Elektra Appreciation: Lady in Red

[rui no onna]

Are you saying that's his rate, how much he makes off the books, or how much those books cost?

Net Cost: $11,000 - how much the books cost wholesale (so what JSC pays Marvel).

Then next list was how much he charges for the various covers/cover sets.

Print run for Cover C is 1,000. If he has, say 500 signed and 500 unsigned and those are only sold in sets of 3 at $80 and $110 respectively, that's $95,000 revenue ($80 * 500 + $110 * 500). Profit = $84,000 ($95,000 - $11,000) for just the 3-sets on one book which usually sell out fairly quickly.

The $200-1000 artist page rate, that was the range of page rates I remember seeing from a survey/article by Comics Beat.

I don't know what JSC's page rate is specifically but that's the range that the Big Two pay and given the circulation on books, I imagine there are very few artists making $1,000 per page. The publishers wouldn't be making any money if $1000/page was the norm. I remember reading somewhere that Marvel's typical budget per book for creative costs is ~$15,000 and that has to be divided among writer, penciller, inker, colorist, letterer and cover artist.

So yeah, JSC is making at least $80K per month doing just covers (he's both cover artist and retailer so no middle man) or he could be slogging through 20 pages of interiors for $4-20K per month. I dunno about you but given he's already built-up a following, I think doing just covers is the smarter choice.

[WhiteQueenEmmaFrost]

Net Cost: $11,000 - how much the books cost wholesale (so what JSC pays Marvel).

Then next list was how much he charges for the various covers/cover sets.

Print run for Cover C is 1,000. If he has, say 500 signed and 500 unsigned and those are only sold in sets of 3 at $80 and $110 respectively, that's $95,000 revenue ($80 * 500 + $110 * 500). Profit = $84,000 ($95,000 - $11,000) for just the 3-sets on one book which usually sell out fairly quickly.

The $200-1000 artist page rate, that was the range of page rates I remember seeing from a survey/article by Comics Beat.

I don't know what JSC's page rate is specifically but that's the range that the Big Two pay and given the circulation on books, I imagine there are very few artists making $1,000 per page. The publishers wouldn't be making any money if $1000/page was the norm. I remember reading somewhere that Marvel's typical budget per book for creative costs is ~$15,000 and that has to be divided among writer, penciller, inker, colorist, letterer and cover artist.

So yeah, JSC is making at least $80K per month doing just covers (he's both cover artist and retailer so no middle man) or he could be slogging through 20 pages of interiors for $4-20K per month. I dunno about you but given he's already built-up a following, I think doing just covers is the smarter choice.

No way is an artist making $80k/month I just don't buy it

[rui no onna]

No way is an artist making $80k/month I just don't buy it

Well, he's not making $80K per month working for DC and Marvel that's for sure. He's making it by doing exclusive cover art and selling comics that he purchases for $2-3 wholesale exclusively via his online store for 900-1700% markup. So businessman as well as artist.

Why do you think so many retailers do retailer exclusive variants? It can be extremely profitable albeit carries quite a bit of risk.

Also, I'm not saying all artists make that much. JSC's situation is pretty much an exception rather than the norm.

[Johnfeng89]

Regardless of his price, JSC is absolutely great at drawing females. He knows how to portray feminine beauty in his art. Juan Cabal's elektra looks a little too buff for me

[Mike_Murdock]

So I'm reading Elektra Assassin again (as part of a Daredevil Book Club that I run) and I started thinking: would anyone be interested in an Elektra miniseries drawn by Christian Ward? Obviously, right now he's off doing a wonderful job on a Black Bolt book, but I feel like he's the closest to recapturing the feel of Bill Sienkiewicz's art. I think it would be an interesting fit.

[rui no onna]

Regardless of his price, JSC is absolutely great at drawing females. He knows how to portray feminine beauty in his art.

That's partly why he makes the big bucks. Entrepreneurship is the other part.

[Johnfeng89]

That's partly why he makes the big bucks. Entrepreneurship is the other part.

And I thought artists were broke...looks like there is always a demand for over sexualised female comic characters

[rui no onna]

And I thought artists were broke...looks like there is always a demand for over sexualised female comic characters

Most artists are probably broke or at least have other jobs to supplement income. Alas, the comic book artist profession has a very large spread of incomes and the median income is probably pretty low.

Once artists have made names for themselves, selling original art and commissions are also pretty good ways to supplement income. Iirc, Gabriele Dell'Otto's art fetches $10K and upwards.

[Johnfeng89]

Most artists are probably broke or at least have other jobs to supplement income. Alas, the comic book artist profession has a very large spread of incomes and the median income is probably pretty low.

Once artists have made names for themselves, selling original art and commissions are also pretty good ways to supplement income. Iirc, Gabriele Dell'Otto's art fetches $10K and upwards.

Now we just need someone who draws at a lower price but at the same level of over sexuality as j scott campbell. I just want the next elektra to be as sexy as possible

[tsaimelemoni]

It's not much, but one of the first defenders interviews from Comic-Con I've seen. We're gonna get a dark and bloody Elektra

http://screenrant.com/marvel-defenders-elektra-bloody/

[tsaimelemoni]

IGN interview

http://www.ign.com/videos/2017/07/21...-the-defenders

http://ew.com/tv/2017/07/21/the-defe...ourney-weaver/

[tsaimelemoni]

So, quite a bit of Elektra in this new trailer. Need to watch again on a bigger screen, but does she stop Rand's Iron Fist or is that someone else?

http://www.cbr.com/full-defenders-tr...s-new-footage/

[vitaminbee]

She looks so good dressed all in red. Hoping she makes it out alive.

[tsaimelemoni]

Upon rewatch it's Madame Gao that tries to stop the fist.

And I have to imagine she will...spoilers:

why make her amnesiac if not to have their cake and eat it too? She can be the ruthless villain and still embark on a redemption arc without too much of the villainy sticking to her.

end of spoilers

[vitaminbee]

[double post]