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