Two articles came out today that really made me think about the role of the artist in a new way when it comes to comics. As a reviewer, I think even I am guilty of short changing artists in their role in the comic book medium, and it’s something I’ve often thought of while writing. While I’ll spend two to three paragraphs tackling the contribution of the writer to any given comic, I’ll often spend only one and sometimes two paragraphs going into the art. As Thomas Katers at iFanboy points out, artists kind of get a raw deal. Definitely check that article out, as it goes into detail about your role as a comic fan and (in some cases) a comic reviewer and why we need to respect artists more.
Then, Robot 6 linked to a post from write Jim Munroe about the division of labor between himself and his artist Shannon Gerard on their recent work “Sword of My Mouth.”
So here’s a breakdown of how much time we each spent working on the book.
Jim’s hours: 283.8 (writing: 23%, revisions and editing: 16%, publicity: 20%, publishing business: 38%)
Shannon’s hours: 1000+ (drawing)
So basically, Shannon put in 80% of the time even considering I took on publicity and publishing roles. (If I was just doing the writing, it would have been closer to a 90/10% split.)
We’re dividing the money we make 80/20%, but it still feels weird. I mean, I knew it took a long time to draw, but it really takes a long time to draw. This wonky division of labour is something to keep in mind when if you’re ever approaching someone to draw a comic. Even if you’re a slow writer and they’re a fast drawer, you’re still asking them to spend much more time realizing something than you spent creating it. What are you bringing to the project beyond amazing ideas and sparkling prose?
So when you get down to it, the artist took 80% of the work hours yet received 20% of the pay for the project. While Munroe developed the project himself, Gerard’s massive efforts to bring his words to life are almost criminally under rewarded. It’s astounding really.
Things like Katers article and Munroe’s info share really remind myself as not just a reviewer but as a comic fan that artists are to be treasured. I for one will make sure to support my favorite artists more not just through my reviews but also in artist’s alley visits at cons I go to. Stop by, visit with them, talk the craft, share your thoughts on their work, purchase artbooks…let them know their hard work is valued. I highly suggest you do the same and really think of what your favorite books would be without the artists that realize the worlds these words inhabit.
