Success in cartooning speaker: Chad Carpenter

Chad Carpenter started his comic panel Tundra 21 years ago as a local comic in Alaska and it has since become the largest self-syndicated comic strip in the US boasting a client list of over 500 papers.

Notes:

• Chad’s from Wasilla, Alaska and has been doing Tundra for 21 years. He was the most well known person from Wasilla until Palin became vice-president nominee in 2008 presidential election.
• Chad always wanted to be a cartoonist, but there were not many in Alaska
• His uncle offered to introduce him to a few cartoonist in Florida if Chad worked in his art gallery in Sarasota
• Chad met Dik Browne (Hagar the Horrible) who let him come to his studio and gave him a lot of advice
• Chad also met Mike Peters (Mother Goose and Grimm)
• Mike told him to “draw what you know.” Chad went back to Alaska and started Tundra – a strip heavy on outdoors and animals
• He drew 31 strips and took it to the Anchorage Daily News where the editor looked over the samples, passed it around the office and agreed to run it
• Chad decided to he needed more $$ from cartooning, so he printed a book. He modeled his first book after the Garfield collections. Printed 3,000 books.
• Started selling books at the weekend market – sold 100 books his first day. That was his “Ah ha!” moment that he could make a living as a cartoonist.
• He submitted his comic to the syndicates, but only got rejection letters. (Funny moment – Chad showed rejection letters from Amy Lago who was sitting right next to me.)
• Continued to do booths at Sears, fairs, etc. Was doing 100 shows a year selling merchandise.
• Tundra was running in 5 Alaska papers, but the real money came in from the books, calendars
• Chad maintains the regional route is still viable. Newspapers want content and local/regional stuff is more valuable than national stuff – easier to get into local papers
• When working to get into local publications, Insert local stuff to make it more local/regional
• Books: the money is the books – 400% – 600% mark up. Print costs can be as $2–3 per book and then sell at $20.
• Books also give you a bit of street cred and can be marketing material
• Sell your books at local shows, markets, fairs
• Very important: Build an email list so you can sell future books to fans
• Look for a local distributor and/or sales rep to help get it into local books even national bookstores in your regional area
• Chad is currently working on a graphic novel that he hopes to turn into a movie.
• Syndication is a dream for many, don’t wait for it. Start local.