Put my work up in ink.

May 24, 2011 7:22 PM

Where can I sell my brilliant cartoon?

I just created a cartoon. It isn't brilliant (just said that to suck you in), but it's reasonably amusing. It involves a map and words, so it isn't a hand drawn kind of cartoon. I was about to stick in on Facebook for cheap laffs and then thought, hey, maybe I can make money on this. So, where can I sell it? Online, in print, I don't care. I'm just a mercenary artist looking for a quick buck.

posted by crazylegs to Media & Arts (2 answers total)

Do you mean an idea for a webcomic or a single one-shot illustration?

If it's the former, you can look into setting up a website for it. Moderately popular comics can bring in some ad money if you have a premise that grabs people (or promote it in enough places to garner a decent fan base). But I think most money in that sector is gained through selling books and merchandise, which requires a large and/or loyal audience to support. That's what Daisy Owl did, for instance.

If it's a one-shot, you might try your luck at a site like Threadless. If your idea can fit on a t-shirt according to their parameters and gains enough votes from the community, you can earn a cool $2,000, plus royalties whenever it's reprinted. That seems more likely to succeed than shopping around to various magazines or whatever, especially if you're not already familiar with the industry.
posted by Rhaomi at 7:35 PM on May 24, 2011 [2 favorites]

I think it's unwise to try and sell a comic using an illustration someone else drew.
posted by milk white peacock at 12:28 AM on May 26, 2011