The (T.A.&P.M.) Guide to Creating Webcomics

[madcatmonkey]

Sooooo.... speaking of webcomics... now that the forums are all nifty, might you (you meaning Dan and Dave, the esteemed creators) consider sharing some of your advice and experience about creating webcomics with us bright-eyed neophytes seeking to get into the business?

[Dan]

Funny thing about that Madcat. A couple of weeks ago I actually wrote a long and detailed email to you on the subject in response to the emails you sent to me. I, however, did not finish it and, in leaving it in the window overnight, lost it when Windows automatically rebooted for an update.


...stupid microsoft.
_________________
Mercy is the mark of a great man.
*stab*
I guess I'm just a good man.
*stab*
Well, I'm alright.
-Malcom Reynolds "Serenity"

[Dave]

In other words, he was going to, but... meh...

And we might, just remember that Dan and I are still Rookies ourselves.
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"Addiction can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed."
-Clango, Diesel Sweeties
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I (heart) Hanners of Questionable Content.

[madcatmonkey]

@Dan: awww, that sucks! It would have been really interesting to read. Thank you for taking the time to make such a nice reply to me, even if Windows ate it.

@Dave: I remember. It's just that you seem to be really GOOD rookies. But I won't bug you about it. I'll just learn through osmosis by reading lots of Squishy. Hee hee!

[Dave]

I've been doing The Adventures of Dave the Direman since 2005 with Dee... so I guess I'm not that much of a rookie.

As for Dan, he has the benefit of years of accumulated stories and ideas. We've been sitting on Squishy for a while now. And once we really get our act together, expect some Squishy stuff that's not comics. Arturo has some stuff simmering (He can choose to tell or not to tell... at which point I'm nothing more than a tease :p )
_________________
"Addiction can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed."
-Clango, Diesel Sweeties
===
I (heart) Hanners of Questionable Content.

[Dan]

I'm going to try and recall what I said then and hopefully it will come out as good.

Step 1: Identify why you're doing this. If it's for the money, then stop right there. There are easier ways to make money with your artistic talents then webcomics. Go to school, get e graphic design degree, work in advertising. there are like 15,000 webcomics on the Internet and maybe %10 turn any kind of profit and only %10 of those that turn a profit, make enough to support their creators with a lifestyle above the poverty level. Money is the wrong reason. If it happens then, well... Bonus. Don't expect it. If however you're interested in artist expression or fun, or want to do it just for the hell of it then go ahead and proceed to step two.

Step 2: Build your skill set. Hone your craft. Draw, draw, draw, draw, draw, draw, draw. Try to create an original style. Originality will get noticed. Read. Read comics, read webcomics, read books about comics. read books about storytelling. Read books about film making. Watch movies. It'll help. And when I say watch movies, I don't just mean sit down and enjoy a movie. Watch it. study it. Pay attention to lighting and camera angles. These things will help you. Don't just read comics, deconstruct them, Find out what works and what doesn't. identify themes.
A few must reads:
Understanding Comics and Making Comics by Scott McCloud.
Comics and Sequential art by Will Eisner
The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
How to Read A Book By Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren(Yeah, the guy from quiz show)

I'll add more later...
_________________
Mercy is the mark of a great man.
*stab*
I guess I'm just a good man.
*stab*
Well, I'm alright.
-Malcom Reynolds "Serenity"

[madcatmonkey]

Awesome, thank you so much! *huggles Dan*

I hadn't thought to read those last two books, by Campbell and Adler/Van Doren. I'll have to start paying more attention to movies, also. Thank you for some really great advice!

I definitely don't think I'm in it for the money. I've always wanted to draw and tell stories and make comic books/graphic novels, (I would really like to see graphic novels become as widely accepted as other print novels) and the only reason I'd like to make money doing it is so I wouldn't have to go spend my time at a different job, and could spend the time drawing instead. lol

@Dave/Arturo: ooooh, non-comic Squishy Stuff? What is it what is it? *bounces eagerly* Wanna see!

[Dave]

Some more advice:

Although we're guilty of slipping on this one, you should always make sure your strips are polished and professional. By that I mean you should check yourself for any mistakes in spelling, punctuation, coloring, etc. Basically, make sure that your finished strip's production quality is up to par. This area is as important, if not more so, than your level of illustration or creative writing skill.

Be consistent. If you set yourself to a schedule, keep it. Nothing can kill a web comic faster than missing post days. I know I stopped reading some strips because of it.

Give yourself time. This is one that we still struggle with, and the fact that Dan's in NY and I'm in LA further complicates things. If you're the sole writer and artist, then you can make changes on the fly, but you should always try to give yourself at least one day's worth of lead time per strip so you can make any changes before posting. If you're a writer/artist team, then this is ESSENTIAL. Unfortunately, the burden of being timely falls on the writer's shoulders. The writer has free reign to write as many scripts as he likes. Unfortunately, the artist doesn't have that luxury. The artist cannot draw a strip without knowing what to draw. So, the writer needs to give the artist plenty of lead time to draw a strip. This is both a quality and respect issue. Quality wise, the artist needs the time to make sure the strip is well done. Also, if given enough time, the artist can send the writer the strip before it gets finished so the writer has a chance to make any changes to his writing. As for respect, nothing sucks worse than an artist sitting around all day waiting for a script to draw the day before it's due.



So yeah, things to keep in mind from both Dan and I:

1. Figure out what kind of comic you want to do and why.

2. Practice your craft, be it writing, drawing, or both. Read the books that teach them to you, and read works of others.

3. Be professional and consistent. Check for errors and don't leave your audience in the dark.

4. Give yourself time to work. Avoid doing things last minute. It only hurts your product.



Hmm... maybe this should be it's own thread elsewhere.
_________________
"Addiction can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed."
-Clango, Diesel Sweeties
===
I (heart) Hanners of Questionable Content.

[madcatmonkey]

That is some really good advice, thanks. I will definitely try to keep those things in mind.

I agree, this could probably use its own thread somewhere.

[Parsifal]

I was going to suggest just collecting all the advice of its kind and creating "The (Totally Amateur and Possibly Misleading) Guide to Creating Web Comics"
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[Dave]

I like the title. Do it!
_________________
"Addiction can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed."
-Clango, Diesel Sweeties
===
I (heart) Hanners of Questionable Content.

[Dan]

Done. However there's a limit to the number of characters in a subject title. I had to abbreviate it, or else it would have be "The (Totally Amateur and Possibly Misleading) Guide to Creat" And that makes no sense.
_________________
Mercy is the mark of a great man.
*stab*
I guess I'm just a good man.
*stab*
Well, I'm alright.
-Malcom Reynolds "Serenity"

[madcatmonkey]

Mwahahahah! I like it!