ComicLab Ep 440 — Is the Comic Strip Dead
The newspaper comic strip didn’t go extinct — it evolved. But if your work doesn’t keep up, your career may be fossilized! From Reddit-ready square comics to vertical-scroll storytelling, they explore how creators are adapting to phones, social media, and changing reading habits while keeping the heart of the comic strip alive.
Topics covered
- The evolution of newspaper comic strips
- Why horizontal strips existed in the first place
- How phones changed comics formatting
- Square-format comics on Reddit and social media
- Vertical-scroll storytelling
- Why readers won’t rotate their phones
- Charles Schulz and the flexible-format origins of Peanuts
- Newspaper syndication vs. modern web distribution
- YA graphic novels as the next evolution for newspaper strips
- Lincoln Peirce and the success of Big Nate books
- Why comic strips are still thriving online
- Modular comic formatting for webcomics
- The launch of The Comic Scout
- Dave Kellett’s Hugo Award nomination anticipation
- Tips for maintaining visual consistency in comics
- Workflow advice for newer cartoonists




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