--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Self-publishing in comics is core to the…" description: "\"Self-publishing in comics is core to the whole artform. There is no scarlet letter in comics as there still is, to some degree, in prose. As no publish..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kieron-gillen-32286_comic_self-publishing-in-comics-is-core-to-the_321929.jpg" --- # Self-publishing in comics is core to the whole artform… ![“Self-publishing in comics is core to the whole artform. There is no scarlet letter in comics as there still is, to some degree, in prose. As no publisher for a long time would publish serious work in comics, the only way a lot of it came out was because of self-publishing. Many of the greatest…” quote by Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kieron-gillen-32286_comic_self-publishing-in-comics-is-core-to-the_321929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kieron-gillen-32286_comic_self-publishing-in-comics-is-core-to-the_321929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kieron-gillen-32286_comic_self-publishing-in-comics-is-core-to-the_321929.jpg) > “Self-publishing in comics is core to the whole artform. There is no scarlet letter in comics as there still is, to some degree, in prose. As no publisher for a long time would publish serious work in comics, the only way a lot of it came out was because of self-publishing. Many of the greatest works of the medium are self-published.” [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑publishing is essential to comics because it bypasses traditional gatekeepers, allowing innovative work to thrive. **In simple terms:** Self‑publishing fuels comic innovation. Key Takeaway Support independent creators. Themes creativity industry independence Mood enthusiastic encouraging Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - new comic projects - crowdfunding - small presses Key Concepts self‑publishing gatekeeping artistic freedom Questions to Reflect On - How can creators balance independence with wider exposure? - What role do readers play in supporting self‑published comics? A Different Perspective Self‑publishing can limit distribution reach. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Comic book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-book/) [Comics Degree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comics-degree-3031471/) [Comics Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comics-way-3031470/) [Core](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Letter Comics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letter-comics-3031469/) [Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Mediums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediums/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Publish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publish/) [Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishers/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Publishing Comics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing-comics-3031468/) [Scarlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarlet/) [Scarlet Letter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarlet-letter/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-publishing-238703/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Serious work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious-work/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [With comics, you can only really learn what you're doing wrong or what works best when you see your work published. 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Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [People are religious about comics the way people are religious about the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-trank/people-are-religious-about-comics-the-way-people-are-religious-about/) [Josh Trank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-trank/) > [When I realized that people actually wrote comics, that it was a job people could do, I thought, 'Gee, these things are only 17…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/when-i-realized-that-people-actually-wrote-comics-that-it-was-a-job/) [Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/) > [ \[Being a good comedian\] is a skill, but it's also a weird thing that only certain people can do. I always equate it to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-swardson/being-a-good-comedian-is-a-skill-but-it-s-also-a-weird-thing-that/) [Nick Swardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-swardson/) > [Self-publishing is still my basic recommendation to anyone wanting to do comics. Do it. Do it until you get good. Do it after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/self-publishing-is-still-my-basic-recommendation-to-anyone-wanting-to/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [I think my leap into TV and movies and comics is in a way natural because I'm a visual storyteller. If you look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/i-think-my-leap-into-tv-and-movies-and-comics-is-in-a-way-natural/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [Some books and authors are best sellers, but most aren't. It may be easier to self-publish than it is to traditionally publish, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/some-books-and-authors-are-best-sellers-but-most-aren-t-it-may-be/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I maintain an ongoing survey of Internet Publishing and self publishing, so that it is now possible for any writer with a book to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/i-maintain-an-ongoing-survey-of-internet-publishing-and-self/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [Today's marketing success comes from self-publishing web content that people want to share. It's not about gimmicks. It's not about paying an agency to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-meerman-scott/today-s-marketing-success-comes-from-self-publishing-web-content-that/) [David Meerman Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-meerman-scott/) > [I really started self-publishing on a serious level in 2002. Those smaller books did well, ended up moving from doing a series to compiling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fish/i-really-started-self-publishing-on-a-serious-level-in-2002-those/) [Tim Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fish/) > [The publishing industry provides a viable channel which enables a wide distribution of books that we're not seeing in any other way. Unfortunately, self-publishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/the-publishing-industry-provides-a-viable-channel-which-enables-a/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [Go APE: Author a great book, Publish it quickly, and Entrepreneur your way to success. Self-publishing isn’t easy, but it’s fun and sometimes even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/go-ape-author-a-great-book-publish-it-quickly-and-entrepreneur-your/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [I know there's a lot of talk about self-publishing right now. Everyone's giddy with the possibilities. And I'll admit that it looks good on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-know-there-s-a-lot-of-talk-about-self-publishing-right-now-everyone/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## More by Kieron Gillen > [“When I speak, people know that in my gut, I'm bad. They feel better about being bad in their guts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/when-i-speak-people-know-that-in-my-gut-i-m-bad-they-feel-better/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [Music will save your life, but may leave you with a life not worth saving. The characters Phonogram tends to follow are extreme cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/music-will-save-your-life-but-may-leave-you-with-a-life-not-worth/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [A synopsis of every story we do: someone gets over their own stupid ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/a-synopsis-of-every-story-we-do-someone-gets-over-their-own-stupid-ass/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [I've never had much attraction to writing fanfiction. I don't spend much time thinking about properties I don't own, as it's 'wasted' brain-cycles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/i-ve-never-had-much-attraction-to-writing-fanfiction-i-don-t-spend/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [Phonogram was explicitly about our world. It’s a fantasy which is happening around us all, unnoticed except for those who’ve fallen into its world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/phonogram-was-explicitly-about-our-world-it-s-a-fantasy-which-is/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [When you have characters talking about music in any way, especially about music someone doesn't know, some people presume it's about showing social capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/when-you-have-characters-talking-about-music-in-any-way-especially/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [Late night chaining of videos and basically obsessing are rare for me, and often I've never even seen the videos of my favourite songs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/late-night-chaining-of-videos-and-basically-obsessing-are-rare-for-me/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [Phonogram is the memory of a long period in my life through a surprisingly small filter. Those characters are basically the golem who accompanied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/phonogram-is-the-memory-of-a-long-period-in-my-life-through-a/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [Self-publishing is still my basic recommendation to anyone wanting to do comics. Do it. Do it until you get good. Do it after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/self-publishing-is-still-my-basic-recommendation-to-anyone-wanting-to/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [ I’ve always thought that if comics are a part of pop culture \[then\] they should reflect pop culture, but a lot of the time… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/i-ve-always-thought-that-if-comics-are-a-part-of-pop-culture-then/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [“Revolution is just change with ideological roots showing like bad peroxide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/revolution-is-just-change-with-ideological-roots-showing-like-bad/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [Don't be ashamed of the creative urges which drive you. And certainly don't be ashamed of your ego. Hubris is only hubris when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/don-t-be-ashamed-of-the-creative-urges-which-drive-you-and-certainly/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [THE WICKED + THE DIVINE is unlike True Detective as: it features women who do things. THE WICKED + THE DIVINE is like True…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/the-wicked-the-divine-is-unlike-true-detective-as-it-features-women/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) [Explore all 14 Kieron Gillen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) ## More Comic quotes > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [I always loved as a kid reading 'Spider-Man,' and the 'Fantastic Four' would show up... it was all about that larger universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-reed/i-always-loved-as-a-kid-reading-spider-man-and-the-fantastic-four/) [Peyton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-reed/) > [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [I identify with Superman. I am adopted, I am an only child, and I love the idea that he comes from another world, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/i-identify-with-superman-i-am-adopted-i-am-an-only-child-and-i-love/) [Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/) > [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/) [Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/) > [If you look at Marvel Comics, there are very few Marvel characters I would like to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-ennis/if-you-look-at-marvel-comics-there-are-very-few-marvel-characters-i/) [Garth Ennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-ennis/) > [The big problem for comic art is you don't want to overwork it. If a drawing is overworked it isn't funny. 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