ComicLab Ep 367 — How can comics reach kids?

ComicLab Ep 367 — How can comics reach kids?

A father is concerned that comics no longer reach kids, suggesting that video games are the better value measured by...
Read More
Planning out the new year

Planning out the new year

This is a time when many of us start daydreaming about the coming year. We have hopes, plans, goals, and...
Read More
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...
Read More
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,...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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?...
Read More
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...
Read More

The Fifth Age of Webcomics

Webcomics have gone through several mass upheavals. Each one required us to adjust to new changes in the world around us, adapt to new ways of publishing, and find innovative ways of generating revenue. As someone who has been publishing from the very start, I’ve lived through all of these disruptions, and I can see the next one shaping up on the horizon. This seems like a good time to remember what those first three cataclysms taught us.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on December 7, 2022
Posted In: Marketing / Social Media
 Comment 

Twitter replacements

As Twitter teeters on the brink of extinction, many of us are asking ourselves how we’re going to replace a social-media platform that had become integral to our publishing and promotion. Will the federated servers of Mastodon become the next Big Thing? Or will Twitter’s users flock to the email-newsletter platform Substack? Here’s a look at the major players and some thoughts on their overall potential.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on December 2, 2022
Posted In: Marketing / Social Media
 Comment 

December To-Do List

It’s already December. It’s a month dominated by holidays — both preparing for and celebrating them — and it’s the end of the year. It’s probably the most challenging months for a webcartoonist, so let’s get organized.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on December 2, 2022
Posted In: To-Do List
 Comment 

ComicLab Ep 258 — Does this joke have the legs to become a running gag?

This week’s show is sponsored by Dreamhost. If the implosion of Twitter has you wondering if you should finally build your own website, Dreamhost is there for you. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, they’ll get you started on owning and controlling your work on the Web.

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar talk to a pro-am cartoonist who wants to build a running gag into their comic. But does the concept have legs? Also: Why does 3D art get dismissed as lazy?

ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW…

  • When does a joke have legs to become a running gag?
  • 3D art — is it “lazy”?
  • UPDATE: More live talks!
  • Balance in word balloons
  • How do you learn from a failed Kickstarter
  • Instagram adds a second link to the bio!

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 December 1, 2022
Posted In: ComicLab
 Comment 

Holiday shipping deadlines

It’s hard to believe we’re approaching the winter holiday season, but here we are. If you’re shipping merchandise with an expectation of having it there before the holidays, here are some deadlines to be aware of.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on November 29, 2022
Posted In: Merchandise
 Comment 

What size should your graphic novel be?

Beginning cartoonists often ask what size they should make their comic. Many are looking for “standard” sizes. The answer is a little more complicated than you’d expect — and it means focusing on what’s really important about the comic you’re doing.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.
by on November 21, 2022
Posted In: Print publishing
 Comment