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Author Topic: Looking for advice  (Read 3036 times)

Red Swing

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Looking for advice
« on: 13 Jul 2005, 13:41 »

In an epic poll, several fellow members of my usual board have urged me to establish a webcomic about ourselves, to post on my small site. It is, of course, going to be hand-drawn and scanned in--first of all, we all have to start somewhere, nu? Second of all, me dabbling in photoshop is like some rich crazy woman handing over her poodle to get a custom cut. In the end, the dog looks horrendous and people can tell just by looking at the dog that it has a freak for an owner.

Moving on, what's some good pointers for a starting comic...thing? (Author? Artist? Pancakes?)

Haha, and if I get lucky, when the comic gets really going, I can be like "Hurr hurr I got advice from Jeph and a bunch of people, who, um, maybe know him kinda, hurr hurr, clearly that is the reason for my success, hurr" and I can shamelessly plug for QC and the forums. Oh, that will be fierce.
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twentyfour

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Looking for advice
« Reply #1 on: 13 Jul 2005, 15:30 »

Considering most comics are about the creator and his wacky pals.... maybe ya wanna try something different? But if you're gonna stick with you and your buddies at least try and avoid:

- the severely overused "I am so wacky and my friends think I'm dumb" Somehow this works for Real Life Comics(by works I mean he still has an audience).

- talking to/about yourself. Having your character talk to you the artist complaining about being a comic character is terribly overused and usually just a cheap gag about how lazy the artist is(if you can make this somehow unique, sweet! go for it!)

- inside jokes. No-one knows who my buddy Geremy is and why it's so funny that a hot girl is hitting on him. Stay away from these jokes

- beating up on yourself. For some reasons artists/writers love to beat the crap out of themself in stories. I've done it and read a million(give or take 998 000) comics about how the artist keeps getting picked on, loses the girl/guy, takes one for the team and no-one notices/cares, etc etc etc. This is just a fictional livejournal with artwork

BUT, do try:

- to be original, but don't try too hard.  

- to have fun.

- to experiment.

- to enjoy making the comic, even when your only fan is your significant other(my wife won't even read my comic :( )

Welcome to the webcomicking world! Check your sprites at the door, and wipe your feet :)
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Red Swing

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Looking for advice
« Reply #2 on: 13 Jul 2005, 15:35 »

I put a poll on my site to see what the people who are going to be reading it think it should be about. Half of them say they want it to be about things that actually happen in our board-community, the remaining half is split between it being about our online personas and it being about the people behind the personas, i.e., us.

Your wife won't read your comic? ._. Quelle harsh.
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twentyfour

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Looking for advice
« Reply #3 on: 13 Jul 2005, 15:54 »

She loves my work, encourages me to try harder/draw more all the time and gives me a kiss whenever my comic/readership hits a new milestone. She just doesn't read it. Nothin personal.
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Red Swing

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Looking for advice
« Reply #4 on: 13 Jul 2005, 19:53 »

Phwoar. Well, at least you have your support, in which respect I'ma be screwed. e_e; These are the breaks. Thanks for the tips.
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reva

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Looking for advice
« Reply #5 on: 13 Jul 2005, 22:40 »

If your intended audience is your group of friends who actually were there for the origins of inside jokes and such, there wouldn't be anything wrong with that kind of thing.  I mean, if you're doing it for fun and for your friends, there's nothing to worry about in terms of avoiding things the general public wouldn't understand.

 But, if you're going to be plugging this elsewhere and trying to get a large reader base, then pretty much go by everything twentyfour said.

Any other suggestions really depend on which way you're trying to go with it.
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Sideways

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Looking for advice
« Reply #6 on: 14 Jul 2005, 10:27 »

Tycho of Penny Arcade fame said it best:

"In order to be successful in webcomics, one must start in 1998."[/b]

It's true.  Everyone and their dog has a webcomic.  Check the sig, even I do.

That being said... if you're just doing it for fun, like we were, then go nuts!  It is fun!  It can be rewarding!  Just don't expect to get popular if it's another webcomic about you and your friend's hyjinks.

If it's a comic about a Bunny, or a comic involving action figures in New York... then it will be obscure enough that it will get an audience.

The days of a few guys joking about games, and making pop culture references, being RARE, are over my friend.
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