Cartoonist Cooperative

Cartoonist Cooperative is a member-driven organization striving to enhance and safeguard the careers of comics workers on a global scale. As a member, you'll enjoy the advantages of organized promotional campaigns for your comics, resources for career development, creative feedback, professional networking, and more. The goals of Cartoonist Cooperative include advocating for fair rates that meet living costs, establishing industry-standard contracts, spotlighting cartoonists from underrepresented communities, excelling in communal and effective marketing, providing assistance in resolving disputes with clients and publishers, and awarding grants to fund cartoonists and their projects.

It's important to note that while the Cooperative is not a union, it collaboratively demands better pay and counteracts predatory practices in the industry. Founded by Sloane Leong, Zach Hazard Vaupen, Nero Villagallos O’Reilly, Reimena Yee, Joan Zahra Dark, and Aaron Losty, Cartoonist Cooperative offers numerous benefits, such as improved working conditions, access to private virtual and in-person events, marketing team collaboration, skill exchanges, mentorship opportunities, a broader readership, and support for marginalized creators. The cooperative promotes unpublished original minicomics, graphic novels, serialized comics, as well as ebooks and print editions.

It does not function as a storefront, nor is it a publisher at the moment, but crowdfunding campaigns may be considered in the future. Members and volunteers can contribute in various ways, including offering creative feedback, editing, proofreading, design assistance, writing promotional copy, and social media engagement. The cooperative committee collectively decides on promoting and featuring cartoonists and their works, prioritizing quality, collaborative skills, self-motivation, and contributions to the cooperative.

Individual cartoonists retain complete control over their comics, with the only requirement being acknowledging the assistance of Cartoonist Cooperative. The campaign process involves submission review, timeline finalization, campaign planning, assistance in comic production, and mutual promotion among members. With Cartoonist Cooperative, your comics career will receive the support it deserves while joining forces with like-minded individuals in the industry