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 266 — A minor problem with a comics major

ComicLab Ep 266 — A minor problem with a comics major

Does an aspiring comics artist/writer need a college degree? And, if so, which degree is best? Next, a listener asks...
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Webcomics Confidential: You’re wasting money on advertising

Webcomics Confidential: You’re wasting money on advertising

Unless you have a granular knowledge of advertising, demographics, and much more, you're probably wasting money on "plug-and-play" advertising like...
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Record-keeping tips from the IRS

As we head into the four quarter of 2010, I thought it might be a good time to go over some information that’s going to come in handy by the end of the year. Keeping good records is going to do two things. First, it’s going to help you calculate your taxes accurately and avoid any mistakes that might get you flagged for review. Secondly, in the event that you are called in for an audit, having your records in order will help you navigate the process in a much better frame of mind. All of the following links take you off-site to the IRS’s official advice on each topic.

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by on August 26, 2010
Posted In: Business
13 Comments

Logo Hot Seat, Part Three: Typography

In the first Logo Hot Seat, we discussed some flaws that fall under the heading of an important element of design: Legibility. In the next Hot Seat, we talked about using Negative Space to improve your logo.

In this next group of logos, I’d like to discuss another important aspect of design: Typography.

Typography is such a powerful tool. It can convey attitude and emotion. It can add amazing flavor. If you’re timid with your font choices, you logo could end up bland. And if you’re careless, you could wind up with something that tastes horrible. To your readers’ eyes.

Too bad fonts can’t be used to fix a bad metaphor.

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by on August 25, 2010
Posted In: Uncategorized
36 Comments

Failure is an option

This piece was kindly submitted by Patric Lewandowski.

You finally did it.  You thought about it for years, but you finally started your first comic.  And it’s on the web!  There’s no one to stop you from reaching the masses with your comic!  There’s no one to tell you “no!”  And, your craft is strong!  You draw well.  Jokes are funny.  At least, that’s what the few readers you have told you.  But why don’t you have more readers?  You just need to work harder, right?

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by on August 24, 2010
Posted In: Creativity
27 Comments

Buying a one-year membership in August?!

Since the question has arisen once or twice, I figured I’d better clear up any confusion.

Your Webcomics.com membership is good for twelve months after your starting date. In other words, it will not expire on Dec. 31, 2010. Rather, it will expire one year after you first subscribe.

When you subscribe, you are automatically enrolled to have your subscription renewed after one year. You have every right to cancel that auto-enroll, and it is very easy to do to. However, if you cancel the auto-renewal and forget to update your subscription, your account will be automatically locked.

 

by on August 24, 2010
Posted In: Uncategorized

Logo Hot Seat, Part One: Legibility

As I stated in my original post on the subject, designing a good logo is an integral part of the branding of your comic and your site. During the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be grouping some of the submitted logos into groups according to the similar problems that they exhibit so we can discuss those issues one by one.

The first issue I want to discuss is legibility.

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by on August 19, 2010
Posted In: Uncategorized
54 Comments

Robert Khoo: Comic-Con Review

Penny Arcade has been exhibiting at San Diego Comic Con for a decade, and I can say with confidence that we’ll never get it 100% right. From shipping mistakes to inventory issues to unplanned expenses, the combination of so many moving parts in your planning process and a show that continues to evolve creates a situation that’s always error-prone.

Despite that incredibly upbeat opener, I actually hope this article will show two things: A. everyone makes mistakes so you shouldn’t feel bad when you do (and you will) and B. you shouldn’t let those mistakes haunt you.

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by on August 18, 2010
Posted In: Uncategorized
11 Comments

Sales Tax at Conventions

Something happened at Comic-Con in July that really made my eyes pop open.

And it had nothing to do with cosplayers.

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by on August 16, 2010
Posted In: Business
32 Comments

Thumbnail Sketches

Sometimes we get so immeshed in the routine of doing regularly updated art that we forget to pay attention to some of the small things that make a big difference in our work.

One of these often-overlooked details is composition.

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by on August 12, 2010
Posted In: Uncategorized
9 Comments