At New York Comic Con (NYCC) 2024, panel World wordless comic contest by Kadokawa sheds light on the inner workings of the manga industry in Japan.
During this panel, details about how much manga creators earn and the rigorous schedules they maintain were revealed by Hiroyuki Watanabe, editor of Sgt. Frog and manga Neon Genesis Evangelion.
He is currently the CEO of Kadokawa publishing group, responsible for light novels and manga.
How much money do comic book artists make?
According to Watanabe, manga creators in Japan earn different amounts per page based on their experience. However, on average, one Mangaka earns about 12,000 yen per page.
New person: 8,000–10,000 yen per page ($57–$72 USD) Average Manga Artist: ¥12,000 per page ($88 USD) Experienced specialist: ¥15,000–¥30,000 per page ($110–$217 USD)
These earnings can vary based on publication, genre, and artist prominence. These numbers are almost identical to what mangaka Ryou Katagiri revealed in a previous interview with Mipon.
According to her, newbie mangakas earn between 10,000 and 15,000 yen for each page of their work. However, this is not the only source of income that artists have.
Royalties: How much Manga creators earn for each copy sold
Watanabe also provided detailed information on tankobon (graphic novel) royalty income that authors earn in addition to per-page royalties.
For every ¥500 ($4 USD) copy sold in Japan, the creator earns 10% royalties, equivalent to approximately 50 yen or 40 cents per copy.
If a manga volume sells 1 million copies, the author will earn 50 million yen (about $334,860 USD) royalties.
Detailed information about creative manga:
The panel also revealed the production schedule and other details surrounding the creation of a manga series.
In general, the number of pages a manga artist draws varies between weekly and monthly comic series:
Weekly series: 80 pages per month Monthly series: 32 pages per month
Some famous artists work on multiple series, producing over 100 pages per month to meet tight deadlines.
Creating a manga site is a laborious process. Watanabe explains that most artists take four hours on average to draw and ink a page, although some can complete a page in 1–2 hours, while others can take all day.
Watanabe explained that speed does not necessarily determine a manga artist's skill or quality, but emphasized that meeting deadlines is important when creating work.
Watanabe also points out that there is no “right” way to create manga and that it is important to enjoy the process of creating a work.
However, he emphasized that creators aiming for professional careers must always consider their readers when crafting their stories.
Demographics of Manga Creators
The panel also discussed when manga artists typically debut in their careers. The typical age of an author when they debut is around 22 to 23 years old.
70% debut in their 20s, usually after completing college or art school 20% debuted in his teens 10% debut at age 30 or older
Ten years ago, there were about 6,000 active manga creators in Japan. Watanabe speculates that this number may have increased significantly since then, due to the rapid expansion of the industry.
KADOKAWA has announced the World Without Words Manga Contest, encouraging artists around the world to submit works without dialogue or text in early October.
The contest begins October 4, 2024 and will last until February 28, 2025with cash prizes up to $10,000 USD and the opportunity for the winner to have their manga serialized in Japan.
Source: NYCC Kadokawa Panel via Deb Aoki's X account.