[...] Erin Hicks continues her glimpses into the life of a freelancer by telling you how to pitch a graphic novel to a publisher. Or how she did it, anyway. As she says, [...]

Anyway, it’s Friday night and I have a comic page to finish, as well as a bunch of freelance to do this weekend. The life of a cartoonist! So glamorous…

I blame my IPad I could have sworn I typed Hicks’ and think it may have autocorrected it. Evil invention!!! lol

Like I said it is your choice to make comics, so I don’t get the criticism of you for it. Especially those acting like you were freeloading on the government in order to be able to do so.

It was interesting reading to me. I’ve never really had strong interest in joining the creative side, and when someone that has had at least your level of success (has books published and is getting advances) still struggles. Well it is eye opening.

So for nearly FOUR YEARS there was no work in animation. I didn’t go back to animation, instead opting to make my living as a freelance cartoonist, because there was no work.

I applied everywhere to work. There were no jobs. I applied out of province, offering to move. No takers. But oh, then First Second comes along offering me a little bit of money to draw a comic. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance? It was risky, but bird in the hand, right? It turned out to be the right decision, because, as I mentioned, there was no animation work for years. Meanwhile, I’ve managed to develop a good relationship with several publishers, and they continue to give me work. I can pay my rent, yay!

One of the most talented background painters I know sanded floors during the downtime. He’s now back working in animation, making beautiful drawings.

It’s weird all this negativity being heaped on what I said, since, y’know, I actually meant it to be a really positive post. “Hey, cartoonists, you can make a living at comics! You might have to sacrifice a bit, but you can do it. Here’s how I did it.”

I think the post reached the people it meant to, but wow, those Beat comments. I don’t even know. O_o

Currently she is not living off EI, but has decided to not go back to animation work, in order to pursue the comic work she is getting. If that is error, then I have misread her myself.

While I as a 36 year old, who is struggling to find steady work after being laid off a well paying job, scratch my head at her risky venture. Given that there’s no guarantee that an animation job will be there if the comic work doesn’t work out.

It is her choice to make to take that leap.

A lot of people have been critical of her for doing it, but I have to think a lot of that has to be misreading if my interpretation is correct.

Heidi including her story in the piracy thing probably didn’t help either. Piracy has 0 to do with Ms. Hick’s situation currently I’d bet. She’s like any creator starting out, trying to make a name for herself, and seeing if her work has mass market appeal.

I personally enjoyed Friends With Boys a lot, her prior two books don’t sound interesting. Yet I look forward to seeing what her next one will be.

“Many” Silver Age artists did have day jobs, or had to leave comics to get steady work in Advertising. (Heck, most of the Modern artists I know work in Advertising.) And they still didn’t get benefits, because they were still treated as Freelancers.

I have a big problem pitching in for things like Hero Initiative when many who draw from it got to where they are because of personal choices based on entitlement. There’s this thing that people do, it might sound silly, but they get jobs that they don’t necessarily enjoy because they have good benefits, and then work on their “dreams” on the weekend. I know. Total bummer.