Apr 08, 2015 comic book artists deserve to be paid. Im a professional comic book artist for darby pop studios commission prices depending on level of difficulty. Comic art commissions dragonberry comic art links directory. Buddy scalera is a comic and graphic novel writer, and he was the creator and editor of wizard entertainments and websites.
The web site fair page rates kept a list of all the rates in the comic book industry until the people. Id very much like to know how long it takes other artists to create a single comic book page, though, because i know i dont work fast. Keep in mind that this is the cost of producing professional artwork only, and does not include the cost of webmastering, publication, solicitation, distribution, advertisement, etc. To that end, neal is trying to enhance the experience. With a strong desire to excel in mediarelated professions, i seek to align myself with clients and people that. The scene you are drawing calls for an old woman screaming, youve been working all night and just cant get it right, the trash can is filled with failed attempts, but you dont have the luxury of setting it aside. Jan 17, 2008 as others stated, it depends greatly on the artist. If you happen to be a writer looking to hire an artist, or perhaps you are an artist whos been approached by someone looking to hire, its good to know what the sort of baseline is when you are deciding on how much to charge, or conversely, how much you can expect to pay. Marvel would then maintain roughly that page rate for the rest of the 1940s and all of the 1950s, 2325 pages worth of comic book stories, with 2 pages of text pieces. Find great deals on ebay for george rodrigue blue dog book. Lets say the artist gives you a better discount per page, because its a more stable income than quickfire commissions, especially if there are 20 pages per chapter. Composition 101 laying out your comic page webcomic. If you arent artistic but you have a love for comic books, you can put in a request and an.
Ive been a comic book artist for 32 years, having worked for both marvel and dc comics on the likes of the x men and spider man to batman and the justice league. Composition 101 laying out your comic page webcomic alliance. We love comic books at biblio, and there are some truly outstanding rare and antique comic books in the biblio rare book room. Straight from the graphic artist guild handbook for pricing and ethic guidelines 2001. Comic book artist was an american magazine founded by jon b. Neal adams loves drawing sketches for his fans before, during and after the various conventions he is attending this year. From the beginnings of american comics in the mid1930s right up until the early 1980s, comics artists and writers were what we call today workforhirethey were paid a perpage rate by publishers, nothing else, and had no ownership stake in or claim to their creations. For artists and comic book fans, working on comic books for a living may seem like a dream come true. John romita sits on exalted perch in the comic book industry today as an elder and beloved statesman. The official website for comic book artist adam hughes. But heres the hard truth nobody wants to ever deal withso do comic book writers.
The rise of comic book specialty stores in the late 1970s createdparalleled a dedicated market for independent or alternative comics in the us. How much does a comic book artist make per project. Though he wont reveal what he makes, his page rate the amount an artist charges per page drawnis among the highest in the business. The strange world of comic book plagiarism plagiarism today. There are almost 600 comics that list my name in the credits and 12,000 pages that bear my ink lines on them. I highly encourage artists to never charge less than minimum wage for their hourly rate when they are figuring out their prices. The comic art database can be used by individuals to record and track their collections or wish lists for their own use and records. A comic book or comicbook, also called comic magazine or simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Find over 62 comic book writers groups with 230 members near you and meet people in your local community who share your interests. The first such comics included the anthology series star reach, published by comic book writer mike friedrich from 1974 to 1979, and harvey pekars american splendor, which continued sporadic publication into the 21st century and which shari. Cartoonists include the artists who handle all aspects of the work and those who contribute only part of the production. Here is the top 125 comic book writers master list. Each person is different, as neal has discovered drawing sketches at conventions. What is the average salary for a comic book artist.
Blue dogs color depends on what the artist is doing. Its an editors dream to be able to chart upward a penciler or writers development. Bureau of labor statistics does not have any specific information regarding comic book art careers, but it is estimated that these types of artists were paid. But further analysis will bring up the question of pay. Todays top 689 comic book artist jobs in united states. A comic book artist that combines graphic design and web design into wellrounded qualifications. Now for the long answer the best way to move forward is to be as informed as possible. The kicker is that you might be surprised at how the prices are divided amongst services. Headlining this potpourri special is the art of arthur adams, featuring an indepth interview, tons of rarely seen stuff, and a complete checklist of the monkeyman artist s work. Improving procedural sedation andor analgesia in children from. I am a published comic book artist, who had worked with action lab, checker publishing, dena studios, siloway films finnigans war nartated by mark hamill star wars and cou. Few other artists were approaching comic book storytelling with the verve and innovation scott was back then. Comic book artist requirements salary jobs the art.
How to hire a comic book artist hire an illustrator. Asa guidelines to comics page rates and conditions australian. Everything is different for everyone of course, but these rates are pretty standard for the big three. I just finished a different comic project that took me about 6 hours a page. Note the skewed grid creates dynamic motion and the readers eye is forced to move with the action at a high rate of speed. Comic book pages by john erickson this is not a tutorial on drawing technique, but rather a guide to the steps and technical aspects of creating professionallooking comic book pages. In 2008, the bureau of labor statistics claimed fulltime comic.
From the beginnings of american comics in the mid1930s right up until the early 1980s, comics artists and writers were what we call today workforhirethey were paid a perpage rate by publishers. This is a useful article for both artists, and people looking to commissionbuy art, specifically in the realm of comics. Roll with me here, youre a comic book artist, youve got pages of art due by friday, and your editor is breathing down your neck. Unique page identifier upi all registered art pages are assigned a unique. Id very much like to know how long it takes other artists to create a single comic book page, though, because i know i dont work fast and i dont think its fair that someone should pay more because im slow. Hire me to draw cute animals, illustrate your childrens book, create a fun branding for your company or design your newest book for print. For a guide to drawing in comic book style, i recommend how to draw comics the marvel way, and for an indepth guide to comic composition and story telling.
The data represents a resource in the process of being built given the small and nonrepresentative sample. Artist last name price high to low price low to high. Comic book artists, how do you structure your rates. The answer to how much a comic book artist is paid depends on the terms of employment, your reputation as an artist, and your page output. Eventually the text pieces ceased existing, so it was 25 pages of comic stories. The artist drew amazing spiderman for broad swaths of the 1960s and. The kicker is that you might be surprised at how the prices are divided. Dec 14, 2011 this is a useful article for both artists, and people looking to commissionbuy art, specifically in the realm of comics. These rates are, shockingly, about where they were when i edited comics 15 years ago.
This page is a place where any artist can share or discuss their comic book art. I would note that book illustration is a totally different field and is not. He wants to make sure that there is always a way for. What are the going page rates for writers and artists in. What is your primary source of income within the comic book industry. He wants to make sure that there is always a way for a fan to get a special drawing, sketch or signature.
Few other artists were approaching comicbook storytelling with the verve and innovation scott was back then. A cartoonist also comic strip creator, comic book artist, graphic novel artist, or comic book illustrator is a visual artist who specializes in drawing cartoons individual images or comics sequential images. I saw it with bill sienkiewicz on moon knight, likewise with frank miller, john romita jr. Headlining this potpourri special is the art of arthur adams, featuring an indepth interview, tons of rarely seen stuff, and a complete checklist of the. Most comic book illustrators will have a page rate rather than a flat fee for a project, meaning the fee will vary depending on the number of pages. Click on any name below for more information about the artist listed.
Below is just about anything you should need to know to help you catch up. Generally im pretty quick and the turnaround time is within 2 weeks of when i receive the request. Aug 27, 2012 as a contrast to the traditional leftright storytelling method, look at this sample of a manga influenced comic book page layout. Page rates 2017 posted on july, 2018 july 16, 2018 by stephanie cooke the survey aims to build a resource about standard rates in the comic book industry for comic creators. What are the going page rates for writers and artists in the. Lately ive watched as the conversation about paying comics book artists has shifted into a dangerous direction, with artists essentially declaring that theyre most important member of the team while simultaneously dismissing the contributions that writers bring to. So much simpler than my theory book going through court reporting school. The sound and the fury book comic book inker page rates for scopists rtfd file to.
The economic reality of indie comics page rates the beat. A different style of layout utilizes a long panel, similar to a widescreen view. Commission and page rates the art of danny bulanadi. Unique page identifier upi all registered art pages are assigned a unique page identifier upi which is a unique number to identify individual pieces. Also, comic book art careers generally fall under the broad category of illustration careers.
I am a published illustrator comic artist working mainly in black and white ink. With a strong desire to excel in mediarelated professions, i seek to align myself with clients and people that believe in creating the impossible. Comic book pages by john erickson art tutorials wiki. I most often accept small jobs but i am open to larger projects, especially book covers. The data below was gathered anonymously from a sample size of 100 comics professionals.