Well yeah
But who would agree to a project like that where they would get paid later?
It sounds like a joke or something
Thats the whole reason this topic was started to point out the ammount of people trying to get artists to work for free. Basically slapping them across the face.
The worst part is they do attract naive young artists who jump at the offer, which makes it difficult to reason with the writer who is convinced they've got a sweet deal. But I do silently laugh to myself when I see the artwork is just all trace overs of official anime / Manga art.
I think the people who actually make this offer and aren't just trying to con an artist into doing work for free, the ones who actually believe their story is so amazing it'll make them rich and famous once it's put into a visual format, are people that have no idea just how many freakin' comics there are and how rarely a random indie comic (webcomic or otherwise) stands out as this amazing diamond in the rough.
There's nothing wrong with loving your story, but that is one hell of an ego to assume yours is so amazing that the world won't be able to resist throwing tons of money at it. XD
Also, expecting to become famous in Japan just because it's manga-styled is absolutely ridiculous.
The worst thing is how many artists actually jump all over these offers, and I don't think I've seen it quite as bad as it is on DA. Whether it's artists clawing over each other for the promise 20 bucks, or offering commissions for $1 (or DA points... ugh), it's just sad sad sad sad. We should expect more for our craft. Accepting these bad offers only reinforces the notion that our time and skill is cheap.
I understand wanting to create something amazing but not having the budget, but these writers and visionaries need to learn to be realistic. I would love to assemble a team and create gorgeous 2D animated films, but obviously I lack the means, so I do comics because it's way more reasonable and achievable. If you can't afford to pay an artist what they're worth, don't waste their time. And any artist who would work for peanuts is likely to be incredibly flakey, and who could blame them for not sticking around? Of course, the creator usually can't see this as being a fault of their own. :u
Really though, for artists wanting to work on a project THAT badly... it's better to work on your own project for no pay than to be someone else's art lackey for little or no pay. Cause at least at the end of the day, you can say that you own everything you create.
I wish this were just an online/deviantart problem where the anonymity would lend people no shame, but I went to a convention in March and for the hell of it decided to go to the artist/writer networking panel.
I showed up and first guy I talked to was like 'sorry, you're not worth my time. I'm here looking for a real professional to make my zombie comic for free.'
This guy isn't a professional writer of course, and this is his first title. I am a professional artist with a lot under my belt for my age. Needless to say I was pissed and left.
Seriously, though, I think that it takes a certain kind of ego to want to be 'the brains behind x title' instead of a collaborator working towards a mutual goal <:^D
That guy sounds more than just annoying! I mean seriously? he wanted to do a zombie comic when the market is flooded with them? and the Walking Dead is almost completely monopolized that genre.
LMAO. Did that guy even hear his own words? If someone told me that I don't know if I'd laugh at or cry for them.
B-b-but what if me and this random teenage kid from DA end up creating the next One Punch Man and have all the hottest mangakas in Japan fighting each other over who gets to redraw it as a serialized manga complete with a mandatory anime that all the weebs and otakus won't stop talking about next season?
Joking aside, pro tip to any budding artists reading this thread especially if you are active on DeviantArt, butt of every internet joke that it is.* If you treat yourself like a whore, people like what @spudfuzz is complaining about will treat you like a whore in return taking advantage of the fact you will do anything for a few measly points or bucks. As an artist myself, you shouldn't sell yourself so low. I know the economy sucks ass, I know that unemployment is a huge problem for us millennials, but instead of chasing after every little opportunity that presents itself especially on a site notorious for art theft among other things, you should really focus on doing your own thing. Starting your own job in other words.
*in the event that you are one of the very few good artists who hasn't been run off of dA or left for greener pastures who makes beaucoup bills doing what you love, disregard this post. lol
Another thing the writer and artists who take these offers understand is that there's a massive difference between being an artist and being a comic artist. xD
You can't exactly just pick up an illustrator and expect them to turn your script into what's basically a movie with no problems.
lol at first i thought this was an ad posting and i was like "why is it in quotes, are they being sarcastic???"
Welcome to DeviantArt though lol I never really liked it there to begin with, but I really jumped ship when the site did that major overhaul (when they changed it to that ugly logo and bumped the price up of the Premium membership program - excuse me, "CORE" program - without adding anything new to make up for the increased cost). Of course, the rabid FNAF, MLP and Homestuck fanbase didn't help either... or the front page "artistic" porn... or anything really, the site is long gone now IMO. Those "I'M GOING TO BE THE BEST MANGAKA IN JAPAN" pitches are just a small (but very annoying) piece of the bigger pie - and the pie is made of poo.
or offering commissions for $1 (or DA points... ugh)
Maybe it's just my conditioning from years of scavenging through DA like some kind of animal, but any time I see those "commission template" things, I throw up in my mouth lol You know the ones...
WILL DO
Portraits, fullbodies
Portraits
Black and White, $10
Color, $20
Background + $10
Fullbodies
Black and White, $15
Color, $30
Background + $10
etc etc etc.
like i dunno, if it worked for some people, good for you, but literally every artist did them and it always read like a shell-out for cash and it was just so fucked IMO lol
'I'm here looking for a real professional to make my zombie comic for free.'
answer: they don't exist. That's why they're professionals.
It's sad to see stuff like that on Deviantart, but at the same time, I'm not really surprised. I think I read something similar to something like this on Clients From Hell.
Explain them that as an artist, you need paid. They can get exposure insetad of $ for their writing, right?
Ergh, why? 
It's a thing people who work in the field of commission do so the buyer can get a sense of how much they are paying for the type of art they want. (Not only artist have these template though, even programmer on DA LOL) I rather seeing a commission journal with price already laid down than ??? price, I noted the person and they gave me a price beyond my wallet :/
Like I said, I think it's just because of the time I spent on DA and saw them everywhere. I get that they're handy as a template, especially for people starting out - they're not necessarily a bad thing, I just don't like them lol Also I find artists tend to under-sell themselves a LOT through these (even when their art is gorgeous and they should be getting more than $30 for a full color fullbody; they also sometimes do those INFERNAL DA POINTS) and that further conditions clients down the road to believe that artists should be obligated to sell themselves short at the client's whim (and for delusional things like exposure/gratitude/etc.) and comes back full circle with those horrifying clients that demand low prices, "threaten" to go to other artists that will do it for them for free, and claim that their work is the best thing since sliced bread so you'll make all the money when they become rich and famous.
It's just one of those things I've been conditioned to despise u o u""" (but again, doesn't make it a bad thing, some people do it really well)
Aye, yeah I tend to see a lot of artist underprice themselves a lot! But usually it's those artists that just started out in the commission world without any established client base so they kind of have to resort to underprice themselves to build up a fanbase just yet. I used to sell commission for gross DA points but now my price is way higher than that. It's nice that nowadays you can exchange DA Points into real money (by using widget when clients send payment, not by direct exchange, suck)
I HATE THESE KIND OF PEOPLE TOO ITS OKAY tho I never ran across one so that is fortunate. TBH I don't open commission work as much anymore and prefer doing adoptable selling my design just because I don't like dealing with people's attitude and demand sometimes T_T
Jeez, certainly glad this post was fake... I was cringing so hard inside. D:
@69Erocento I think I polietly disagree with your stance on posted prices like the $30 full body with background. I think this actually causes a lot more toxicity and price gouging than people think. Think about it. You inquire that the artist do a piece with your character on a background... but really how complex is that character, and what kind of background are we talking about? You go back on the customer saying that what he/she described is too complex for the price-point and they strike you down with false advertising.
Honestly, price quotes are where it's at. I've experienced little to no toxic clients this way, because I just have them describe the thing, and I hit them back with a breakdown of hours and cost. If that's not the price they wanted, then they can just take that description they made elsewhere, no harm done. If this happens, I try not to make the inquiries embarrassed that they can't afford the quote, but rather maybe encourage them to tone back what they were asking for to fit their budget.
Then again, I don't do commissions through DA or Tumblr, so I don't know if that could make a huge difference in the clients you're dealing with. D:
Certainly agree with you on the whole false advertisement thing but it's why most artists often includes "depend on complexity". The prices in the template is not a fixed price but more or less a reference, a guide for people to have an idea of how much they are going to need to get a certain type of art from an artist. Sure price quotes is a way to go, but at the same time it can potentially create inconvenience for buyer like me. An example could be I wanted to commission this popular artist, they said send them note to ask, but because they are a busy individual they take approximately 3 or 4 days to reply back with the prices. In that 3-4 days I could have accidentally bought something and by the time I got the price quote, I no longer have enough budget to afford it
On a side note, in my own opinion and experience, having price template is just another thing for people to stop sending note asking you "how much is ____ and ____" (and most of them won't even be commissioning you after you reply with a price quote) the amount of note you can get over these matter can get ridiculous to keep on having to reply to being a DA artists T v T
Ahh, I guess I'm a more brash buyer than I realize, because it doesn't bother me to just ask. If something happens like you described, for example I have to make a car repair payment I wasn't expecting and don't have a lot of spare cash, usually I just am honest with the artist and say, "Hey sorry. Had problems with my car, and I don't have enough spending money to afford your art right now. I'd still like to get a commission from you in the future though! Hope we can stay in touch!" That sort of thing. Artists are people, and usually they'll understand your situation.
I suppose it depends where you advertise too, but to maybe deal with spam, you could close commissions until you've finished the ones you've got. Of course, you can always keep having example prices, I'm not stopping you. 
Whatever works best for your commissions.
Tbh I took that example straight from many people I know that exist on DA including my friends LMFAO They are some real impulsive buyer that can jump on stuff to buy without even thinking about how they should be using that money to pay for their commissioned artist. (and it's not even some important stuff like car or rent) Hence it could be hard to explain to an artist why they no longer have the money on hand.
I think I just find it's good to have price template because throughout the years, a lot of my customer wanted that from me. Also it's not so much of spamming, but borderlining more on the "question" T_T And they will do it whether your commission is open or close.
No worry no worry, it's good to hear other people's opinion about this matter too! 