Jennifer de Guzman at Comics Alliance published an illuminating report on the high cost of drawing comics:

Being a comic book artist is a physically taxing job. Long hours sitting at the literal drawing board (whether drawing on paper or digitally) can strain muscles in the back, neck, and shoulders; repetitive motions inflame tendons in the arms. Combine this demanding work with the life of a freelancer, which, in the United States, does not come with any form of health care, and you’ll realize that many comics artists are living one injury away from economic disaster. An injury will not only cost money to treat, it will also cost time as it heals — time that could be spent drawing — resulting in lost income.

This is a reality I’ve heard from many comics artists of my acquaintance: Drawing hurts. From general soreness to serious repetitive stress injuries that cause permanent damage, pain always eventually accompanies art.

There's nothing we can do to make drawing easier on the body. But we should all as a society be continually outraged that Americans don't have access to the health care that they need. Art is work, and the fact that America doesn't take care of its own workers is embarrassing.