Marketing
New and Improved!
Spreading the Word
Submitted by Ben Gamboa on September 9, 2010 - 20:38
Increasing your readership is a little like trying to find love. You can't force it to happen; the best you can hope for is to improve your odds a bit. And if anyone tells you otherwise, they're probably trying to sell you something.
5 Questions: Do You Retail?
Submitted by Sam Costello on August 25, 2010 - 08:55
In many ways, webcomics are primarily online (I mean, hey, it's right there in the name). The comic's there, interactions between creators and fans are there (though offline, too), revenue is generated by ads, even the physical products are sold online. As a consequence, a lot of webcomics tend not to have a physical presence beyond merchandise and con appearances.
5 Questions: How Do You Read Webcomics?
Submitted by Sam Costello on August 24, 2010 - 09:49
This may seem like the world's most basic question, but I'm not sure it is. I think there's a conventional wisdom that the vast majority of webcomics are read in a browser or RSS viewer. My habits - I use a web browser; I'm vaguely embarrassed to say that I've never really gotten the hang of RSS readers even though I imagine they're pretty simple - fall into that conventional wisdom, but I suspect there's some hidden diversity that both readers and webcomic creators can help us reveal.
So, I pose this question to readers: How do you read webcomics - web browser, RSS reader, email subscription, iPhone/iPad app, or something else? If you use more than one, which is your primary method? Which do you enjoy the most?
Snakehead Games Webcomic Contest: $1000 Prizes
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on May 28, 2010 - 10:27
Colin Ferguson, Community Director for Snakehead Games, wrote to tell us about a webcomic award they're running within their community. Snakehead runs two free browser games: Star Pirates and Spy Battle: 2165 and Ferguson said that they've been able to build their gaming community in large part due to partnerships with webcomics from familar folks like Howard Taylor, Kris Straub and Phil Foglio. As a thank you, Snakehead is running a poll amongst its members to decide which of 10 remaining webcomics will win two $1000 awards: one a $1000 in Project Wonderful advertising and the other $1000 in cash. The $1000 in advertising goes to the top vote getter and the $1000 in cash will be sort of a lottery (every vote cast in the “Round of 20″ will be put in a virtual hat. One of the votes will be selected, and that’s the winner).
I remember seeing the custom ads for the game Star Pirates that various sci-fi themed webcomics designed and ran and that's a great way to partner with a webcomic. Snakehead Games obviously hopes to get more members and traffic out of this but so what, it's a pretty cool idea and win-win for them and the webcomics involved. The 10 webcomics remaining in their contest are Girl Genius, XKCD, Legostar Galactica, Erfworld, Looking for Group, Order of the Stick, Darths and Droids, Schlock Mercenary, Kevin and Kell, and Questionable Content. Final results of this contest are expected to be announced in mid-June.
Comix Talk for February 2, 2010
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on February 2, 2010 - 10:10
Quick update this morning - The Escapist website is having a contest -- more like an audition -- to pick a regular webcomic for the The Escapist. I haven't read the fine print so you should before you enter, but go check it out. Btw, SLG Publishing is going to have a workshop for "aspiring comic creators" this March in San Jose, CA.
DEAD TREES: Robot6 previews a lot of comics on book publishers' schedule for this year, includes several webcomics such as Goats, Octopus Pie and Penny Arcade.
INTERVIEWS: Lots of folks linking to this interview with Bill Watterson of Calvin & Hobbes worship fame... Be sure to check out Graphic Novel Reporter's interview with Kazu Kibuishi on his print collection of Copper.
Comix Talk for January 29, 2010
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on January 29, 2010 - 10:44
Whew, made it to Friday. Sometime next week a new version of ComixTalk at the new server will emerge -- it won't be perfect but mostly what I need this year. And it should mean the end of me starting posts writing about Drupal and CSS...
I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more AXE COP! You've all read Axe Cop, haven't you? If I didn't know it was for real I might have thought Kris Straub was behind it... Coupling really funny and well-done art with scripts from his 5 year old brother Malachai, artist Ethan Nicolle has created something that is a gimmick but I swear I laughed the whole time I was reading it.
iWEBCOMICS: Paperless Comics has a nice round up of webcomic commenting on the iPad announcement. I'm not going to think too hard about it until the damn thing is actually in the store, but even though it's not perfect I'm kind of leaning towards getting an iPad right now. (I wonder if I can write it off as a business expense for this site?)
INTERVIEW: A really nice interview with Kean Soo, creator of the all ages comic Jellaby (and before that his journal comic at keaner.net)
REVIEWS: Tom Spurgeon has a glowing review of Kazu Kibuishi's book, Copper. Copper has long been one of my favorite comics and I really do want to get a copy of the paper version at some point. Missed it but earlier this month, Sean Kleefeld reviewed another all ages title -- the prose/comics hybrid book Malice.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BLOGS
Seth Godin read Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and thought it was... about marketing?
Over at Panel & Pixel forums, there's some information and discussion of how intellectual property rights in the U.S. work when a writer and artist collaborate. And another Panel & Pixel post covers creating model sheets for characters for your comic.
Comics, the Web, and Money
Submitted by Th'_Mole on January 11, 2008 - 22:12
Have a look -- he's talking about three things everyone here likes: comics, the web, and money.
Max Mead Cartoons RE-LAUNCH ! -- weekly batches for everyone!
Submitted by maxmead on October 4, 2007 - 17:43
HeY everyone!
 I thought i would put up a blog posting about the RE-LAUNCH of MaxMeadCartoons.com.
I've got a fresh batch of cartoons on the site now, and a new pattern for releasing them!Â
New Full-Color 'Pewfell' Print Edition Now Available
Submitted by chuckwheel on September 17, 2007 - 17:01
Pewfell: Basic Draining is the first Pewfell book in full color, made available thanks to the good folks at ComiXpress.com. Pewfell is about the astounding adventures of a slacker wizard, his amazonian warrior wife and the small blue gnome who squats in their basement. In this volume Tina the Warrior Princess finds herself pregnant and, in order to make ends meet, Pewfell must take a job as wizard in the city sewer patrol. Meanwhile, a demented and zombie-mad dictator seizes control of local government and an army of chaos invades the city.
$7.95 gets you 48 Full color, large European "Magazine Format" pages. Order your copy here.
Or read online at: Pewfell.com
But the critics love us!
Submitted by Arcanom on September 5, 2007 - 18:00
So you've posted your webcomic for all the world to see and waited patiently for thousands of adoring fans to show up on your virtual doorstep and bury you in flowers and accolades. Then you've waited...and waited. After a few months you begin to wonder, ok am I completely wrong about this work? I mean sure I love it, and all my friends and family tell me it's brilliant, so where the heck is everybody?
