Closing Shop in Comics

[pandayboss]

Originally Posted by artofrene

Beautiful work, Dario!

Thanks for the feedback, Rene. Stay safe.

[pandayboss]

Bump!

I'm in the middle of finishing my prior commitments, one is shy of 10 pages and a couple of covers to complete the book of 40 page graphic novel and the other one was put on hold last year and will be coming back in March or April, and my client wanted me to continue on as it's an unlimited series. Now I think it's not possible for me to pack up and close the shop as I've laid of on my day job in December last year and I'm not sure if it's going to get back soon. The oil & gas sector has been on it's ultimate low as with Biden winning the presidency, he ultimately cancelled the Keystone Pipeline which has a devastating effect here in my province and why there are lots of people lost their jobs from last year on top of the pandemic. We really felt this painful recession this time around and it's not that it's very competitive in the job market but there's not a lot of job out there in the first place. At least comics is still has a viable job market.

Yeah, it's not time yet to put the pen away, I believe. It's still to see how this situation pans out.

Here's another page from my GN:

[artsnake]

While I am sorry for the troubles the people of Alberta and elsewhere are facing your talents are wasted on the oil industry though I am sure that pay cheque will be missed. I hope all goes well. Great page.

[pandayboss]

Originally Posted by artsnake

While I am sorry for the troubles the people of Alberta and elsewhere are facing your talents are wasted on the oil industry though I am sure that pay cheque will be missed. I hope all goes well. Great page.

Thanks artsnake and you have a really good point. It's a different perspective on my end though. Hear me out, please.

By trade, I'm a draftsman and drawing is just a hobby. I've tried working full time for comics at one time with Marvel Comics. The pay was good but only for a small family. I have to have two projects to makes end meet when the family grows. But that's not the case. Projects don't come in regularly and you're stuck waiting for the next one to come while bills pile up. After several months of doing it full time, I have to come back to the engineering end. From Vancouver BC, we moved to Alberta for more prospects in the oil industry. In reality, my day job really helped me fund this hobby and before I don't even worry about the rate per page from indy clients as long as I have a better income that helps subsidize the monthly necessities.

I've been with the engineering industry for more than 30 years and almost twenty years in oil & gas. Now I'm back in that situation and the rates I get are even lower than back in the 90s and I have bigger mortgage to maintain. I've wished that I could get a high paying project but in reality, it's very hard to come by and the competition is rough. It's not the same as back in the hey day, comics artists are localized in North America. Now, there are artists across the Globe who will take on a project for much-much less. At least there are clients here who knew me from my old projects and have put the word out about my situation which landed me this 40 page GN. After this, who knows.

[artsnake]

I did not mean to say that I thought comics could take the place of income from the oil industry. Especially these days with, as you said, the international competition.
It really is a case right now, to everybody that is paying attention, the "Big boys and Girls" don't care about us and if we rely on them for things like a stable economic situation they will do us harm.
You are a creative man and that does give you some advantages in any situation but that in no way will lessen the stress you must feel now. I hope we all learn from this that relying on these mammoth corporate and governmental structures does not lead to security, and we do not owe them our allegiance. All our talents are wasted when we work for them.
I have not been able to have a proper career myself due to long standing complications from a useless medical procedure I had as a child. It just screwed me just enough where i could not really be in the world like most, I am learning now. I am getting over it some what, fifty years later. My point is these large institutions, no matter the supposed benevolence, where we can not get our hands around their necks, can not be relied on for anything.
If we stick together as people in general we can help ourselves to a prosperous future. That is what forums like this are for. Not just for comics but for creative ideas in general getting around despite the greedy control freaks trying to throw us out. Stay in touch.

[pandayboss]

I understand completely what you're saying and I for one would really like to stretch my hobby as far as I can. But time is costly. As much as I wanted to stay in the comics business, it's the living that's becoming hard. I always told myself, I wished I'm rich so my family is secured and taken cared of and I can just draw all the time.

[artofrene]

Wow, that is a nice looking page, Dario! Sweetness!!

[pandayboss]

Originally Posted by artofrene

Wow, that is a nice looking page, Dario! Sweetness!!

Thanks Rene.

[pandayboss]

Here's the last page 40 of the GN I've been working on for almost 10 months. Finally! My client told me to take a break for the Spring & Summer as there might be a second book coming. She wanted me to be the artist again. YESSSS! I'm super stoked. It's not coming anytime soon, probably in the Fall or early Winter. But hey, I needed the break anyway, so I can wait. I have enjoyed this project a lot and I'm getting more comfortable with the main character.

I've thought, I'm finally giving up on comics as it's not going to the right direction I'm expecting but after finishing this project, it's not as easy as I've thought. I've finally found that same feeling of enjoyment when I started in this career in the 90s. Now that I'm retiring (being old and a 2nd grand child is on the way ) I say, I'd like to retire with this new project and I hope more projects from my fabulous client would come my way.

[artsnake]

Congratulations on the grand child and the satisfying project. New possibilities all around.

[pandayboss]

Originally Posted by artsnake

Congratulations on the grand child and the satisfying project. New possibilities all around.

Thanks so much, Scott.

[Ingrid K. V. Hardy]

Such stunning work... ❤️

[pandayboss]

Originally Posted by Ingrid K. V. Hardy

Such stunning work... ❤️

Thanks Ingrid.

[pandayboss]

Again, continuing on the topic of the comics work that were spreading out across the globe. Here's an example of what had happened to me awhile ago.

I was in contact with an old colleague and he's putting together a new project for crowdfunding. He wanted me to do the book/s but then he asked me to cut the details on my work, making it just minimal. Simply, so that I can do the pages faster and turn them in faster as well. He actually showed me how I can do it by adjusting a pin-up I did. The work doesn't look like mine anymore after the changes he made. Then I realized that the reason he asked me to do it minimally, was so that he could pay me lesser than that of my original rate I asked. I felt insulted as an artist. It's like bending to this request so that he could pay less. The rate I gave him is far less already for the detailed work I did, and he wanted to cut it back more and completely screw up my style. I told him a big NO! Apparently, he was already scouting outside of the country and finally found an artist who'd do it for less and have more details than what I can do.

This was becoming more and more the case in the comics industry in North America. The problem with this picture was, we're treated unfairly because we live here. The value of $1 is way more than outside of the country. This kind of treatment is affecting all sectors not only comics. The big companies are saying that they helping the global economy as a whole. Yes, they give work to other countries, but they take advantage of them because they can grab it for a penny. The big companies are getting more profit and no one is the wiser.

Below was a promo cover I did for the Lady Academy project. Digital layout and inked using Clip Studio Paint.

[artsnake]

I had the same thing happened to me a few years ago. The client even said he liked my stuff better, but I am pretty sure he went with someone from china who could do it for two thirds the price. Maybe I could have cut my price a little but when I realised how inexperienced the client was I thought it was no worth the hassle. I could see things were going to get complicated.
Is Lady Academy your new project? Cool pic. I like her expression.