In a recent livestream, I discussed how I use a scheduler — Buffer.com — to schedule a week’s worth of posts in advance. As the conversation got quite detailed, one of my viewers asked if I’d write about that approach in more detail, including a screenshot of a week of planned posts. This is that post.
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If you’re like most creators, your focus is probably on your subscriber count. The higher the number, the better. The same goes for your monthly revenue. But that number only tells part of the story. That’s where churn comes in.
Churn measures how many subscribers you’re losing over a given period. Knowing that number won’t just satisfy your curiosity — it helps explain why your membership is growing, stalling, or shrinking. More importantly, it gives you a way to measure whether changes you make—new rewards, better onboarding, special promotions, ongoing storylines, or improved communication—are actually encouraging people to stick around.
Let’s talk about how to calculate your churn rate and, more importantly, how to use that information to build a healthier, more sustainable membership program on Patreon, Substack, or any recurring-subscription platform.
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So many of us set a “Success” goal without thinking about this — What happens next? Let’s talk about achieving success — and then the really hard part… maintaining it.
What belongs at the beginning of your book? Brad and Dave discuss whether an anti-AI statement offers creators any meaningful protection, break down the information that belongs on a copyright page, and explore the many ways cartoonists can approach the first page of a story or chapter. The best opening isn’t determined by a universal rule—it should establish the right expectations, reflect the story you’re telling, and give readers a reason to keep going.
Topics include:
Skunk Watch 2026
Do anti-AI statements offer creators legal protection?
Why a standard copyright notice may already cover AI training
The difference between creating, declaring, and registering a copyright
What information belongs on a copyright page
Copyright and trademark ownership
When to use ™ and when to use ®
Print location, printing numbers, and edition information
ISBNs and Library of Congress numbers
Combining copyright, title, credit, and dedication pages
Should a comic begin with a splash page?
Does the main character need to appear on page one?
Using the opening page to establish tone and make a promise to the reader
Why different stories require different kinds of openings
Brad’s two-page system for beginning a new Evil Inc chapter
Creating separate covers for SFW and NSFW editions
Using chapter openers as archive markers, promotional art, and production buffers
Dave’s approach to prologues, chapter openings, and world-building vignettes
The difference between the first page and the first chapter
ComicLab LIVE at the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards
Q.: I’m used to the world of print. Online publication still confuses me, mostly about file prep. My original strip size is 16.25 x 6 inches and 600 dpi in Clip Studio Paint. I export it to Photoshop, where I reduce the file to 144 dpi with resample unchecked. But that then makes the file 67.708 x 25 inches. That seems obnoxiously huge. What should I be doing differently to reduce the dimensions without making the image look like a 6-bit video game image?
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I’ve been seeing this happen a lot recently, so I wanna talk about it. A creative person finds themself at a crossroads, and they need to make a decision. And in a moment of weakness, they do something that dooms them. Now, I’m going to focus on business decisions in this talk, but this can often apply to creative decisions as well.
Maybe it’s a new Patreon tier they’re considering. Maybe it’s a publishing decision. Maybe it’s a Kickstarter reward. And they go to their readers and ask: “Would you support a Patreon tier that featured XYZ reward?”
And — nearly 100% of the time — they end up getting the worst advice imaginable.
That’s because readers are experts in consumption, not creation.
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Unnecessary tangents in an illustration can be distracting — and kill the composition in an otherwise great drawing. While sketching a page for his Evil Inc comic, cartoonist Brad Guigar discusses tangents and how to avoid them.
Cartoonist and author Dylan Meconis joins Dave Kellett to discuss marketing middle-grade webcomics, working with fans who offer to translate your work, and finding the right balance between control and accessibility. They also share practical advice for cartoonists creating an autobiographical avatar — including how simplification, posture, clothing, line quality, and tone can make a character feel unmistakably like you.
Topics include:
Marketing and monetizing middle-grade webcomics
Reaching young readers through parents, newsletters, libraries, and local events
Using print editions, zines, and snail-mail clubs to complement online comics
Deciding whether to permit fan translations
Maintaining quality control with beta readers and creator-hosted translations
Balancing copyright concerns with the desire to reach new audiences
Designing a cartoon version of yourself for memoir and autobiographical comics
How do you represent someone whispering in a comic? If you choose to make the lettering itself smaller, you’re sacrificing legibility — and that’s dangerous. After all, that’s Guigar’s Law of Lettering: “Nobody’s gonna read your comic if they can’t read your comic.” In this Livestream Chat, let’s talk about different approaches to getting it done… quietly.
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