THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => MAKE => Topic started by: Poser on 27 Dec 2006, 19:52
-
I have just done two little comic thingy's using a character i made a while ago...
I just wanted to know what you thought about them and what I should improve etc... and just general comments about it.
Here are the two's of them:
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7348/cartwoons2wnameya6.jpg
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7131/greatwithkidscopywnameqo1.jpg
-
Hmm. Interesting.
It's got that weird-for-the-sake-of-weird artsiness that seems to be proving effective for some of the more recently created web comics. I would say do a bunch more of these (like fifteen to twenty) and really get a feel for the direction you want to take before you go committing yourself to an update regimen. I made the mistake of just jumping right in and publishing everything as I did it, and ended up writing myself into a couple corners that I've had to retcon out of in the last few months. Not really a danger for you, since it doesn't look like you're leaning towards something with a continuity to it, but it's still a good idea to have some direction and consistency before you start publishing.
-
I agree. We need more to go on. It's strangely appealing to look at for some reason...
-
I want to have sex with it.
I mean, it looks interesting.
-
This I likes to hear!
I'll probably (during the rest of the holidays) come up with more random concepts for it...
Thanks loads for the advice frankenstein and for the comments about filthy loving of it :)
-
It is weird, which makes it interesting. More!
-
yes sires, I shall give to you the juicy comicy goodness you so desire.
Just not right now :-o
-
Double posting for a reason!
New one!
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1592/cartwondogcopyhu7.jpg
enjoy.
(I hope i get complaints from animal lovers. That would amuse me because I could laugh at how petty and uptight they are :) )
-
Nice one! I hate dogs.
-
PETA
People for the Eating Tasty Animals.
mmm....bambi stew
and dogs do suck. its all about the cat0rz. just kidding. i meant cats. ::jazz hands::
-
The sloppiness is distracting to look at and the strips are much bigger than they need to be.
Of course, I say the same thing looking back at my first couple hundred comics.
-
Cheers for the comments...
I may make the background less sloppariffic... that's probably the main fault at the moment...
but hey I'll keep making em... Cheers again!
-
Well, it seems you've already decided, which makes my response too late, but I would have told you to not worry about what others think and do what you want to do.
-
Shishio brings up a point that I should have brought up earlier, and so I will now take full credit for it.
Ahem, seriously, though, an extremely important thing to keep in mind when working in any kind of entertainment medium (which is basically what you are considering) is that you should produce content that pleases yourself above all else. Once you start trying to conform to what the consumers/readers want, you'll start to become resentful and frustrated, and your work will deteriorate.
Frustration is another thing that you're going to have to be ready for. Odds are, your comic is not going to be popularly successful. Very few ever break the hundred-reader mark, much less a thousand or ten thousand. Most people get into comics for the fame, but the truth is, the fame is very likely not going to come. I do not have a successful comic. My readership might be in the 60-70 range at the outside, and for most of the comic's history, it was barely above 20. For years, I let that get to me, and my update resolve plummeted as a result. These days, I've finally stopped worrying about it. I still make an effort to grow my readership, but I no longer let it consume me. I do my comic because it's a good creative outlet, which is something that I need as someone who works in the corporate world.
And that brings us back to our original point: your comic is for you. Please yourself. If it so happens that it pleases a huge number of people at the same time, then more power to you. It can be a goal, but it cannot be the goal.
Goals you want to have:
- Entertain yourself
- Grow as an artist
- Grow as a writer
Define success in terms of those goals, rather than in terms of readership, and you'll find yourself enjoying the work - and it will be work, about twelve hours on top of the normal forty that I put in at my job in my case - that much more.
One last thing: never complain about your lack of readership in your news posts. It looks pathetic, and it makes people perceive your comic as unpopular, driving them away.
-
thank you two VERY much for that point... I always try to do things for me rather than other people and im glad you reminded me of that... I already strive to do the two first points you made, i.e.
- Entertain yourself
- Grow as an artist
It makes me happy to know that others enjoy what i enjoy :)
once again thanks, especially hfrankenstein :) I will always bear that in mind whether or not i do make a webcomic :)
-
once again Double posting for a reason.
4 new ones.
Not neccesarily funny, but they keep me amused.
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45572031/
the first too arent meant to be funny, merely me playing "let's draw sh!t"... they are all inspired by songs.
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45576811/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45576801/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45576785/
-
I'm going to say no to the webcomic idea, (although if you really want to by all means do it) but only because looking at your art style I think I personally like it MUCH better as just single frame art. I really do enjoy your style, but I don't know if it would ever really hook me if it were in a comic form.
I think your style is much better suited to, say, being printed on a postcard or even a poster. Hell, the Hot Sauce one would make an AWESOME card to send to someone.
Don't let my opinion stop you, at any rate, and please remember that above all, I really do like what I've seen!
-
well, what i meant by it was that I would just post these... not so much a comic... as a random cartoon every day or so.
-
In that case, absolutely, and make sure you send me the link!
-
huzzah!
-
once again, double posting because of update
new'uns!
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45583985/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45584068/
-
To add to one point HFrankenstein brought up, the reason most webcomics have so few readers is that most creators don't put enough effort into promoting their work.
I mean yeah, it's not likely you'll ever have a lot of readers, but I don't agree that creators should resign themselves to never having many readers.
I guess what I'm trying to say is don't get your hopes up, but don't give up either.
-
It's not so much that they need to resign themselves to it, more that they shouldn't expect to become popular just because they update regularly. A sense of entitlement is a pretty common newbie mistake. Consumers are hard to please. You can promote and promote until the Rapture-- if what you're doing doesn't have widespread appeal, you won't become super-popular. More likely, you'll build up a small, dedicated group of readers, if even that. The bright side, of course, is that niche fans are tenaciously loyal. My small army loves me unconditionally. :)
Now that I think of it, in terms of promotion, here's the experience that I can share:
Paid advertising is something you'll want to do, but have a budget, and keep your expectations low. Your audience should grow from this, but it will not be explosive.
Nothing is going to be more effective than a personal recommendation from a well-known author. However, you should never email such personalities asking them to link to you. They will almost always ignore you. Ask them to check your comic out, sure, and if they actually have any free time whatsoever -- and if they're successful enough for you to consider begging from them, they probably don't -- they'll do that much, but don't ask for a plug. They didn't go to the trouble of setting up those ad boxes for nothing.
Any and all publicity, however, should be held off on until you have a substantial archive for new readers to look through. I've seen several established webcomic creators say that you should show that you can update consistently for a year before you bother to whore your URL around. I think that's asking too much of most people, because most people don't have that sort of patience -- "ARGH!! I WANT TO BE FAMOUS RIGHT AWAY WITHOUT PAYING MY DUES!!" -- but I also think that it's good advice. Most new comics stop updating well within the first year, after all.
-
Again, thankyou very much for the in depth tips :D
You are a very friendly, helpful person! I like you. lol
-
Ha ha, you're a terrible judge of character! :-D
Hey, I'm more than happy to help. I've been doing this on and off for almost six years now without very much success, so I've gotten a lot of insight on what doesn't work, even if I'm still trying to figure out what does. At the very least, I've narrowed down how to stick to the update schedule and enjoy the process, which is my definition of success. Also, I'm not retarded: I'm special, and mommy loves me no matter what.
But yeah, learning how to be able to take the work seriously is important, because that's when other people will be able to take your work seriously, too. So, find a groove that works for you, and just tune everything else out and have fun.
-
PETA
People for the Eating Tasty Animals.
People who Enjoy Treading on Animals.
I don't really like the backgrounds (maybe make them less close to the focus of each drawing) but the character is great, as is the writing. Simple stuff is so effective. :-)
-
Honestly, I'm not drawn to the art style. But that's personal preference, not a criticism. I do love the sense of humor though!
-
I like the simplistic idea of it, but I don't like the guy being referred to in 3rd person. Rather, I'd prefer 1st person or maybe him having a name you could use for him in 3rd person. If I say anything else I'd be redundant
But I'll still say that I like it. :3