an artist as most of the guys on this forum, but I found a community that really likes my work, and thinks that my comics are very good. Lets just hope none of them wander over here and see work by Rad, Kazu, Jake, or Ben...if so, the jig is up, and I'm fucked!

Good for you, Tim. I think you're taking the right steps.

Kaos > I apologize if I sounded a bit abrasive, but it is a touchy subject right now, especially in this industry. I think the comics landscape is a volatile one, and it's quickly changing. It's hard to give numbers or definite answers at this point. This is probably why it's been difficult for you to get info from publishers. My belief, however insubstantial, is that the internet plays a key role in getting people to know about an individual's work. Of course, who's to say that if you went straight to print you wouldn't do better? To me, it feels like without the Internet, nobody would know about the work I do. And because the Internet gives me immediate feedback from an audience, I get the feeling that a lot more people are reading the content than when I go to print, even if if that isn't the case. So the power of this type of work comes at the front end and not the back end. Meaning I wouldn't feel the need, the drive, to do more work if it weren't for this mode of communication. To me, that is infinitely more important than exactly how much money I make in the end, because those numbers, as in any entertainment industry, will fluctuate wildly. Whereas, my drive to create is something that CAN be measured. I hope that wasn't confusing...

_________________

Kaos: I think you're writing about some fascinating stuff. And I do think that if you're a comic artist the question of where the money is is important.

I watched this Charleton Heston movie the other day, The Agony and the Ecstacy, about Michalangelo painting the Sistine chapel and at one point Raphael is talking to Mike about the life of an artist and says "We are harlots -always peddling beauty at the doorsteps of the mighty." You create because you have to but at the same time you need to find some way to have it put the meat on the table (unless you're vegetarian, then it's sprouts).

But all this, if I understand right, is an aside to what you're asking (I'm sorta just picking at Kazu). I don't have the specific information, but the topic of how the internet is changing comic and other creative opportunities is just really fascinating. So please share whatever you find out.

And Tim, I second that you are going about things in a really good way! I like topics like this because I get to read about everyones "business" experiences.

_________________
blog: Let Fly the Cannons!
househatke.com
Zita the Spacegirl