Posted in: Comics | Tagged: justice league, kevin maguire
Kevin Maguire looks like he will be stopping drawing DC Covers, as he hasn’t had a pay rise in 20 years…
Article Summary
Kevin Maguire is stopping DC cover work after 20 years without a pay increase despite major inflation.
Maguire cites a desire to focus on creator-owned projects and storytelling instead of commissioned covers.
Steve Bissette highlights long-standing issues with low comic artist page rates at DC spanning decades.
Maguire is celebrated for his pivotal work on Justice League International and ongoing industry impact.
Comic book artist Kevin Maguire posted to X, saying “There’s a possibility that this could be the last cover I ever do for DC so having it be Godzilla walking off into the sunset with Guy Gardner stuck to the bottom of his foot just felt perfect for me… “
Before adding on Threads “For those asking why, I want to spend the remainder of my career drawing what I want to, not what others want me to draw. I want to do storytelling, create and develop characters, not just do variant covers and pin-ups. I’ve been sitting on a number of creator-owned ideas. I need to stop procrastinating. I ain’t gettin’ younger. That, and my page rate at DC has been the same for 20 years and to do the kind of work I WANT to do, I just can’t afford to work for them anymore”
Just to note, since 2026, the US has had 60% inflation. Something costing $1 would now cost $1.60. It’s been worse in the UK (partially thanks to Brexit) where we have had 75% inflation in that time, something costing $1 would now cost $1.75. In response, famed Swamp Thing artist and publisher of Taboo, Steve Bissette, noted “DC page rates, folks. Don’t harbor any fantasies about what cartoonists are paid to do work-for-hire, ever. Fact is, the only way John Totleben & I were able to afford staying on SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING as long as we did was our selling original art and sketches almost every-other-weekend (no exaggeration) at conventions & shop appearances the retailers organized/paid our travel & expenses on, back in the 1980s. Sad to see this is still the case for artists like Kevin Maguire in the 21st century.”
Now 65 years old, Kevin Maguire is he’s widely regarded as one of the superhero comic book industry’s top talents. In 1987, he became the primary penciller for DC Comics’ relaunch often called Justice League International, written by Keith Giffenand J.M. DeMatteiswhich revitalised the series with a lighter, more comedic tone, co-creating Maxwell Lord and reinventing Guy Gardner along the way, was the principle influence on the most recent Superman movie, and has worked on dozens of spinoff Justice League propjects over the years. He’s also worked extensively on titles such as Team Titans, Worlds Finest, Supergirl, Doom Patrol, Captain America, X-Men, The Defenders , as well as creator and co-creator of Tanga, Strikeback, Shadow Reavers, and Trinity Angels. I do hope James Gunn bunged him a wad…
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
