Beginning cartoonists often ask what size they should make their comic. Many are looking for "standard" sizes. The answer is...
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Give Yourself the Gift of Time Off: Low-Impact Holiday Content Ideas for Cartoonists
The holiday season has a way of sneaking up on us — and suddenly we’re juggling year-end deadlines, family commitments,...
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ComicLab Ep 417 — Special Guest Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott from “Baby Blues”
Syndicated cartoonists Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman share their journey of collaboration that spans over 35 years, focusing on their...
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How Many Social-Media Posts Per Day?
According to a Very Popular Influencer, one should post on social media six to eight times daily. I disagree, and...
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Social media and behavioral modification
B.F. Skinner's research showed that rewards and punishments can alter a subject's behavior. We can use those same simple techniques...
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Webcomics Confidential: You’re wasting money on advertising
Unless you have a granular knowledge of advertising, demographics, and much more, you're probably wasting money on "plug-and-play" advertising and...
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ComicLab Ep 416 — What’s the Best Platform for Audience Building?
Where should you post if you want to build an audience? Substack delivers unbeatable audience-building tools... but it has some...
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Does Your Comic Have to Be in Color?
If you’re starting a new comic project, one of the first artistic decisions you’ll face is deceptively simple: color… or...
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Blambot’s Cyberweek Sale
Blambot's biggest sale of the year is happening now! Save 25% off your entire order at blambot.com. This sale runs...
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December To-Do List
It's already December. This month is dominated by holidays—both preparing for and celebrating them—and it's the end of the year....
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When are you ready for a Kickstarter?
You have enough work to collect into a book. You know how to collect estimates from a printer. You may have even started working on the cover. There’s just one problem. How do you know if you’re ready to launch a Kickstarter?
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Webcomics Confidential: Building a supporting cast of characters
Let’s talk about developing a compelling cast of supporting characters.
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ComicLab Ep 284 — Crushing a Kid’s Dreams
A listener is planning to exhibit at a comic con — and their five-year-old wants to sell their own comic there, too! Should children be encouraged to sell their crayon-crafted cartoon books at conventions? Also, we discuss the difference between thumbnailing and penciling.
ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW…
- Five-year-old tabling at a con
- Twitter Blue
- UPDATE: thumbnails vs. pencils
- UPDATE: Selling only four books through a publisher
- How to hurt your characters… and why
Bookplates
Offering an original illustration inside a book — as part of an Artist Edition — is a tremendous way to drive sales and/or Kickstarter pledges. But… have you ever tried to draw a decent drawing on a book’s inside cover (or an inside page)? It’s not easy. And — depending on the coating you used on your cover/pages — the ink doesn’t always take to the surface very well. There’s got to be a better way…
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Feeling awkward about promotion? Talk about your ‘Pride & Joy’ instead.
It’s difficult for many of us to promote our creative efforts effectively because it feels like bragging. After all, how are we supposed to extoll the virtues of our work without sounding conceited? I have a strategy for you that works every time — and makes your outreach much less ham-handed. Instead of talking about your comic’s greatness, talk about your “Pride & Joy” instead.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.Webcomics Confidential: Is More Always Better?
Here’s a thought-provoking question: Does the “more is more” philosophy of social media really lead to success? For instance, is it really better to offer hamburgers five times a week instead of steak twice weekly if you want to build a better career?
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.ComicLab Ep 283 — Publishing two versions of the same book?
A ComicLab listener asks for advice on publishing two versions of the same book — one rated PG-13, and another rated R. Sounds an awful lot like what Brad does. So why is he so against it?!
ON THIS WEEK‘S SHOW...
- Two versions of the same book
- UPDATE: New York Times portfolio review
- UPDATE: Brad’s birthday present
- How many hours spent drawing?
- Building narrative tension
- Hiring an assistant after an injury
Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.
Webtoons déjà vu
It’s tough to be an independent cartoonist. There’s only one place to find comic readers online. There’s only one place where you’re able to get paid for your work. And there’s only one place you can be considered a professional and have hopes of building a career. No, I’m not talking about Webtoons, I’m talking about Keenspot in the opening years of the 2000s. And everything we said then was untrue just as it is when folks say the same things about Webtoons today.
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How to set a price for a book
I created a study guide for my Arts Entrepreneurship class, and I thought it might be helpful to post it here, too. It talks about the simple math behind correctly determining the best price for your merchandise.
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