Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Mr. Sakai, if my memory serves me correctly, you have said that you would not have stayed in comics if it were not for the support of your wife Sharon.

Now I imagine that to most, if not all comic book fans, getting a job in the industry and achieving as much success and recognition as you have would be a dream come true. But of course, I realize that not everything is as it seems, and that even the best of situations can have some serious downsides. I therefore have to ask what made you consider leaving comics before? What are the worst parts of your job? The most challenging? Etcetera. (Also, I think you might have answered this at Anime North, and if you have, I apologize, but that was almost a year ago, and my memory is not the greatest.)

Shishio wrote:
I therefore have to ask what made you consider leaving comics before? What are the worst parts of your job? The most challenging? Etcetera. (Also, I think you might have answered this at Anime North, and if you have, I apologize, but that was almost a year ago, and my memory is not the greatest.)

I considered leaving comics mainly for economic reasons. As a freelance artist doing advertising, I was frequently charging clients like Mattel Toys $100-500/hr. Much, much more than what I make doing comics. However, the agravation is not worth the money.

I really enjoy working in the comics industry. I set my own hours, and there is no commute time since I work at home. I was even the stay-at-home parent when the kids were young. That was challenging--to still meet deadlines while taking care of two preschoolers.

Thank you for answering my question.

Now, because I am so annoyingly inquisitive, I have another:

In what way(s) is freelance illustration aggravating?

Shishio wrote:
In what way(s) is freelance illustration aggravating?

It's great if you're already an established artist, but it's another thing if you're just starting out like I was. I had just moved to the area, and had absolutely no contacts. The first year, a lot of time was spent knocking on doors and building up a client list. I also detested having to drive to downtown LA or Wilshire or Beverly Hills where a lot of the agencies were located. Beverly Hills is about two hours each way during rush hour. This is before the time of e-mails, and faxes. You also have to deal with clients who don't pay on time, insist on a lot of changes even after approving the sketches, etc. Still, I did it for quite a few years. The pay could be very nice, but I wasn't enjoying it.

It's easier to work at home, and just send out completed work to Dark Horse.