Patreon goal reached + HIRING ARTISTS FOR HEARTSTOPPER MINI-COMICS! (Patreon)

Firstly, THANK YOU so much for all being here - we've hit another Patreon goal! I'm sure we're going to dip back under it in a couple of days because it's nearly the end of the month (where I always lose a few patrons/cards get declined/etc) but I thought we should celebrate it all the same :D Thank you all so so much for your continued support!

Now, onto the fun stuff. The reward for hitting this goal is: I'm going to hire two artists to create a Heartstopper mini-comic each. 

If you're an artist and are potentially interested in this, the rest of this post will explain what is involved. Please read all of it before deciding whether you want to apply, and if you do, just leave a link in the comments to your portfolio/art blog/somewhere I can get a good sense of your art!

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I am looking to hire two artists to create two mini-comics for my webcomic, Heartstopper. These will be posted for Heartstopper readers to see on the Heartstopper sites (Tumblr and Tapas).

What experience do I need? What are you looking for?

You should be a reader of Heartstopper and have a good knowledge of the characters. You don’t have to be from the UK but you should have a good knowledge of the English language.

I’m looking for someone who has illustration and/or comic experience, but that doesn’t have to be ‘professional’ experience - I just want to see that you like art, basically. Don’t worry if you’ve never tried making a comic before - this might be a good opportunity to give it a go!

Why are you hiring artists to do Heartstopper mini-comics?

Short answer: FUN! And also to support artists. 

Long answer: I love comics and illustration and I adore seeing my characters in other people's art styles. My Patreon and Heartstopper in general have been doing incredibly well this year and I would love to give something back to the webcomic community by using some of this Patreon money to support other artists while I'm financially able to.

What would I need to create if I was selected?

You would need to create a Heartstopper mini-comic of up to 5 pages. The page dimensions should ideally be 2000x3000px.

You do not need to pitch me a comic idea before I choose the artists - you can come up with your idea after you're selected!

Your mini-comic should tell a distinct, freestanding story and it should at least feature Nick and/or Charlie from Heartstopper, but can also feature other characters from Heartstopper if you wish. It can be related to the events of Heartstopper or it can be an AU (alternate universe) story. 

Your comic can be in any visual illustration style. It can be digital, or it can be hand-drawn if you have access to a good scanner.

You can discuss with me what story you want to write/draw beforehand, and I will approve your story idea before you start drawing. If you don’t have any ideas, I’m happy to help! 

It probably goes without saying that the comic should not be sexually explicit or contain any hateful content.

How do I apply? When do applications close?

Please just reply to this post OR tweet me with a link to your portfolio, art blog, or somewhere I can get a good sense of your art style and experience. If you would rather contact me privately, please email me at aliceoseman [at] gmail [dot] com, though please be aware that I probably won’t respond unless you are selected! 

I will close applications in two weeks, on June 12th 2018, when I will choose the two artists.

How do I know if I’ve been chosen?

I will contact the two artists I choose directly, so please make sure you are contactable via your social media, whether that's a Patreon account, a Twitter, Tumblr, or you can leave your email address if you like.

If you don’t hear from me, unfortunately I haven’t chosen you this time. (But I’d LOVE to do this again in the future, if I'm able!)

Fee/Payment

I am offering £100 per coloured page or £75 per greyscale page for a short comic of up to 5 pages. To do the simple math for you, that would mean £500 for a 5-page coloured comic, or £375 for a 5-page greyscale comic. But you can do less pages if you wish, in which case the per-page rate will apply. 

One page typically includes 3+ panels, but number of panels really depends on your art style so I'm willing to be flexible on this.

Please do not exceed 5 pages because I would not be able to afford to pay you for your time and work!

Payment is via PayPal only.

I will pay you for one page in advance, and the rest upon completion of the comic.

Time frame

You will need to complete the comic by September 30th 2018, which should give you about three and a half months from when I close applications and contact the chosen artists. Please only apply if you are able to meet that deadline. Completing it earlier than that deadline would be amazing - it’d mean I can post it sooner! :)

What are you going to do with the mini-comic and what can I do with it?

Your mini-comic will be posted on the Heartstopper sites (Tumblr and Tapas). I will decide the precise date once you have completed it. I will of course share links to your own social media when I post your comic and be hyping it up lots beforehand!

Your comic will be posted on my Patreon early (as my patrons are the reason I am able to afford to do this whole thing!)

You are absolutely free to post your mini-comic on your own online platforms, as long as you credit the characters to me! You may not, however, profit off the mini-comic (e.g. selling it as merchandise). In return, I will not be selling your mini-comic as merchandise (e.g. putting it in a zine or a book). These mini-comics will be created as online free-to-read content only.

I have tried to cover all questions that you might have but please do leave any questions in the comments below. I REALLY look forward to looking through your artwork!