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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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,"...
Read More
Writing humor

Writing humor

Writing comedy is a challenge that is made even more daunting by the fact that humor itself is completely subjective...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More

Patreon Content Trade

In the early days of webcomics, a preferred method of promotion was the ol’ link exchange. “I’ll link to your comic if you link to mine.” Today’s crowdfunded business model requires a little twist on that old axiom.

The content trade

Exposing your patrons to someone else’s Patreon campaign isn’t only a good idea, it’s great content!

Here’s what I mean. I found one thing to be unquestionably true for me: The more content I post, the more pledges I get.

This is especially true for exclusive posts (as I discussed in my piece on scarcity).

So, every once in a while, I search Patreon for people who are doing something similar to what I’m doing.

Then I approach the person about a content trade. I’ll post something of theirs exclusively to my patrons. (Something they’ve already offered to their patrons.) And they can post something from my Patreon archive for their patrons.

It’s a win-win.

We both get content that we think our patrons will enjoy. We both get an opportunity to expose our work to the people pledging to the other person.

And, of course, when both of you promote the exchange on your own social-media networks, it’s twice the promotion.

I know the fear. “They’ll like the other person better, and ditch me in favor of them.”

I can tell you from experience, I get a lot of new pledges who are continuing their pledge to the other person. (I know, because I always click that button to see who else they’re supporting.) For me, it has been a “rising tide lifts all boats” situation.

by on October 25, 2019
Posted In: Crowdfunding
 Comment 

ComicLab Ep 95: Social Media Has Evolved — Have You?

This episode of ComicLab is sponsored by Wacom! In this week’s show, the ComicLab guys discuss “The Webcomics Business Model.” What is it, anyway?? Also, social media has evolved, but many independent creators haven’t kept up. And finally, should an aspiring cartoonist go to art school?

BUT FIRST… Brad’s son asks the Big Question: “Why is Brad talking to his wife as if she’s Dave Kellett?”

THIS WEEK…

  • What is THE Webcomics Business Model?
  • Social media has evolved. Have you?
  • What has 40k Instagram followers brought to Dave Kellett? Very little, it seems…
  • Facebook’s alleged lies about video stats is accused of ruining some online publishers…
  • …but why did those publishers stay the course even AFTER they realized they’d made a wrong turn??
  • Organic reach vs inorganic reach, and why Brad is a Big Believer of organic
  • Brad and Dave discover that they are about five years ahead of the curve on podcasting, and it’s all because of webcomics.
  • Should a person interested in comics go to art school — and if so, where and when?

Limited-edition ComicLab enamel pins are now available at newevilbook.com and sheldonstore.com!

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the editor of Webcomics.com
Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

by on October 25, 2019
Posted In: ComicLab
 Comment 

When to ditch digital lettering

The vast majority of us use digital lettering for our comics — and it looks great in word balloons and thought bubbles. But what about using it for other lettering inside your comic? For example, take a newspaper headline. Should that be lettered digitally? Should a sign in a store window? What about a roadside billboard.

All too often, in these instances, digital lettering sticks out like a sore thumb. This is especially true for artists who employ a loose drawing style. I think I’ve found a useful solution.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on October 24, 2019
Posted In: Art
 Comment 

Clip Studio Paint tutorial: The “Blocker Layer” Method

Clip Studio Paint presents a tremendous working environment for a cartoonist. Most your work is done in panels that neatly crops your lines inside the panel borders. And, overall, that’s great. Except when you want to break that border. Then, you have to plan ahead. This three-minute video tutorial walks you through an excellent strategy for taking your composition game to the next level.

Clip Studio Paint — The ‘Blocker Layer’ Method… and a couple of its uses

As the video states, it’s a good idea to set up your layers in advance to facilitate this strategy on the fly. My standard comics-page template has all of these layers pre-formatted and in position, so I’m ready to go every time I start a new page. Here’s a look at how my layers are positioned…

Please note: The first part of the video is left silent intentionally.

by on October 18, 2019
Posted In: Art
 Comment 

ComicLab 94: Kickstarter’s anti-union policies

This episode of ComicLab is sponsored by Wacom! In this week’s show, the ComicLab guys discuss Kickstarter’s decision to fire workers who tried to unionize. Also on today’s show, the USPS has decided to remain in the Global Postal Union — much to the relief of small-businesspersons everywhere, and a question-asker wants to know how far Dave and Brad write in advance. Next, eBook-publishing is hot, but are Amazon and ComiXology delivering for independent creators? Then — how do you maintain satisfaction after achieving a goal, and how much should creators engage with fans when they misinterpret the story?

BUT FIRST… Dave has a case of the post-Kickstarter blues

QUESTIONS ASKED…

  • News update: USPS stays in the Global Postal Union
  • Kickstarter fired workers for trying to unionize — what (if anything) should creators do about that?
  • How far do you write in advance?
  • Do ComiXology and Amazon Kindle Direct deliver sales for indie comics publishers?
  • In praise of Gumroad and DriveThruComics
  • How do you maintain satisfaction *after* achieving a goal?
  • When readers misinterpret a story, should you step in and correct them?

Limited-edition ComicLab enamel pins are now available at newevilbook.com and sheldonstore.com!

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

by on October 17, 2019
Posted In: ComicLab
1 Comment

Clip Studio Paint tutorial: Highlights for Black Hair

Drawing a person with black hair can be tricky. If you’re not careful, you can end up with someone who looks as if a stack of vinyl records melted on their head! This three-minute Clip Studio Paint tutorial shows my method for adding intricate looking (buy easy to do) highlights that will allow color to radiate through — giving you character a textured and nuanced appearance.

Highlights for Black Hair

The effect, when color is added, can be quite beautiful.

by on October 11, 2019
Posted In: Art
 Comment 

Increasing social-media engagement using Share Thoughts

Successful social media relies on engagement. The more a post is engaged, the more widely it gets distributed. There are many forms of engagement.

  • Acknowledgement — for example, clicking the Twitter heart or the Facebook thumbs-up — is one of the simplest forms of engagement
  • Association engagement interacts with your content. It’s a reply, a comment, a mention, a follow.
  • Amplification engagement spreads your content. It’s a retweet, a share, a reblog.
  • Action engagement moves beyond your content. It’s a click through to your website.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on October 10, 2019
Posted In: Marketing / Social Media
 Comment 

ComicLab 93: ComicLab enamel pins!

This episode of ComicLab is sponsored by Wacom! In this week’s show, the ComicLab guys discuss how big a comic’s cast of characters should be. Also on the show: Improving your comic by varying the line weight. Then a question asker asks if Brad would ever do a non-superhero comic, and finally Dave shares why he thinks bookstore signings are a waste of time.

BUT FIRST… Brad’s kids gift the Kellett children with thirty pounds of LEGOs.

ComicLab enamel pins

Each pin is available for $10 apiece. But ComicLab backers can get both for ten bucks. That’s like getting one of the pins for free! And you have two choices in which to make your purchase…

QUESTIONS ASKED…

  • How big should a comic’s cast of characters be?
  • US to leave the global postal union? (Update: They recently negotiated a deal to stay in the union)
  • Line weight
  • Would Brad change teams?
  • Bookstore signings are incredibly inefficient

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

by on October 10, 2019
Posted In: ComicLab
 Comment 

Webcomics Confidential #44: Twenty Questions, Part 3

A young person majoring in Sequential Art at a well-known art school wrote in with a list of twenty questions for me. I was happy to answer them, but since the questions seemed so universal, I asked permission to answer the questions in the form of a video so I could share it with others as well. This is the second of a series that will be in four parts — maybe more.

In this installment, I discuss the following topics:

  • What is the etiquette of approaching someone you don’t know, like an employer or another artist?
  • Do you deal with your finances yourself, and if you do how do manage time for it? Or do you hire a financial advisor?
  • Being an artist is a risky one, how do you set a safety net for yourself
  • What are your thoughts on art school for comics artists?
  • If someone is looking to attend art school in the hopes of being a working comic artist after graduating – what should they be looking out for in a good school?
  • If school isn’t an option – what are some good resources (outside of webcomics.com) to prepare one’s self for working as a comic artist? I.e. – books, workshops, groups, etc.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on October 7, 2019
Posted In: Webcomics Confidential
1 Comment