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Mark Mekkes

Sequential Artists’ Pub #8 Posted

I’m pretty late with the updates, just because I wanted to take some time off this weekend. Our 8th Sequential Artists’ Pub show focused on Print on Demand, handling interviews with the media (and how to score an interview with the media), the do’s and don’ts of setting up a webcomic website, followed by more top picks from our roundtable of cartoonists.

Zortic by Mark Mekkes

Carl from ETI-PI by Mark Mekkes

The 8th Annual WCCAs: An Interview with WCCA Chairman Frank "Damonk" Cormier

With the Eighth Annual edition of the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards (WCCAs) coming up I wanted to get an interview on the state of the awards with current WCCA Chairman Frank "Damonk" Cormier. Frank worked with me on ComixTalk in the first two years of its existence and I know from experience that he is quite passionate about comics and isn't one to shy from stating his opinion. So I put a range of questions to him regarding this year's awards, changes from last year and how to improve things in years to come.

Looking Back Through 2007

In years past (2004, 2005) we undertook the monumental chore of picking out the biggest headlines of the year. This year, I took another swing at it. So without further adu, here's the biggest webcomic headlines of 2007.

If I missed a story you think was key to this year, please post it in the comments to this article.

Updates On Entries in the Ill-Fated Webcomic Directory Project?

I built a "library" of webcomics and creators back in the fall of 2005 which I put into beta before realizing it was too much editorial work to deal with and the same information could be better provided through the community edited webcomic wiki - COMIXPEDIA.

Nevertheless looking back on the assortment of names collected (some from me, some sent in from you) I wonder if anyone has any significant updates on these creators 18 months later. Maybe we should interview some of them?

A World of Fantasy

Fantasy webcomics this month, is it? A large topic.

And we can make it even bigger. I mean, depending on how technical you wanna get, all fiction is fantasy. It's stuff that never happened, at any rate, and that's as basic a definition of fantasy as I can think of.

The March of the Collectives

A collective, loosely defined, is any sustained grouping of webcomic creators. What they do together varies greatly from group to group. Some are largely a peer group offering each other critical feedback and encouraging support. Others throw in cross-promotion for each others' work. Some build a collective brand with logos, advertising and a central website. Some share business experience and expertise in areas as varied as merchandise, books, conventions, hosting and website creation.

And what did I find from my research? There's a tremendous number of collectives out there (and that I never want to attempt another "survey" article again). And, oh yeah, checking out collectives can be a great way to find excellent new comics.

WCCA Ceremony Audio available on The Gigcast Feed

The WebCartoonist's Choice Award Ceremony at Megacon was recorded and is available on The Gigcast Rss Feed and for download at www.thegigcast.com.

The Presentors included the following:

Awards Awards Awards! or Why More Awards May Mean Less Drama.

Given that it is that special time of year when half the webcomics community's heart is aflutter with the prospect of winning the respect and accolades of their peers and the other half is telling the aforementioned to commit an act that the porn industry is working furiously to make possible, I thought I might toss in one reader's opinion.