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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Adding lettering to improve original art sales

Adding lettering to improve original art sales

Selling original art is an integral part of the business model of an independent cartoonist who works with traditional media...
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Mailbag: Web equity

Q.: I have recently began a new webcomic. At this point in time, it is a blog and is stil in development with a comic coming once every Saturday. I was just wondering how I could possibly get better noticed and when might be a good time to move beyond the blog and onto a more independent Web page. — Simeon

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by on March 21, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
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Do you need a separate ISBN for your ebook?

According to PublishingBasics.com, the answer is yes. With an asterisk.

This is probably one of the most asked; least understood questions out there in the self-publishing world today. Technically you not only need an ISBN but you need a different ISBN for each format your ebook is being offered. If you are offering your book as a mobi, epub and a PDF, you need three different ISBNs. That’s technically. In reality, if you are only making your eBook available on Amazon, you don’t need any. Confused? Read the entire piece.

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by on March 17, 2011
Posted In: Business
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Promoting on lists and index sites

Q.: Just started a weekly webcomic in December and wondered if you (or webcomics.com readers) had a list of what you would consider basic webcomics list/index sites that a webcomic should be listed on to get the word out that they exist.

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by on March 16, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
18 Comments

Random Punchline Hot Seat

It has been a while since we’ve had a “Hot Seat” style workshop thread, so let’s kick-off with a random punchline critique. Here’s how it works, You submit your URL, and I will go to the site and hit a random comic. Then I’ll discuss some of the entries in a post, opening up the topic to the members for a wider critique.

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by on March 15, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
33 Comments

Guide to Khoo Q&As

After the most recent round of Q&As from Robert Khoo, Adam Casalino made a comment mentioning it would be nice if there was a large document with all the questions/answers he’s done with some anchor links. Cue Brandon Levan who made a quick HTML file with all the questions and answers anchor-linked on the page.

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by on March 15, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
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Transcontinental Discount — Update

While I was at the Emerald City Comic Convention, a Webcomics.com member approached me with troubling news. This person had submitted a quote to Transcontinental for a book in October 2010, and then submitted a quote for the same book in February 2011 — this time using the Webcomics.com form that gave the 10% discount.

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by on March 11, 2011
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Dave Kellett: The Freeing of Comics

Many of you know Dave Kellett as the creator of both Sheldon and Drive; the co-author of How To Make Webcomics; and one-quarter of Webcomics Weekly.

On October 15, 2010, Dave Kellett spoke at the Festival of Cartoon Art hosted by Ohio State University. His lecture, “The Freeing of the Comics,” was offered as a response to Bill Watterson’s 1989 talk at the same forum, entitled, “The Cheapening of the Comics.” His presentation is below, in five parts.

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by on March 11, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
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Don’t Say “Me,” Say “We.”

During the recording of the live Webcomics Weekly* at Emerald City Comic Con, Scott dropped some advice that’s worth repeating here.

He said that his dad, long ago, cautioned him to never say “I” or “me” when he was talking about himself to his readers.

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by on March 10, 2011
Posted In: Business
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Copic Marker Tutorial

This piece has been graciously submitted by avid webcomics fan Chad Townsend, who is currently working for Disney Junction Point, makers of Epic Mickey.

I have been an avid user of Prismacolor markers on my concept work for years. Lately I’ve been getting tired of having piles of half dried markers lying around, popping the cap off of each one just to find one juicy enough to make a wet spot on the paper. I kept hearing I need to try Copics: “You can refill them!”

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by on March 9, 2011
Posted In: Uncategorized
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