ComicLab Ep 362 — Your content is not your community

ComicLab Ep 362 — Your content is not your community

When comic creators try to market their comics, they often confuse what their comic is about with who it's for....
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Remove your first panel

Remove your first panel

If you've been a reader of Webcomics.com for a while, you know how much I loathe "magic number" advice. But...
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Key dates in the upcoming holiday shopping season

Key dates in the upcoming holiday shopping season

From Black Friday to New Year's sales, here's a guide to help you prepare your online store for the holiday...
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Webcomics Confidential: How long should it take to draw a comics page?

Webcomics Confidential: How long should it take to draw a comics page?

A person starting to do comics asked a question in a forum for creators: "How long does it take you...
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Comics Consultations

Comics Consultations

Powered by I will prepare top-down analysis of your comic-based business, including: Art and writing Social media Crowdfunding Marketing/promotion Then...
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ComicLab Ep 361 — Let’s talk about your bits and pieces

ComicLab Ep 361 — Let’s talk about your bits and pieces

When a listener asks about Kickstarter strategy, the ComicLab guys are divided! Dave favors the traditional webcomics approach. Build your...
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Reddit posting strategy

Reddit posting strategy

This is an excellent time to start an account on Reddit — or to dust off a profile you haven't...
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Clip Studio tutorial: Adding highlights to black hair

Clip Studio tutorial: Adding highlights to black hair

Drawing a person with black hair can be tricky. If you're not careful, you can end up with someone who...
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Webcomics Confidential: “Don’t quit your day job!”

Webcomics Confidential: “Don’t quit your day job!”

"Don't quit your day job" is often used to insult artists and imply that they haven't become successful yet. But...
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COmicLab Ep 360 — New ways to make an old mistake

COmicLab Ep 360 — New ways to make an old mistake

After years of listening to Brad and Dave extoll the virtues of self-publishing, a ComicLab listener signed with a corporate...
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Bookplates

Offering an original illustration inside a book — as part of an Artist Edition — is a tremendous way to drive sales and/or Kickstarter pledges. But… have you ever tried to draw a decent drawing on a book’s inside cover (or an inside page)? It’s not easy. And — depending on the coating you used on your cover/pages — the ink doesn’t always take to the surface very well. There’s got to be a better way…

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by on May 24, 2023
Posted In: Print publishing
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Feeling awkward about promotion? Talk about your ‘Pride & Joy’ instead.

It’s difficult for many of us to promote our creative efforts effectively because it feels like bragging. After all, how are we supposed to extoll the virtues of our work without sounding conceited? I have a strategy for you that works every time — and makes your outreach much less ham-handed. Instead of talking about your comic’s greatness, talk about your “Pride & Joy” instead.

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by on May 23, 2023
Posted In: Marketing / Social Media
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Webcomics Confidential: Is More Always Better?

Here’s a thought-provoking question: Does the “more is more” philosophy of social media really lead to success? For instance, is it really better to offer hamburgers five times a week instead of steak twice weekly if you want to build a better career?

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by on May 22, 2023
Posted In: Digital publishing
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ComicLab Ep 283 — Publishing two versions of the same book?

A ComicLab listener asks for advice on publishing two versions of the same book — one rated PG-13, and another rated R. Sounds an awful lot like what Brad does. So why is he so against it?!

ON THIS WEEK‘S SHOW...

  • Two versions of the same book
  • UPDATE: New York Times portfolio review
  • UPDATE: Brad’s birthday present
  • How many hours spent drawing?
  • Building narrative tension
  • Hiring an assistant after an injury

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

by on May 18, 2023
Posted In: ComicLab
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Webtoons déjà vu

It’s tough to be an independent cartoonist. There’s only one place to find comic readers online. There’s only one place where you’re able to get paid for your work. And there’s only one place you can be considered a professional and have hopes of building a career. No, I’m not talking about Webtoons, I’m talking about Keenspot in the opening years of the 2000s. And everything we said then was untrue just as it is when folks say the same things about Webtoons today.

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by on May 17, 2023
Posted In: Digital publishing
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How to set a price for a book

I created a study guide for my Arts Entrepreneurship class, and I thought it might be helpful to post it here, too. It talks about the simple math behind correctly determining the best price for your merchandise.

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by on May 16, 2023
Posted In: Business
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Line weight

The quality of your line can add intensity and energy to your art. Let’s talk about drawing with a “dead” line… and why this might be the better choice for you!

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by on May 15, 2023
Posted In: Art
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ComicLab Ep 282 — Let’s talk ‘comics’ — literally

Let’s talk “comics” — literally. A comic could be a single piece or an entire book. It could be a single panel or a series of panels. And although the word implies humor, many comics aren’t supposed to be funny at all! Isn’t there a better word for this thing we do?!

ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW…

  • The word “comic”
  • Lettering … the invisible art
  • “Traditional artist”
  • Hi-res art as a Patreon reward?
by on May 11, 2023
Posted In: ComicLab
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Never listen to a reader; always listen to your readers

“I’d buy that on a T-shirt” is the oldest lie in webcomics. As soon as you release the shirt, the reader who suggested it disappears faster than a Dracula in front of a crucifix. And yet, many of us allow ourselves to be misguided by readers daily. How can we do better?

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by on May 10, 2023
Posted In: Community
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