Best Route for an OGN with Page Rate Artist

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Eltondiva

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Hi All,
Just thought I'd ask around in AW as there are a good many pro folks here. A pro artist (award winning) did a piece inline with a story I wrote on another project. He liked my style of writing and wanted to do another project with me when I asked him. I sent him my script for a GN project I have in mind, he liked the idea and even furnished a contact at a publisher.
The thing is he works with a page rate, so I commissioned the initial pages for the pitch. I wondered if anyone knows other publishers besides DC/Marvel?
The story is NOT about superheroes, it's more dark like Gaiman's Lucifer. I know there is IDW and Dark Horse but are there others? Image for example doesn't do page rates.
Thanks very much
Elton
 

Super_Duper

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Most creator-owned publishers such as Image will not accept a project / give you a contract until you can produce a finished product. The likely scenario is that you will have to pay the artist his page rate up front, and then work our a fair royalty split when/if the project is published. (for example, you could split royalties on sales, but the artist would have to "earn back" the total amount you paid up front until he starts receiving a royalty). Of course you'll want to have an agreement in place also in case it gets picked up for film rights, etc. Of course it is possible that a company such as Dark Horse, Boom, Top Shelf, Scholastic, etc., will agree to pay your artist his page rate upon seeing your pitch, but I would not count on that being the case.

Legend has it that Robert Kirkman paid his artists and published his first few comics with his credit card. That comic earned him popularity and readership, sales from which paid his credit card bill and funded more creator-owned work (namely Invincible and The Walking Dead), which led to to paid work from Marvel, which increased his popularity in turn opening the door for more creator-owned work, and now he is an incredibly successful writer, editor, and television producer.
 

Latina Bunny

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Maybe you can check out local comic book stores and look at publishers of comics you enjoy reading? Or look at publishers of comics that may be similar to your current project?

I got some lists of comic book and manga publishers just by googling. Maybe Google some and check out each of their submission guidelines?

http://jasonthibault.com/definitive-list-comic-publisher-submission-guidelines/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_comics_publishing_companies

When you find a publisher, be sure to come to a payment agreement with the artist ahead of time before submitting.

Good luck.
 

snafu1056

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Here's a list of comic publishers and their submission guidelines.

http://jasonthibault.com/definitive-list-comic-publisher-submission-guidelines/

If the artist wants a page rate then you only have two choices--pay him out of your own pocket (because no independent publishers offer page rates), or try to convince him to forgo the page rate for co-ownership and a royalty split later on.

Some sort of written agreement should definitely be drafted up so both of you understand who gets what. If you pay the artist a page-rate out of your own pocket, that's a work-for-hire situation, which means you're buying the art outright. Once he's been paid, you don't owe him anything else. No royalties, no co-ownership, nothing. But he should know that going in.
 

Bicyclefish

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Regarding work for hire, just because you pay a page rate doesn't automatically mean you own all rights.

1. the work must be "specially ordered" or "commissioned." What this means is the independent contractor is paid to create something new (as opposed to being paid for an already existing piece of work); and
2. prior to commencement of work, both parties must expressly agree in a signed document that the work shall be considered a work made for hire; and
3. the work must fall within at least one of the following nine narrow statutory categories of commissioned works list in the Copyright Act

http://copylaw.com/new_articles/wfh.html

See also:
http://www.tomrichmond.com/2007/02/17/work-for-hire/
http://www.thejacobsonfirmpc.com/articles_work_for_hire.html

Basically, have a contract and specify what rights the artist is giving up before you start. Speaking from experience, it's better (for everyone) to be safe than sorry.
 
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