If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
It’s never been easier to become a comic book writer, or harder to make a living as one according to Image writer (and Top Cow exec)
Top Cow’s COO Matt Hawkins, who created such titles as The Clock, thinks there’s still a path for amateurs to turn professional comic creators. That path is a long one, though
NewsbyGrant DeArmitt, Staff Writer
Published on Tue Sep 01 2026
Popverse’s top stories
- Image Comics & Warren Ellis have been developing new comics together since 2023, with Ellis joking back then the publisher was “trapped”
- Critical Role’s Laura Bailey recorded “almost the whole game” of Dispatch as Blonde Blazer before becoming Invisigal
- Alex Ross hid a 32-page comic inside Marvel Dimensions, but marketing told him to announce it early
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.
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
