Artists seem to draw a blank when it comes to posting content on social media. Let’s discuss some strategies for improving outreach.
This week, Brad and Dave discuss what happens after a cartoonist achieves the dream: Making a living from comics. They explain why success can create its own time-management problems, how to protect the thing that’s already working, and why adding books, Kickstarter campaigns, merch, newsletters, or conventions should happen gradually. They also talk about practical systems for numbering webcomic pages, naming files, and keeping longform comics organized over time.
Main topics covered
Designing a logo for your comic can be surprisingly daunting. After all, many of us are artists or collaborate directly with artists. However, designing a logo requires a slightly different skill set than designing a comic panel. So, let’s talk about some DOs and DON’Ts that apply to good logo design.
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It was an innocent enough comment. A beginner cartoonist was lamenting their social media results: “Now that I’m publishing my comic, I’m a little restless between the weekly updates, wondering if there’s more I can do to market it. I don’t think there’s much I can do at the moment largely, beyond sharing on social media on update day and responding to comments.”
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A lot of cartoonists hear the phrase “marketing funnel” and immediately picture something gross, corporate, and manipulative. But a marketing funnel is really just a map of how a casual stranger becomes a regular reader — and how a regular reader eventually becomes a supporter.
For a webcartoonist, the funnel usually has four major parts: social media, your website, your newsletter, and your crowdfunding platforms like Patreon or Kickstarter.
The mistake many cartoonists make is treating all four of those outlets as if they do the same job. They don’t.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.What seems like a simple question about exclamation points opens up a much bigger discussion about the power of comics lettering. Brad and Dave talk about punctuation, word balloons, font choices, and the unique grammar of comics — and why cartoonists have tools that prose writers can only dream of. They also share thoughts on staying creative during major disruptions, from studio moves to home renovations.
On today’s show…
Here are five practical, comic-specific tips to level up your dialogue.
Comic dialogue isn’t prose — it’s real estate.
If a character can show it, cut the words.
A great goal is to aim for is writing so that If you can tell who’s speaking if you remove the images.
Dialogue is your pacing engine.
Think of each balloon as a story beat.
Avoid “on-the-nose” dialogue.
Instead of:
“I’m angry because you betrayed me!”
Try:
“Wow. That’s how we’re playing this?”
Trust your reader. Subtext is sexier.
Great dialogue isn’t about what’s said — it’s about what’s avoided.
Let the story live between the lines.
You already know this instinctively — but it’s worth sharpening.
That delayed realization? That’s tension-and-release at its finest!
This week, Dave returns from Alaska Comics Camp with a glowing review of what he calls one of the most meaningful experiences of his professional life. He explains how the camp blends education, community, mentorship, and artistic growth in a remote setting that forces attendees to disconnect from technology and reconnect with one another. Along the way, Brad and Dave discuss what makes the camp special, the value of peer-to-peer learning, the recent panic over Kickstarter’s updated NSFW guidelines, Eisner nominations, and the realities of pursuing recognition in comics.
Alaska Comics Camp
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