Since we got the first few pages out, and since I cant remember if I asked this before, I wanted to see what yalls reaction is to me (writer producer director) of a comic paying an artist to help with my comic. Is it lesser because I myself am not drawing, or is it fine as its still comic story telling?
Jul '15
Jul '15
I would think that it is perfectly fine if you have the capital and someone is willing to work with you. It's common enough in the comics world.
It's totally fine! Actually it's admirable that you're paying them, a lot of times it's just all in good faith with only the promise of a portion of future profits.
Paying an artist is good! Honestly, the comics community is full of people who want an artist to work for them for nothing more than the vague promise of splitting any future profits (usually offering 50/50, which shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the labour involved in drawing a comic). Providing you're not offering a silly rate, it shows that you're serious, and that you respect artists.
There's nothing shameful about hiring someone to take on the work that you can't do yourself and there are many comics out there produced by teams in the sort of arrangement that you're suggesting.
nly if you are leveraging capital to make the person do something they would otherwise find morally repugnant.
you are fine not drawing a comic, I do not draw Dan's Voyage, REbel Cowgirls, or Robuds... I am just the creative lead at FBE, not the primary artist.
(although I am learnding)
I see 0 problems with that at all.
I wouldn't call it lesser either. It's a very common practice having an artist and writer working on a story. SO I would call it pretty normal. Also there are a lot of artist out there who would love to work on a comic with someone for pay.
Thanks guys. Ya this sounded like a normal thing for physically published comics, but i wasn't sure if there was some unspoken thing about web comics. Like the comic would be looked down upon for not "truly being from the artists hands." Or some shiz.
It's not bad at all. I do the same thing, and I think it is actually a very good thing. You want a good product to come out (ie. the comic) and having people skilled at particular tasks is the sign of a visionary.
Honestly, I would respect you MORE for paying an artist than for not paying them - artists getting paid for their work is rarer than it should be. As long as you're upfront about the situation, and let your readers know who is drawing your comic, that's fine.
The fact that people pay other people to do things for them is the basis of my job, haha. In the mainstream comic industry, a writer pays a penciler to draw the comic, an inker to ink it, a colorist (that's my job!) to color it, and a letterer to put speech balloons and stuff. Then there's the editor.
So, actually, it's a very professional thing.
Plenty of people can't draw but have amazing stories. It is common in mainstream comics, why would indie comics be excluded? What matters is that you have an good product.
Now, if you demand free work from an artist just because you're cheap, that makes you an arsehole and nobody likes working with arseholes. And guess what? Artists talk. So it will make it harder for you to find an artist for your next project.
If you can pay the artist then definately do it! A lot of writers that go looking for artists are either not willing to pay, cannot pay or promise payment once they make it to the support program which is not a gaurantee. So even if the comic was to flop its not fair for the artist because they worked hard on the artwork and got nothing from it while the writer at least walks away with free art.
Paying an artist = good! . I wish there were more peeps doing this (paying), I can say the same for musicians and the like.
Hey bro, write me a song for free. Sup man, come on and play at my party for free.
Yo man, draw me one of your girls in full color for free.
=I
You're doing good man, keep it up!
I think the problem you'll run into is that most artists have their own stories to tell. I get requests to do other peoples stories (paid and non-paid requests) and I have to turn them down because I too much I want to do! If I were you, I wouldn't wait for an artist. Pick up a pencil and pen, start drawing and see where you can get. If you aren't confident in your art, go check out the original one-punch man or Mob Psycho. Most of the time, story is more important than art. <--I think that's the case anyways.
Whether the comic is online or printed, there's no difference. Work is work. When you write a script, there's no difference to the craft of writing for the Web or print, right? Then, it's the same for artists.
@LeaLeeLee mentioned that many artists have stories to tell. Just make it clear, that it's your story, not theirs. Also, do discuss the issue of copyrights with your artists.If you pay them, there is an assumption that it's work for hire and that they have waived their copyrights and any ownership to the work.
Not pleasant things to discuss when you're all hyper about a new project, but something necessary to address for health and viability of your project.
all western comics have A a writer B an artist C a letterer and D an editor. all of them. a lot of them also have an inker and a colourer. three damn artists, one comic.
manga on the other hand tends to be a case of the one writer being the artist, but hey.
point is, its really common for people to write comics but not draw them, so its perfectly moral for you to pay an artist to help you.
