| Syndicated comic authors have been complaining | | | | creation.Before you jump headfirst into publishing |
| about newspaper size restrictions, content | | | | your comics online, you should build up a bit of a |
| censoring and similar issues for a long time. Comic | | | | backlog of comics. Try to draw at least ten or so |
| enthusiasts have been increasingly irritated by the | | | | quality comics that you would be proud to have |
| treatment their entertainment medium receives | | | | on your site. If you're going to have a |
| as well. Then along came the Internet, providing | | | | story-based comic then it would be a good idea |
| unlimited and unrestricted distribution possibilities. | | | | to plan your first story arc. It is really useful to |
| Thus the webcomic was born.There are millions of | | | | maintain this backlog of comics whenever possible, |
| webcomics out there, dealing with such vast | | | | so that you can fall behind in the creation of the |
| topics as video games, college life, samurai, Lego | | | | comics but still have content to post online. |
| men, identity and self esteem, depression, suicide, | | | | Nothing turns away readers faster than failing to |
| children and joy. People write them for a living, for | | | | provide them with content when you say you will. |
| fun, as stress relief, for artistic expression, or | | | | If you eat into the backlog, try to draw a few |
| often just for the hell of it. Then they stick their | | | | extra strips so that it doesn't get diminished.As a |
| creations on the web and hope that just one | | | | helpful guide for your comics, decide roughly what |
| more person will find and enjoy the fruits of their | | | | format they will take (e.g. three or four panel gag |
| labour.There seem to be several hundred new | | | | strips etc.) and draw up the panels on your |
| comics created each and every day. These often | | | | computer. You can then print these and draw the |
| dwindle and fade after only a few months. | | | | strips within the panels, ensuring that they stay |
| Occasionally, however, a comic rises above the | | | | neat and consistent. When the comics have been |
| rest and gains such popularity that the creator is | | | | drawn, scan them into your computer and touch |
| able to forgo all other work and scrape a living | | | | them up any way you like. It's generally the best |
| solely off the proceeds generated by their | | | | practice to remove speech balloons and text and |
| websites. Some examples of such are | | | | add these on computer, because it will usually be |
| Penny-Arcade, PvP, CtrlAltDel and Squidi.net.Many | | | | neater and easier to read. Remember to fit |
| people, when introduced to the world of | | | | balloons around the speech, not the speech into |
| webcomics, think to themselves "Wouldn't it be | | | | the balloons. It's amazing how often this is |
| cool to have my own comic?" and a few go | | | | forgotten. Some good fonts, free for |
| beyond this and create their own. So how can a | | | | non-commercial use, can be found at Don't get |
| newcomer ensure that their comic continues | | | | too stressed about your artwork, I found that |
| beyond the first few weeks of enthusiasm?Now | | | | most people don't mind slightly inconsistent and |
| before I go into some useful tips it is probably | | | | not overly fantastic artwork provided they enjoy |
| worth noting that I am the proud owner of a | | | | the content of the comic.So now you're ready to |
| failed webcomic. It went for a few months | | | | get going with the online side of things. Start |
| before hitting a few snags and then grinding into | | | | writing your web page so that you can just |
| the ground. I have plans to return to creating the | | | | upload it when you're ready. Webcomic PHP |
| comics, but as of yet have not. So I'm not really | | | | management systems are relatively easy to find. |
| drawing from a foundation of success, more of | | | | I personally really like ComicPro that, |
| failure and an understanding of some of the main | | | | unfortunately, seems to have vanished from the |
| factors contributing to my failure.For starters, | | | | web. If you can hunt it down it's worth a look. |
| you're going to need to plan a little. It's | | | | Web hosting is quite easy to find as well, you |
| unfortunate, unfair and certainly not fun, but it is | | | | won't need much space to begin with so you can |
| necessary. Sit down and think about your comic. | | | | use one of the many free providers out there |
| Come up with a location setting, some characters | | | | (including that provides free hosting specifically for |
| and maybe even a few plots to test them in. Run | | | | webcomics), use the web space provided by the |
| the characters through some adventures and see | | | | majority of ISPs or purchase your own web |
| how they react and how you react to them. Your | | | | hosting plan (you can get a quite cheap one |
| characters will grow and change throughout this | | | | because you won't be needing many features to |
| process, and continue to do so throughout the life | | | | begin with). When signing up for any hosting |
| of your comic but you need to get a handle on | | | | package, make sure you have permission to |
| their basic character traits.For some reason the | | | | change the read/write attributes of your files |
| majority of comics revolve around a group of | | | | because the PHP comic managers will need this |
| people (usually guys) that are somewhat geeky | | | | (this is done on Linux servers using CHMOD from |
| and live together. Usually in a university dorm. I | | | | your FTP program; In Windows you can |
| would imagine that this is because that's the | | | | Right-Click a file, select Properties and change |
| general life of the majority of webcomic authors. | | | | security permissions there; or you may need to |
| The premise itself also makes an awful lot of | | | | use a proprietary control panel provided by the |
| sense for the basis of a comic. When designing | | | | host).You're going to need to decide on an update |
| my own webcomic the process went a little | | | | schedule for your comic. It's probably best to |
| something like this: I designed the main characters, | | | | start small and build up; maybe two or three |
| most of which were drawings that I had been | | | | updates a week. This way you have three to five |
| playing with since high school. Then I needed a | | | | weeks of comics in your backlog, which allows |
| reason for them to constantly see each other | | | | you to fall behind substantially before anyone |
| and interact, so I got them living together. They | | | | notices.While we're on the topic of deciding |
| needed character traits that I could relate to, so | | | | schedules, it will help you if you actually try and |
| they become university-aged students that had at | | | | schedule an hour or so into your day to write |
| least a passing interest in the geeky side of life.I | | | | comics. If you just try to fit them into the free |
| drew my first few strips and showed them to | | | | time that you're "bound to have just after you |
| some friends, who liked them, so started looking | | | | finish just this one last thing" then you'll often find |
| into putting them online. The initial line up included | | | | yourself failing to get a strip drawn on time.Now |
| two guys who lived together, a female love | | | | that you have your comic online you can start |
| interest for one of the characters and a talking | | | | promoting it. There are a huge number of comic |
| animal (in my case a frog, because I had this frog | | | | directories out there that will help get you |
| that I'd been drawing for years and had become | | | | exposure. Get your friends excited about your |
| quite attached to him).At this point I wasn't very | | | | comic and they in turn will get their friends |
| experienced with webcomics, having only really | | | | excited. Read other people's comics and get |
| read the syndicated newspaper comics that the | | | | involved in their forums. Find sites that accept |
| syndicated press companies post online. So I | | | | guest artwork or comics and send some to them. |
| started looking through some of the major | | | | The best promotion comes from getting people |
| comics, only to find that Sluggy Freelance had the | | | | to read your comic and fire a link across their |
| talking animals, geeky guys that lived together | | | | instant messenger program to another friend. My |
| and female love interest already covered. A bit | | | | current list of "must read every day" comics |
| more research revealed that the "university | | | | came entirely from various people sending links to |
| students living together" was covered in the large | | | | me. Don't expect instant success, look to sharing |
| majority of comics. Furthermore, having a kind of | | | | your vision with even just one new person every |
| wacky (and just a little stupid) character, and a | | | | day.Well, I hope that helps to give you a few |
| more sensible and reserved one was practically a | | | | ideas about how to make your comic and keep it |
| given. Then, to rub salt in the wound, I found that | | | | running. When your characters start to grow |
| another comic had its main character design very | | | | they'll almost create the stories and jokes |
| similar to my own. So I got rid of the frog, | | | | themselves and the strip won't be anywhere near |
| removed the focus on gaming and university and | | | | as hard to write as it was when you first started |
| otherwise left the comic as it was. Not entirely | | | | out. Just keep drawing the comics on a frequent |
| original.Anyway, the point is that you should | | | | basis so that you don't fall out of the rhythm of |
| probably try to be more original. Check through | | | | your created world and above all else have |
| your concept and remove the whole university | | | | fun.Daniel Punch |
| students living together with wacky talking | | | | |
| inappropriately anthropomorphic sidekicks. You'll be | | | | Daniel Punch is a University student doodling his |
| better off in the long run and have a more original | | | | way through many a boring lecture. |