Making a living of drawing manga?

[guthmann]

I am not sure if this has been posted before but I couldn't see anything so I guess I will just go ahead? If you are a sucessful comic person like many seen on tokyo pop (im not talking about pokemon, dbz, one piece or anything that popular more so , megatokyo, mbq etc) what is the chance of making a living or getting to that level. Obviously alot of it depends on your skill at drawing, creating stories and putting a sucessful manga together but is it possible to make a career out of it?

But maybe just not comics but using your drawing skill all together in perhaps post cards, drawing for other manga artists, wall scrolls etc. I hope I am giving you a clear enough picture of what I am asking which pretty much comes down to is "can you live sucessfully of drawing manga"

:D

[Loverofpiggies]

I hope they can! Cuz thats what I'm planning! WATCH OUT TOKYOPOP! I'macommin!

Only problem I have with tokyopop is RIDICULOUS release dates. -_-

[Wolfman]

I am not sure if this has been posted before but I couldn't see anything so I guess I will just go ahead? If you are a sucessful comic person like many seen on tokyo pop (im not talking about pokemon, dbz, one piece or anything that popular more so , megatokyo, mbq etc) what is the chance of making a living or getting to that level. Obviously alot of it depends on your skill at drawing, creating stories and putting a sucessful manga together but is it possible to make a career out of it?

But maybe just not comics but using your drawing skill all together in perhaps post cards, drawing for other manga artists, wall scrolls etc. I hope I am giving you a clear enough picture of what I am asking which pretty much comes down to is "can you live sucessfully of drawing manga"

:D

I'm working on an idea to pitch to TP later this year so fingers crossed I'll be able to let you know then lol (some of my stuff you can see here http://antz82.deviantart.com ) As for actually making a living outta comics, some of the editors from TP say you can make a comfortable living no problem(NOT become rich incase you're wondering) other published artists say they need to work a part time job still even when they're published. I think it comes down to eachothers own preferences ie where you live, how you live, minimum wage or not etc etc etc

I guess its a big worry to anybody starting out cause your wage depends on your ability to commit to the project. Don't draw. Don't get paid. So you wanna be absolutely sure this is the right move for you and not just something you like to dream of cause its cozy in your head!

As for making a successfull career outta it, "mumma always said, 'the skys the limit!!'"

Question I wanna know is, if you work for any publishing company like TP are you classed as self employed cause you're working on your own creation??

[LCibos]

In my case, Peach Fuzz is totally my full-time job. I have a work schedule of 9am to 8pm, seven days a week, so I have no idea where I'd find the time to maintain a part-time job on the side. The good news is, I'm able to support myself almost entirely off my work on Peach Fuzz. It's definitely not an extravagant lifestyle, but as long as I don't make too many unnecessary purchases, I do all right... and better yet, I'm working my dream job, so I'm happy. :)

If you're working as a freelancer for the company, you do indeed fall under self-employed (and therefore have to worry about all the additional tax responsibility that comes with it. For example, you're responsible for paying your employer's half of the Social Security).

[headmistress]

I was wondering about whether y'all had to worry about SE tax. Does this mean you've got to file quarterly tax payments?

Bridget

(self-employed, but not making enough to file quarterly)

[LCibos]

Oh yes. Jared and I both started filing quarterly tax payments last year. >_< Can you tell I'm overly grumpy about tax time? I'm no stranger to doing self-employment taxes (I've been running a freelance art business for over six years now), but tax forms still make my brain hurt. ^^;; While most people are receiving money back around this time, I'm paying the remainder of my taxes for 2005, AND the first estimated payment for 2006. *waves goodbye to money*

[Loverofpiggies]

Oh yes. Jared and I both started filing quarterly tax payments last year. >_< Can you tell I'm overly grumpy about tax time? I'm no stranger to doing self-employment taxes (I've been running a freelance art business for over six years now), but tax forms still make my brain hurt. ^^;; While most people are receiving money back around this time, I'm paying the remainder of my taxes for 2005, AND the first estimated payment for 2006. *waves goodbye to money* aw that sucks. But I'm willing to be self employed if I can work for... *sparkle* TOKYOPOP!! It makes me happy you can still support yourself though! My friends were always being jerks to me about me wanting to be an artist for TP. -_- Its not nice... but I dont listen to those losers! I might not be rich, but as long as I'm happy, who cares you know!? XD Oh... BTW... I know this isnt ask the artists or anything... but your my FAVORITE artist for tokyopop right now... PLEASE can you check out some of my art and tell me what I should work on before TP?

(I dunno how to do the link thing but here is the URL)

loverofpiggies.deviantart.com

[LCibos]

aw that sucks. But I'm willing to be self employed if I can work for... *sparkle* TOKYOPOP!! It makes me happy you can still support yourself though! My friends were always being jerks to me about me wanting to be an artist for TP. -_- Its not nice... but I dont listen to those losers! I might not be rich, but as long as I'm happy, who cares you know!? XD Oh... BTW... I know this isnt ask the artists or anything... but your my FAVORITE artist for tokyopop right now... PLEASE can you check out some of my art and tell me what I should work on before TP?

Hai! You're right not to let your friends dissuade you. Maybe you won't be rich, but at least you'll be doing something you love. ^_^ My parents always told me not to follow the path of artist (they're ok with it now though) and instead get into business, but it's always been my philosophy that money isn't everything in life. I'm much happier spending my time drawing comics that I would ever be working in an office building selling something I don't care about. ... Of course, I'll be even happier if one day I *do* get rich off of doing comics. ;D

I'm so flattered to be considered your favorite. Hehe. ^_^ Looking over your comic art, I think you have something really nice going. Your layouts are creative, and the character art is detailed. I see a bit of Fruits Basket influence in your artwork. (I just read volume 4 of that tonight, so I have furuba on the brain). ^_^ the thing that stands out most to me is perhaps you might want to try experimenting with more varied line weighting. Right now everything seems to be one thickness, with not too much variation. Something to keep in mind. :)

[Pedes]

Hai! You're right not to let your friends dissuade you. Maybe you won't be rich, but at least you'll be doing something you love. ^_^ My parents always told me not to follow the path of artist (they're ok with it now though) and instead get into business, but it's always been my philosophy that money isn't everything in life. I'm much happier spending my time drawing comics that I would ever be working in an office building selling something I don't care about. ... Of course, I'll be even happier if one day I *do* get rich off of doing comics. ;D
I also want to make my living by drawing comics. BUt. as in my country it is and for a long time will be impossible I'm targeting TOKYOPOP *evailaugh*
Besides if I would be a TP artist I'd spend biig part of the earnings on.. TP mangas XD

[PeNCILz]

I would end up spending all my money on manga... Oh...wait... I already do... ¬.¬

[Pedes]

I would end up spending all my money on manga... Oh...wait... I already do... ¬.¬
:D Tell me about it...

[QueenieChan]

I have a part-time job, and it helps to pay the bills. And quite frankly, I'm glad that Lindsay is able to make ends meet - I believe that Peach Fuzz being syndicated adds to the pay as well. :D Me, on the other hand, gets to lose a sizeable chunk of money due to the low US dollar VS high Aussie dollar, so the picture isn't quite so rosy for me.

And like Lindsay, I work 7 days a week, though I also have a part-time job. *sigh* For people working with TOKYOPOP, I don't suggest you quit your day job as yet, until you're certain you can support yourself. That's my advice, from creating "The Dreaming".

[ouch]

Oh yes. Jared and I both started filing quarterly tax payments last year. >_< Can you tell I'm overly grumpy about tax time? I'm no stranger to doing self-employment taxes (I've been running a freelance art business for over six years now), but tax forms still make my brain hurt. ^^;; While most people are receiving money back around this time, I'm paying the remainder of my taxes for 2005, AND the first estimated payment for 2006. *waves goodbye to money*

Hi Lindsay, any good tips on filling out tax form? I'm unsure how to report the quarterly tax and so on...it's complicate because I have a part-time also :confused:
What kind of stuff can be tax deductible? I'm living at home...so I guess I can't use the home office option.

[LCibos]

Hi Lindsay, any good tips on filling out tax form? I'm unsure how to report the quarterly tax and so on...it's complicate because I have a part-time also :confused:
What kind of stuff can be tax deductible? I'm living at home...so I guess I can't use the home office option.

Eep, taxes are such a complicated beast, I couldn't possibly get into it (especially since the whole thing is confusing nightmare to me as well). Even if I told you the sort of deductions I take, they might not apply to you.

If you're doing a lot of self-employed stuff, your best bet is to pick up a book called "Home Based Business for Dummies". It gets into the sort of deductions you can take as well has all sorts of other business related stuff.

The IRS website itself has a bunch of tutorials and information on it... (though as you might guess, it's as complicated as taxes themselves. Still worth looking into though.)

The other thing I recommend is to talk to an accountant. Best thing I ever did. They know what you can and can't do, when you need to start doing quarterly taxes, etc. The accountant I go to is worth every penny. I don't know what I'd do without her. ^_^

[Pedes]

I have a part-time job, and it helps to pay the bills. And quite frankly, I'm glad that Lindsay is able to make ends meet - I believe that Peach Fuzz being syndicated adds to the pay as well. :D Me, on the other hand, gets to lose a sizeable chunk of money due to the low US dollar VS high Aussie dollar, so the picture isn't quite so rosy for me.

I have ti the other way round - PLN is 3,3 times less worth :( Imagine that all TP books were 3,3 times more expensive... And I soo want some of them ><
Not to mention that Mangastudio I'm planning to buy costs is 3,3 times more expensive for me ><

[ouch]

Thanks Lindsay, I will read the book you recommand :)

[tomselleck69]

comics are what i want to do with my life. i'd like to think i have the discipline for it, but only time [and the presence of a publisher who wants my book] will tell.

and lindsay, it is a pleasure to see that you post here. i remember constantly visiting minako kenshou's dojo way back in the way back when. yours, and several other artist's sites are almost directly responsible for getting me 'into' anime, and chances are my style would not be anything near what it is today without that part of it's foundation. i, like most people on here, am preparing a submission for TP---so thanks for being a cool person during a critical period in my development.

[TunaKid84]

Um… I’ve heard artists mention “freelance work” and I’m curious (as somebody who can draw but isn’t out there yet) what kind of freelance work do people do? Drawing pictures? What kind of pictures? For whom do you draw them? Are they big or little? CD covers? People requesting special pictures?
… and more questions of the like…

P.S.
Has this been asked before and I just don’t know it?

[SweetNymph]

I have a part-time job which I don't care for much, but it pays well enough. Unfortuantely, I'll have to leave it since the buses suck and I hate losing 4 hours of my life getting to and from a job that's only 45 minutes away. So I''m going to spend the rest of the summer practicing my drawing for 6 to 8 hours a day.

[EirieYukifan]

;) I would loooveeeeee to make a living off of drawing manga *day dreams and sees herself drawing manga in a cluttered room filled with others around her drawing a manga called Fumbay ^ ^* I ...am actually working on the main char. i dont think i like the name:( ...if ya have any idea puhleeeseee tellll mee!:D[/FONT]

[YamPuff]

Nawp.. I'm strictly a hobbyist.. but I considered entering RSoM for the heck of it, to see if I'm any good. Unfortunately they have this crummy rule that only residents can enter. So just cuz I'm out of the country I can't enter. Grr

Anyhoo.. twouldn't be fair for me to enter anyway since even if I did win (haha, no way) I wouldn't even consider doing a series, which is kinda the point of RSoM in teh first place. *coughlazinesscough*

So.. no.. I don't make a living off of drawing manga.. *long-windedness points awarded*

[Pedes]

Nawp.. I'm strictly a hobbyist.. but I considered entering RSoM for the heck of it, to see if I'm any good. Unfortunately they have this crummy rule that only residents can enter. So just cuz I'm out of the country I can't enter. Grr

Anyhoo.. twouldn't be fair for me to enter anyway since even if I did win (haha, no way) I wouldn't even consider doing a series, which is kinda the point of RSoM in teh first place. *coughlazinesscough*

So.. no.. I don't make a living off of drawing manga.. *long-windedness points awarded*
Mwahahaha, for me drawing is one of the few things my lazyness don't work on... Most drawing in my life was done in the evenings, after shool, studying... I was dead tired but still drew up to the point I couldn't hold pencil anymore.
I also had some 2-3-weeks-all-day sessions of drawing (for constests, but my skills were... weren't there yet :D) and even though it was tiring I still felt I could to this for a living... (now I feel I MUST do it to survive...)

[lord_neko_fuffy]

I would end up spending all my money on manga... Oh...wait... I already do... ¬.¬
lol....*rases hand* i did that too i got a job to fix my computer.....and i spent it all on manga and anime.....and i still haven't fixed my computer (oh btw it was last summer to october.....so yeah i'm not working now....)

Um… I’ve heard artists mention “freelance work” and I’m curious (as somebody who can draw but isn’t out there yet) what kind of freelance work do people do? Drawing pictures? What kind of pictures? For whom do you draw them? Are they big or little? CD covers? People requesting special pictures?
… and more questions of the like…

P.S.
Has this been asked before and I just don’t know it?
thire is an accual indistry and comanys that specalise in doing art projects for other companies. it's also called grapic design.
basicly in freelace you do diffent kinds of things, from animation, magizine ads, sationary for bussiness, tv ads, magizine covers....a buch of things. frelance artists are the people or companies that bussness like GM, go to to have something like a tv comercal done. they tell the freelance artist what they want and such, gidelines basicly.
the resion that companys or bussness big or small have frelance artists do the creative things to ads and such is becuse, 1. thire arists for one thing. 2. they where trained in a range of progarams and such and could proablly do better with them then a dude in a cubical with no creativity could. 3. frelance artists are trained to know what would best attract the target audeance of the product.
and you could propally get that a freelance artist is a like a mini bussness. they are the ones that mostly likely made the populaer website layouts and such of the major companies, are probally made the advertisements to your magizines..... it's an odd busness but your mostly on your own to find clients and such until you can get populaer with atlest one clent. the pay is not very steady, and may not be very good if no one likes your style but it's something that a person can do at home.
(sorry if i babbled but i took a two year class that took half of my school hours for my junor and senor year. at a tecnical campas that teaches all the skills, working and artistic and some other skills. it was the only class that didn't have a pafoc name, grapic design, visual Imageing, advertiseng design and some other names....it was a fun class and i can get college credic at some colleges)

[TunaKid84]

it's an odd busness but your mostly on your own to find clients and such until you can get populaer with atlest one clent.

So,so how does one find clients? Is there like some sort of super-secret guild you belong to? A database? Telephone book? SPAM list? What?

*i know i sound dumb... but that's only because i am... so there!*
:p

[Erisu-Chan]

I hope they can! Cuz thats what I'm planning! WATCH OUT TOKYOPOP! I'macommin!

Only problem I have with tokyopop is RIDICULOUS release dates. -_-


RIDICULOUS RELEASE DATES :O
What are they?

Nawp.. I'm strictly a hobbyist.. but I considered entering RSoM for the heck of it, to see if I'm any good. Unfortunately they have this crummy rule that only residents can enter. So just cuz I'm out of the country I can't enter. Grr

Anyhoo.. twouldn't be fair for me to enter anyway since even if I did win (haha, no way) I wouldn't even consider doing a series, which is kinda the point of RSoM in teh first place. *coughlazinesscough*

So.. no.. I don't make a living off of drawing manga.. *long-windedness points awarded*


Well depending on what country you live in (like the US or UK) you can or cannot enter the RSoM BUT i'm gonna enter when ever it starts up in Australia, which is hopfully soon cause i hear that TP is starting up in Australia ^_^ yea!!

[B.Roman]

im not talking about pokemon, dbz, one piece or anything that popular more so , megatokyo, mbq etc) what is the chance of making a living or getting to that level.

I think Megatokyo might be a better example than the other title.

Anyhow, it might be a better question to ask can you make a living in "comics" as a whole. I've been doing ILH for pretty much two yrs fulltime and I will occasionally take on other work in comics, character designs, hell even greeting cards to bring in some extra scratch and as a creator develope a wider audience and to not be pinned down to one genre. You can make a living doing "freelance" be it creator own, work for hire, ect.. It all depends on if your book does well, you build up a fan base, and if your publisher believes in your book. There's plenty of other factors, I'm just pointing out a few.

I guess what I'm getting at is dont limit yourself to one thing.

[ouch]

I guess I'm what I'm getting at is dont limit yourself to one thing.


Yap, so true. Because you never know if you not try others things. And don't quit your part-time/day time job. Freelance job not always feed you well.:D