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Declan Shalvey is known as the artist on work-for-hire comic books such as Moon Knight where his designs were used in the recent TV show, as well as Thunderbolts and Deadpool. For Image Comics, he worked with writer Warren Ellis on Injection, and has written crime comics, including Savage Town with Philip Barrett, and Bog Bodies with Gavin Fullerton. But this week, he achieved a new personal best, after the publication of his new comic book Old Dog which he wrote, drew and coloured himself.
Declan Shalvey tweeted out “Got paid for OLD DOG #1. Not the highest selling book I’ve ever done, but the most I’ve ever made off a single issue, having written/drawn /coloured/designed the whole thing. Feels amazing to have earned that much all off my own back. Thanks so much to everyone who ordered a copy” with an additional “Thanks to @HeatherAntos Clayton Cowles @creafea the crew at @ImageComics who make the book happen and to everyone who continues to order it. This is the most creatively rewarding experience of my life and thankfully, it’s also paying the bills.”
It is notable that, working at Image Comics, creators pay a flat fee per book that is published through them, but then receive the rest of the income after direct costs, directly. If you sell a fair amount, you will make more money at Image Comics than from any other comic publisher selling the same numbers. Indeed, often much more, a comic that sells 100,000 at Marvel or DC will earn its creators less than a book that sells 20,000 at Image Comics. And if, of course, you happen to be writer, artist and colourist, something the likes of Marvel or DC often have tried to discourage, you can make even more.
Declan did offer a few words of caution though, adding “To be clear; OLD DOG #2 did not do neeeeeearly as well as #1 so please keep those order coming in!” And Kieron Gillen, who has a comic book writer talk that leads with the observation that a writer of a comic book is a parasite on the artist, adds “The one question to ask for an artist before working with a writer is “if I work with this person, will I sell twice as much as I would sell without them?” because if the answer is “no” then economically, you may be better off going it alone.”
Old Dog #1 was published at the end of September, Old Dog #2 at the beginning of November, Old Dog #3 will be published on the 18th of January 2023.
OLD DOG #3 CVR A SHALVEY (MR)
IMAGE COMICS
AUG220206
(W) Declan Shalvey (A/CA) Declan Shalvey
The exciting new action series by DECLAN SHALVEY continues with a brand-new mission.
Lynch returns to Russia in order to protect an old handler from his early CIA days. Retriever returns with him to uncover more secrets from Lynch’s past, but is she prepared for what she may find? Or worse, are they both too late…?In Shops: Jan 18, 2023
SRP: $3.99