The issues of being a creator of comic book issues Image credit: Neal Adams (DC) But of course, those kinds of projects are generally few and far between, so they don’t make for a stable financial lifestyle in and of themselves. They will pay creators between median and high rates to get that quality. Oh yes, people with dreams of being an independent comic book publisher and the financial resources to make it happen (likely through a 9-to-5 job) want their books to be top quality, able to compete at every artistic level with Marvel and DC Comics. One source of competitive rates isn’t even within the top ten Direct Market publishers. It's common knowledge that the top publishers don’t always pay the top rates, and in fact, paying low and earning high is one sure way to maintain a certain profit level month-to-month, quarter-to-quarter, year-to-year. That's before Disney bought Marvel and the Image Comics founders changed the conversation about creator compensation forever. If we compare these numbers with the page rates recommended by the Comic Book Creators Guild 45 years ago, it’s scary to see how similar the numbers of today are to a time before deep corporate involvement in top publishers (outside of DC, who became part of the Warner empire in the late '60s). Low (as in 65% to 70% of working artists): $125-$150 a page.Stratosphere: is in the $500-per-page rangeĬomic book artists, meaning you’re penciling and inking your work:.Dig into the interior story page rate range for different creative categories, the highest of which are subject to variables like the character/IP you’re working on, if you’re under an exclusive contract, your popularity, and your ability to sell a certain number of units based on your fan base, AKA 'putting asses in the seats.' Many thanks to Tim Seeley, Ray-Anthony Height, Deron Bennett, and Bon Alimagno for their input and insights.įor comic book writers, it looks like this: So let’s look the elephant in the eyes and get it out of the room. It’s a messy aspect of the business, the thing no one on either side of the desk really wants to discuss, but everyone takes on with the desire to close Glengarry Glen Ross style. Negotiated with supervisors who achieved figurative (and possibly literal) orgasm when getting creators to take on gigs for poverty rates. Asked for creator raises with a determination that made my supervisor’s skin go red like Hellboy’s. I’ve hired creators and offered rates both impressive and uninspiring. I’ve worked for legacy companies with corporate wealth, new companies with independent wealth, and old companies with illusory financial resources. The budgets differ considerably within them, not to mention the independent publishers who don’t make the top of the food chain but represent an access points for creators to start their careers. Whether you’re a writer, artist, letterer, or colorist determines the kind of numbers you’re dealing with…Īs of the first quarter of this year, the top 10 companies making monthly periodicals in the Direct Market of distributors, retailers, and publishers were Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, VIZ Media, Dynamite Entertainment, Kodansha Comics, and Seven Seas Entertainment. There are generally four general categories of page rates: Low. The Page Rate Economy governs the single-issue comic book production pipeline widely used in the English-speaking comics world for publishers like Marvel and DC on down to smaller independent outlets. The Page Rate is the primary unit of measurement that determines the underpinning of your career in comics. The Page Rate Economy within the comic book industry Image credit: John Byrne (Marvel Comics) Take a loss today for the big win tomorrow. You hear the page rate, and that’s the pinprick in the balloon.īut you’ll make it work. This is the break you’ve been waiting for. The team is being assembled, and it needs YOU.
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