What I Learned After Publishing Over 100 Pages of Comics
June 24, 2026
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Creating comics is a dream I’ve cherished for as long as I can remember. From sketching characters in the margins of my notebooks to crafting entire universes filled with heroes and villains, comic art has always been a passion project. As an independent comic book artist, I embrace the passion and challenges that come with it. Despite having poured my heart into several issues of my own original universe, with my own original characters, financial prosperity in comics remains elusive. But let’s dive into how I weave together multiple creative threads to define my artistic life.
In the ever-evolving world of comics, for my own independent comics, I’ve woven narratives that largely explore fantasy type worlds. Early on, when I was trying so hard to get into main stream comics, I worked on popular characters, as I’ve explained in this video. Crafting these universes is a deeply personal journey, enriched by each character and story born from my passion and imagination. While my original creations have attracted a small but dedicated following, they haven’t necessarily translated into substantial financial revenue, as the comic book market often demands both strategic networking and, at times, considerable financial investment to reach a wider audience.
Despite these hurdles, my pursuit of storytelling remains unwavering. The world of comics allows me to convey narratives and explore various directions of my own conjuring; and I like that. The joy and fulfillment I gain from these creations are immeasurable, knowing that even a niche audience finds meaning and entertainment in my works. But, being an artist means I need to have several creative hustles.
Crucial to my growth as an artist is a commitment to ongoing education and skill development. I view myself not just as an artist, but as a perpetual student dedicated to refining my craft. Embracing tools such as Procreate and Photoshop has become essential to this learning process. Even though I’ve gone back to traditional drawing for the lineart in my comics, I am coloring my comics digitally. So I will always have a foot creating digitally. These platforms are where innovation and traditional artistry meet, offering me the ability to bring my visions to life with detail and vibrancy.
Equipped with a Wacom Intuos tablet, I delve into digital painting, exploring new techniques to enhance my characters and world-building. In fact, in this very video (see video below) I am coloring my comics in Photoshop, and as you can see, using my trusty Wacom. And can you believe, I actually dont really like coloring my comics?? Well, I’m kind of joking. Actually, being able to color my comics like this makes me feel like I’m digitally painting. Which is something I’m yearning for, but I’m just more focused on my comic book right now.
This journey has taught me to experiment with textures, lighting, and color dynamics, all elements crucial for the original character designs that inhabit my independent comics. Through tutorials, online courses, and practice, I’ve learned to maximize the potential of these tools, allowing my creative ideas to evolve seamlessly from concept to a finished work.
Every character I create begins as an idea, sparked by inspiration and nurtured by learning. Using these digital tools, I draw out details that define personalities and backstories, capturing them in the richly layered artworks that form the heart of my comic book pages. Each stroke and color choice is deliberate, contributing to the narrative power and emotional depth of my creations.
In this creative environment, mistakes transform into stepping stones for progress. The process of sketching, painting, and revising shapes my approach, compelling me to push boundaries and broaden my artistic horizons. Thus, my characters are not only artistic achievements but also reflections of my growth in artistic skill and storytelling acuity.
While my journey in comics might not be fueled by lucrative returns, the experiences and skills gained hold intrinsic value. The empowerment through learning new tools and methodologies, coupled with the freedom to express authentic stories, forms a fulfilling pursuit that transcends monetary gains.
Ultimately, my creative journey is propelled by the love for storytelling, an ever-evolving learning process, and the desire to make a meaningful impact through my comics. Whether in modest print runs or digital showcases, these narratives serve as a testament to the passion and dedication that drive me as both an independent comic book artist and a forever learner.
To support my creative endeavors, I’ve ventured into other means of income. One of my creative hustles is being an affiliate marketing. Being an affiliate marketing with platforms like Amazon has been somewhat beneficial, providing a tiny stream of revenue. It is a business model that relies heavily on content creation and audience engagement, which fortunately aligns well with my skills. But to be honest, I earned something like $300.00 and some change for all of last year for promoting my Amazon affiliate links. To those of you who used my links, thank you! That amount I earned actually helps pay for extra speedy website hosting for my own website!
Over the years, I’ve also completed a handful of commissions. I don’t seek these out anymore, but I wanted to mention it because I feel it’s something I wanted to do in earnest for the longest time. But these days, I either want an insane amount of money to draw exactly what someone would want. Or, pay me next to nothing, and I get to draw you whatever I want to draw you 🙂 These more personalized pieces give me the opportunity to blend my style with the visions of others, offering a symbiotic creative process that enriches both client and artist. However, as gratifying as this work is, it doesn’t foster financial security.
Ultimately, I by and large no longer advertise myself as being available for any comic art commissions. I really just want to focus on building my comic book world. It takes so much time and concentrated effort, that trying to work on someone else’s vision just doesn’t work for me anymore. Life’s too short. I am willing to thrive and have a great time making my own worlds and sharing and inspiring with other, like minded folks, and not take a paycheck for it. I’m looking for something more than a paycheck–something I can own.
For most of my working hours, I serve as a graphic artist and video editor for various companies in the services sector. Working from home, with an agency, allows me a blend of independence and stability. These roles might seem detached from creating comics, but they carry a remarkable resemblance to storytelling. Currently this is my main bread and butter. And, I do enjoy this type of work as I do have experience working in commercial printing as a graphic artist and prepress department manager, over 20 years experience in fact.
Video editing, in particular, is akin to piecing together a visual narrative, much like a comic strip. Every cut, transition, and effect tells a part of the story. It allows me to cultivate my visual storytelling and keep flexing those creative muscles. The skills I hone in video editing bolster my comic work, enhancing my capacity to visualize scenes and animate characters with static images.
With video editing, I’ve also delved heavily into the world of mirrorless digital cameras. I once used to shoot client work with my iPhone. However, these days I’m using more serious equipment for this type of work. Again, being a student and self-taught, it’s been a joy to learn the in’s and out’s of using a cinema-grade camera and lenses for more professional work. In this day and age, they say every artist should have multiple income streams. The fact is, my other income streams don’t necessarily require that I do “artwork per se. And that’s kind of a nice break, to be honest.
Ironically, dance – the artistic diversion I initially viewed as a hobby – has become a surprising supplement to my income. Teaching dance is where I reap the second most of my income, but beyond the financial aspects, dance is an expressive outlet. It helps me connect physically and emotionally to my creativity, inspiring my work in comics and video editing. And, I actually get to socialize and make real connections with people. And it doesn’t have anything to do with art or comics, or games. Again, quite refreshing and probably good for me too. I try not to be such a reclusive, loner type artist. At 50 years of age, it does get kind of old. But, don’t get me wrong, I still need my down time alone.
The rhythms, movements, and expressions of dance translate remarkably into storytelling, offering another lens through which to comprehend narrative structure and emotional resonance. Dance fuels my imagination, and can even inspire new visual sequences in my comics.
Living a creative life involves juggling multiple roles and walking the fine line between passion and pragmatism. My comic book art, video work, and dance teaching interweave into a rich tapestry of creativity, each element influencing and enriching the others. In truth, because of the video work I’ve been doing in the last few years, I’ve been able to add that skill to my comic work and dancing since I have the basic video editing skills to help promote my art and dance. At any given hour of the day, I’m either editing a video for a client, my artwork, or to promote the dance business.
Though the financial rewards of my comic books might not be where I wish them to be at this time, the gratification from contributing to the world’s artistic landscape in various ways is invaluable. My story is that of many artists, endeavoring each day to find balance between passion and the necessity of sustaining a living.
Ultimately, pursuing a diverse array of artistic expressions keeps my creative flame alive. Whether it’s through sketching the next comic issue, editing a compelling video, or teaching the art of dance, I’m continuously crafting, evolving, and storytelling. It’s a creative lifestyle that, while challenging, is undeniably fulfilling.
