Should you do a 2025 calendar?

Should you do a 2025 calendar?

As we head into December, you may be considering a 2025 calendar to sell to your audience. We'll talk about...
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Webcomics Confidential: Understanding Writer’s Block

Webcomics Confidential: Understanding Writer’s Block

How often are we presented with the image of tortured creative souls, staring plaintively at the tools of their craft,...
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ComicLab Ep 365 — Maybe You’re Not Funny

ComicLab Ep 365 — Maybe You’re Not Funny

In this episode, Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett share insights on the creative process of writing humor, emphasizing that humor...
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Something worth sharing

Something worth sharing

With Twitter going down the tubes, I decided to re-focus my efforts on social media. I wanted to see if...
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Maximizing the potential of Bluesky Starter Packs

Maximizing the potential of Bluesky Starter Packs

If you're one of the millions of new users on Bluesky, you're probably becoming familiar with Starter Packs. This was...
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Webcomics Confidential: What size should your webcomic be?

Webcomics Confidential: What size should your webcomic be?

Beginning cartoonists often ask what size they should make their comic. Many are looking for "standard" sizes. The answer is...
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ComicLab Ep 346 — In Over My Head

ComicLab Ep 346 — In Over My Head

What happens when your story gets too big for you to handle? Are you the right person for the job?...
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How many social-media posts per day?

How many social-media posts per day?

According to a Very Popular Influencer, one should post on social media six to eight times daily. I disagree, and...
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Detritus — What it is and why your comic needs it

Detritus — What it is and why your comic needs it

Let's discuss one of those savvy touches that can help take your art to the next level. And ironically enough,...
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Webcomics Confidential: T-shirt psychology

Webcomics Confidential: T-shirt psychology

Nobody wants to buy a T-shirt featuring your character or logo. It's not that your original character is terrible. Instead,...
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ComicLab Ep 296 — “You talked me out of a mistake, and I’d like to get back to making it as soon as possible”

This week a ComicLab listener writes to thank us for talking him out of a mistake — and to say he’d like to get back to making it as soon as possible.

ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW…

  • Going back to making the same mistake
  • Patreon for a short-term comic
  • UPDATE: Patreon Free Trial
  • UPDATE: Jerry Garcia — “Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like licorice… REALLY like licorice!” That’s sage advice for niche publishing.
  • Particular advice for small comic conventions
  • Coming back after a break — restart the online comic or Kickstart a book with finished materials

DriveThruComics

Check out the redesigned DriveThruComics here! Their team is looking for feedback as they work on the new layout and features, so pass along your thoughts using this Google Form.

If you’re interested in setting up a publisher account, here’s some helpful information. They also have guides for creating and publishing digital and print-on-demand books!

by on August 17, 2023
Posted In: ComicLab
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woman doing a hush hand gesture

When a content scraper steals your Patreon-exclusives

It happens from time to time — especially if you’re offering exclusive content on Patreon. Criminals (there’s no other word) access your site and use various means to scrape the content and post it in places people can access it for free. As long as we, as artists, allow ourselves to be undervalued, there will always be people comfortable doing this. So, what can you do to stop it?

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on August 15, 2023
Posted In: Business, Crowdfunding
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ComicLab Ep 295: Too many SHOULDs

Today’s show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com! It’s the first download comic shop — and we think it’s the best!

You should build a following on social media. You should launch a website. You should focus on the quality of your comic. How do you manage all of these “SHOULDs?!” 

ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW…

DriveThruComics

Check out the redesigned DriveThruComics here! Their team is looking for feedback as they work on the new layout and features, so pass along your thoughts using this Google Form.

If you’re interested in setting up a publisher account, here’s some helpful information. They also have guides for creating and publishing digital and print-on-demand books!

by on August 10, 2023
Posted In: ComicLab
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The Kickstarter bathtub curve

It’s not uncommon to panic in the early days of a Kickstarter campaign. After that initial shower of pledges, the activity often drains out — leaving the creator wondering if they’re going to be left all wet. That’s when it’s time to get into the “tub.”

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by on August 9, 2023
Posted In: Crowdfunding
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Finding your unique drawing style

Finding a unique and identifiable drawing style is one of the first obsessions a beginner artist has. How is this accomplished? It’s all about the rearview mirror.

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by on August 8, 2023
Posted In: Art
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Livestream Chat: Doing a quiet voice in comics lettering

How do you represent someone whispering in a comic? If you choose to make the lettering itself smaller, you’re sacrificing legibility — and that’s dangerous. After all, that’s Guigar’s Law of Lettering: “nobody’s gonna read your comic if they can’t read your comic.” In this Livestream Chat, let’s talk about different approaches to getting it done… quietly.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on August 7, 2023
Posted In: Webcomics Confidential
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ComicLab Ep 294 — Pulling at Threads

Today’s show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com! It’s the first download comic shop — and we think it’s the best!

Social media giant Meta launched Threads and acquired over 40,000 users within the first 24 hours. Will this be the death knell for Twitter? And if it is, will that be good news for comic creators?

ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW…

DriveThruComics

Check out the redesigned DriveThruComics here! Their team is looking for feedback as they work on the new layout and features, so pass along your thoughts using this Google Form.

If you’re interested in setting up a publisher account, here’s some helpful information. They also have guides for creating and publishing digital and print-on-demand books!

by on August 3, 2023
Posted In: ComicLab
 Comment 

E-mail newsletters — Best Practices

Email outreach is hot again — and many independent creators are leaping to it as a way to escape social media. But in so doing, many of us are running afoul of long-standing FTC regulations which could hamper our ability to reach those readers over the long term. So let’s talk best practices.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on August 2, 2023
Posted In: Marketing / Social Media
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