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Matt Hawkins has somewhat good - and also considerably bad - news for anyone with hopes of becoming a comic book creator. The Top Cow COO and writer of comics like Think Tank, The Clock, and The Darkness vs. Angelus: Origin Story, recently posited that there's never been an easier time to become a comic book creator. With Hawkins' decades-long history in the industry, that sounds like a pretty great outlook, but there is a significant catch:

Now, he says, is also perhaps the hardest time to actually make money off of being a comic creator.

The sentiment comes from a post Hawkins made on his Facebook page August 29. "The barrier to entry is probably the lowest it has ever been," begins the writer and exec, "The barrier to profitability may be the highest."

"My educated guess," continued Hawkins, "Is that most comics published today never earn a meaningful profit once you account for production costs and the creators’ time. [...] Add digital-first comics, webcomics and self-published work, and the amount of material competing for attention becomes enormous."

That said, Hawkins does believe there is a path to making money off of one's original comics - and if you've ever seriously researched getting into comics yourself, you might not be surprised to learn what he recommends.

"The [method] I would recommend to a new writer," he said, "Is self-publishing. Start through WEBTOON, social media, another digital platform or a small print project. Build an audience, even if it’s modest, and then consider crowdfunding."

More than just providing the funds you'll need to pay collaborators and print your books, said Hawkins, running a crowdfunding campaign shows desirable qualities that publishers will eventually look for - including organization, communication, and marketing. Even so, a crowdfunding campaign is no guarantee of a career in comic books.

"I benefited from working with successful artists," Hawkins concluded, "But I also worked hard, took risks and hustled. Luck and persistence both played a role."

Interested? Here's where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here's a guide to how (and where) to read comics online. If you're looking for the best comics in recent memory, check out the Eisner Awards winners and the Harvey Awards nominees. And if you like free comics, here's everything we know about Free Comic Book Day 2027.