How Much Does a Cartoonist Earn?
Published by Matt Glover November 8th, 2006 in From the Inbox
A question, and a frequently asked one at that, appeared in my box last week. Mico writes:
I am an aspiring cartoonist and enthusiast reader of your cartoon blogs. Anyway I have a stupid:-) question. What is the range of annual earning from assignments obtained from internet only? If you don’t mind can you please tell me how much do you earn annually from cartooning?
Before I answer, there are a few things that I need to qualify. Firstly, I’m a part-time cartoonist (by choice) so my income naturally won’t be as much as those that do it on a full time basis. Secondly, freelancing by it’s very nature is unpredicatable, so while I might make bucket loads of money one year, I could easily make next to nothing the following year.
So, to your questions…
1. For me at least, 100% of my income is derived from the internet. The only place I now advertise is on the Net, my contact details are on my website and everything I produce is entirely digital and delivered via the web. It hasn’t always been this way for me, but given that the cartooning market has changed so dramtically, I figured that the Net was the place to be. With only limited time to dedicate to my drawing, I decided to concentrate on the internet and leave more traditional markets to other artists.
I should also add that some of my income is derived from selling advertising space on this blog. The ads to the left and the affiliate links to the right generate small, but important, amounts of money - I’ll write a post about this in the next few weeks.
2. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not going to give you a figure! But to give you some idea, my cartooning income paid off a good chunk of my house (five figures). To get to this level of income (keeping in mind that I am part-time) meant being as professional as possible and charging appropriately. If you haven’t already, check out my top ten tips for becoming a professional cartoonist.
I have met full time, pro cartoonists who have had such lean years that they have been forced to get a second job. I’ve met others that I suspect have become millionaires from their drawing. It’s just so unpredictable that I never recommend aspiring cartoonists to give away their ‘day’ job until they are making equivalent money from their drawing. Again, see the tips!
I know that doesn’t answer your question fully, but it’s the best you’re gonna’ get!
Draw well Mico!
When you say most of your cartoon income is from the internet, do you mean from selling licenses to use your cartoons, or commissions?
Both.
People that commission me to do work find me through the internet, plus I get requests to use stuff that I display on my website.
For me (at the moment) my cartooning isn’t about money at all. I’ve earned a very modest amount over the last few months, but certainly nothing that could be seen as an income.
I’m more interested in developing my style, and a good way of working/turning ideas into something worthy. When I first started drawing cartoons, I was very focused on how to make money from it - but over time I’ve realised that some things are more important then money - like developing the skills needed.
Hopefully one day I will make some money from it, but for now I’m developing the skills to cartoon well.
I think many aspiring cartoonists focus on the money first - skills later, which to me is the wrong way around!