We were lucky to catch up with Wes Hartman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Wes, thanks for joining us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

This is a very interesting question and something that my peers discuss off and on. There’s no easy answer, but, and this is entirely my opinion, I think the biggest challenge is our culture.

What I mean by that, is that our society does not put much value on creatives, art, and creativity.

Which is crazy considering we consume sooooo much.

We are constantly listening to music, podcasts, video content, film, TV, plays, books of all kinds, and more almost non-stop. We are constantly enjoying “content” (which is a terrible word) of all sorts that someone has to make.

And one of the best aspects of today is anyone and everyone now has the ability to create comics, books, videos, animation, games, etc. at a professional level from their own home. It’s amazing! There is so much great content being created. It’s wild how the internet and technology has democratized the ability to create.

The pandemic increased streaming and consumption of content and throughout the pandemic there were numerous articles about what jobs were “essential.” You may have seen it, there was an article that listed “artist” as the “most non-essential” job and the article was designed and mapped around a giant graphic detailing how useless “art” is. My description does not due the contradiction justice, but seriously, the article hired an artist to detail exactly how useless artists are. I don’t know how I would feel to be the artist hired for that job. On one side, hey it’s a paying gig, but at the same time it’s a complete slap in the face.

But this is the attitude most of us face when we pursue a creative career.

How many times are we told or asked about when we will “get a real job?” As if making something from nothing is easy. It’s certainly a gamble and for most creative entrepreneurs it doesn’t pay off. There are some who it does pay off for. Ultimately, for most creatives in my experience, aren’t in search of a quick buck or an easy path. We do what we do because we can’t do otherwise. Making something, whether it be comics, music, stories, whatever it is because something inside of us drives us to make.

The good news is that anyone can now take the time and effort to learn how to make anything they want to make, all it takes is the desire and will to make it.

And I’m not referring to all the new AI stuff. That’s a whole different topic, but I don’t believe typing some text into a prompt for an algorithm to piece together from existing material is “creating.” It’s not, and never will be, but that’s a different topic.

The bad news is, there is so much “content” out in the world. Technology has allowed everyone to try their hand at realizing their dream, and everyday there is more and more. And so much of it is free, cheap, and easily acquired that it’s challenging to convince potential customers to spend hard earned money on something or someone “new.”

I don’t know what the solution is, or if there is one other than trying to get my work in front of as many eyeballs as possible and connecting with those who value creators who are trying to bring something new to this world.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a creator and artist for comic books, and I have been doing this for over 20 years now.

The majority of my work that most folks may be familiar with has been as a color artist for every major publisher and brand. In other words, I color comic books for MARVEL and DC and so many more. My work has also been featured in films, TV, video games, and a nationwide ad campaign for Gatorade.

In addition to my time working as a color artist, I have been editing and publishing comics for small and independent publishers. For the last few years, I’ve refocused my career on creating self-publishing more of my own comic books through my imprint COSMIC ROOTS STUDIO, while raising and caring for my wife and my young daughter.

I have been especially blessed in the length of my career. There aren’t many comic artists who do not have an ongoing career for 2 decades, and I’ve done it all. I’ve created a company, I’ve worked with various printers and publishers across the globe, I’ve managed distribution and warehousing, traveled the country sharing and promoting comics, and successfully ran multiple crowdfunding campaigns, and have worked with some of the best artists and writers in the world.

It is my belief that my longevity comes from providing a professional attitude with work of the highest quality, and my broad experience can provide additional insights that most others in my role cannot.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

There’s nothing quite like having a random stranger connect and love something you create. To become a fan.

My comic series SAVAGE SASQUANAUT is my favorite creation to date, and I’ve been stunned to have a few fans list my comic as one of their all-time favorites ever on their social media pages. Obviously, I’m going to love my own comic, and I hope that others do too, but there is nothing quite like reading or hearing from someone who says it’s their “favorite.”

This just happened at BIG TEXAS COMICON a couple weeks ago.

I have booth at that con every year, and at this most recent show I reconnected with another exhibitor that I met in 2022. We traded our wares, he wanted a copy of my SAVAGE SASQUANAUT COLLECTED EDITION VOLUME 1 for his daughter and I wanted something from his booth for my daughter.

This year, he came back to my booth and he wanted another copy of the book. He said he gave it to his daughter who was NOT excited by his gift.

For context, Savage Sasquanaut is an sci-fi action adventure about Bigfoot in space with a heavy dose of humor involved.

He said that a bit later, he asked her about the book and if she read it even though she wasn’t very interested in it. Then he told me that she got a huge smile on her face and said she did read it and that she LOVED it! He was so intrigued by the change in her attitude that he asked if he could borrow it and read it too because he was now curious about her excitement. She REFUSED! She didn’t want to give the book back to him because she liked it so much and didn’t want anything to happen to it! So he came to buy a copy for himself since she wouldn’t share the gift he gave her.

That’s an amazing feeling. That one interaction made my whole show.

One of my favorite instances of this was when I met another creator, Chuck Pineau, who reviewed books on YouTube as well as writes his own books and works as an editor. When he posted his review for the first issue he admitted that he was skeptical and didn’t really want to even read the book. After reading the first issue he became one of Sasquanaut’s most vocal supporters and champions and eventually he came on and became and editor on the book as well.

I’ve always thought that SASQUANAUT as a very fun and intriguing concept that is pretty easy to grasp, Bigfoot in space! But I’ve discovered that some people get it right off the bat, most people don’t, but my favorite are those that go in skeptical and become massive fans. That’s a feeling like no other.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think many people believe there is a lot of money in making comics. I can see why, especially these days, since everywhere you look there is a new movie or show or video game based on a comic book. I very rarely go to the mall, but the last several times I’ve been in a mall I’m stunned by the amount of comic book themed merchandise is there. Almost every kiosk in North Star Mall has some sort of Marvel, DC, Walking Dead, or something for sale, it’s wild. Walmart and Target are full of T-shirts with comic art and characters on them. This was NOT the case when I was growing up.

So I can understand when people think there is a lot of money in comics. There are a handful of creators who have made a significant amount of money making comics, but that is very rare.

Comic artists are severely overworked and underpaid. Especially those who produce monthly comics. It’s an absolutely relentless schedule that has zero regard for those doing the work. If you get sick you keep working. If you’re too sick to work someone else will do the job and so you don’t get paid. It’s a very hard and unforgiving profession and is incredibly difficult to maintain because most jobs don’t pay that well and require way more than the typical 40-hour work week.

I don’t want it to sound all bad. I absolutely LOVE making comics. That’s the case for almost every single comic creator and artist I’ve ever known. We LOVE comics. We HAVE to make comics. We love what we do and we are very happy to go to work. For almost all of us, we can’t not make comics. It’s who we are. There is a joy and happiness in that, but there are also challenges and sacrifices that must me made.

I make comics because I want to make comics. I need to make them. My goal is to make great comics. If by some happenstance I can create something that becomes as enduring and loved as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that would be great. But first and foremost I’m a comic creator and anything else that happens beyond that is gravy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wes-hartman.com
• Instagram: thesasquanaut
• Facebook: cosmicrootsstudio
• Twitter: Sasquanaut
• Other: Sign up for my Substack newsletter and receive a free download of issue 1 of my comic Savage Sasquanaut #1, https://weshartman.substack.com/welcome

Image Credits
Sky Sharks cover and pages by Fred Perry & Wes Hartman Savage Sasquanaut cover by Jimbo Salgado & Wes Hartman Savage Sasquanaut pages by Gab Santos & Wes Hartman