End of an Era

End of an Era

Monday, June 18, 2012

I started working for Marvel when I was barely old enough to drink (legally). I’ve never written a résumé or curriculum vitae. I’ve never gone on a job interview. I’ve never been unemployed. In short, I’ve been very, very lucky. But I’m 31 now... and I’m calling it a decade.

I have decided to leave Daredevil and end my exclusive contract with Marvel after 10 years of work for a company that I can only describe as family. From the moment that Joe Quesada hired me via email, I have gotten nothing but the best treatment from the most dedicated editorial and creative talent in the business.

So why am I leaving? The short answer: ownership. With the exception of just a few published pieces of art (which belong to other companies), Marvel owns the copyrights to my entire professional portfolio. And why shouldn't they? I was, of course, compensated fairly for it, and for that I’m grateful — but the sum total of that work is not enough to support me in the distant future. My page rate is essentially the same as when I started at 21, so I've decided to invest in myself. What I create in the next decade needs to pay dividends when my vision gets blurry and my hands start to shake (and who knows what else). Now is the time to make that choice, while I’m still young, possess "great power," but have few responsibilities.

And yet, I’m not done with Marvel by any means. They've been nothing but supportive throughout my decision, as has been the case throughout my career. I will continue to do covers for them and occasional projects as I see fit, just not exclusively.

So what am I going to do with my time? In the short term, I plan on clearing out my commissions list, which dates back to 2008. That will keep me busy while I plan more daunting endeavors. I’m not accepting new names at the moment, but I will in due time.

In the long term, I may scour my old emails. I’ve had to turn down some amazing opportunities in the past decade, so I may finally accept some non-Marvel work — it all depends on the creative team and the property.

Regardless of what new opportunities come my way, my main focus will be an ambitious, creator-owned project: an original story, sci-fi in nature, with primal themes and a compact cast of characters. It’s far too early to give any details, but it's something that's been trickling into my mind (mostly in the shower) for the last 5 years.

I also have some smaller, tangentially comic-related projects that I hope will serve as experiments in both distribution and funding — think Kickstarter. The site is already proving its worth to the industry, and I think it’s the future for creators who have something novel to offer fans. I hope it can work for me.

Finally, I’d like to apologize to my readers and my collaborators. I made many promises that I haven’t kept and I feel pretty awful/stupid for leaving such an amazing book, just when we were hitting our stride. A special thanks/apology goes out to Mark Waid, Steve Wacker, and my Dad, all of whom went out of their way to support me on Daredevil. I promised them more than a measly 6 issues. 

I apologize as well for the long-winded announcement. I have very mixed feelings about my decision and I wanted to explain, as best I could, the many factors that went into my leaving the single greatest job on the planet. Daredevil will continue to shine without me. Trust me, I've seen the issues.

Marvel will continue to shine as well, just as it's done for generations. They've given me much more than money can buy: a devoted fan base. As valuable as that is (roughly, 4 billion), it comes not from the company, but from my creative predecessors — it's what Disney really bought in 2009. The reason you’re reading this now — the reason I have a career — is that I have played a privileged part in stories and characters that predated my birth and will long outlast my life. As an artist, my reputation — my fame, in blunt terms — is what makes this a profession, and not a hobby. And while I take great pride in the originality and craft of my Marvel work, I never forget that the audience who funds my living was lured into those seats by creators who worked under far less cushy conditions. My only hope is that some of you will follow me to the next theater when I attempt to create something from scratch.

⊡ 1:34:00 PM