Making a living writing comics

[I, Cosh]

First off, I'm not trying to divine specific information about anyone's bank balance so I can send begging letters. Nor am I looking for advice on a dramatic change of career and I'm not trying to insult anyone.

Something I've been wondering about recently; is it possible to make a living out of writing for 2000AD/ Meg? Obviously, if your name's Wagner or Grant, the answer's yes. I also assume Gordon Rennie and Robbie Morrison are able to make ends meet.

I was thinking more about people like John Smith or Ian Edgington: guys who get a few stories published over the course of the year but whose names aren't in the credits week in, week out. Is that enough to pay the bills or are they moonlighting as insurance brokers or high-class call girls?

[Conexus]

well Wagner,Grant,Rennie et all don't just write for tooth; fer example - Wagner's done stuff for DC and Rennie,Spurrier and Dan Abnett do quite a bit for Black Flame/Library

[Art]

From the discussions I've had with people who make a living at it it comes down to page-rate and volume. And the page rate can only go so high, so mainly it's about volume - if you get enough work that your spending the majority of your time doing it then it's possible to make a living that way.

[davidbishop]

The vast majority of people who write for 2000 AD and the Megazine also write for other publishers and other mediums. I doubt there's less than a handful who write exclusively for both titles and make a living from it.

There's a few more British scribes who make a living solely from writing comics, but most also work in other mediums. It makes sense to spread yourself about, to make your income safer in case work with a title, publisher or medium suddenly dries up.

davidbishop

Link: http://viciousimagery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://viciousimagery.blogspot.com/

[Dudley]

I don't know, but I hear that David Bishop makes most of his money peddling his arse down the docks...

[davidbishop]

Envy is such an ugly colour on you, darling.

davidbishop

[Dudley]

Oh, it's not the money I'm jealous of.  It's the 500 horny sailors.

[Art]

It's weird how many comics pros have teaching or IT as a day job.