From a Whitechapel discussion of Brian Wood’s interview at ComicsReporter.com:

@ Larry– So really, Brian’s a good example of a right way to do it, isn’t he? Have a day job, work on the comics you believe in. Be talented. Put out good material, make some chump change. Get noticed, do your own thing in tandem with the machine, make actual dollars.

Well, sure. Isn’t that how most “successful” folks do it, in any discipline or field of endeavor? Work really hard at honing your craft, develop a small but loyal following, reach tipping point, be “discovered,” enjoy ten-year path of becoming an overnight sensation, die rich.

That’s the basic career path of Isaac Newton, Picasso, Sandy Koufax, Ernest Hemingway, Kate Beckinsale, Sumner Redstone, and everyone else. Only the details are different.