Aspire to be a Comic Book Artist

Is there anybody who aspires to be a comic book artist? I'm one. Jim Lee would have to be my favorite if you ask me. I've been reading Batman and X-men for most of my life. I aspire to work with either Marvel, DC or Dark Horse. But one of my concerns is pay. I'm not greedy or anything, but I do need the money to survive. I've always been curious as to how an artist lives.

Is this the wrong section to be in?

If you work for a big company like Marvel of DC, you can probably make a solid living off of just doing the art for those. Some artists may work on more than one title at a time, but that isn't too often because it is one of the more time-consuming aspects of comic production. Though a lot of artists do other work like do concept art for film or television, or even game design.

But when just starting out or working for a smaller company, you'd probably need something to subsidize your income. I know that before he became the Overlord of Marvel comics, Brian Michael Bendis used to work weddings and bar mitzvahs as a caricature artist as well as working on books for Image.

I've never considered working on art for comics, since I have zero artistic ability, but I've had dreams of writing them.

Originally Posted by nolan

If you work for a big company like Marvel of DC, you can probably make a solid living off of just doing the art for those. Some artists may work on more than one title at a time, but that isn't too often because it is one of the more time-consuming aspects of comic production. Though a lot of artists do other work like do concept art for film or television, or even game design.

But when just starting out or working for a smaller company, you'd probably need something to subsidize your income. I know that before he became the Overlord of Marvel comics, Brian Michael Bendis used to work weddings and bar mitzvahs as a caricature artist as well as working on books for Image.

I've never considered working on art for comics, since I have zero artistic ability, but I've had dreams of writing them.

Hahaha. Whaddya know. Maybe I'm going to start out like that. But what do you know about Dark Horse? Is that one also big?

I've always wanted to write for DC, or Marvel, myself. Writing a story with one of my favorite characters would be like the ultimate fan fiction. The fact that I would be writing a story that becomes part of the characters mythology has always appealed to me.

Striving for this kind of thing generally sucks for the person doing it, because most of the time you're supposed to study fine art before eventually moving on to the style you want to use (cartoon-like in your case.) That's if you want to make a living and if you don't already know anatomy and proportions like the back of your hand.

Originally Posted by darkbeastganon

Hahaha. Whaddya know. Maybe I'm going to start out like that. But what do you know about Dark Horse? Is that one also big?

Dark Horse is kind of a category to itself. It's larger than Image, but much much smaller than DC or Marvel. They own some pretty hot properties and licenses, but their numbers in terms of shipping and such are never in the same league as the Big Two.

But I think when it comes to artists, things are pretty fluid when it comes to working for more than one company. Most writers sign exclusive deals, especially when working with Marvel or DC, but most artists or writers working with smaller houses can go back-and-forth and in between and all that.

I'm not necessarily trying to become a comic artist (although I wouldn't mind it), but I am striving for something related to drawing cartoons and the like. I've been drawing cartoons since I was six or seven, and am now currently enrolled in an animation program in college (although I might not necessarily go into the actual animation process as a career).

While I'm not too fond of drawing realistically (partly because I'm no good at it, and partly because it's freaking boring), I am eager to improve at it, since it will improve my abilities all around, including in the area of cartoons.

As far as money goes, I'm not sure what I'm going to do there. I'll probably find some way to do freelance stuff-- that's always a thing to look out for. But I'd also like trying to get into concept art or character design for anything from cartoons to comics to games. That would be enjoyable.

Something tells me I'm going to like the journey better than the destination, though (that being once I get a job in the field).

You're quite the expert, Nolan.

Not really, I just read a buttload of comics and from that have picked up one or two things about the world of comics in general.

You know Marvel and DC apparently have guys they employ who are there specifically to keep a tab on the continuity, so they can consult them about said continuity and have things pointed out to them if they're going against it. Don't need to be an artist or a writer to get into comics.

Originally Posted by RegretfulWolf

I've always wanted to write for DC, or Marvel, myself. Writing a story with one of my favorite characters would be like the ultimate fan fiction. The fact that I would be writing a story that becomes part of the characters mythology has always appealed to me.

You got any stories in mind?

I've gone to some good lengths developing my own ideas for a graphic novel series. If I can actually just sit down and try to put them to pictures...ADHD is a *****. But I have no idea as to whether I try to publish it in the regular format or give webcomics a shot. Either way, I'm trying to get the first part of it down in a script draft before trying my hand at story board and concept art. From what I heard, that's not the orthodox way for doing things in Western Graphic Novels but meh...it's the way I feel comfortable with.

Originally Posted by Red Dingo

Either way, I'm trying to get the first part of it down in a script draft before trying my hand at story board and concept art. From what I heard, that's not the orthodox way for doing things in Western Graphic Novels but meh...it's the way I feel comfortable with.

That largely depends on if the writer and artist are the same person or two different people. It generally happens before or during the scripting process.

As of now, I have yet to meet someone to work with on it. So I'm pretty much working on the art myself as well.

I would enjoy being a comic book writer but doing erotic fanworks and ruining childhoods left and right.

I'm making a legitimate attempt to be a comic book writer one day. Right now I'm reading as many comics as I can get my hands on to better understand the medium, while developing my ideas nonstop and occasionally writing short fiction just for the exercise of it. I plan to graduate college with a degree in Writing, so hopefully that'll help somewhat.

I would take an offer from any publisher that actually wanted me, but my ideal position would be to work with Dark Horse. They give their writers full control over original series, writers don't tend to bounce between different volumes every 5 issues, and their primary material are my two favorite genres, Fantasy and Sci-Fi. Over the past couple years I've grown to love Western Superheroes, but personally I'd rather work on my own ideas before I'd ever have a hand at a Marvel or DC property. Besides, the storytelling I've been involved in over the years are action/adventure stuff like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, I'm just not sure my talent would lend itself well to creating a good superhero story.

Originally Posted by Red Dingo

As of now, I have yet to meet someone to work with on it. So I'm pretty much working on the art myself as well.

Good luck on that.