Bedtime reading for struggling artists
CBC’s story of comic book artist Troy Little’s new success may warm the hearts of many a struggling artist. The Kensington, P.E.I. resident self-published his book Chiaroscuro and sold it at a loss at an independent comic book shop in Charlottetown. But the book – about a bitter, unemployed artist who suddenly finds a benefactor to support him – received such praise online that it caught the attention of California-based IDW Publishing executives. Little now has a deal with IDW for a hardcover edition of the book. (He had originally sent his manuscript to the publisher, but it got lost in the mail.)
While the deal with IDW has huge potential, Little won’t quit his day job yet. He knows how hard life could get if the IDW gig doesn’t work out. Little and his wife both lost their jobs a few years ago when the company they were working for closed down. Then they had twins.
That difficult time led to the end of his self-publishing of Chiaroscuro.
“Daily subsistence became more important than publishing comics,” Little said.
“I was working two jobs most of the time, just to try and get ourselves out of the pit.”
With a story like that, even if you are a bit jealous, you’ve got to wish him well. Who knew life could imitate art in such a fairy-tale way?
