An interesting contrast to Mark Millar’s financial boasting comes in the form of the Engine discussion following on from this ComiPress article, which is all about the earnings of Mangakas:
The 2005 Wealthiest People Ranking has been released. One of the occupations in the list was “mangaka,” which appeared on the “Megawealth index.” Certainly, being a mangaka must result in high pays and offer a luxurious life that people in a salary system long for. So how exactly does one spend their luxurious life?
A local magazine, “No!”, from the Fukuoka area took a look at the real life of a mangaka. The special issue, “The Various Occupations,” interviewed Ms. Yoshiko Chijiwa (who is currently active in Monthly “Dessert”). When asked about her annual income, she replied, “I cannot possibly survive with only manga (cry)”.
When someone asks how the manga pay compares with average Marvel or DC pay, Warren Ellis responds:
I do not know, for I am not average.
(swings immense cock)
…
No, really.
I’ve been on special contracts for years, so I don’t know what the regular line is anymore. Writers’ top rate at DC Vertigo used to be around $125. Wildstorm rate used to be around $150, but that’s pre-DC, and I suspect things will have been adjusted down. My information’s all out of date.
Now, if we suppose that Vertigo’s top rate is probably not a million miles away from the DCU rate in general, then a writer of two books, say - because “[i]f you’re working full time as a comics pro you’re doing more than one book a month”, remember? - would be making somewhere around $5500 a month. I’m not sure if that counts as “crazy cash”, but then, I was a skeptic to begin with.
(And pity the poor Mangaka, who’s making around $87 a page…)
August 9th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
“(And pity the poor Mangaka, who’s making around $87 a page…)”
Ah, but they also own their work and have digest sales to get them through the tough times.
August 10th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
They own their own work usually, and work at a smaller page size as well. Plus they probably get better royalties because sales are higher there.
Not that I would know, but I would guestimate that the TOKYOPOP page rates for similiar sizes pages for their WORLD MANGA creators would be about the same. But I don’t know.