Why Does it Remain so Hard For Comic Creators to Make a Decent Living?

A handful of notable exceptions aside, most of those who make comic-books are doing it for the love of the art form and won't get rich at it. That said, you would hope those who are making comics we enjoy could at least get a livable wage. In the span of a couple of days, two incidents occured First, we learned that Frazer Irving was literally homeless due to a lease issue and needed food--a man who has worked on huge comic-book properties and is an amazing creator. Next, Kevin Maguire went public about how he would no longer be working on covers for DC, as they hadn't increased his pay in 20 years. He has plans to do his own comics via Kickstarter and such--I hope he makes plenty of funds. 

As for Irving, he got support from fans who bought some of his work from his website and assistance from fellow creators, so he's doing okay for now. That said, why would Irving or Maguire need help or have to walk away due to not being paid their worth? That shouldn't happen. I would like it not to be a struggle for people who help create content that becomes multi-million dollar properties to afford housing and a meal. Only your name in the credits as a, "Thanks," for the latest billion-dollar superhero flick doesn't help pay the bills, after all.

Flashback Friday: "Annihilator," Really Was a Snazzy Comic

When folks discuss the works of the great Grant Morrison there are a lot of works to consider. You've got their massively popular stuff such as, "All-Star Superman," "Animal Man," a run on, "Justice League," a bunch of, "Batman," "Invisibles," "Multiversity," a brief tenure at Marvel with the fantastic, "New X-Men," and plenty of other well-regarded projects. There are somewhat-known works that are also fantastic such as my all-time favorite comic, "The Filth." Then you've got deeper cuts that seem to get overlooked such as his mini-series with artist Frazer Irving, "Annihilator." Long since collected in hardcover and trade paperback, the comic follows the story of a screenwriter named Ray Spass as he deals with a terminal diagnosis at the same time as he attempts to finish writing a big blockbuster film starring fan-favorite character Max Nomax. Then Nomax suddenly appears in the real world and things only get stranger.

I quite enjoyed, "Annihilator," when it was coming out and rated the last issue (and basically the series overall) a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It was by no means the absolute best thing Morrison has written, but it was a damn fine comic. I was reminded about the series with a recent article by D. Emerson Eddy of Comicsbeat that had me dig out my old copy of the hardcover. Thinking back on it now I am intrigued it remains a lesser-known work by two fantastic creators. I'd definitely recommend seeking it out if you like when Morrison gets all trippy and weird or enjoy the artistic stylings of Irving.