Cartoonist Business

2 Cartoonist Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 8th, 2024

Got a knack for drawing and storytelling? Consider starting a cartoonist business. At its core, this business revolves around creating original illustrations and animated content for various platforms like social media, blogs, and publications.

Kickstart this venture by developing a strong portfolio showcasing your unique style. Platforms like Instagram or DeviantArt can serve as excellent showcases to attract potential clients. Besides, networking with writers, marketers, and publishers can lead to consistent gigs.

The demand for engaging visual content is surging, creating ample opportunities for skilled cartoonists. Whether it’s for educational contexts, advertising campaigns, or entertainment, your creativity can address multiple needs. Taking up freelance projects initially can help in building a steady income stream.

In a world driven by visuals, your ability to bring stories to life through cartoons can set you apart. Embark on this creative journey and turn your artistic skills into a thriving business.

In this list, you'll find real-world cartoonist business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a cartoonist business that makes money.

1. Avatoon ($56.4K/year)

Zoltán and his colleagues founded Avatoon.net after realizing the obscure market for custom hand-drawn avatars. They launched their website and attracted customers through an email campaign and ProductHunt feature, and have since focused on improving their SEO to attract organic traffic. With a majority of their clients being returning companies, they plan to spend more on SEO and introduce different art styles at different price points in the future.

How much money it makes: $56.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $800
How many people on the team: 3

How We Started A $4.7K/Month Business Selling Custom Hand-Drawn Avatars

Avatoon.net founders share how they started a $4.7k/month business selling custom hand-drawn avatars and grew to an average of $5,000 per month with ~100 clients through SEO-focused marketing and serving returning companies.

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2. SP-Studio ($1.2K/year)

Janina, the founder of SP-Studio.de, came up with the idea for her business in 2002 when she wanted to create a website where anyone could create their own cartoon characters without any drawing skills. Inspired by the TV show South Park, she wanted to offer a tool that was easy to use but also allowed for creative freedom. Through word of mouth and international growth, SP-Studio.de became one of the biggest and most popular avatar creation websites, attracting over 60,000 visitors per day at its height.

How much money it makes: $1.2K/year
How much did it cost to start: $150
How many people on the team: 0

I Built A Cartoon Creator Tool That Has Over 60K Unique Daily Users

This case study is about Janina, the founder of SP-Studio, a popular website with over 60,000 visitors per day that allows anyone to create unique cartoon characters for free without drawing skills, and how she built the website without focusing on generating revenue for many years.

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Read by 4,893 founders