International Artists' Experiences

[paramnesia]

I was wondering how many international artists, especially comic artists, we have here and the obstacles they've faced, i.e. work visas, travel expenses, getting approved for a passport to go to a convention, airport security, etc.

I have a friend who has focused upon sequential art -- call it manga if you wish, although my friend doesn't like that label much anymore as it tends to bring up images of CLAMP and Sailor Moon in most peoples' minds -- and lives in an country where the the opportunities are, or seem, fewer and far between. The major publishers there tend to focus upon translated manga/comics while the pay for original works is rather poor. So for my friend the best opportunities seem to be elsewhere. Where she can, she enters competitions and submits her work, but it can be frustrating when so many of the opportunities that do come up are limited to residents of the US and Canada or the UK. Ah, fine print. How I love thee.

[Stoat]

Moving around the world is a lot harder than most people realize. You can't just get a wild hair to live someplace and go do it. Not most places, anyhow. The particulars of where she's a citizen and where she wants to go and how long she wants to stay there and what she wants to do while there will make all the difference. There are some pretty easy breaks for students, though, if she can afford to go that route.

I'm an American currently in the process of emigrating to the UK. That is, believe it or not, a very difficult jump.

[tensai]

Agreed it can be difficult and lame sometimes. And I understand it is difficult if you are in a country that doesn't have the opportunity or the right infrastructure (good fast internet etc).

At the same time though, it has never been so easy to work internationally - at least on freelance projects.
Most of the projects I do are not here in Japan but we just talk on the phone through skype, mail and ftp results at the end of each day, and with internet you can at least get your portfolio out there like never before. Then when you do have to be on site with the client, cost of plane tickets is also lower than ever before, so it's often not an obstacle for a client.

[paramnesia]

The particulars of where she's a citizen and where she wants to go and how long she wants to stay there and what she wants to do while there will make all the difference. There are some pretty easy breaks for students, though, if she can afford to go that route.
Money is the problem. My friend wanted to go to university, but could not afford it. She could also be a great translator and would happily do that just to build up a name and contacts, but she lacks the degree that publishers in her country expect. Without it, she can't get her foot in the door. What makes it more irritating is that, according to a friend of hers who has dealt with translators, her English is better than some of the folk with degrees who get hired.

At the same time though, it has never been so easy to work internationally - at least on freelance projects. Most of the projects I do are not here in Japan but we just talk on the phone through skype, mail and ftp results at the end of each day, and with internet you can at least get your portfolio out there like never before.
True, the net makes it easier for international interaction, thank goodness. My friend has some established contacts who are willing to work with someone not in the US, UK, or Japan and pay a decent price, but finding more can be a painfully slow process. ,_,



The downside of the internet though is that there is also more crap to wade through to find the good stuff. Remember the day where there were only a handful of webcomics and... fades off into nostalgialand