Many people think that just because they love anime, manga and comic books that they should dive in and become an artist. Like me, Andy from Andy Art TV, you probably loved anime and manga and comic books since high school and thought, “I want to be an artist someday.” Little did I know that the life of a comic book artist was not really for me nor was the life of an animator.
Many fanboys and fan girls fantasize about working in the field related to their hobbies. You can definitely get paid for what you love to do as long as you are mature about it. You also have to face the reality of these jobs, their conditions, the pay scale, the stress that comes with these jobs and so on.
When I was in high school I dreamed of being an animator and making comic books someday. Once I left high school and went to college, I changed a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I still love anime and manga and fantasy and scifi and all those geeky things but the reality of the industry hit me. Read our article Is An Animation Career Wort It click here.
Many people think that they can become a manga artist or comic book artist and forget about things such as paying the bills, rent, medical bills and all those things that you need. They forget that if you cannot make money as an comic book artist then you wont be able to eat. This is one of the reasons why your parents don’t want you to become an artist, because they don’t want you to be a starving artist.
So in the following we are going to talk about the type of person that is a good candidate to be a comic or manga artist.
You hate working long hours
In Japan many salary men work 60 to 80 hours a week. That is a work schedule that not many people can handle. It is really hard. When I found out that animators work to the bone, 60 to 80 hours a week, I said “I am not cut out for this.” I know my self really well and I would pass out within a few months if I work that much. I cannot work more than 50 hours a week.
Comic book and manga artist work long hours to get projects done. Especially if you work for a company or have deadlines, you will have to work even weekends to get this done. If you are okay with working a lot(especially indoors) then being this type of artist is for you.
Most people in the west(North America and Europe) cant handle 80 hours a week. As much as you love drawing you will get sick of it. You have to be the kind of person that eats and sleeps art. Drawing, coloring, painting and now a days, using a digital table. You wont have a lot of time for “fun.,” unless you love what you do.
If you are a workaholic and love diving into your art then this is for you. If you have been drawing since you were ten years old and you can draw at the speed of light and have confidence in your artwork then this is for you.
You have to live an breed comic books and manga.
Many mangaka work overtime depending on the genre they are in with their manga. Think about it before choosing this career.
You want fast money
This is not to say that you cannot make money as a comic book artist or a manga artist. Anime and manga is now a $20 billion dollar industry. back in 2010 it was about $10 billion and it grew more and more ever since then. The same goes for comic books. More and more people are consuming comic books ever since the superhero movie boom.
The problem with being a comic book or manga artist is that you wont see good money coming in for a long time. You might have enough to pay the rent but it will take time even years for you to see real profits.
If you want fast money then go into real estate or some other business like the Stock Market or one of those internet marketing schemes or pyramid schemes.
You are really extroverted
To be a comic book or manga artist, you are going to spend hours and day, heck, even months by yourself staring at your drawings. Some people cant handle spending a whole day alone or even a week. Sometimes a manga or comic book artist will spend days without talking to anyone unless they are working with a partner.
If you are really extroverted then being a comic book or manga artist is not for you. This type of career is very introverted. Much like programmers, comic book artist spend a lot of time alone with their thoughts and creativity.
You want to see results fast
Not gonna happen. Its like when a teenager group starts a rock band. They compose 10 songs and play at a few bars then think a big record label is going to find them and sign them up to their label and give them a six figure deal. The chances of that happening are very low considering the competition. Unless you are a unicorn you wont be found by a publisher that wants to publish your work and even then it is not promise that many people will like your comic book.
With comic books, the growth can be very slow. A comic book or manga takes time for the word to spread, even if you are paying for advertisement, people are reading lots of comics and manga. You are competing with other forms of entertainment as well.
There is a Youtube channel called, Punk Rock MBA . In one of his videos he explains that although people have easier access to music now a days in many forms, music is entertain and it is competing with other forms of entertainment. Back in the days before the internet, people listened to music because that was one of the few forms of entertainment. However, now with the internet there is video on demand, video games, audiobooks and a hell of lot of entertainment.
You are not just competing with other comic books but also with video games and movies and TV shows. You are competing for eye balls.
You need good marketing and it is the marketing that is going to determine your success. Lets not forget the time it takes to make the comic book or manga and then putting the time into marketing which is outside of the artistic creation.
It is all time consuming.
You want to have a lot of time in your hands
If you are one of those free spirits such as my self that values their time, then comic books and manga creation is not for you. You are better off being a blogger or a Youtuber reviewing comic books and manga (promoting the work of new Artist).
Being a comic book or manga artist consumes a lot of your time and this means you probably wont have enough time to spend with family or friends especially when you are worried about money.
If you want to have a lot of time in your hands and be able to travel and spend a lot of time with friends and family right after work, then pick a career that wont burn your so much. Make sure that you are only working 40 hours a week. Choose a career like public relations, human resources or a public promoter.
BONUS TIP: If you are impatient
Creating a manga or comic book takes time, so much time. Even the fastest artist cannot rush quality work. Art takes time and even when it is finished there is no promised that it is going to succeed. If you are impatient then this is not a good career for you. Many of these artist have a lot of patience and don’t mind spending time alone.
If you take a look at how manga volumes are release, it is very gradual. The Dragon Ball Super manga is release one chapter at a time, month to month. So it will take like almost a year to release an entire volume. That means it takes the artist and entire month to finish a chapter of a man which is about 20 pages. Then it takes almost a year to release an entire volume of 200 pages.
Think about that.
Your Values Change As You Get Older
When you were in high school you probably dreamed of creating comic books or manga. However, as you get older your values change. Maybe you liked anime growing up but in your early 20’s you changed your mind and wanted to do something else. Maybe you fell in love with another career. Maybe comics and manga were something you were using to treat a depression or some kind of emotional or mental problem(not trying to make you feel bad).
The people that choose to become manga or comic book artist accept the work and see it for what it is. Their personality suits them really well for the career.
Don’t be embarrass if you find out that comics and manga is not what you wanted to do with your life. This is a good thing. It means you are a step closer to finding what works for you. In the mean time, go into the real world and find a job. Take the time to explore and try new things. You might stumble upon something that interest you or someone will introduce you to the career that works for you.
What should you do if being a comic book or manga artist does not work for you
Most likely you want to be part of the entertainment industry. You love art, movies, TV shows, anime, cosplay. Here are some of the things you might be interested in.
- Acting
- Special Effects Make Up Artist (ever watched Face Off)
- Become a Youtuber (do skits or review anime and movies)
- Start a blog (I blog about, anime, movies, RPG games, geek culture and I have a blast doing so. Give it try. You can make money doing so)
- Video Game Designer
- Photographer or Cinematography
- Videographer
- Graphic Designer (You don’t need to go to college for this)
- Entertainment journalist
- Write a novel
There is so much you can do to be involve in the industry. Also if you love anime and manga, then go to Japan. Spend two weeks there and see if you like it. Visit Akihabara. Teach English in Japan.
