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We've all heard successful creators complain that younger hopefuls "just don't want to do the hard work." They disregard the complicated nature of achieving their status and dismiss aspiring novices on the basis of one single factor. Survivorship bias is undoubtedly a result of flawed reasoning. ...But is it bad advice?
Brad and Dave discuss survivorship bias in the creative community and its impact on success. They acknowledge that survivorship bias exists but argue that it is not the sole determinant of success. They emphasize the importance of hard work, honing skills, and making adjustments based on feedback. They also discuss external factors that can impact a creative career, such as personal circumstances and societal biases. The hosts share their own experiences and offer advice for aspiring creators. In this part of the conversation, the hosts discuss the importance of perseverance and being consistent in order to achieve success in comics.
Also, they also address the question of working below one's artistic skill level and offer advice on finding a style that balances speed and quality. The hosts then share their thoughts on the transition from traditional to digital art, including the benefits and drawbacks of each. Finally, they discuss the value of selling original art and the potential challenges of leaving a legacy through physical artwork.
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Survival biasWorking below your artistic skill levelLeaving original art in favor of digitalCHAPTERS
00:00:00
Introduction: Dumpster Pools in Philadelphia
00:05:37
Chapter 1: Understanding Survivorship Bias
00:13:06
Chapter 2: The Importance of Hard Work and Skill Development
00:22:52
Chapter 4: Challenging Survivorship Bias and Acknowledging Others' Struggles
00:26:57
Chapter 5: Advice for Aspiring Creators: Listen, Learn, and Adapt
00:31:03
Perseverance and Consistency
00:34:31
Working Below Your Skill Level
00:46:24
Transition to Digital Art
00:48:08
Selling Original Art
00:56:29
Leaving a Legacy Through Artwork
TAKEAWAYS
Survivorship bias exists in the creative community, but it is not the only factor that determines success.Hard work, honing skills, and making adjustments based on feedback are crucial for success.External factors, such as personal circumstances and societal biases, can impact a creative career.It is important to be aware of survivorship bias and not dismiss the challenges faced by others.Listening to advice from experienced creators and being open to course corrections can increase the chances of success. Perseverance and consistency are key to achieving success in comics.Finding a balance between speed and quality is important when working below your artistic skill level.Transitioning from traditional to digital art offers benefits in terms of control and quality.Selling original art can be a way to generate income and share your work with others.Leaving a legacy through physical artwork may not always be practical or desired by loved ones.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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How did Brad and Dave know when they'd "made it"? ALSO: Now that you have a website with a blog... what do you write??
Brad shares a heartwarming story about his dad's induction into the Michigan High School Bowling Hall of Fame. They discuss the concept of 'making it' as a cartoonist and the different definitions of success. They also address the challenges of rating one's comic in terms of age appropriateness and content warnings. In this part of the conversation, the hosts discuss how to handle sensitive content on websites and social media platforms. They mention using content warnings, marking sensitive posts, and utilizing tools provided by social media platforms. They also talk about the importance of considering the audience's age range and the different standards and gradations of content in various mediums. In the second part of the conversation, they discuss the use of blogs on websites and how they have evolved over time. They mention the historical use of blogs for SEO purposes and the shift towards social media for quick and easy sharing. They suggest using blogs to share a variety of content, including transcripts of comics, reposts of social media content, and updates on Patreon or other platforms. They emphasize the importance of not overthinking blog content and using the four C's: content, commercial, curation, and kindness.
ON TODAY'S SHOW:
When did we know we had "made it"?Content warnings and age ratingsWP Shortcodes PluginUPDATE: Alaska Comics CampWhat should I do with my blog?Jack Conte's SXSW speechCHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction: Brad's Heartwarming Story
00:07:29 The Definition of 'Making It' as a Cartoonist
00:11:13 Navigating Age Appropriateness and Content Warnings in Comics
00:44:30 The Evolution of Blogs
00:49:27 Using Blogs to Share Content
TAKEAWAYS
The concept of 'making it' as a cartoonist is subjective and can vary from person to person.Financial stability is often key to feeling like you've 'made it' as a cartoonist.There is no universal standard for rating comics in terms of age appropriateness and content warnings.Considerations for rating your comic include societal norms, personal values, and the expectations of different platforms.Content warnings can be placed on the cover of your book, the top of your website, or your social media profile page. Consider using content warnings and marking sensitive social media posts to allow readers to view or avoid certain content.Take advantage of built-in tools on social media platforms to flag sensitive content and provide warnings.Be mindful of your audience's age range and consider the different standards and gradations of content in various mediums.Use blogs on websites to share a variety of content, including comic transcripts, reposts of social media content, and updates on Patreon or other platforms.Don't overthink blog content; use the four Cs: content, commercial, curation, and kindness.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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Saknas det avsnitt?
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How do you know when you're giving your readers too many details? — or not enough? Where's the sweet spot between action and exposition? We're going deep on storycraft this week! PLUS: Zines, gutters, and distribution!
THIS WEEK'S SHOW
How much story to writeShould you be doing a zine?GuttersBordersDistributionYou 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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Having completed their Kickstarters, Dave and Brad review the promotional outreach that delivered the biggest results and make a shocking discovery. Traditionally, social media platforms were the biggest drivers of Kickstarter pledges. But in 2024 they barely made the top ten. That raises an important question: If we can't rely on social media to deliver a Kickstarter pledge — and if it's increasingly difficult to build an audience there — why are we using it?
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Kickstarter post mortemSocial media is dead... now what?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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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.
- Visa fler
