How Much Do Publishers Pay For Comic Book Art (and Script)?

As a comic artist professional, are you wondering if you're under paid?

Fair Page Rates just released its annual report about how much comic book publishers are paying their contributors.

"...The goal of the survey is to build a resource that allows creators to have more information about standard rates in the comics industry. Fair Page Rates also hope this data will encourage more professionals not to accept work that pays below certain standards..."

But folks, if you're just starting to work with a publisher, don't use this list as a reference on how much you want to get paid. Remember these are the results from established artists. You gotta start somewhere, and typically that means you'll be paid less than the hot shot bigger boys!

Archie Comics

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Script	$100	no data
Covers	$500	no data
Inking	$55	no data

Boom! Publishing

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Script	$25	$25
Covers	$300	$100
Line art	$175	$20
Colour art	$25	$25, $5*
Letters	$10	$10

Avg rates
Creator handles all duties: Script, Line Art, Colour Art, Letters (3) – $145
Script (4) – $25
Covers (3) – $212.50
Line Art (15) – $91
Colour Art (4) – $20
Letters (1) – $10
*”Color: $5 extra on pages that I had penciled and inked — Boom! Studios”

Dark Horse

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Covers	$800	no data
Line art	$120	$100
Colour art	$100	no data
Total Art + Script	$275	no data

DC Comics

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Script	$100	no data
Covers	$400	no data
Line art	$450	$210
Colour art	no data	no data
Inker	$150	no data

Avg rates
Script (1) – $100
Covers (1) – $400
Line Art (3) – $328
Colour Art – no data
Letters – No data

IDW Publishing

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Script	$75	$37.5
Covers	$350	$250
Line Art	200	100

Avg rates
Script (2) – $55
Covers (2) – $300
Line Art (3) – $167
Colour Art – No data
Letters – No data

Marvel Comics

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Script	$110	$80
Cover	$650	$450
Line Art	$700	$250
Colour	$150	$80

Avg rates
Script (4) – $92.5
Covers (3) – $537
Line Art (6) – $425
Colour Art (3) – $107
Letters – No data

Oni Press

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Total Art + Script	$150 (20 pgs/$3000)	$13 (150 pgs/$2000)
Color	$50	no data

Avg rates
Creator handles all duties: Script, Line Art, Colour Art, Letters (5)- $65
Script -No data
Covers – No data
Line Art – No data
Colour Art (1) – $50
Letters – No data

Valiant

Work for Hire/Page Rate	Highest	Lowest
Script	$60	no data
Covers	$350	no data
Inking	$235 (includes color)	no data

Image

Typically does not offer page rates, creators earn income on royalties.
Letters – $25
Line Art – $150
Script – $100
Cover – $600

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Misc Publisher Page Rates

• 2000 AD – $230/page, art
• • Aftershocks – $260/page, art
  • Aftershocks – $480/page, cover
• Beyond, Smut Peddlers, Food Porn, Various Anthologies – $50/page with potential for artist bonuses (but not guaranteed), art
• Be Amazed Studios – $30/page, letters
• Bluewater – $50/book, letters
• Cards Against Humanity, $1000/page, art + script
• Caruso Comics, $75
• Deep State Comix – $100/page, art
• Duskleaf Media, $5/page, letters
• Fearless Future Anthology, $110/page, art
• Filthy Figments – $50/pg full color preferred (but not mandatory), art
• Frequency Press, $10
• Geek Girls Anthology. Bedside Press, $50/page, art
• Heroesofthenorth.com/Aarden press, $150/page, art
• LionForge, $150/page, art
• Medium.com, $500/page, art
• Moonstone Books, $10.41/page, script
• Serafina Dwyer – Anthology Project Love in All Forms – $150/page, art
• Sex and Monsters, $120/page, art + script
• Zenescope, $60, art

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Complete report on this site.