The Sacrifices of a Comic Book Artist

September 10, 2007

Fantastic Four 511

Fantastic Four 511 by Wieringo

Mike Wieringo's death last month was a reminder of the cruel burden shared by comic book artist. The outpouring of emotion from thousands of people on the web, strangers, who had spent hours or days with his work over his 16 year career, showed a kind of secret intimacy: the intimacy between an artist and a fan. But just because you're famous, doesn't mean you're wealthy.

The pay is awful and comic book artists work overtime to meet their deadlines. They work on weekends. Hours spent leaning over a drawing table often result in health problems and they can rarely afford health insurance. Their strange hours affect their relationships with their friends and families. Did I mention the pay is awful?

The Modern Masters series, of which features a volume exclusively about Wieringo, is an inside look into the lives of popular creators. It often features photos of the artist's studio, which are always tiny apartment bedrooms or basements, far from the golden workshops their fans would imagine.

Incidentally, Comic Book Resources has a great series of articles on comic artist studios. Here's a couple I liked:

As a teenager, drawing comics professionally, like many other fans, was my dream. Just a few years ago that dream began to materialize. My web comic Perils on Planet X with writer Christopher Mills achieved enough attention for me to be offered several professional jobs. But I was unemployed at the time and couldn't do the backend deals that these publishers afforded. I needed to pay the rent. Who knows where that could've taken me? I ended up pursuing a career in IT.

Isn't it strange that a modest job in the private sector pays comparable to that of a legendary artist in the comics field? There are tens of thousands of people who love Mike Wieringo and his work. That's fame. It takes passion to take up the pencil for a living. But in the end, as The Beatles said, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

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