If you buy comics, read comics, and collect comics, chances are you’re one of the 250,000 fans that want to actually work in comics. Good news – there are some prime comic book jobs that could have your name on them. Especially if you’d like to try working for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse, the Wildstorm division of DC out on the West Coast, and Archaia, publishers of one of my favorite comics, Mouse Guard.

DARK HORSE COMICS: If you’re in the Milwaukie, Oregon area, Dark Horse Comics is looking for you. Actually, they’re looking for a Comic Retail Manager. They want someone to work “in conjunction with Diamond Comics Distributor to service retailers in the worldwide market.” As someone who’s done that before, for a different publisher, I can tell you it’s not a bad job. They’re offering a full-time salary that ranges from $8.40 to $19.23 per hour, and includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Vacation, Sick Leave, Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability, Retirement, Travel Expenses, Education Reimbursement. Got to be at least 18-years-old though. There are a bunch of requirements and expectations, so head over to the listing at Book Jobs and see if it’s right for you. The job just went up on June 2, so there’s still plenty of time to get that resume over there.

ARCHAIA COMICS, the publishers of Mouse Guard, and Artesia are looking for an unpaid Summer Intern to do fun things like reading and writing coverage for film, television and comic book scripts, monitoring and updating Archaia social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and handling shipping and receiving, among other responsibilities.

It’s a multi-tasker’s dream, but to make up for the lack of pay, they’re offering free Archaia comics and books. The listing went up in May so the gig may already be filled, but Kijiji has the inside scoop.
WILDSTORM/DC: If you love the manga, and really, who doesn’t except most comic book retailers, and you could see yourself copyediting and proofreading the coolest books before they go to press, then Time Warner has a gig for people who dig the right-to-left reading experience. Wildstorm’s manga division is looking for an assistant editor to help with the production schedule, wrangle freelancers, and track changes from the various licensors. Wildstorm publishes some fun manga stuff so have at it and Time Warner in general has a decent benefits package. Plus the office is strategically located in La Jolla, CA, one of the most beautiful and weather-perfect places on the planet. (And when the time comes, you’re mere minutes away from Comic Con International.)

MARVEL COMICS: The House That Jack Built is also in a hiring mood for one of those busy executive type positions that keep the industry rolling along. They need a VP of Custom Solutions to manage their custom sales team and handle some “ideation.” If you love hearing that word, and you can “drive revenue for the Marvel Custom Solutions Group,” you know this job is right for you. If they toss in a free 4-day pass to this year’s sold out Comic Con, I might even send in my resume!

That’s it for this month’s comic book jobs. I’ll keep trolling the internet classifieds so you don’t have to.

[Artwork: from Mouse Guard, a book you should already be reading and if you aren’t, then the cats will win]