Features

Open Soapbox: Tagboard — You’re It?

Xaviar Xerexes Leave a Comment

I’ve been creating webcomics since 1998. During that time, I’ve seen the rise of the Livejournal, blogs, forums, guestbooks and chat/tagboards (I had a Livejournal BEFORE they became popular). I’ve also heard many concerns coming from other webcartoonists about feedback. Instant feedback and detailed feedback. For the budding web cartoonist, this seems the main priority (second only to begging for donations, but that’s another rant). Of course, everyone WANTS feedback. It’s nice to know that when you’re ‘speaking’, someone is ‘listening’.

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Form is Function by John Barber

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Form is Function

Mother Earth speaks, in Her low, rumbling voice: What the world needs now is another Internet column about comics.

Not for the first time, the world turns its eyes to John Barber.

And it is to you, My People, that I give myself.

…

It’s taken me an inappropriately long time to realize and admit this, but… the most important thing about comics on the Internet is distribution. I realize that’s not exactly news to most of you. Continue Reading →

Makeshift Musings and Comic Book Bliss: Making the Leap

Zubkavich Leave a Comment

Over the last few columns we’ve talked about building your plot, creating a cast of characters, and we’ve been moving forward at each step to the real deal: writing the comic. All these pieces of the foundation have been laid and now it’s time to build on top of it with our real story. It’s time to stop analyzing and start doing.

You sit down relaxed, all ready to write Chapter 1 Page 1 and then…

And then…

…and then…

…Fear sets in.

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Flamefighting by T Campbell

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"Campbell Campbell Campbell!" the thread screamed at me, flaring a red "angry" face at the top of the message board.

It was late. I was tired and sleep-deprived, and we had just officially begun the War on Terror, but I tried to steel myself for whatever the message might have to say. I tried, but not hard enough.

"I would have thought that the last story would have been enough to get him to put down the pen forever. I guess not." Continue Reading →

Damonkey Business by Damonk

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Draino for the Brain

Ever have those moments when you can FEEL a major gushing feeling inside, as if your brain and soul bladders were ooze-bursting with those five pitchers of creativity you just chugged down last night while watching some TV show, reading a good book, or being out on the prowl with your posse?

Knowing that the dam’s gonna blow anytime, you rush over to your desk, pull out a sheet of instant paper porta-potty (or perhaps you’re more of a Windows WordCrapper 2000-kinda person), unzip your mind to whip out your “ballpoint”, and then…

…nothing comes out.

Welcome to the painful condition known as Creative Constipation. Continue Reading →

Is It Good To Be the King? Top Voting Lists Examined

Wednesday White Leave a Comment

The drill is pretty simple. Here’s a comic, here’s a rant, here’s a button, and here’s a plea: "Vote for my comic on such-and-such a top list!" Little context is provided, but one is bound and determined to show support as requested. One clicks, one votes. Then, one is confronted by a list of other comics which have all, presumably, asked for the same thing.
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I Hate You All by Dalton Wemble

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Gaming Comics: Child’s Play!

The scuttlebutt is, last month there was quite a tizzy in these august pages over a few reviews of some sub-simian nerdlaff generators called "Gaming Comics." I, sequestered in the Cave of Bitterness, came in rather late – after the Big Crash – but was told by the breathless wonders that inhabit this site that some not-entirely-positive reviews of the not-remotely-good comics Cornhole-Arrgh-Delight and Litigious Gamerz drew thousands of ireful comments from their so-called "fan community."
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The Blue View by BoxJam B. Boxjam

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Hey Everyone and Your Mother!

Hey everyone and your mother – fuck you!

Why can't I offend you?

I wish I could piss people off. I've had kids playing crucifixion, had God say that every religion was wrong – I even said that God hates Danes – and nothin'. I made fun of addiction. I've made every Canadian joke there is – damned Canucks are too easy going, I guess. I just don't seem to be able to set people off.

Smurf Passover! Offended yet? Continue Reading →

Dissolving Comics’ Boundaries by Neil Cohn

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Let's face it: business has not been good in the comics industry during the last decade or so. However, despite this, there has been a swelling of diversification amongst genres, creators, and publishers, and maybe even a little upswing in the public's perception of comics. And, there is plenty of talent around too – arguably more than there has ever been. This summer, Scott McCloud quipped, "I'd be willing to debate that there is more talent now concentrated in people named 'Jason' than there were talented people in the entire industry when I entered it twenty years ago." So, if the industry now has a great deal of talent, diversity, and freedom of expression, why are things still only so-so for its status and prosperity? Continue Reading →