Well things are moving along steadily. With some money family members have kicked in combined with what we have raised here I am just about halfway to paying for the wedding! I will have my work cut out for me once I start filling all these orders.
There is a small, but obnoxious group of people online who have criticized what I am doing here, claiming I’m mooching and that I already make plenty of money. To the mooching accusation, I don’t understand how selling artwork, books and prints is mooching. And if I already make plenty of money, why would I go to all this trouble? I have to create this stuff, order it, do a bunch of custom art, pack it all, ship it all… not to mention just organizing it all, and that is on top of all the work I already do day by day. It’s not like I am sitting here asking for free money.
To the accusation that I already make plenty of money, I actually understand it. My friend Kris Straub said something recently that perfectly explains what I used to believe before I became a “success”. He said, “people always assume there’s some threshold of fame you hit, and are set for life after.” Kris is also a web comic creator and knows the world and the business of trying to make money on comics you put online for free. It would be interesting to me to find out from each person who thinks I am rich how much money they have spent on Axe Cop stuff. If they read an Axe Cop comic, did they pay for it? In that transaction, if they did not pay for it, who did? Often, I did. I spent the man hours creating it with Malachai, drawing it and promoting it. I paid for the server so you would have the bandwidth to see it. If you read Axe Cop without paying for it, I paid you for it. You did not pay me.
None of this is to say I am this poor suffering person who deserves a bunch of sympathy, but if you think I am set for life and can afford a wedding out of pocket, you obviously have a misconception about my income. And like I said, I understand. I always thought that the moment you had a TV show deal you are set for life. The moment you have a toy deal you are set for life. They just pay you a bunch of money and you don’t need to work any more.
But now I am on the other side of it all and am seeing how it works. I see how I COULD make some pretty awesome money down the road here… when the show airs, if more people start buying more stuff. If more stuff gets licensed, if more people demand it. But generally, especially in TV… until they are making money, you are not getting paid a whole lot. Also, in my case, I did not really sell a TV series. I sold the rights to one season of six episodes, each only 11 minutes long. That is not your average sized season on TV. That’s just over one hour of television. That’s not even one episode of the Biggest Loser. So I am sure a TV deal for a full season of twenty two 44 minute episodes or something in that range gets a bit more money off the bat. Especally when the network is buying ALL the rights and not just 66 minutes worth. I still get lumped in with them though because I got a TV show, and everyone with a TV show is rich and set for life according to the common wisdom.
I have made one giant step in comics and that is that I have managed to live off of creating my own material (for the most part) for the last few years. I have made an income that most people who went to college would frown on. That is to say I could probably make a similar income as a shift manager at Starbucks (in fact I could, I checked). But it is slowly getting better. Again, I am not complaining… it is a privilege to make this much money on comics. My only point is that I am not rich. I make a pretty average income and am trying to do extra work to pay for a wedding, because it’s a lot, and I don’t have a lot right now. Most people with average incomes can’t fund a wedding out of pocket. Financially, I am the same as a shift manager at Starbucks trying to sell home-made artwork to pay for a wedding. I don’t think people would come after that person like those who are criticizing me. That is because with me they perceive some level of fame, and they assume with that fame comes some level of implied income and privilege. I think there is also a crowd that gets there panties in a bunch any time anyone tries to crowd fund anything. That’s just a waste of passion. Who cares?
It would be nice if I made the money people accuse me of making. Maybe I will. I hope to. But right now I am what I am. I probably could make more money if I was better at marketing and making products people actually wanted to buy. I never felt that was my strong suit.
Thanks to everyone who has bought stuff here and made this possible. And to those who think there is some fame threshold you can hit and be set for life… that is very, very rare. I have a lot of friends who are considered successes in the industry and they are by no means set for life. It makes you feel better to think that guys like me have it easier than you do and that is why you haven’t had your own success. I used to think the same thing. That’s just not how it is.
So there, I had to get that off my chest. I think it’s good for aspiring creators to know that even with a lot of critical acclaim, you still have to do a lot of climbing and the battle is never really over. That is why it is good to know why you are doing it in the first place. Don’t blame those with success for your failure. Don’t do it for the success, do it in spite of the success. Do it because you love it and don’t know what else to do with yourself, and success or not, do it happily and gratefully because making art is a blessing.
I know that the people this is addressed to are only a small fraction of people. But I am sure there are some of you who are not as vocal, but maybe have similar suspicions. I recently had a reporter from the LA Weekly come to my apartment and interview me. She said she thought I would be raking in the money now that I have a TV show and was surprised by my small unimpressive shared bachelor apartment.
I hope this is not misconstrued as a call for sympathy. It is not. I have a great life, I am privileged, I love drawing comics and making money at it. The only thing I am trying to dispel here is that I am rich or set for life, or that I am at a level where I could just pay for a wedding out of pocket. You can say I have a good life, but if you make claims about my income I hope you know what you are talking about.
That’s all I have to say for now. I have a new page to post! Thanks for reading.
Ethan
I love how thoughtful and articulate you are in addressing this brand of criticism, which does not, for my money, warrant entirely this level of effort. Then again, it speaks volumes to your character. Your diligence definitely plays into that what makes you so exceptional.
Thanks Charlie, that means a lot.
Nice try! I know you draw your comics now with diamond-encrusted pens and styluses (I think that would actually hurt after a while) while you tool around in your Mercedes Benz bus that has a 24-hour driver. You call this bus “The Axe Cop-mobile”
Seriously though, I understand what you’re saying about your financial situation. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you – I have a feeling you’re going to be looking back at this post in 10 years while in a much, much better financial situation.
Keep up the good work.
Haha, thanks Michael. I do think I have a bright future, there is a lot coming down the pike right now.
I was elated to find your site years back. Your interaction with Malachai is a steady reminder and inspiration for how I interact with my kids.
I was as excited to see you were getting married as I’ve been for many of my close friends. I also think the way you’re working extra to pay for the wedding, a way that gives back a bit to your fans and backers, just echoes the enthusiasm you have for your work and your readers.
My wedding was humble, but whenever you get people together to celebrate anything, it’s never cheap. We had a lot of help, borrowed a lot of stuff, and we did what we could with what options we had available. And it turned out beautifully.
You’ve got a pretty awesome opportunity to have your readers pitch in if they like. Many of us will likely never meet you in person, so this kind of chance is really kind of exciting.
And then there’s the others… the more vocal ones. But if they can’t see how much you give the thousands (millions?) of strangers who read your work without paying a dime, then they will likely not be persuaded or convinced by your post. But it was awesome that you were this transparent, and gave everyone an honest chance to reform their opinion. Your tone was generous and hopeful, and I pray it’s well received.
If nothing else, I hope writing this helps you to stop worrying about, or just ignore, the accusations you’re addressing. You don’t need to sweat those guys. You just need to get excited for May 12th!
Jim – with lemon.
What a response. Thanks so much Jim, very encouraging and I’m thankful you’ve enjoyed my work so much.
There will always be sneering jerks in the peanut gallery who fling stones before they really think it through. Fie on those people. I don’t have the money to spare to give you myself, but if I could I would. I love your comic and your dedication to it, and I hope your wedding is fantastic no matter how it’s funded.
If I didn’t have faith that someday I’ll be ‘set for life’ I wouldn’t bother going on living
not because I need to be rich and famous, but just because life isn’t worth it if I have to “work”
I worked for 7 years and I’m not working one more day because it utterly destroys me, even the simplest thing.. and I think a lot of us artists are the same way. I want to spend all day absorbed in either inputting or outputting entertainment media, and that requires a LOT of sleep and a lot of free time. If I could support myself via my art, I’d be happy.
that said, I can’t imagine paying a lot of money for a wedding or any other kind of party.. that’s like paying for expensive food, after you’ve eaten it it’s gone.
If you did make $350,000 a year, you’d still deserve more money.
Unfortunately, I make about $3.50 a year, so all I can offer is thanks for making such great comics and congratulations on your wedding.
I think there is also something to be said for wanting this community you’ve built to join in on your celebration in a small way.
I mean sure, I’ll admit that one of my motivations for having purchased a gift for Axe Cop’s Wedding was being able to own some of your art personalized to a degree for myself, which I’ve been meaning to buy for a while now, but honestly my biggest motivation was to give back to a creator who has given me so much entertainment for really no obligation on my end.
Not to mention as I was saying earlier, the fact that considering myself to be one of many of your earliest fans, I now get to share in an event that will be a milestone in your life. That’s a pretty cool thing, something most fans of more financially stable celebrities would never get to participate in as intimately.
It is tough to shrug off harsh comments, and I always condone venting frustrations in a healthy way as you have so clearly done. But as many have already posted here, now that you’ve gotten the things you needed to off your chest, I wouldn’t give it a second thought, because as I’ve discovered, people don’t really care about logic or reason. In this case, when they want a free ride, they’ll complain about not being able to ride for free when the opportunity arises. When they realize the initial success of another and kick themselves for not thinking of it themselves, they’ll find ways to condemn that person because of the moral questions those actions might raise, even though subconsciously they simply regret not being able to make money doing something so fun and creative and enjoyable, promoting family values and imagination in the process.
So as many have mentioned, don’t sweat it Ethan. You’re too good a person to be dragged down by people who are really only resentful of your wonderful life.
Adam
Thanks Adam. I think I wrote this out more for the curious than the obnoxious. I used to have the same thoughts about successful people and assumed there was this threshold, but by the measure I always used I would have seen myself where I stand now as beyond that threshold. I think it is good for aspiring creators to know the reality of the business side of things.
Thanks for your words about the community side of things, I agree and I love finding people who see it that way.
I am really glad that you posted this. Not because I ever entertained the thought that you might be swimming in cash (okay it did occur to me, but far be it from me to condemn a man for wanting to fund such an important event in his life – even if he DID have coins pouring out of his pockets, currency flowing out of his pocket protector, and liquid gold dripping out his ears, with his art! more on that in a minute), but because it is as someone else put it “transparent” and because it addresses those that just don’t seem to want you (and likely no one else, either) to be happy. I sometimes read blogs and come away with only a feeling, and not much of anything else… In this instance I am happily impressed with your attitude and your ethics. I believe that it won’t be long (at least not nearly as long as it would be for one of those “trolls” that motivated you to write this piece) before you will reach that coveted status of not “having” to work because you must, but doing it just because you love to do it. Which really is the same place you started from and that’s what the trolls miss. That in most cases, if you want to achieve that kind of financial success, you have to start working in essentially the same “place” that you want to end up. i.e. doing what you love. No one ever really becomes a true success unless he does what he loves to do in order to get there, and you, my friend, have done that from the getgo.
I also concur with at least 2 others here that have mentioned not to sweat the poor and miserly attitudes of those people. There isn’t enough time nor energy in the day to waste any on them. IMHO, they (most of them) are mainly trollers – people who get a kick out of making others miserable or angry. Pay them no heed and move forward with the rest of us and your brother, (soon-to-be)wife, and kids, in mind wanting to share the cool stories and art that you continue to create. Thank you for doing what you do, you are an inspiration to many other aspiring artists and writers. If we can see properly and pay attention, then you have shown us how, in a big way, to go after what we want to do with our time. Thank you for that. I hope you’re able to more than fully fund your wedding and get your fiance everything she wants and hopes for during this (at least for her and the girls of both your families) magical time.
I also want to thank you for the way that you interact with your audience. I think it is partly responsible for some of your current and future success. Keep at it. I hope to see a LOT more of the inside of your imagination in the future.
Sorry, I sometimes have difficulty phrasing what I want to say and so much of it ends up in the dreaded parenthetical statements…(?Did I say that right?).
Thanks John, I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement!
Ethan -
You are working hard creating a product that people love and enjoy. You should be paid for this. That’s been the definition of work-for-hire since time began. You make something. People want it. They give you money for it. And the more people like it, the more money they ought to give you for it. All of us who work creatively and use the internet to promote our work (I’m thinking of Matthew Inman and Rich Burlew and many others) have to hustle not only to create the product and get the audience, but to figure out how to market that site effectively and create (and sometimes even package and ship) products that people will pay money for. It ain’t easy. It ain’t easy to even figure out how to do it. There’s no one out there with expertise helping you do it. So kudos for you to every cent you earn; you deserve every penny! (Also, check out what Matt Inman’s Cat book is doing on the NY times best-seller lists. It’s almost entirely work from his website that anyone can access for free, and it’s been on the best-seller list for 17 weeks! Yay Matt! Ka-ching!) Axe Cop is, and has always been, awesome. I hope the tv series is a massive success and all the toys sell well.
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All in all, my wedding cost about $700 bucks and I had around 100 guests. We had it in a local state park, did our ceremony on a footbridge over a river and the reception at a nearby picnic shelter. It was in the woods, the weather was fantastic and everyone had a great time. The shelter ran 80 or so bucks to rent for the day, it came with an alcohol permit, we had catering (terrific sandwiches from a local Italian place), plenty to drink (three years later and we STILL have a case of those damned wine coolers left), and even had a really great cake given to us as a gift. So, make friends with bakers and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box for these things. Unless your fiancee is dead set on a big church wedding, there are ways to pull off a wonderful and memorable day on the cheap.
I’m wondering if some of the negative reaction might be coming from the perception that it is kind of tacky to ask strangers to pay for ones wedding, no matter WHAT one’s financial situation. If I thought that was what you were doing, I might also find it tacky, and suggest either scaling back or waiting until you can afford it.
But that’s NOT what you are doing. What you are doing, essentially, is taking on extra work to earn the funds you require. I doubt that anybody would bat an eye if somebody like me, for instance, put in extra hours running the press at work, or took on a part time job, to earn extra cash. The only difference in your case is that earning extra money at your chosen profession involves selling your work to the public personally.
You aren’t just saying, “Hey guys, I need some cash for the wedding. Send along whatever you can spare, because you think I’m a nice guy.” You are providing value. If anybody doesn’t feel that what is provided is worth the pricetag, they can feel free not to buy it, as with any product. But I find it odd to fault you for trying to EARN extra cash to pay your own way.
Well said. Thanks, I think you are spot on.
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