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An Introduction to Writing Mystery Webcomics

November 7, 2005 - 00:03 | Alexander Danner

While every genre offers its own inherent challenges, especially when reworked for web publication, mystery stories offer concerns unlike those of any other genre. All stories raise the tension about what’s going to happen next, but mysteries are unique in being primarily concerned with unraveling events that have already happened. (This is the primary factor that distinguishes mysteries from other types of crime fiction, where the killer is already known, and the goal is simply to catch him or her.) This unusual structure leads to a number of complications in dealing with serialization, improvisation, and other commonplace facets of web publication.

UberCon VI Convention Report by Phil Kahn

October 23, 2005 - 23:00 | Phil Kahn

I'm having trouble taking it all in. It was an amazing experience. I'm still shutting my eyes and taking myself back to the time I spent there, with all the good times I had and all the new friends I made.

There are three important things to know for reading this: I have never been to a gaming convention before. I have never been to New Jersey before. And I have never been a guest to a con before. So bearing those things in mind, here's my report...

How to Make Action Move, Part Two: Examples by T Campbell

October 10, 2005 - 00:00 | T Campbell

Let’s start with my own work. I’m no judge of whether it’s the best out there, but it seems well-received enough, and I know it better than anyone else’s because I know what I was thinking.

How to Make Action Move, Part One by T Campbell

September 25, 2005 - 23:38 | T Campbell

My muscles tensed. A cold sweat broke over my brow. The next few minutes would be do or die.

"So long story short," said Joey Manley, "You want to edit this thing?"

Since I started editing Graphic Smash, and even before, I’ve seen a lot of action, from "widescreen" superhero epics to old-fashioned 1930s-ish serials to Matrixesque cyberpunk to melees between talking rats and wombats. I’ve seen a lot of great action.

And honestly—I’ve seen a lot of bad action. Cartoonists sometimes rush into things, when that should be the action star’s job. So let’s puzzle this out a bit. What makes good action pulse and throb?

The Pen to Web Tutorial by Quinn Fleming

September 12, 2005 - 00:00 | Quinn Fleming

The Pen to Web Tutorial is a very basic resource for starting webcartoonists, covering the process of converting your pen-and-paper lineart into a fully-rendered comic strip using recent versions of Adobe Photoshop.

Soapbox: Getting the Comics to the People by Kelly J. Cooper

July 24, 2005 - 23:00

I was in Japan a couple of weeks ago – mainly in a small part of Tokyo. And one of the places we visited is a little shop in Roppongi, just a few feet down one street from the main intersection. (Like any other big city, Tokyo has neighborhoods that are referred to by name – Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku, etc.)

My boyfriend had found the place when he visited (briefly) back in April. So, while wandering around Roppongi (which he wanted me to see because it's apparently a popular tourist haunt – complete with its own Hard Rock Café – and has a memorable sort of atmosphere) we decided to stop in at the place where he'd seen a sign that said Webcomics in English (surrounded by Japanese). The sign also says Comics and Internet in smaller letters.

The Keenspace Meetup in Washington D.C. July 2005

July 17, 2005 - 23:00

Phil Kahn's narration of his experience at the Keenspace Meetup (shindig, gathering, what-have-you) in Washington D.C., starting at Union Station. The original proposal to meet came way back in September 2004. Our story begins on Saturday, July 9th, 2005, sometime in the morning…

Reframing "Comics" by Neil Cohn

July 10, 2005 - 23:00 | Neil Cohn

In one of my previous articles for Comixpedia I spoke of the hierarchic structuring of the comic industry and alternative viewpoints to democratize those hierarchies. I asserted that change cannot flow top-down from corporations controlling the industry or from technological innovation, but rather from a reorientation about the conceptions of the medium. This piece explores one way that we as individuals can potentially alter the perception and organization associated with this medium: through vocabulary. People associate with the world greatly through the words they use, and different expressions can largely determine the way in which they relate to concepts. Thus, by reframing the vocabulary associated to "comics" we can alter the perceptions and considerations that they create in our culture. This issue is by no means new to comics, though the approach taken here will develop a deeper and more expansive solution than those proposed in the past.

An Incomplete List of Webcomics in Print, Collated by Kelly J. Cooper

June 26, 2005 - 23:00

Many MANY of our webcomicking friends have published print versions of their work. I've tried to find, track down, and remember as many as possible. But given the thousands (tens of thousands?) of webcomics out there, this was a daunting task. If I missed your comic, I apologize profusely and profoundly. Please add it via a comment.

Case Studies in Webcomics Book Collections by Rob Balder

June 26, 2005 - 23:00 | Rob Balder

Disclaimer

In this article, I am taking a look at the experiences of webcomics creators who have (or soon will) put portions of their archives into book collections. I'm using first person, because I will be including my own experiences as well.

This article is intended to tell a range of stories. It is not meant to be the definitive guide to putting your webcomic into book form. The creators I selected represent some, but not nearly all, of the most significant approaches and achievements in webcomics book publishing. You are especially invited to add your own experiences to the comment thread.