If You're Havin' Webcomic Problems I Feel Bad For You Son

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on May 24, 2006 - 07:58

The international blog of webcomics: Waffle has a post on webcomic problems. Adam Cuerden lists some of the wrong turns a creator can make with a character, particularly the sins of making your protagonist "godly".

1. "The Chosen One": Suddenly, your ordinary character is the only one that can save the world, and he'll need to work hard to get the incredible amount of power he needs to save it....

2. The stupid weakness: He may be all-powerful, but the colour yellow makes him useless. Er, unless he tries really hard to overcome it.

Steve Harrison

Valid storytelling advice

by idfungus - 05/24/2006 - 12:44

This is good advice for anyone writing a story.

But, if you do have a story where your character is the only one who can save the world...try a comicbook trick and sacrifice the character to do it.

Example; the wizard tried and tried to get the power he needed to save the world and failed (adding tragedy), knowing he failed he offers to sacrifice himself in a last ditch effort (true heroism) to save the world. He dies/vanishes and the story goes on with the needy characters taking-up the role of main character until the wizard resurfaces a month later (a'l Gandalf) as a newer more sturdy version of himself...maybe stripped of hubris and power by the entire ordeal or maybe with the power he sought in the first place forboding even bigger problems ahead.

I think the point of your blog is valid on all levels, the main characters should ALWAYS be in the fire. "May you live in interesting times." and all that.

- IdFungus idfungus*at*gmail*dot*com http://justinssketchbook.blogspot.com

Only webcomics?

by DAJB - 05/24/2006 - 10:18

[quote=xerexes] 1. Suddenly, your ordinary character is the only one that can save the world [...] 2. The stupid weakness. [/quote]

Valid criticisms of all types of comics, I would have thought, not just webcomics. Still, just as well no-one told Siegel and Shuster about these, eh?

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Broken Voice Comics
Because comics are not just for kids

Broken Voice Comics
Because comics are not just for kids