Any actual advice for someone who wants to create a webcomic outside of "don't", "don't do anything Ctrl+Alt+Delete does", and don't attempt "comedy"?
Any actual advice for someone who wants to create a webcomic outside of "don't"...
Is this Loss?
do. make it, work on it, publish it, be consistent with your schedule, update once a week or more. promote on multiple platforms. post on leddit, tumblr, da, here, at conventions, tweet about it.
don't pick stupid fights with other creators, even if they started it and they're being dicks. don't go on hiatus for months and months, don't make commitments you can't keep. don't respond to criticism by freaking out, even if it makes you enraged. don't make a patreon or beg for money until you have some traffic.
it doesn't matter what your content is so much as how you manage it. even if you create absolute shit, a regular update schedule and positive attitude can take you pretty far. most people will eventually get better at art and writing, but even if you don't it's possible to amass a small following.
ultimately B^U's greatest failing is that he's a dick and was shitty to fans and to other creators, not that he made a misguided comic about a character having a miscarriage and has a stilted art style.
Make your characters visually appealing. That doesn't mean everyone has to be a beautiful anime girl, or even attractive whatsoever, but make sure to inhabit your world with people or creatures worth looking at.
Pic related may be game concept art but it demonstrates my point. Who wants to look at that? It's ugly, but not in a funny way of in a visually interesting way (like Orkz). It's a waste of resources.
If you're going for a web comic based almost entirely in reality, then definitely take the time to add textures to the clothes, like crumples in jeans, folds in shorts, etc. Try to add a variety of poses and angles, too. You don't have to overdo it like a John K. cartoon (which uses off model loses and expressions so much that it hurts the flow), but just keep some variety. If I took a screenshot of every scene from HD Family Guy set in the living room, it would be agonizing.
Good luck OP, and happy hunting. I look forward to seeing what you create.
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I was half-expecting only troll advice and I am really glad it isn't.
1. Have a good idea.
2. Do it.
If you cannot do number two, shut your mouth.
Is that a Jojo reference?
HUR HUR MOM COME LOOK I DID A MEEM no seriously mother
Don't (I know, just bare with me) just jump right into it if it's a story based webcomic, plan it, write down the plot beginning to end, leaving a little wiggle room for a few scenes here and there but ultimately give a nice even track to follow so you don't run into the problem a lot of webcomic artists run into (just keep going with the flow until they write themselves into an inescapable corner and just giving up).
Also, if you ever do decide to quit and move on to something else or whatever that's perfectly fine, but don't bullshit your audience, release a new update telling them you're gonna be putting the webcomic down so they don't constantly wonder when the new update is and start getting pissed after months of absolute silence, sure some folk will be pissed that you quit but a lot of your fans will appreciate the heads up.
Not everything is Loss user
have a buffer. hiatus's are what kill interest in a comic.
always try to improve. don't be afraid of a character ending up off-model for the sake of a visually interesting panel, and don't fall-back on 3/4 profile shots just because its easy.
don't go in thinking you'll make this comic forever. aim to have it finished in 2-3 years. any 'good ideas' that won't fit into that time frame are better off being used for a sequel instead.
>Mister Twister
>tfw you decide to pay attention to how many panels in webcomics use 3/4 profiles
Man, if you turned that into a drinking game you'd kill an Irishman in the first five pages of pretty much every Webcomic ever made
It's pretty well known that most hack artists can do passable 3/4 profile shots but can't do a head-on or a profile to save their lives.
Do it because you like it. Because I certainly don't.
Start drawing strips based on whatever ideas you have at the time to see what sort of content you feel most comfortable with. Don't restrict yourself in this trial phase, just draw whatever you want. Come back later, a few days or a week, or whatever, to look at it with fresh eyes. Discard anything you don't like, keep what you do.
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to immediately start producing content. If you overthink everything you'll never get anywhere. Draw first, make decisions later. This goes for any type of comic: gag-a-day, comedy strip, drama, action serial, whatever. If you don't have a frame of reference for your own work then mulling over what to draw is pointless naval gazing, basically just you procrastinating.
Start doing it, and don't stop doing it.
Don't talk to all your friends and internet strangers about the comic you're working on if you don't have anything to show for it. Build a respectable backlog, and then announce it.
Take in all criticism and decide for yourself how much value it should hold.
Never stop trying to improve, and never take shortcuts.
Your characters are well-written when they write the story for you.
Stay humble about your product, even if it becomes successful.
Do it because you want to tell a story, not because you want to be famous.
Interesting - you two have completely differing points of view. I've seen webcomic artists who have done long-running series coming from both ends of the spectrum as well - some long-planned, and others just make it up as they go, others still about half and half.
Maybe we can say that as long as you can write a complete arc, even if it's a small part of a broader story, it's okay to go ahead.
>never take shortcuts
This, the last thing you want is to peak midway through and then start degenerating as you go.
It's more about being aware.
Like, cheating perspective or form works if you know you're doing it and have a reason to do so. Just look at Mickey Mouse.
the reason for their different p.o.v. is very simple: Be a good writer. It doesn't matter how or about what, just write something people want to read
Even though it's such a basic concept, many people directly refuse to do so, because in the end they want to write something they themselves want to read, and that is a big mistake. Sometimes a writer can be lucky and what he likes is also what other people like, but that is rare. In other words, if you want to do something that makes you happy, don't care about popularity. If you want to earn sweet internet money, then be willing to give up your artistic freedom.
"Write what people want to read, draw what people want to see" is the only advice you really need. It's the foundation everything else is build on.
Mind you, many retards would advise you to not do it because they think comics are ART and need to be treated as such, when in reality most comics in the world are just a product.
>just write something people want to read
I'm going to have to disagree with this, at least partially. Sure, no one will want to read someone's deviantART-tier Mary-Sue story, but at the same time, there are many examples (most/all of the successful webcomics, I'd say) of someone writing a story that appeals to them and having fun doing it, and because they're enjoying it, others are as well. I think the difference, as you said, is being a good writer. As long as you have well-written characters and a decent plot, I think you can draw in readers no matter what you're telling.
Yahtzee and Gabe of Let's Drown Out were talking about this once when it comes to video games - oftentimes the audience doesn't actually know what they would like, and they'll just ask for more of the same. Sure there's a risk that something new won't appeal, but that's just the name of the game.
Quoting this to emphasize the importance of a buffer. If you slip up once, it's easy to keep slipping up, and people will stop reading. So make a tightly held schedule, typically a comic posted every one to two weeks, and have at least a month's worth of extras at all times in case of emergencies or particular strips that need a lot of extra work.
Know where you're going before you start. Have at least a rough plot outline of the entire comic before you begin or else you'll end up in SOL hell like QC.
Get at least two beta readers to give the plot and individual strips a lookover before you start drawing/publishing. They can tell you if something is badly written/drawn and make suggestions for changes. Always remember that as the artist making changes is ultimately your decision, and beta readers are not always right--but they usually are.
Lesbians, user.
You need lesbians.
Not even good lesbians, just lesbians.
You'll gain everything you desire, attention, money, devotion, as long as you just add lesbians.
Not enough for you? Add some trannies. Black people are a must as well.
Do it, user
Bite the apple
But this one is actually a loss edit.
What about a lesbian, singular, who doesn't really bring it up and is single?
That's a start but if you're smart you'll make the whole comic about lesbians.
You must ask yourself- would you rather have integrity or success?
Make a backlog.
This is absolutely vital, make a fucking backlog.