How Much Money Can a Good Comic Book Artist Make?

Comic book artists draw characters and settings.

A comic book artist creates the characters and backgrounds for a comic book or for graphic novels. The artist presents a theme, such as dark and foreboding or an alien planet. The artist also presents the characters in a way that transmits the emotion of the story. For small publications, the artist is also often responsible for writing and story development.

Salary Information

Many factors go into determining a comic book artist's salary. If the artist is the writer, he may receive more money. However, the major difference in salary is the popularity of the comic book. According to the business journal "Portfolio," top artists can earn approximately $1,000 per page of artwork. Best-selling comic books are typically released monthly and are usually 22 pages. So, a top yearly salary can reach $264,000, though "Portfolio" indicates a cap at around $250,000 a year for top artists.

Limitations

To garner top wages, you must be a popular and talented artist. To obtain a job, you will need to create a portfolio of work. However, according to "Portfolio," there are only 100 comic book artist positions.

Average Pay

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that a multimedia artist or an animator makes around $56,000 a year. The low end of the salary range is approximately $32,000. Often, comic book artists and other types of artists are not full-time employees and may not receive benefits such as health insurance or retirement plans.

Additional Benefits

If a comic book becomes popular, it is often transformed into a movie or other animated production such as a cartoon. If the artist created the comic book or made an agreement for a royalty of the profits, the money can be extraordinary.

References

• Portfolio: Comic Genius
• State University: Comic Book Writer Job Description, Career as a Comic Book Writer, Salary, Employment Read more: Comic Book Writer Job Description, Career as a Comic Book Writer, Salary, Employment
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Artists and Related Workers