ComicLab Ep 368 — 2024 in Review

ComicLab Ep 368 — 2024 in Review

At the beginning of the year, Dave and Brad made a series of predictions and set some personal goals for...
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January To-Do List

January To-Do List

This is the perfect time to get organized for a successful year in webcomics. The content you are trying to...
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Comicraft’s New Year’s Day Sale

Comicraft’s New Year’s Day Sale

If you want to build out your comics-font library, mark this on your calendar. Comicraft traditionally holds a sale on Jan...
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Webcomics Confidential: There’s no such thing as a “failed” Kickstarter

Webcomics Confidential: There’s no such thing as a “failed” Kickstarter

Steven Spielberg was rejected TWICE by the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Walt Disney’s newspaper editor told...
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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...
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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...
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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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Clip Studio Paint — applying hand poses

Q.: I have a CSP question that I haven’t been able to get an answer from the Googles. With 3D models, sometimes when I drop a hand pose onto a hand it’ll do one hand, but usually it changes both. I haven’t been able to figure out why or how to control when it does one hand vs. both?

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by on September 28, 2022
Posted In: Art
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How long should it take to do your comic?

A person who was just starting to do comics asked a question in a forum for creators: “How long does it take you to do one four-panel strip?” They got a wide range of answers — each one of them as unhelpful as the next. They had asked the wrong question, and their creativity was going to suffer as a result.

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by on September 23, 2022
Posted In: Art
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ComicLab Ep 248 — Has Publishing Become Vanity Press?

A recent statistic about the print publishing industry have cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar thankful they self-publish. Also… the NFT comics company that reached out to Dave at San Diego Comic Con folded eight days later. 

ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW…

  • Publishing statistics report 90% of published books sell under 2,000 copies
  • What are the disadvantages to self-publishing?
  • UPDATE: NFT company dies in 10 days
  • Audiobook versions of comics
  • Creating videos of comics

Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon

  • $2 — Early access to episodes
  • $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.
  • $10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewards

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

Listen to ComicLab on…

by on September 22, 2022
Posted In: ComicLab
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Shipping comics using Media Mail

There seems to be some misinformation going around about whether it’s legal to ship comics using the Media Mail service of the U.S. Postal Service. Since this misunderstanding this could cost you hundreds of dollars, let’s get it straightened out now.

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by on September 21, 2022
Posted In: Merchandise
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You have the audience you deserve

Many of us are looking for a magic hashtag or “One Weird Trick” to game SEO and drive readers to our work. But I’d like to share a moment of Tough Love when a mentor told me: “You have the audience you deserve.” Once I stopped looking for shortcuts and focused on the quality of my work, my audience began to grow.

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by on September 20, 2022
Posted In: Marketing / Social Media
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Reader retention

Let’s face it. One of the biggest hurdles in growing a webcomic is reader retention. That’s why I want to encourage you to set aside time this month to develop (or improve) three different ways to introduce your comic to a newcomer. Here are some ideas:

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by on September 14, 2022
Posted In: Marketing / Social Media
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Banking on success

One of the smartest things you can do as your webcomic starts to transition from hobby to business is to establish a new bank account for your burgeoning venture. Keeping comics finances separate from your household income has several benefits. Here’s what you need to know…

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by on September 13, 2022
Posted In: Business
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