The Danger Pages

Enough Is Enough

When I was in high school back in the 90’s, all I wanted to do was make comic books.  My art was never up to my own standards, but that didn’t stop me from drawing every day after school, hoping that I could gain the confidence to pursue a career drawing comics.

Not only did I never feel I could do it, but I was actually discouraged by several people that were either in the industry or trying to be.  The advice was always the same.  “Make a comic because you love making comics.  Don’t do it to make money.”

Wait, what?  I can’t make a decent living doing what I love?

I wasn’t ever one of those kids that listened to what other people said.  I kind of just did whatever I wanted to.  However, I did listen this time.  I put down my pencil and pursued a career in technology, which I already had a childhood foundation in.  After all, you CAN make a good living in programming, right?

Not if you’re not happy.

I’m 44 years old at the time of this writing. I’ve revisited the idea over the years of making a comic, but never really got much passed the short story phase.  There was always this lingering issue floating over my head that the odds were against me in making a living doing it.  

I’m older and wiser now, however it’s still very obvious to me that even though the comic book industry is a billion dollar one, there are so many problems with it that the problems that were there in the 90’s are still there.  Comic creators, although having more resources and support than ever, are still struggling to make a living at it.

I guess I just reached a point where enough is enough.  Currently, Marvel, DC, ComiXology (Amazon) and Diamond are hogging the lion’s share of the profit margins, leaving independent creators with pennies on the dollar.  Writers, pencillers, colorists, inkers, letterers, editors and story creators are driving this industry.  There would be no industry without them and yet they are the ones that are suffering.  This is unacceptable.

It is time to take this industry back and give it to the ones who deserve it, the creators.  More posts are coming on how I intend to do this.