JERSEY CITY, April 2, 2018 – For decades, creators in the comic book industry have been severely overworked and underpaid. Many artists spend 18-hour days drawing pages of comics in order to complete their editor’s demands of finalizing a 24-page book with a cover in thirty days or less, revisions included. As far as pay is concerned, they are lucky if they earn $100 per page, roughly $2,500 per month including the cover – and this is before taxes.
No other industry in America requires such gruesome labor, so why should comic book creators continue to suffer? This is why Imperial Enterprises was formed. Their goal is to revolutionize the way comics are made by providing creators with a longer deadline, and fair pay.
“The artist is the lowest form of life on the rung of the ladder. The publishers are usually businessmen who deal with businessmen. They deal with promotional people. They deal with financial people. They deal with accountants. They deal with people who work on higher levels. They deal with tax people, but have absolutely no interest in artists, in individual artists, especially very young artists.”
– Jack “King” Kirby
According to the Imperial Enterprises website where they have detailed their first year operational expenses, they will require roughly $356,000. That sounds like quite a bit. However, this includes an annual salary for three artists and three writers, paid time off, and health benefits, while promising to double the industry mandated deadlines. They are calling it a revolution, and it very well looks like one. Once Imperial Enterprises publishes its comics, the hope is that other comic book companies follow their lead and do the same.
Another goal for Imperial Enterprises is diversity. The world most comic book characters live in usually don’t resemble the world we actually live in. Imperial Enterprises will feature more characters of color, and different cultures in their stories. These will be fresh, new characters that every child of this generation can relate to and grow with.
In order to spread the word and to raise some preliminary funding, Imperial Enterprises will be holding its first fundraiser, Knock on Wood: the Official Friday the 13th Bash of Jersey City on April 13. All net-proceeds will go on to provide Imperial Enterprises with the opportunity to hire its first writer-artist team.
Knock on Wood will feature three hours of open bar and hors d’oeuvres starting at 6:30 p.m. During this time, guest speaker Feifei Ruan, a successful illustrator and comic book creator will spend the first thirty minutes discussing her experiences as a minority comic book creator and the hardships she overcame to make ends meet. There will also be opportunity for some Q&A. Promptly at 7 p.m. the DJ will arrive playing all the best tunes to help celebrate the newest addition to Jersey City’s non-profit for the arts!
Want to show your support? Order your tickets on Eventbrite, and mark your calendars for a night of comics, music, food, and dancing! Use promo code OFF13P for 13% off this memorable event.
Can’t make the event but still want to contribute? Head over to our crowdfunding campaign to give a tax deductible donation.
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