Polygon Freelance Comic Strip Writer

Collider; United States; Remote; USD 13,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote

Pitch original ideas

Community of like-minded people

Job summary

Polygon is seeking passionate freelance writers with deep knowledge of comic strips and newspaper comics, from classics to modern favorites. This fully remote role invites you to craft engaging features, rankings, retrospectives, and commentary for a global audience of readers and fans.

You will cover strips like Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, Garfield, and more, exploring creators, history, and cultural impact while meeting deadlines and SEO guidelines.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in digital journalism, online publishing, or culture writing.
• Deep knowledge of comic strips and newspaper comics, with familiarity of classics and moderns.
• Ability to craft engaging, authoritative content on deadline.
• Strong headlines, rankings, and list-format storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Write engaging features, lists, rankings, retrospectives, and opinion pieces focused on classic and contemporary comic strips.
• Cover beloved strips and major properties such as Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, Garfield, and others.
• Identify angles around memorable strips, characters, running gags, storylines, and milestones.
• Explore history and cultural impact of influential strips and cartoonists.
• Monitor anniversaries, creator news, reissues, and online conversations for timely content opportunities.
• Develop article ideas appealing to both devoted fans and casual readers.
• Collaborate with editors to align with editorial priorities and SEO goals.
• Publish content on deadline while maintaining quality and accuracy.
• Follow editorial and formatting guidelines rigorously.

Skills

Digital journalism

Comic strips knowledge

Editorial writing

SEO familiarity

CMS familiarity

Job description

This is a paid freelance, remote position.

Polygon is a leading destination for coverage of games, entertainment, comics, and culture, bringing readers smart, engaging stories about the media and fandoms they care about. From games and movies to television, comics, and internet culture, Polygon explores the stories, creators, characters, and communities shaping entertainment today.

We're looking for passionate and knowledgeable freelance writers with a deep knowledge of comic strips and newspaper comics, from all-time classics to modern favorites.

We're talking Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, Garfield, Dilbert, Marmaduke, Doonesbury, Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Zits, Pearls Before Swine, Foxtrot, Cathy, Bloom County, Hagar the Horrible, The Family Circus, and beyond.

This role is about more than knowing the characters. We're looking for writers who understand the creators, history, running jokes, iconic storylines, cultural impact, and enduring appeal behind the strips that generations of readers have grown up with.

You'll turn that knowledge into engaging, highly readable features, rankings, lists, retrospectives, and commentary designed for both lifelong comic strip fans and readers rediscovering these classics.

Your Responsibilities

• Write engaging features, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and opinion pieces focused on classic and contemporary comic strips
• Cover beloved strips such as Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, Garfield, and other major properties and creators
• Identify interesting angles around memorable strips, characters, running gags, storylines, creators, controversies, and milestones
• Explore the history and cultural impact of influential comic strips and the cartoonists behind them
• Monitor relevant anniversaries, creator news, reissues, collections, adaptations, and online conversations for timely content opportunities
• Develop article ideas that can appeal to both dedicated comic strip readers and Polygon's broader audience
• Work closely with editors to develop compelling content ideas and execute editorial priorities
• Work independently while consistently meeting deadlines
• Ensure timely publication of content aligned with SEO and audience engagement goals
• Follow editorial and formatting guidelines rigorously

What We Offer

• Fully remote - write from wherever you'd like!
• Opportunities to pitch original ideas
• An amazing community of like-minded people to nerd-out with on a daily basis

Experience and Skills

• At least 2 years of experience in digital journalism, online publishing, entertainment, comics, culture writing, or a comparable writing environment
• Deep knowledge of comic strips, newspaper comics, and their creators
• Strong familiarity with major strips such as Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, Garfield, and others
• Ability to recognize what makes an individual strip, storyline, character, creator, or creative era interesting enough to build an article around
• Strong research skills and the ability to write authoritatively about both familiar and lesser-known aspects of comic strip history
• Ability to independently write and publish clean, accurate, engaging content on deadline
• A strong sense for headlines, rankings, hooks, and topics that will resonate with fans
• Familiarity with SEO and CMS tools is an asset

Polygon is part of the Valnet Publishing Group.

Valnet, founded in 2012, is a global digital publishing and media investment Company that owns and operates over 25 authoritative brands across diverse verticals, including entertainment, sports, technology, automotive, gaming, lifestyle and travel.

Valnet is committed to producing premium content, and we therefore require all our contributors to adhere to our Editorial Standards, including a prohibition on using Artificial Intelligence.