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For Jon Bogdanove, drawing Superman: Man of Steel comics is not too different from being a kid running around his neighborhood with a scarlet bath towel for a cape.

"The core essence is the same," says Bogdanove. "I read the story and let my imagination play with it. People who end up drawing or writing comic books for a living are really just doing it as an extension of the kind of games they used to play as a kid."

While it may sound like child's play, the work Bogdanove and other comic illustrators do is anything but. It's not uncommon to put in a 16-hour day drawing one page of a comic book.

Sound outrageous? It's all part of the job of drawing a popular comic book with almost six decades under its belt -- and doing justice to characters that have become a part of our collective culture.

"I'm pretty keenly aware of being a [part] of something larger than myself. I try very hard to make sure that Superman and Lois and the other characters look, behave and gesture in ways that really seem in character," says Bogdanove.

Using your imagination to work within established characters is one of the challenges of illustrating for a large publishing company like DC Comics -- the company produces Superman, Batman, The Green Lantern and Mad Magazine, to name just a few. Illustrators (called pencilers) work with a team of writers, inkers, letterers and editors to ensure the comics turn out looking good and true to their long-established character traits.

But challenges and long hours aren't limited to comic illustrators in established companies. Independents, like Jenny Frank, say they face a challenge at the other end of the imagination spectrum.

"Sometimes working with new ideas can be a bit scary, because you could go so many different ways with the types of characters you use. It's like having to create a whole new person," says Frank.

As a self-publishing comic illustrator, Frank faces much more than creative difficulties. She also has to contend with the day-to-day challenges of running a business.

Fortunately, all of this is a labor of love. In spite of its additional challenges, Frank wouldn't give up independent comic production for the world. "I like working on my own -- being in charge from start to finish. It's a great feeling looking at a comic book in a shop and knowing you've been responsible for it from beginning to end," says Frank.

For Bogdanove, much of his satisfaction comes from knowing he plays a part in maintaining a character who represents a positive vision of humanity. While Bogdanove realizes Superman passes out of style in cynical times, he believes his character has endured throughout the years because of his goodness.

"Superman is a being of vast power, but he doesn't engage in anger and vengeance. He channels his power through kindness and compassion. In a world where there is an awful lot of domestic violence, where war is kind of a way of being, where there's crime and street gangs, the example of somebody who chooses to restrain their power and use it for good is pretty valuable."

Experienced comics illustrators say this is a tough business to get into. If you want to succeed, it's going to take a lot of hard work.

"Ever since the late '80s, there's been this rush of talented people who are just determined to become comic book artists. The talents that succeed in the business are the persistent ones," says Florida comic illustrator Steve Ventimiglia.

"You're not going to get any jobs if you spend your working days sitting at home....It takes a lot of effort and time to break in, but once you do, you most likely won't regret it," Ventimiglia adds.

But there's a high burnout factor in the industry, says Mike Cherkas, especially for independents. The cyclical nature of the work means you might work 12-hour days for several weeks, followed by periods of no work at all. It can be stressful. So much so, that some artists decide to look for something more lucrative and steady.

"Many artists who broke into comic books have left the field and found work doing storyboards for animation studios or ad agencies or become editorial and advertising illustrators," notes Cherkas.

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