So, on the "why aren't there more agents in comics" thing: there are some amazing agents for folks in comics. Comic book companies, however, are EXTREMELY resistant to agents & often avoid people who are repped.

One of the reasons publishers are resistant to agents is because our industry gets by on, let's just face it, extremely exploitive rates a lot of the time. That's how quite a lot of "name" publishers function.

Agents exist to get their clients the best rates and let me tell you, book and film agents are APPALLED at the rates in comics. As they should be.

The excuse you hear most is that comics just make the money books and film do. Which is true. But that doesn't excuse exploitive rates or practices. If you can't pay people even semi-decently, you shouldn't be publishing, imho.

The attitude in comics is that creators with agents are "difficult" or "expect too much" but they honestly aren't and don't. They expect reasonable pay. Which is, you know, reasonable.

Also, agents make sure you aren't screwed by your contract in some way. And trust me you need that because quite a lot of comics publishers pull some shady af stuff with backend and media.

That's one of the things that's made me livid the past few years, seeing comics companies taking media rights from young/new creators when they KNOW that's the only way creators make any money. It's gross.