The High Cost of Doing (Comics) Business: The Zub Tales blog — written by Toronto-based writer, artist and Sheridan College animation program coordinator Jim Zub — contains a wealth of useful information about the comics and art industries. A recent post he wrote about the financial breakdown of comics publishing hit home with a lot of people, and no wonder – Zub’s pie chart shows exactly how much money goes to the artist after the printers, retailers and publishers get their cut, and folks, it ain’t much. It’s pretty stark, but it debunks the illusion that getting published means getting rich. Zub also highlights a positive message: self-publishing your own work has a lot of risk, sure, but you also gain all the rewards, and there’s a lower likelihood of getting gouged for your art.
Ryan North: A Kickstarter Success Story: Along these lines, let’s take a look at indie comics guru Ryan North, whose daily Dinosaur Comics have been giving me and many others major LOLs for nearly a decade now. North is currently working on a massive project whereupon he plans to re-tell the story of Hamlet, with a twist — it’s a Choose Your Own Adventure story. Being a generous sort of dude, North has also enlisted the talents of his pals to contribute to the book and the accompanying IndieGogo campaign (recognize the spot illustrations on his fundraising page? They’re done by none other than Kate Beaton.) North also provided an extensive breakdown of what each backer will receive, and goes on to explain what will happen if his $20,000 goal is exceeded. He has since raised over ten times that amount, and has banked just over $200,000 with 20 days left in the campaign. Among other things, it means an improvised play will be staged in Busan, Korea, and livestreamed everywhere. That rules pretty hard. Congrats Ryan.
Quimby’s, A Place for Zines: Enjoy this well-written profile of Quimby’s Bookstore, a Chicago institution that has become as well-known for its extensive zine collection (especially LGBT works) as it has for books. And happy weekend to you.