Webcomics Confidential: Draw larger

Webcomics Confidential: Draw larger

I took a question on Twitter recently: "Would it be wrong to draw my comics on A4 paper? I find...
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November To-Do List

November To-Do List

It's time to get started on (*choke*) the penultimate month of 2024.If you plan to offer new merchandise for the...
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ComicLab Ep 359 — Should your readers be your writers?

ComicLab Ep 359 — Should your readers be your writers?

BlueSky is beginning to feel like Twitter did ten years ago! Engagement is up, conversations are genuine, and follower counts...
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Understanding social media

Understanding social media

Social media is among an independent artist's most frustrating elements. We struggle for engagement, wage constant battles with "The Algorithm,"...
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Writing humor

Writing humor

Writing comedy is a challenge that is made even more daunting by the fact that humor itself is completely subjective...
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CMYK vs RGB

CMYK vs RGB

If you're saving your comics in RGB mode, you may be making a potentially expensive mistake. The content you are...
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ComicLab Ep 358 — “Help! I’m not funny anymore!”

ComicLab Ep 358 — “Help! I’m not funny anymore!”

Cartoonists Dave and Brad share some thoughts with a young humor writer trying to find their Funny. Also: Is BlueSky...
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ISBN — a beginner’s guide

ISBN — a beginner’s guide

An ISBN is a 10- or 13-digit number used to identify a book from a specific publisher. Once your book...
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How to write a Halloween joke

How to write a Halloween joke

On Substack, a cartoonist was struggling with writing a Halloween joke. He was experiencing a common problem. He was stuck...
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Webcomics Confidential: Size doesn’t matter

Webcomics Confidential: Size doesn’t matter

when it comes to your audience, size doesn't matter. A small and engaged readership beats a huge, lukewarm audience every...
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Coming soon: Patreon’s Post Dashboard

NOTE: This feature is currently in beta, so you may not have access to it yet.

Following on the heels of its unveiling of multi-image posting, Patreon is currently beta-testing another feature sure to please webcartoonists: Performance stats for individual posts! Here’s a look at what’s in store…

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by on August 5, 2019
Posted In: Crowdfunding
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ComicLab Ep 82: Dave’s Comic Con recap

This episoide of ComicLab is sponsored by Wacom! Dave Kellett has returned from San Diego, after spending a week exhibiting at Comic Con International, and he brought stories and analysis with him. In today’s show:

  • Dave and Brad remember the first time they used a Wacom Cintiq
  • Did Dave turn a profit? Was the show worth the expense?
  • Hollywood parties vs comic con parties
  • Getting booth barnacled — by people who should know better!
  • ComicLab listeners who visited the booth
  • Dave walked the show floor at San Diego, and returned a changed man
  • Is Comic Con International… shrinking

But first… a married couple approaches Dave’s booth, and says, “ComicLab helped our marriage…”

by on August 3, 2019
Posted In: ComicLab
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August To-Do List

We’re well into the second half of the year, believe it or not. Now’s a great time to start planning the rest of your 2019.

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by on August 2, 2019
Posted In: Uncategorized
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Patreon’s image galleries are (finally) here. But will you use them to their full potential?

For years, artists have been requesting the ability to post more than a single image on their Patreon posts. That day has finally come. From Patreon’s blog:

Introducing Image Galleries in posts. Now, whether you’re a visual artist sharing a series of illustrations, or a podcaster sharing photos from a recent event, you can upload as many images as you like to a post, creating a beautiful image gallery with an intuitive viewing experience for your patrons.

Announcing Image Galleries, Patreon blog

According to the site: “When your patrons click on a thumbnail, it will expand into a full-sized light box, displaying your image in vivid detail. Plus, with the arrow button or their keyboard, your patrons will be able to click through the images, and see the rest of your works.”

That’s great news. But it has potential far beyond simply uploading multiple images. Here’s your chance to get ahead of the curve in what you’re offering Patreon backers.

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by on July 31, 2019
Posted In: Uncategorized
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ComicLab Ep 82: If social media delivers only 1% engagement, what’s the point?

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! A listener asks: if social-media delivers only a 1% engagement, what hope does one have in building an audience? Also in today’s show:

  • The best way to host a comics-making workshop for kids.
  • Books on Brad and Dave’s bookshelf
  • Why did Dave move his comic from site to site for so long?
  • BUT FIRST, Brad is living a home-owner’s nightmare.

This is the episode that inspired this follow-up discussion on Webcomics Confidential…

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by on July 24, 2019
Posted In: ComicLab
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ComicLab Ep 80: Special Guest Dylan Meconis

In this episode, Dave and Brad talk to Dylan Meconis about her new book, Queen of the Sea! Also…

  • Brad has some repairs done to his house, and it goes poorly.
  • The case for traditional publishing — children’s books
  • Dave’s upcoming appearance at Comic Con International
  • Working with an editor
  • Listener asks “I lost my day job. How do I generate excitement over working on my comic?”
  • How to “kill your darlings”
  • What’s your favorite part about making comics?
by on July 11, 2019
Posted In: ComicLab
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Patreon discovery

I polled my Patreon backers, and I asked them one simple question: How did you find out about my Patreon? The answers were surprising to me, so I made the poll ongoing — making the question a part of the welcome package that new Patreon backers receive. After several months of collecting data, I’d like to share my results…

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by on July 10, 2019
Posted In: Uncategorized
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Webcomics Confidential Ep 41: Beating the One-Percent Engagement Average

According to some statistics, social-media posts only get a 1% engagement rate, on average. And that has some people questioning the value of social media as a promotional tool. But unless we use a little common sense about what that statistic actually represents, we could be mislead into taking our eyes off the real goal. I’ll talk about the “1% Rule” and discusses a better way to approach your social media outreach.

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by on July 8, 2019
Posted In: Webcomics Confidential
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