September 04, 2007

Can Cartoonists Make Money With The Internet?

I received an e-mail wanting to discuss this topic, so here it is, let's open a discussion! : )
I've recently met a man by the name of Mark Oakely, self-publisher/writer/artist of the popular Thieves & Kings comic book series. Though he hasn't posted his works online he is very successful at producing his own stories his own way, all in print publishing... every creative artist/author's dream.

Is it possible to be successful in comics or cartoons these days?

Certainly. In recent years a few have become quite successful, thanks to the internet. The internet is opening brand new doors for comics creators to explore. Some doorways eventually lead to success, but many others are proving to be dead ends. With the internet still in its infancy and technology changing so rapidly, there is not yet a well-trodden path that cartoonists can follow to digital success.

Can you make money posting your cartoons online? Here's an interesting interview about comics and micropayments.

PVP creator Scott Kurtz discusses the current syndicate system and why it is harmful for artists.

Here's a blog totally devoted to helping artists make money with their webcomics. I don't know whether the advice is good or bad, but it seems worth a read.

Comics guru and author Scott McCloud is trying some fascinating new things at his website. He writes that information wants to be cheap and briefly discusses Reinventing Web Comics.

Anyone have any comments on the subject or other links/articles to recommend?

Sources and Samples:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/
http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/
http://topwebcomics.com/
http://webcomicsreview.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_webcomics
http://www.thecomicportal.com/
http://www.onlinecomics.net/pages/
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050301glaser/
http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=39;t=000104

2 comments:

blah said...

There are a few links here I had never seen before, thanks for that!
Another way to make a small bit of change is through a site called Project Wonderful: http://www.projectwonderful.com/ They're visual ads you put on your site, and people pay to advertise in one of your spaces.

I think making money is possible, but the chances of actually maintaining a career through it are slim to none. There's just so much stuff out there that it's really hard to stand out from the mix. Although maybe there is a formula somewhere for becoming the next Penny Arcade, I think the chances of that are still one in a million.

MaJaTo said...

I would certainly be of the opinion that money (and good money too) can be made on the internet. The challenge for old paper media (newpapers, mags, comic books) is seeking the best way to use the internet, in most cases as part of their overall media strategy.