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.
it's hard for me to give up my artwork for money. it's like signing off a piece of myself to someone else.
i tried working with a writer, although he was a good writer, it felt like i only did 50% of the work.
i rather like having ownership of my art 100%
Most American superhero/mainstream comics published by the large and semi-large publishers, yes. Once you step into indie-comic territory, though, you have a LOT of comics created by a single creator, who is responsible for all aspects of the creation (bar editing, if it's published by an actual publisher, and not self-published).
And American =/= western. In Sweden, for example, comics created by more than one person are the exception, not the rule.
No, there is nothing wrong with paying an artist, but just remember that there are three ways to do this:
Back-End
Front-End
Mixed
Back-End means that the artist is on the same footing as the writer. Usually, a pair of starving creators trying to take a gamble and make something of it. Both are doing it for a variety of reasons, most of which are far to familiar to the people reading here to list them again.
This means that the IP should be split, just like the profits and the workload are being split. That's something that a lot of writers don't think about, is the split of the IP, but it all needs to be taken into account, and the workload divided before the partnership kicks off.
Front-End means that the artist is being paid up front (usually by the publisher, though some seem to think the writer should do it) on a work-for-hire basis, owns nothing on the IP, and in some cases does not even own the finished artwork, or if they own the physical art, do not own reproduction/publication rights to it.
And Mixed, which is a very uncommon mix of some money up front, and some more off the back end.
None of the models are perfect, and all of them have extreme problems.
But if you have the capital, and can afford to pay an artist Front-End, go ahead. You will own the artwork, don't have to split the profits if you hit it big, and can have them redo anything that is not up to your agreed upon specs. They are a freelancer working for hire, and what you will get depends on the honour and integrity of the artist, and how much money you are tossing at them.
Do not pay until the work has been delivered. You can pay on a per page basis, but do not give them a deposit, make sure you have a contract, and make sure it does not strip you of any of your IP rights. It is usually customary to return the original art to them, as you are not buying the art, but the rights to it. Make sure that you have unlimited reprint rights, as well as the rights to use it for other purposes such as advertising and merchandising. If it is digital, make sure what you are getting is print quality (300 DPI or better).
Oh, and pay on the agreed upon schedule, promptly upon receipt of your art.
Eagle
(I've had bad experiences on both sides of the work-for-hire art biz)
Actually, what you say abut manga is not true either. Mangaka use even more different artists than American comics. Mangaka teams often have people who draw the backgrounds and props, leaving only the characters for the creator to draw. Most manga are created on a tight schedule because there are established teams working on those comics. But unlike American comics, all creators are not officially credited. Only the original artist gets the credit for the entire work. I would say that it's actually worse than in the US.
