this is not my special soap box moment, i don't care about me in this scenario - im doing fine, but this is just the truth

Marvel needs to pay cover artists more

it's a very unfortunate thing to me, I love Marvel, I love working w/them, I'll say a little more below -

I've been working doing freelance illustration for 15 yrs, i haven't been paid like I have been for Marvel since I started getting professional work and I mean the lowest end jobs.

I can personally only justify working for Marvel because of the IP and exposure their brand(1/2)

-provides. otherwise it makes no fiscal sense to work for them and if i were to take it on(and i would absolutely love to) it would be completely irresponsible to my family to do so. I understand comics aren't big budget projects, but paying lower than indie comics is sad :(

I only write this as I almost feel irresponsible taking on the work as many people who follow me have reached out to me asking how they can get involved in making covers and my answer is basically "don't do it" - I made more drawing ppl's WoW portraits 13 yrs ago

the sole reason I work for Marvel when I do is out of my love for the world's their characters inhabit - and also, because financially I'm doing ok with other freelance work - so I treat it more or less like I happen to be getting paid for personal work. but it is not a living.

i don't mean any of this to come across as unappreciative/unprofessional - i reached out to the editor who gave me my first work with Marvel and explained why i wrote all this(1/2)

but they know how i feel as i have addressed rates with them in the past & to their credit they gave me small bump and while i appreciated that, it is still below any standard rates. and to be clear - i have nothing but positive experiences with everyone i worked with

(also, I only say cover artists as that is all I can speak on from personal experience)

it's just an odd feeling, I wanted to make covers like the ones I did below just to fulfill my childhood dream of being a cover artist. i would literally copy spider-man onto my chalkboard as a kid from covers i liked. i would love to do more, but it's such a bummer