“The comic book industry is made up of freelancers. I think a lot of readers don’t understand the extent of that reality,” Cain says. “Certainly any comic book by Marvel or DC, those are the work of freelancers: Colorists, inkers, pencilers, letterers, cover artists, and writers. The editors work for the company. The freelancers don’t. Maybe some of them have exclusive contracts, which means that they get a little bit more money per page, and absolutely no benefits or protections, plus they don’t get to work for anyone else — but basically, every comic you pick up has been made by someone without health insurance. But these freelancers are still expected to behave like employees. They are told what to say and when to say it… I’ve said it before, but this whole industry is a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen. It’s astonishing.”
This left Cain with few institutional protections when she was targeted by the anti-Mockingbird harassment campaign. She says, “Marvel put me through a lot with Mockingbird. I faced that with zero institutional protections. All along, I tried to be a part of positive change from the inside — silent change, because I literally was told I couldn’t breathe a word of the project. ‘Hold tight,’ they kept saying. ‘Hold tight. It breaks my heart. Because I think it sends a terrible message. And I love this brand. And I love these guys. And I love comics.”