Polls

I said other, because I think they're just doing it to get it out there, or for fun and nobody in particular.

I would say mostly for us, because if they were doing it for themselves it probably would be more suited to their own tastes and would be less likely to appeal to the masses, and therefore ever be published.

Everyone.

Depends on the publisher really. Some businesses will use the whole "demographic" thing while others will use ideas that are completely their own and are personal to them

I think they use a combination of both because it is their business and is also their passion. It wasn't successful if we (fans or public or people or readers or watchers) don't like it.

I think just like anything, when it comes to a dream job, at first its really fun and you do it for yourself and others as well. But A lot of comic artists (old school) seem to just keep doing it for the money after a while it just becomes a job to them. That's the scene I get.

I think they do it for the enjoyment of just doing it!

Comic Artists are like Writers, for that they love to enjoy themselves and they want to audience to enjoy the designs, plot(s), characters, climax, scenery, and much more. I'm not really  good Comic Artist, but I LOVE WRITING! Writing is pretty much fun, and I enjoy it for myself, as well I wish to see if the audience around me could enjoy it. However, the thing is for Publishing Companies being chosen by the authors/comic artists, it seems like it's a large gamble in a way, hoping to succeed for a lot of money. I'm not to sure if they ever pay attention to the details, plots, characters, and much more other stuff... It's something that should be asked in the polls.... o_O Aye, must be darn interesting then!

"Do you think comic book publishers are making comics for you or for themselves?"

Whatever they're doing... it's not getting me interested in buying them again. :/

Both, definitely! The artist enjoys making, drawing and writing the characters and plot lines and stories! But at the same time, the reader is enjoying every bit of what this artist has done, simply by reading their work!  

Isn't it obvious? MONEY! XD

If I would publish a comic, I'd do it for myself. So...
But in the x+1. part of a comic there can be felt tha thread of the readers... Usually here the story dies.

Making comics can be both fun and a way to relieve stress, even if it's tough. Though to keep their money goin, they have to produce more comics for readers to enjoy. However, I believe comic creators simply enjoy the fun of producing a new comic and the joy it brings to their readers.

For whatever sells in the mainstream.

MONEY!

at this point its about 33% themselves 33% us 33% money 1% aliens

the readers of course the publishers think mostly about there readers when they make comics anyways

True art should be performed just for the artist's sake. I'm a profane in all that regards comics; still, my impression is they are audience-driven. They tell what the readers want to be told. I sincerely wish those kind of artists to be able to do at least ONE "work of their life", by which I mean one sincere piece of art that is beyond money and beyond any boundary.

I think artists make things for the ones they love and their fans.

I think that they're mainly doing it for whoever wants to use it- as in, if you don't like it, don't buy it or whatever. If you like it, then get it!!!!! Why do you think people would go into that line of work if they didn't enjoy comics themselves? I mean, really... it wouldn't be hard to get a job in other places with a bit better 'joy' rate than the comic book industry, now would it? And yet they go there. How else can you explain that???? Hm? If you like it, you like it, if you don't, you don't, they do it for those who do. But bringing others in is ALWAYS a bonus! ^^

As a comic author myself, I feel that comics, like any piece of literature, are used to convey a message from the writer to the reader. My comic deals with duality and the balancing of good and evil. 

I'm not a part of the demographic most comics are aimed at. Publishers are making comics for the people they believe will buy their comics.

It has to be both. comics isn't always about the art or the story. Yeah thats what makes a comic, but its a business, and business has to sell.

HOWEVER. art and business can intersect. thats whats amazing about it and thats what you want

They might be doing them for friends or family, but also for themselves.

Ad revenue

I feel that most of them at first will do it for themselves, but soon come to realize that doing it for the readers is much better. Or, after they do it for themselves just so they can have enough power to learn how to create good comics that readers will like. (complicated process).

A good business will do both. Riiiiight?

For money.

A lot of time comic book writers write what they want, what they believe in- the way they want the characters to be. A lot of times the fandom gropes and gripes about how "it wouldn't be this way if so and so were writing this" and the writer gets discouraged. They begin writing it the way the fandom wants it  written, exactly how it had been before. The characters lose any potential of development and are stuck in a vicious cycle of monotony. 

The creator does it for both, but a publisher doesn't care about the feelings, story or art. They are publishing comics for the money.

I think both, they draw their ideas and what they believe and how they feel into a comic, but at the other hand need to present it for the reader. They understand how to reach the people out there and translate their message properly.

Here's how I see it since I myself am a writer, I make pilots to see if a series works. Depending on the feedback its up to the reader or if I have high hopes for the series then I will continue it. Writers want to see if a series works and if it does they do it for the reader or they do it for themselves. If not, they just leave it.

If I ever get to publish my own comic "Crosswinds", I would be silly not to admit how proud I would feel, but....

MONNNNNNNNEY

I believe they do it for the fans, and in the most negative way.
They are just trying to please the fans and won't do stuff they don't believe will please the fans. They're not interested in challenging the fans or in telling their own stories. In fact, I'd probably enjoy comics more if they just tried telling their own stories how they felt like telling them. More indie comics do this, and I believe most of the time they produce superior stories.

The communists.

I fear they make them mostly for a strange Marketing created group of nonexistent virtual people, that have properties of many different readers... but do not really serve any one reader.

They made comics for The Market. That mabe is a combination of boths or neither

Well it is hard to find a decent story these days, most seem like they were done for the hell of it.

When you tell a story, you do it because you want to. And you do it because someone want to hear it. So both

Comic publisher do not get much money. It depends on the Company. For example, I want to become a Mangaka even though I know that I need a second Job.

Publishers are supposed to make it for us, but they tend to miss the mark so terribly much that we might as well say they make them for themselves.

The saddest part is, it's really hard to make something for the fans when there's so many fans and so many contradictory opinions of what we want... but when publishers do try to address what we want, it seems to often (I want to say always but I'm trying to stay positive lol) backfire and they instead end up angering several groups in a failed attempt to please one groups or a few groups.

I'm just so often disappointed with the comic industry. They're not always good at listening, and when they do listen they panic with all the different opinions and can't prioritize what might make most fans happy or not. (Communication could be better.)


Also, I see so many comments in this post that answered as if the question was about fanarts and about how artists should do it for their own enjoyment etc... O_o It's good to enjoy your work if you do it for a living but the question was about publishers, not the artists themselves, and especially not fanartists.
A publishing company must focus on communicating with its customer base and with its artists in order to have a harmonious idea of what one might want to read and what the other can do/wants to do, and then combine all of that to put out a quality product. The focus of a publishing company is to thrive while satisfying its customer base. It's not to have fun or enjoyment, though one hopes that will also be a part of it, as a by-product. No company that says its primary purpose is to have fun, is saying the truth. lol

Money... the world is ruled by it... controlled by it and no-one notices that money will destroy us!

The publishers do it for the money, the writers and artists do it for the art (hopefully), if there is an overlap (writer/publisher, artist/ publisher, all in one) then there may be other motives, but a lone publisher with no artistic stake in it is financially motivated.
My opinion, feel free to disagree.