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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ComicLab Ep 357 — Innovation fascination

ComicLab Ep 357 — Innovation fascination

Having wrapped up his 16th Kickstarter, cartoonist Dave Kellett shares some insights about setting realistic expectations, avoiding paid advertising, and...
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T-shirt tutorial

Deciding to print T-shirts is a vastly different process than printing books or posters. Here’s a quick primer to get you on your feet.

If you decide to handle the production of a T-shirt run, spend a little time finding a good printer. Working with a local printer may mean you can pick-up the finished product instead of paying for the shipping. A good printer will also be able to offer you a wide selection of T-shirt styles and brands.

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by on May 11, 2011
Posted In: Merchandise
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Kickstarter

Back in the day, webcartoonists would handle preorders through PayPal. We’d make the announcement that a book was forthcoming and readers could pre-order it now — with the knowledge that it would be shipped immediately. Once the pre-orders had generated enough money to pay for the printing costs, the order was placed with the printer, the books were printed, and later shipped to the people who had placed pre-orders.

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by on May 10, 2011
Posted In: Business
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Booth ettiquette

There are a few points of booth etiquette that you should be aware of as you’re exhibiting at a convention.

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by on May 9, 2011
Posted In: Conventions
5 Comments

Punchline Hot Seat: Part Seven

This is Part Seven in an ongoing critique of comics picked at random from participating members, so let’s get right to the disclaimers. AIf I re-write the punchline, I’m not necessarily trying to go funnier. I’m trying to demonstrate construction. I want to show how you re-assembling the logical steps along the progression of your comic can lead to a more polished punchline. It may not seem funnier for your sense of humor. But I’m confident that if you pay attention to the construction, you’ll be able to take away something that works for you.

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by on May 4, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
19 Comments

May To-Do List

Get out your calendar and start circling dates. It’s time to do a little webcomics planning.

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by on May 2, 2011
Posted In: To-Do List
2 Comments

Punchline Hot Seat: Part Six

Part six in an ongoing critique of comics picked at random from participating members. As with before, if I re-write the punchline, I’m not necessarily trying to go funnier. I’m trying to demonstrate construction. I want to show how you re-assembling the logical steps along the progression of your comic can lead to a more polished punchline. It may not seem funnier for your sense of humor. But I’m confident that if you pay attention to the construction, you’ll be able to take away something that works for you.

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by on April 27, 2011
Posted In: Hot Seat critiques, Writing
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16 Comments

Mailbag: Time for a Banner?

Q.: I’ve been preparing for my summer con season, and one item I’ve been on the fence about is investing in a banner and stand. I’d love to have one, but I’m not sure the money and hassle of shipping one around is worthwhile for someone who’s still just starting with the whole con circuit.

Is this a silly concern, or might a banner be a waste right now when so few people would recognize the comic anyway?

The fact that my (and pretty much anyone’s) art is always evolving makes it doubly difficult to decide whether to buy one now, since I’ll probably hate the drawing in a year.

Just interested in your thoughts on the subject!

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by on April 26, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
14 Comments