At the beginning of the year, Dave and Brad made some bold predictions — involving Kickstarter, Substack, NFTs, blockchain, and more! As they bid a fond farewell to 2022, they take a moment to see how many they nailed... and how many they failed. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... NAILED IT: Kickstarter will back off blockchain FAILED IT: Patreon will launch a Kickstarter competitor NAILED IT: Cryptocurrency and NFTs will recede... for different reasons! NAILED IT: Substack creators who took the signing dea...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 263
Today's show is being brought to you by Comicraft. Mark your calendars — their New Year's Day Sale is right around the corner. Each font will be priced to ring in the new year — $20.23! We often talk about achieving success, but this week, we tackle another question — What if it actually happens?? Success rarely shows up looking like we thought it would. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Comicraft New Year's Day Sale What if I succeed? Different fonts for different voices How to simplify one’s art Reading ...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 262
Today's show is being brought to you by Comicraft. Mark your calendars — their New Year's Day Sale is right around the corner. Each font will be priced to ring in the new year — $20.23! Is this the perfect time for nostalgia over old-school webcomics? Also... when Dave attends a sci-fi convention, and kind lady walks up to his booth with some helpful advice. AND THEN SHE APPEARS IN BRAD'S STUDIO TO SING ABOUT IT! (For those of you who are new to the show, allow us to whisk you back to 2019 when ...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 260
This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost . If the implosion of Twitter has you wondering if you should finally build your own website, Dreamhost is there for you. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, they'll get you started on owning and controlling your work on the Web. As an OG webcartoonist , Bill Barnes has deep roots in the comics community. As the person in charge of the team that developed Microsoft Lobe and other A.I. solutions, he has an inside-industry view of artifi...
Dec 08, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 259
This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost . If the implosion of Twitter has you wondering if you should finally build your own website, Dreamhost is there for you. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, they'll get you started on owning and controlling your work on the Web. Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar talk to a pro-am cartoonist who wants to build a running gag into their comic. But does the concept have legs? Also: Why does 3D art get dismissed as lazy? ON THIS WEEK...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 258
This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost . If the implosion of Twitter has you wondering if you should finally build your own website, Dreamhost is there for you. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, they'll get you started on owning and controlling your work on the Web. Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar do a deep dive on Print-on-Demand! Then, because it's a train wreck we can't stop watching, we talk about the ongoing Twitter meltdown and what it means for independent...
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 257
This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost . Everything you need to launch a website. Transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee. Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the social contract between comics creators and readers. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Does a comics creator have a social contract with their readers? UPDATE: Bono regrets his "Magic Wand" Moment UPDATE: The new ComicLab goal is to be invited as guests of to Angoulême Repeatedly ending on cliffhangers How to break bad ne...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 256
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the impending demise of Twitter — and how comics creators can prepare for the changes this will bring. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Elon Musk looks primed to destroy Twitter — how can comics creators prepare for this massive change? Verification will soon cost $8/month — this will destroy the intent behind "verification" $1 billion in annual interest means Twitter will change — drastically — very quickly. And not for the better. Posting on a Reddit acco...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 255
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar try to help a ten-year dopamine addict stop themself from posting his comics before they're ready! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Help a dopamine addict! How can someone stop themself from posting their comics too soon. UPDATE: Day 366 of another Substack deal UPDATE: Charles Schulz Museum UPDATE: CSP subscription - $30/year Professional jealousy Our early comics Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that le...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 254
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss Impostor Syndrome and how to fight it. But first, Dave needs recommendations on building a D&D starter kit for one of his kids, and Brad has thoughts! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Building a D&D starter kit Impostor Syndrome vs the need for improvement UPDATE: BeReal — we're real over it UPDATE: Dave gets retweeted from a 2.5-million-follower Twitter account Magic Numbers for Kickstarter Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 253
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the new social-media app BeReal. Will it have any usefulness for cartoonists? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... BeReal Spending less time on the art to increase posting rate How to indicate continuity in an anthology project How to add value to a giveaway Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livest...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 252
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss how websites and email newsletters have made a remarkable comeback in the past few years — and how you should be using them to publish now. Also: What is a squircle, and why is it the best word balloon?! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Websites and email newsletters Patreon's new billing option Tumblr did NOT bring back NSFW comics Word balloons: Elliptical or rounded-corner rectangle? Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 ti...
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 251
The cartoonist uncles have a disagreement! Dave Kellett hates flashbacks, and Brad Guigar can't get enough! They'll talk about the right way to handle a flashback in your comic, when you should use one — and whether you shouldn't reconsider the whole approach in the first place! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... How to present a flashback scene in your comic Should you brand your Patreon on the comic — or on the creator? Making time to write when you're busy drawing — Brad shares his writing process that a...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 250
Being lonely in a large city has a listener feeling a little Ziggy — and cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar have some advice. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Feeling a little Ziggy Making money while on government assistance The secret success is... failure Making a board game or card game based on your comic Sheldon... the movie? Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as w...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 249
A recent statistic about the print publishing industry have cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar thankful they self-publish. Also... the NFT comics company that reached out to Dave at San Diego Comic Con folded eight days later. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Publishing statistics report 90% of published books sell under 2,000 copies What are the disadvantages to self-publishing? UPDATE: NFT company dies in 10 days Audiobook versions of comics Creating videos of comics Today is a great time to bump ...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 248
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the fabulously underrated Butso Method for writing. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... The Butso Method When should you launch a side project? UPDATE: Dave shares his Kickstarter stats How many pages on launch day of longform? Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams! You get great rewards w...
Sep 15, 2022•58 min•Ep. 247
People make decisions based on emotions first, and then they back it up with logic afterwards. So cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss effectively marketing your comic with feelings over facts. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Using emotions to promote your comic (based on this Reddit thread ) Growing Patreon 10% with Brad's advice Clip Studio Paint goes to the subscription model Offering help to someone who may not want it Contractual obligations for using another person's character Today is ...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 246
Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett start a discussion about trying to avoid becoming the people they used to fight, only to slowly realize... it had already happened. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Don't become your heroes What is the dominant publishing format? How much life experience goes into writing? How do you keep the sex fresh in NSFW comics? Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream reco...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 245
Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett get a case of déjà vu when a new crowdfunding service reminds them of an old scheme that crashed and burned. Then, a listener writes in to complain "It's Friday and I'm not famous!" ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Subless — A new crowdfunding service based on an old idea "It's Friday and I'm not famous!" Weekend Web traffic Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestre...
Aug 25, 2022•58 min•Ep. 244
Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett give advice to a comics artist who realizes that they'd accidentally plagiarized a character from someone else... but they like their character so much they just don't want to change it! Is there a plagiarism loophole? But FIRST... there's a lot of news and updates to cover! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Oni Press lays off senior staff , faces allegations of unpaid labor TokyoPop is back — but they have a long (and contentious) history with creators . Substack: ...
Aug 18, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 243
Cartoonist Dave Kellett has returned from Comic-Con International in San Diego, and talks about his first convention since the pandemic began. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Dave Kellett reviews Comic-Con International in San Diego Live show at the Schulz Museum Nov. 12 Sacrificing aesthetics for time Re-thinking vertical scroll? Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 242
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar give some advice to a cartoonist whose friends want his comics for free. Is this an entitlement issue? It is... but not in the way he thinks. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... My friends won't buy my comics! UPDATE: dinokickstarter.com UPDATE: A rolling stone does NOT gather moss UPDATE: "Brad Guigar Stole My Woman" Presenting an archive of older work Dream goals. Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that leve...
Aug 04, 2022•55 min•Ep. 241
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the Decoy Effect and wonder how this economic phenomenon could be applied to crowdfunding. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Using the Decoy Effect on Patreon and Kickstarter Should you pay a collaborator MORE than they ask for? Comics-Prose hybrid Identifying success so you know how to look for it Messaging new patrons Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livest...
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 240
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar field a question from a listener who is worried that they'll lose readers as they improve their skills! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Raising prices to match inflation Desigining background "sets" for comics What if practice *doesn't* make progress? How to keep from going stir-crazy while working from home. Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording se...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 239
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar field a question from a listener who is worried that they'll lose readers as they improve their skills! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... We need to talk about Webtoons UPDATE: SDCC reached out saying I can't use the ™ "Comic-Con" on packaging UPDATE: Backerkit launches a crowdfunding platform How page design effects the layout of a book. Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive acces...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 238
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss word balloons! How do you find the look that suits your comic best? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Word balloon aesthetics Kickstarter stretch goals UPDATE: Free ComicLab pins at SDCC UPDATE: Gannett slashes op-ed pages Do Patreon milestone rewards still work? Is Ziggy the best comic of all time? Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessio...
Jul 07, 2022•51 min•Ep. 237
Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the importance of mindset in building a career. If you search for excuses, you'll find excuses. If you search for solutions, you'll find solutions. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Choosing to find solutions instead of wallowing on failure Great How-to books for comics Releasing a longform comic one panel a day?? Participating in a critique as a novice Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level w...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 236
Toronto Comics Arts Festival has become the latest comics organization to step on the NFT landmine! When will they learn?! Also, how do you rebuild after a social-media hijacking? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... TCAF and NFTs Rebuilding after a social-media hijacking Are long stories or short stories better for improving your writing? Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as wel...
Jun 23, 2022•54 min•Ep. 235
Dave accidentally held his website hostage for 7 days... and gained 30 new Patreon backers! Also, we'll discuss landing-page strategies and much more ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Dave accidentally held his site hostage for 7 days... and gained thirty new Patreon backers! Landing page strategies UPDATE: Comic Con International UPDATE: Comic shops aren't dead... yet Frequent/Consistent/Significant Patreon posts Dad is living vicariously through a creative kid Today is a great time to bump up your ComicL...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 234
Cartoonist Dave Kellett asks if it's time to end his comic after 25 years. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Ending a comic after 25 years Writing dialogue Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams! 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...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 233
