Love and Marriage and the future of webcomics
Submitted by jguzzardo on March 28, 2009 - 20:03
With the rise of the internet, the talent pool has become that much deeper for artists to swim in, and with it the monies for artists who are strictly artists will be much lower. Most newspapers are dumping printed comics in favor of online publishing, and licensing fees are being aggressively negotiated downward by major newspaper owners. This means the dollars that were once thrown about freely to comic strip artists will be much much harder to come by in the years ahead.
The future is the old concept of M&M, Marketing and Merchandising. Already, we are seeing the next generation of comic strip artists start to diversify; Wal-Mart is carrying the wildly popular Muttz! line, while The Boondocks successfully transitioned to animated life with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim format. Other cartoons, such as Dilbert and Buckles, have used the power of their syndication companies to expand their brand name. Long story short: to be a player in the future of comic strips, you had better be web-savvy and business-oriented.
One of the beauties of my strip, Love & Marriage, is that I am no longer driven to be picked up by a syndicate. I'm now content to have more of a "cult" following, and websites like ComixTalk and Comixpedia have done wonders to artists like me, struggling to get noticed but also willing to keep that "day job" to keep food on the table and roof over the head.
Does this mean I wouldn't love to be snapped up by one of the "majors" with a 300 newspaper deal? Of course I would...I'm just much more realistic about it today than I was 10 or even 5 years ago. The fact is, I'm in it for the art and the entertainment. Naturally, a buck or two thrown my way to help defray costs will always be appreciated, and being able to see a big fat payout for my work someday will be a dream come true, but it is no longer something I actually seek.
Comic strips have been a passion for me since I was a little kid, and they continue to be wonderful mental and emotional refuge for me. I've now become comfortable enough with Love & Marriage that I have taken to drawing strips (mostly dailies - Sunday's are too unwieldy for this) on my clipboard while sitting on the couch with my wife watching TV (she knows I'm not interested in what she's watching when i pick up the Sharpie and start working ahead! *grin*) The thought of a dollar chase sucking all the passion for the work out of me like it almost did a couple of years ago is frightening enough - I prefer to stick to the business of the artwork and if someone I can trust comes along with some marketing ideas or advice, then so be it.
I just want you all to know, Love & Marriage isn't going ANYWHERE as long as my heart beats, because my heart is poured into it now...the characters of Love & Marriage have evolved over many, many years and they have taken on their own distinct personalities and their own particular lives....when I go, they go...not a moment before!
Thanks, and keep spreading the love!
John
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