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Freelance Freedom #60


PG

N.C. Winters is always drawing. When he isn't making comics, doodling or working as a freelance graphic artist, he spends his time painting pretty pictures for galleries from his home studio in sunny southern California.


  1. PG Nu Digi

    YES! Hit the nail on the hammer!!!! :)

  2. PG Janet

    Nice one! So true.

  3. PG WD

    Truer words have never been spoken! Now if only all landlords accepted exposure as payment…

  4. PG Roshan

    That is absolutely true! I like it :)

  5. PG Matt

    I just fired a client this afternoon for a very similar reasons. :D

  6. PG Idont

    Excellent! It remains me the trailer of the documentary with Harlan Ellison: “DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH”.

    “The only value for me is if you put money in my hand…”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

    So funny.

  7. PG Joel Falconer

    This is probably my favorite Freelance Freedom so far. Musos get this one a lot, too.

  8. PG Shell

    Bible tracks. You need to print these up like bible tracks so we can slip them under the windshield wipers of the deserving.

  9. PG mayhemstudios

    That is hilarious!

  10. PG Selene M. Bowlby

    LOL, I’ve heard this one before too! Ummmm…. sorry, but it doesn’t quite work that way… my bank doesn’t take exposure for mortgage payments either! :P

    I’ve also had the offer for future stock in the company. Once again, the mortgage co does NOT take “possible future stock” as a payment method either ;)

  11. PG Jon Phillips

    haha, really nice one! :)
    Reminds me of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

  12. PG Myke Cave

    I want to print this on the back of my business card…

  13. PG David Cousens

    Great job N.C.! I’ve so felt like saying that way a great number of times.

  14. PG John Klijnen

    I wonder if I could use this cartoon on my weblog? I can’t pay you but I promise you great exposure;-)

    Greets John.

  15. PG Robert

    I tried paying my rent with exposure once…that just led to the folks in the rental office calling the police….

  16. @Robert: nice one!
    @Jon: will definitely use that video in one of my posts. ;)

  17. PG Josh Garner

    “Oh and if this works out, I have a ton of work I can send your way.”

    That’s my favorite one.

  18. PG Ahmad Alfy

    ROFL
    Absolutly true!

    Happened to me once!

  19. PG Ahmad Alfy

    @Jon
    That video just tells it all!
    Gonna use it someday!

  20. PG Patach

    That certainly made my day. Thank you for making these.

    :)

  21. PG Tyler Ingram

    I love when people try and ‘pay’ you this way. Or do services for you.
    My favoriate is when someone wants you to code an entire website for them, but they are on a ‘very tight’ budget and cannot pay much. Like a community site etc. ugh…

    Just because we don’t belong to some fancy shmancy large company doesn’t mean you can pay us less than an employee at McDs! lol

  22. PG Rene

    I don’t see it too often in my design contracts… but in my photo contracts, damn, it’s like a 1 on 4 that doesn’t want to pay and that are sooo confident that they have a realllly good idea with this kind of exchange. They think that putting the photographer’s name as a copyright is a huge publicity – no it’s not, it’s a law! It always ended as they learn, then are ok to pay, or they don’t want to learn and go find a newcomer that do it for free – ishh. As a friend of mine told me, (like for design/logo contests) if we all say no, this kind of demand will one day mostly disapear…

  23. PG Tuan Nguyen

    Very true.

    Just last week I got an email from one of the luxury magazine that wanted to use my images for their monthly column, in return they will give me credit for the images…I reply back with the fair usage fee based on their print run. Never heard from them since. Exposure is nice, it is nicer to get pay along with it.

  24. PG N.C. Winters

    Thanks for the Harlan Ellison link, Idont and Jon. This really burns me to the core too. We work hard, and put forth a creative effort, and people think it’s a favor to you the artist to take the work for no pay. Even worse is when it’s expected because “so many have already seen it” or “it’s been out for a while”. Let me ask you this- if so many have seen it and it’s been out for a while, where does the expose part come in? Want to give me YOUR paycheck?

    Thanks all for the comments. Makes my day when my cynicism isn’t just in my head.

  25. PG Martha Retallick

    When promised exposure (but no pay) for his work, an old jazz musician said, “You can get pneumonia from exposure.”

  26. PG Tom S.

    You got that right! So tired of hearing someone call, saying they need my services but don’t have the money to pay me! What’s up with that?

  27. PG Bedrich

    So true.

  28. PG T

    What about people that say they’ll pay you in the future—like when their business makes it. Sure they will…

  29. PG Karyl

    I think I’m honestly going to try that line next time I hear that bullsh*t. :) Thanks eh!

  30. PG Chris

    This is the best one yet! God I hate these cheapskates that want the world but don’t want to pay for it.

  31. PG Laura

    Awesome comic, as always!

    @Jon – FANTASTIC clip! I especially love this line: “It’s the amateurs that make it tough for the professionals…”

  32. PG edwin decker

    let’s all not forget the value of exposure. And that some content providers are also having trouble paying their rent so their is nothing wrong with them trying to leverage their exposure potential to their advantage. It’s just business people. Bottom line is, when asked to contribute for free, you have to factor in how much exposure you need vs. how much the client can offer and if it’s not worth it for you, to respectfully decline.

    ed

  33. PG Sean

    Alas, its true, favorite customers are cash and carry with no static. I find it interesting that even though
    movie scripts are copyrighted under law that they still deliver them by armored truck.

  34. PG Brandon

    Looks like someone is building a new freelance platform… hopefully something that will be better to use than Elance: http://www.jobloha.com

  35. PG Alex Fraiser

    This is probably my favorite Freelance Freedom yet! If I ever hear someone try to get away with that, I am definitely using that.

  36. PG Omar

    Wicked comic, this is right on the money … or not in this case.

    Ellison is soooo funny in that clip and so bloody right too.

    (sean – I think the truck it so that it doesnt get leaked, spoilt, maybe?)

  37. PG Nindia

    MINT!

  38. Ah… such a familiar situation….;)

  39. PG BANAGO

    I just love that. Quite true.

  40. PG Prescott Perez-Fox

    Always a sore point with freelancers. Somehow I’m still surprised when hear clients attempting this.

    Should we read anything into the fact that you drew the client to look like Kim Jong Il? Maybe all Asians are actually shady businessmen.

  41. Thank you! Another great one.

  42. PG Fabian

    Strange, nearly the same strip was published here: http://www.der-flix.de/index.php?preselect=224

  43. PG James Kurtz III

    Yes!! So true. The Harlan Ellison was also awesome.

  44. PG Onyeka

    Man, that should be my tagline.

  45. PG in company of toast

    … and sending to my “lame client” award winner for today. Whoosh!

    Finding this–today of all days–is uncanny.

  46. PG rajesh r nair

    very good!!!!!!!!!!!
    love it

  47. PG Andi

    Daaamn! That was the first freelance job I quoted! “Oh, gee, that’s a little high. Wouldn’t you consider lowering your price just to, y’know, get your work out there?” (See, I was still a student at the time.) I never heard from her again, Ellison got that one right.

  48. PG Ezyesau

    I definitely ran into a veeeery similar situation with a similar looking person… Kudos!

  49. PG Ace

    My concern or question is this… I am quite still young and new, I also have a full time job but wana do freelance. I did the wordpress site for free. I just hope I get that exposure. I have not gotten any other clients. I am still doing advertising on my own.

    Greetings From
    South Africa

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