Best Way to Support Your Favorite Artist?

[Magnitude-Ten]

Hi, I like to buy and read manga. I'm wondering what the best way to support a manga artist is.

I live in the USA so I would assume nearly all manga are translated to English through an "extended branch company" and sold here. The question is, once I pay for a copy of a volume, how is the money split and cut?

One theory I have: Most of it goes to the publishing company, and I'm assuming the actual manga artists operate on set contracts and meet assigned deadlines, like any business. I'm guessing that none of the money actually goes to them since the contract is paying them already, but they continue to get work (aka requests for more artwork and volumes) if the publisher makes good sales and receives an overall positive response from manga buyers.

But that conflicts with a few cases I heard about. Such as, how do those lucky few manga artists get so rich? Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2 allowed Rumiko Takahashi to become very rich.

Sorry if my English is not very good, it is not my first language. : P Here is an old article that may be of help or interest.

As in previous years, Rumiko Takahashi is the highest taxed anime or manga creator in Japan. In fact she was the second highest taxed individual on Mainichi's list, paying 142.7 million yen (US$1.3 million) in taxes in 2004.

Gosho Aoyama , who was also in the top 10 again this year, ranked the 5th highest taxed individual on the list, he paid 138.3 million yen in taxes in 2004.

Joining them in the top ten this year for the first time at 9th overall was Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, who paid 112.7 million yen in taxes.

The 10 Highest Taxed Manga-ka in 2004 were:
1. Rumiko Takahashi
2. Gosho Aoyama
3. Masashi Kishimoto
4. Yuji Horii
5. Ritsuko Kawai
6. Naoki Urasawa
7. Takehiko Inoue
8. Fujio Akatsuka
9. Takashi Yanase
10. Masami Kurumada

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...top-tax-payers

[Rio]

Companies who wish to publish manga in another country other than Japan pay what's called licensing fees to the publisher and the manga creator. Viz, for example, had to pay licensing fees to the original publisher Shueisha for titles like Bleach, One Piece, and any other Shonen Jump series. The licensing fee pays the publisher and the manga creator.

Now, if you buy the translated manga, you pay the company that published the translation. That money, though will pay for future licensing fees which is technically paying the manga creator and publisher. With that said, most manga creators make money off of merchandise and not with actual manga sales though if you sell a lot like the top earners (Takahashi, Toriyama, Oda, etc), those sales add to the pot too.

Creators do not make money off of second-hands sales like buying books used, buying merchandise from garage sales and so on. Only sales direct from the retail will pay the creators.

[Magnitude-Ten]

I see. Will buying from Amazon or certain major online sites pay the creator?

[Rio]

Yes, just as long as it's from Amazon and not through the used or other non-Amazon seller. Some major retailers now-a-days want a piece of that second-hand market so be a little watch out for that if you're looking to buying and supporting your favorite artist.

[Magnitude-Ten]

Got it, thank you.

[Reset]

Nice info