It’s awesome how transparent you are about payment in the comics industry. I’m an editor with experience at DC and Marvel (plus other publishers), and you’re right that page rates vary wildly from person to person (which unfortunately makes it hard to give an estimate of what a “normal” rate is). Different projects also have different budgets.

At my current company, I’d say the average rate for writing is $120/page, while art (pencils and inks) is $350/page. Our colorists are usually paid $120/page and letterers are almost always paid $20/page. If an interior artist also does a cover, we pay the artist’s interior page rate x 1.5 for it.

Most of our talent is very established in the industry, though, so I would not consider these rates to be attainable for up-and-coming creators. For people breaking into the industry, I’d say that writing at $75/pg, art at $120/pg and colors at $70/pg is at the upper end of what a new name might be offered.

The pay in comics has not increased over the past few decades, despite increases to the cost of living. Comics creators should be paid more, especially considering how IP is now being created initially as a comic and then turned into a show or movie. So many people haven’t received fair payment for adaptations of their comics, and it’s hurting the whole industry.