A listener asks if they should write one big, successful comic or several mediocre ones. We have a bigger question: What makes you think you have a choice?! Also, it turns out the whole "Substack nazi" thing was yet another case of Platform Panic. SPONSORED BY... ComicLab is brought to you this week by the book "How Comics Were Made, a Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page." Comics historian and ComicLab fan Glenn Fleishman has spent years researching the history of newspaper...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 322
BE ADVISED: We'll be discussing issues like death and dying in this episode. Dave turns fifty years old, and it has us talking about cartooning in the second half of one's life. And we're not the only ones asking existential questions. Our first question asker is worried that they're not going to have time to work on all of their ideas in one lifetime! Finally, we break down Wacom's troubling use of AI art in a promotional image! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Dave turns 50 years old Too many ideas for ...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 321
We often advise that beginners write a few short stories to sharpen their comics-making skills before they tackle that 200-page epic that they're burning to produce! But how do you write a short story? Today's show offers an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide! Use this blueprint to participate in the ComicLab Short Story Challenge ! PLUS... if it's a benefit to list your comic on as many eStores as possible, why is it a bad idea to do the same with crowdfunding platforms? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... ...
Feb 01, 2024•56 min•Ep. 320
As last year came to a close, it was becoming very clear that social media has been failing to deliver what we traditionally relied on it for — reaching our current readers and finding new ones. So this year Brad is trying out a new platform — Subsack. But that comes with a whole new learning curve — and more than a few ethical issues to wrestle with! SHOW NOTES: Two points of clarification. First, the question is raised whether a user can export an email list from Substack. This is, indeed a fe...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 319
One of our most often-requested topics is "How do I start a webcomic?" We're going to give you some step-by-step instructions — updated for the new year! Plus... we always stress the importance of doing a good comic. That begs another question: "How do I know if my comic is good?" ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... How to start a webcomic in 2024 "How do I know if my comic is good?" UPDATE: Kindle Direct Publishing You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 318
Veteran cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar make some predictions and discuss their goals for the new year. 2024 Predictions BRAD: Twitter will crash in 2024 DAVE: Social media will remain distributed over five or six platforms BRAD: Web users will begin to pivot away from social media DAVE: Patreon will move closer to an IPO BRAD: Kickstarter will remain #1 by continuing to avoid mentioning blockchain DAVE: SDCC will return to normal after an abnormal '23... and profits will plummet for cr...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 317
Better late than never, Brad learns to share. On social media, that is. And, using what he learned after weeks of analysis, he has a challenge for you: Try — just try — to find something worth sharing on social media. ON TODAY'S SHOW Searching for an effective social media strategy A new social-media experiment — Try... just TRY to find a post worth sharing Dave's experiment: Deleting people from the Free Membership tier. Please note: we do not, nor have we ever , endorsed this as something you ...
Jan 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 316
Veteran cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar look back on their predictions for 2023. They nailed a few and failed a few! PREDICTION SCORECARD Patreon will slowly entice people away from the Founder's level -- WRONG TikTok will be banned in the US -- WRONG CSP will unveil amazing features / Webtoons publishing -- RIGHT Webtoons publishing -- RIGHT Twitter fade -- RIGHT DC Comics implosion -- RIGHT No one will be using Mastodon (in large enough numbers to replace Twitter) -- RIGHT GPT 3.5 wil...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 315
While we were at the National Cartoonists Society Rueben Awards Weekend, we stopped cartoonists and asked them one question: When you need to spark creativity — and nothing is happening — how do you find ideas? Today's show is a compilation of those responses. You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. If you'd like a one-...
Dec 21, 2023•43 min•Ep. 314
Patreon unveiled a free membership tier, and it's really throwing a monkey wrench into things. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... It's official. We hate Patreon's Free Membership Tier Understanding Parody & Free Use Do Dave and Brad ever fight?! You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 313
Dave brings in a new concept for the holidays — declaring organizational bankruptcy. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Declaring organizational bankruptcy A scaled-back Kickstarter? UPDATE: Mastodon Posting schedule? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook ....
Dec 07, 2023•57 min•Ep. 312
Referring to current events may give your comic an edge today, but it can also make your work harder for future generations to enjoy. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Writing comics with a shelf life YouTube instead of Patreon? Amazon KDP Using Patreon as an archive You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of ...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 311
A ComicLab listener would like his friends to give him feedback on his comic — and he wants them to subscribe to his Patreon to do it. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... A Patreon level for constructive feedback Dave at WorldCon? UPDATE: Clip Studio update... feeling kinda screwed What happens to your books after you die What extras should go into a digital book? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the...
Nov 23, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 310
Is it wise to exploit parasocial relationships to get more Patreon backers? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Drunk ComicLab Parasocial relationships on Patreon Are ads making a comeback? After the Thanos Snap — would Brad and Dave do a podcast? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the autho...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 309
Patreon has unveiled a massive update to its service, and we'll discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... The Good The user experience has some significant improvements Collections eStore — Buy digital goods. Find Creators You Love — a somewhat improved attempt at discoverability Member Posts section is being sunsetted The Bad Anemic analytics. Graphtreon still beats Patreon's own data. Patreon's pivot to social media. I have lots of places to talk to my fans. Social media ...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 308
Sure, making comics is fun, but do we ever do serious work, like painting, sculpting, or other classical art forms? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Do we ever do "classical" work? If tenacity is #1, what's #2? UPDATE: Dave's booth cost for SDCC '24 UPDATE: NCS networking UPDATE: Alaska Comics Camp Which to work on... popular, fun Series A or almost-done Series B? Black gutters You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for po...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 307
The Gannett newspaper chain, which includes USA Today and about 200 other daily newspapers, has selected 34 syndicated comics. Each of its newspapers will be limited to running comics from that list. Any comic that didn't make the list has been shut out of roughly 20% of the existing market. Not surprisingly, most of the 34 are legacy comics whose original creators are long since deceased. This is the end of syndicated comics. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... The Gannet 34 signals the death of syndicated ...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 306
We're thrilled to welcome Jamar Nicholas , creator of Leon The Extraordinary , to talk shop with us! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Jamar Nicholas UPDATE: NCS and Planks Principle UPDATE: Musk to take Twitter behind paywall? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 305
Dave and Brad return from the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Awards with stories, anecdotes, and reflections. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... What is the NCS? The Reuben Awards week Phil Foglio wins the award for Best Online Longform Comic Meeting Mike Peters ("Mother Goose & Grim") Brunch with the NCS — "Ya wanna hear about MY heart attack?" Outgoing NCS president Jason Chatfield NCS is reaching out to younger cartoonists Regional chapters of NCS Jamar Nicholas' "NCS Studio Chats" series on YouTube ...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 304
New Yorker cartoonist Jason Chatfield and " Sarah's Scribbles " cartoonist Sarah Andersen join Brad and Dave at the Farewell Brunch, closing out the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Awards events. You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook . Dave...
Oct 05, 2023•54 min•Ep. 303
Is comics a young person's game? Pull up a (rocking) chair, and let's talk about it! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Are you too old to start in comics? Battling procrastination One-and-done publishing strategy? The TinyView app Eye problems due to comics You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc a...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 302
Which is more important for a cartoonist to learn — writing or drawing? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Is it worth my time to learn how to draw AND how to write? UPDATE: Dropbox in decline UPDATE: Brad writes a "Tales from the Drive" story Using social media to direct traffic to website Working 7 days a week to achieve work-life balance You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclu...
Sep 21, 2023•54 min•Ep. 301
Thanos snaps his fingers and erases Brad and Dave's careers. They have all their current knowledge, talents, and skills. But they don't have their titles, audiences, or archives. What, where, and how do they RESTART? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Celebrating 300 episodes of ComicLab and 300 episodes of Pro Tips. The Thanos snap You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive Pro...
Sep 14, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 300
There's a definite benefit to making mistakes early in your career. They have a much lower impact than the ones that come later. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Making small mistakes early so you can avoid big trauma later Re-releasing old merchandise Visual novels Luck in social media You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guig...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 299
Has manga overtaken American-style comics in the hearts and imaginations of readers? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Did manga win comics? UPDATE: Threads usage declines — is this the end of the Social Media Age? Kickstarter reaffirms commitment to AI technology You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evi...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 298
Dave and Brad return from Comic-Con International in San Diego, and they have much to discuss! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... San Diego Comic-Con recap UPDATE: Do we need to reintroduce "free?" UPDATE: Musk rebrands Twitter to "X." Sticking with a failing project too long Procreate for print You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Br...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 297
This week a ComicLab listener writes to thank us for talking him out of a mistake — and to say he'd like to get back to making it as soon as possible. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Going back to making the same mistake Patreon for a short-term comic UPDATE: Patreon Free Trial UPDATE: Jerry Garcia — "Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like licorice... REALLY like licorice!" That's sage advice for niche publishing. Particular advice for small comic conventions Coming back after a break — restar...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 296
Today's show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com ! It's the first download comic shop — and we think it's the best! You should build a following on social media. You should launch a website. You should focus on the quality of your comic. How do you manage all of these "SHOULDs?!" ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Too many "SHOULDs" UPDATE: ComicLab LIVE at NCS Reuben Awards Weekend : Sept. 8, 11 a.m. Special guest Sarah Andersen ( Sarah's Scribbles ) What cartooning advice would an 18-year-old actually lis...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 295
Today's show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com ! It's the first download comic shop — and we think it's the best! Social media giant Meta launched Threads and acquired over 40,000 users within the first 24 hours. Will this be the death knell for Twitter? And if it is, will that be good news for comic creators? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Threads Free Trials on Patreon TweetDeck is going to become subscription-only ComicLab LIVE at NCS Reuben Awards Weekend : Sept. 8, 11 a.m. Special guest Sarah And...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 294
Today's show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com ! It's the first download comic shop — and we think it's the best! With Marvel, Netflix, Sony, HBO, and Universal pulling out of Hall H, what will San Diego Comic-Con be like? Some say that removing the Hollywood sightings and signings will allow the attendees to return their focus to the comics creators the show was initially founded to celebrate. Others fear a floor full of angry fans who spent hundreds on a show that isn't there. ON THIS WEEK'S...
Jul 27, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 293
