We had a thread for the student creators, but how about the graduates? What do you do to pay the bills so you can keep making comics? Do your comics pay the bills? (Lucky!) Is your day job super non-creative, or did you manage to snag an artsy job? Is your end goal to eventually be able to support yourself doing comics or is this just a hobby?
Dec '15
Dec '15
I'm a physics tutor and I hate it, haha
Also I run a podcast that makes a little money, not enough to live on though
I just started about a month ago working at a game company as a capture specialist!
...Which basically means I'm recording game play for trailers. It's sort of just a starter position in the company, but it's definitely lots of fun and on track with what I went to school for (Game Art and Design).
I design a website for HR support services (background checks, drug testing, I9s, occupational health services, etc), and manage a team of developers, testers, and techies. It keeps me both creatively stimulated and constantly challenged to innovate/invent/think outside the norm, but it isn't "artistic" necessarily.
I work in retail...where customers try to argue with me almost everyday, some idiot customers, weird customers that sometimes make me uncomfortable and a co-worker I'd love to just punch in the face for two reasons. 
I work as a behaviour interventionist for kids with autism. I don't actually write comics, but I do write reviews and I'd say right now they are just a hobby. My end goal is to work as a behaviour analyst... it's a long path though and there are no guarantees.
Immediately out of college I had a job as a line cook at a theme park and it was the actual worst. I wound up quitting in August and have just landed my first art job illustrating a book! Hopefully it leads to more in the future =)
A was a janitor at a water park for a summer after high school, so she sympathizes heavily. Congratulations on your first illustration gig, that's so exciting!
So many web design people, I feel at home! That's how I've been bringing in grocery money when I'm not writing. It's an epic battle between me and Wordpress themes (WP usually has the upper hand).
Yikes. I had the option to go custodial and I was like 'no way in hell am I doing that.' As bad as food service was.
I've been at the same job since finishing university two years ago. I'm a cashier at a family owned grocery store. Although it's a minimum wage type gig, the owners, my coworkers, and the majority of customers have been absolute saints.
As far as retail jobs go, I have nothing to complain about.... except the ever nagging voice in the back of my mind that says 'there is no room to grow in the comfort zone.'
I'm a professional illustrator and comic artist, and a part time office-manager/archivist in an accountant's office (which means I mostly sort and archive paperwork).
I work in the video game industry translating and proofreading Japanese games for an English speaking audience.
I'm not really looking to go professional/full time with my comics because I really love working on games, although I would like to move back into the development side at some point.
I'm a cook at a senior assisted-living place. Though I can definitely see myself sticking with cooking (especially baking) considering it is a job that offers creative outlet, my real goal is to become a story board artist someday in the future. I don't have big hopes in profiting off my comic just because I wanna focus on having fun with the story but if I could I would definitely not hesitate to make it my full time work.
Never actually graduated college because I'd rather not be in debt my entire life!
I'm a manager at an art supply store. It's retail, so it sucks most of the time, but I do get to exercise my creativity on occasion and do things like this to our office door:
I'm a freelance infographist-illustrator and a new children animator. Being with children is exhausting but amusing and you always have to remain creative and focused.
Besides this, I make my comic, which does not pay the bills at all XD But the goal is to become super wonderful and maybe pay something in the end (why not heh, I spend all my free time on it).
I am a Content Strategist in Pharmaceutical advertising. It's not super creative, per say, but it does involve a lot of critical thinking and understand how content and story flow can work or be manipulated, so it does tie in with writing comics and advertising comics, in a way. I try out things I learn through work for my comic. I enjoy it, but recently I wish I had more time to draw since it's been really slow at work. Plus, there's a lot of nice perks and free food!
