Able Quote by Chris Ware
“Fortunately, I'm able to make a living from comics, so I'm privileged enough to be quite choosy, though most cartoonists can't afford to be. It's really an uncomfortable situation, since I'm not an illustrator, though I do get calls from morally indefensible businesses offering me money to decorate their ambitions. It's extremely rare, almost unheard of, in fact, that I am asked to do a comic strip. Do writers get calls to pen Toyota advertisements? Do composers get asked to write chamber pieces about exercise machines?”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, “The Art of Comics,” 2015
The speaker highlights the rarity of commercial work for comic artists, noting how most must choose projects carefully and avoid compromising their values.
In simple terms: Comic artists rarely get commercial gigs, so they must be selective.
Key Takeaway
Choose integrity over easy money.
Themes
artistic integrity
commercial pressure
creative choice
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- freelance illustration
- advertising pitches
- career decisions
- client negotiations
Key Concepts
ethical dilemmas
industry economics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance artistic values with financial needs?
- What compromises are acceptable for survival?
A Different Perspective
Even selective work can limit exposure and income.
![“There's a rhythm to the words combined with the pictures [in a comic]. Whenever I'm working on a comic strip I re-read it, probably hundreds of times through to pay attention to how all of those things work. Sometimes even changing the angle of a character's eyebrow can really, seriously alter the…” quote by Chris Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dec/chris-ware-8123_angle_there-s-a-rhythm-to-the-words-combined-w_506554.jpg)
