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Is it possible to build traffic for your comic without building an audience? Also, an anonymous post on Reddit accuses Webtoons of using a predatory contract.
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Building traffic vs. building an audienceUPDATE: SDCC PanelsUPDATE: Dave's 500 for 50Is the Webtoons contract "predatory?"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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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This week, we're talking to Dave Blazek, creator of "Loose Parts," a single-panel comic syndicated to more than 120 newspapers worldwide. Blazek is a three-time NCS Silver Reuben award winner and a danged delight. We'll discuss how he became an "accidental cartoonist" and his unique approach to writing humor.
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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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New Yorker cartoonist Jason Chatfield joins us to talk about cartooning for the venerable mag, working with a writing partner, doing stand-up at Dangerfield's comedy club, helming the 104-year-old Ginger Meggs syndicated comic, and much, much more!
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Jason Chatfield on SubstackChatfield on creative collaborationsDoing standup at Dangerfield'sChatfield on building subscriptions on SubstackIs There Something In This? podcastYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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We all have creative peaks and valleys. How can we maximize the good times and minimize the bad?
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Can you really maximize creativity?UPDATE: Dave's TikTok prediction may still come trueUPDATE: 3-part series on Kickstarter coming to Pro TipsFavorite comics from outside the USYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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How important is rebranding after a series of unsuccessful ventures? Also, how does one get their comic translated into another language — and why?
ON TODAY'S SHOW
RebrandingTranslating a comicUPDATE: The importance of monthly Profit/Loss statementsUPDATE: Authors EquityPlanning for page turnsYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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It's our most useful, actionable, practical show yet! Stufffed with handy tips and constructive advice for cartoonists and comic creators!
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Pen namesUPDATE: Dave's Kickstarter at picklesbook.com UPDATE: Patreon Welcome surveysHonorifics, acronyms, and abbreviations in word balloons.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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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Dave has some thoughts on AI. And Brad hates to stretch. That's it. That's the show.
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Artificial Intelligence is going to force us to be more creativeHow important is it to rest?NOTE: The Kickstarter for Brad's new Evil Inc books ends this week! Time is running out!
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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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Scott Kurtz is on the show to talk about the release of his new book, "Table Titans Club." It's available at Target stores nationwide, along with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookstore!
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Reimagining the "Table Titans" webcomic as a middle-school graphic novelWorking with an editor for the first timePivoting from self-publishing to traditional publishingBook shows vs comic conventionsEarly accolades for the bookPersonal appearancesNOTE: The Kickstarter for Brad's new Evil Inc graphic novel is in full swing!
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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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Kickstarter delivers on Discovery in a big way. So would it be wise to use it to replace our failing social media platforms?
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Using Kickstarter as social media?UPDATE: NCS Reuben Awards 2024UPDATE: Dave has "Still Got it!"Posting a parody on Webtoon to gain notorietyNOTE: The Kickstarter campaign for Brad's new Evil Inc book is in full swing!
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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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TikTok and Instagram reels are moving to the forefront of social media. Is it time to learn video/animation so you can promote your webcomic?
ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
Using animation to promoteUPDATE: Short Story ChallengeUPDATE: Eisner deadlineUPDATE: AI ArtA digital-exclusive eComicYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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Every once in a while, someone asks if it's possible actually to make a living in comics. It's a fair question, and it deserves an honest answer.
SPONSORED BY...
ComicLab is brought to you this week by the book "How Comics Were Made, a Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page." Comics historian and ComicLab fan Glenn Fleishman has spent years researching the history of newspaper comic strip production and reproduction and is bringing his expertise to this printed work full of comics from Yellow Kid through Krazy Kat, Doonesbury, Peanuts, and, yes, Dave's own Drive! It will feature never-before-seen original drawings and printing artifacts, such as "flongs," the hilarious old-fashioned name for printing molds. The book draws from museum collections like the Billy Ireland Library and the Charles M Schulz Library, generous access to artists' own archives, and Glenn's personal collection. Glenn's taking the book to crowdfunding in February, using lessons drawn from this very podcast! You can read more about the book or sign up to get an alert when the campaign launches by going to howcomicsweremade.ink.
ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
Is it possible to make a living in comics?how to write a longform comicSize and DPI — preparing files for web and printYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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A listener asks if they should write one big, successful comic or several mediocre ones. We have a bigger question: What makes you think you have a choice?! Also, it turns out the whole "Substack nazi" thing was yet another case of Platform Panic.
SPONSORED BY...
ComicLab is brought to you this week by the book "How Comics Were Made, a Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page." Comics historian and ComicLab fan Glenn Fleishman has spent years researching the history of newspaper comic strip production and reproduction and is bringing his expertise to this printed work full of comics from Yellow Kid through Krazy Kat, Doonesbury, Peanuts, and, yes, Dave's own Drive! It will feature never-before-seen original drawings and printing artifacts, such as "flongs," the hilarious old-fashioned name for printing molds. The book draws from museum collections like the Billy Ireland Library and the Charles M Schulz Library, generous access to artists' own archives, and Glenn's personal collection. Glenn's taking the book to crowdfunding in February, using lessons drawn from this very podcast! You can read more about the book or sign up to get an alert when the campaign launches by going to howcomicsweremade.ink.
ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
Which is better... one big success or multiple mediocre ones?UPDATE: Kindle Direct PublishingUPDATE: Patreon is fixing free membershipUPDATE: Substack didn't have such a big Nazi problem after allFighting AI with Nightshade (https://nightshade.cs.uchicago.edu/)Substack's Platform Panic
For more information on this topic, please check out these posts:
freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/these-rules-about-platforming-nazisfreddiedeboer.substack.com/p/how-to-quit-substackMany of the people who were making the most noise on this issue are switching to Ghost. Check out Ghost's TOS — in which they've even highlighted their clause on refusing to moderate content! And, on top of that, the total number of nazi accounts that were found on Substack was only 5 or 6, none of them monetized, and collectively had fewer than 200 followers-- and most of them wound up being taken down by Substack anyway.
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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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BE ADVISED: We'll be discussing issues like death and dying in this episode. Dave turns fifty years old, and it has us talking about cartooning in the second half of one's life. And we're not the only ones asking existential questions. Our first question asker is worried that they're not going to have time to work on all of their ideas in one lifetime! Finally, we break down Wacom's troubling use of AI art in a promotional image!
ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
Dave turns 50 years oldToo many ideas for one lifetimeComicLab 500UPDATE: Wacom uses AI art in a promoYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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We often advise that beginners write a few short stories to sharpen their comics-making skills before they tackle that 200-page epic that they're burning to produce! But how do you write a short story? Today's show offers an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide! Use this blueprint to participate in the ComicLab Short Story Challenge! PLUS... if it's a benefit to list your comic on as many eStores as possible, why is it a bad idea to do the same with crowdfunding platforms?
ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
How to Write a Short StoryThe ComicLab Short Story ChallengeUsing pre-readersThe More the Merrier, part 1 —Multiple eStores?The More the Merrier, part 2 — Multiple subscription sites?THE COMICLAB SHORT STORY CHALLENGE
Write a comic between eight and 16 pages using the Story Circle as a guide. The Story Circle has eight steps: You / Need / Go / Search / Find / Take / Return / Change. There is more information on the Story Circle in the links below. You may spend up to two pages on each step. No more. Each written page must translate directly into a page of comics, so be sure to take that into account when you're writing! Your final comic must tell a complete story — no cliffhangers; no open-ended conclusions! It must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. When you're finished, post it in the #Imadethis channel on the ComicLab Discord server so we can all marvel at your prowess!
Dan Harmon's Story CircleThe Story Circle / Batman BeginsThe Butso Method of WritingEditing a comicIs your idea too similar to someone else's idea?Got Writer's Block?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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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As last year came to a close, it was becoming very clear that social media has been failing to deliver what we traditionally relied on it for — reaching our current readers and finding new ones. So this year Brad is trying out a new platform — Subsack. But that comes with a whole new learning curve — and more than a few ethical issues to wrestle with!
SHOW NOTES: Two points of clarification. First, the question is raised whether a user can export an email list from Substack. This is, indeed a feature. Secondly, Dave asked Brad which of his social media platforms has the biggest user base. Brad's answer was Twitter, but upon further review, it's TikTok. That fact puts the ensuing discussion into a slightly different framework.
ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
SubstackSteamboat Willie in the public domainYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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One of our most often-requested topics is "How do I start a webcomic?" We're going to give you some step-by-step instructions — updated for the new year! Plus... we always stress the importance of doing a good comic. That begs another question: "How do I know if my comic is good?"
ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
How to start a webcomic in 2024"How do I know if my comic is good?"UPDATE: Kindle Direct PublishingYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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Veteran cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar make some predictions and discuss their goals for the new year.
2024 Predictions
BRAD: Twitter will crash in 2024DAVE: Social media will remain distributed over five or six platformsBRAD: Web users will begin to pivot away from social mediaDAVE: Patreon will move closer to an IPOBRAD: Kickstarter will remain #1 by continuing to avoid mentioning blockchainDAVE: SDCC will return to normal after an abnormal '23... and profits will plummet for creators2024 Goals
DAVE: Launch "Pickles" Kickstarter in Jan/Feb, launch "Drive 4" Kickstarter in summerBRAD: In Q1, Kickstart an Evil Inc book paired with an After Dark edition. Kickstart another book — WebcomicsHandbook, Evil Inc After Dark or collection of single-panel comics — in Q2/Q3DAVE: Prepare for a 5-15% sales drop at Comic-Con InternationalBRAD: Personal appearances, including SDCC and NCSDAVE: ComicLab Across AmericaBRAD: Use NON-social-media alternatives to drive Patreon.DAVE: Revisit KIndle Direct PublishingBRAD: Start prepping website for a post-Patreon futureDAVE: Build the ComicLab Patreon to 500 membersYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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Better late than never, Brad learns to share. On social media, that is. And, using what he learned after weeks of analysis, he has a challenge for you: Try — just try — to find something worth sharing on social media.
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Searching for an effective social media strategyA new social-media experiment — Try... just TRY to find a post worth sharingDave's experiment: Deleting people from the Free Membership tier. Please note: we do not, nor have we ever, endorsed this as something you should do.Patreon delays its IPOYou 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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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Veteran cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar look back on their predictions for 2023. They nailed a few and failed a few!
PREDICTION SCORECARD
Patreon will slowly entice people away from the Founder's level -- WRONGTikTok will be banned in the US -- WRONGCSP will unveil amazing features / Webtoons publishing -- RIGHTWebtoons publishing -- RIGHTTwitter fade -- RIGHTDC Comics implosion -- RIGHTNo one will be using Mastodon (in large enough numbers to replace Twitter) -- RIGHTGPT 3.5 will be used for brainstorming and co-writing scripts using AI writing -- RIGHT?We'll see the first AI writing-art webcomic... and it will be good --WRONGCopyright law will catch up to AI art -- WRONGBlockchain is coming back -- WRONGOriginal art will become more valuable.What we DIDN'T predict!
Patreon's switch to social mediaComic-Con loses its Hall H guests — and it was a big win for comics artistsNo replacement for Twitter... not BlueSky, not Threads (and definitely not Mastodon!)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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
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While we were at the National Cartoonists Society Rueben Awards Weekend, we stopped cartoonists and asked them one question: When you need to spark creativity — and nothing is happening — how do you find ideas? Today's show is a compilation of those responses.
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.Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
- Visa fler
