Episodes
Starting with the Big Idea
If you’re like… well… everyone on this podcast, you’ve had some pretty epic webcomic ideas. They’re really cool and exciting, maybe you’ve even been developing them for years without even drawing a page, and it's such an expansive idea it's probably going to even longer to draw, maybe even ten years! (if you’re lucky). This is a situation that can be both exciting and scary, and today we're going to talk about taking this BIG idea and using it to start your webcomic journey.
Buffers
We’re not here to tell you how to live your life. If you want to post every comic page as soon as you’re done with it, that’s valid. But! A buffer of comic pages can help keep your comic on a steady release schedule, set healthy reader expectations, and prevent burnout or stress during the times when you can’t be at your drawing desk as often. So let’s talk about buffers!
Drawing from Photo Reference (with AdorkaStock!)
Drawing anatomy and poses can be tricky, but there's some excellent tools out there for referencing poses like the awesome stuff that Sarah makes at adorkastock.com. But how DO we do it in an effective way? Let's talk about it!
Coming Up With Names
Does your webcomic contain characters? Maybe even places? Perhaps it also needs.... a title? If any of these things are true, you've probably had to sit down and face the struggle of deciding names for the things in your comic, as well as for the comic itself. These things are important, giving vital information about tone, genre, details of setting, and all sorts of other cues to the reader... But why's it gotta be so hard? Anyway, today we're gonna talk about it!
Collaborative Projects
Webcomics can be a lonely road to walk if you're only ever sticking to your own story. But collaborative projects with other creators can really be worth your time! Sometimes these take the form of printed or digital releases of books or zines. Sometimes these are centered around a theme or fandom. Or sometimes they're just "your-character-here" style single graphics. Folks have done all kinds of things over the years as collaborations, and for webcomic artists, it can not only be a ton of fun, but also be a way to cross-promote to similar audiences. So let's talk about what you need to think about when starting your own collaborative projects.
3D Models
One tool that webcomic artists can take advantage of, to help save time and sanity, is 3D models. Whether tracing directly or using them for reference, they can help you visualize complex places, objects, or poses from different angles. So let's talk about them!
Blorbology
If you are on any social media platform with artists, you may have heard the terms "OC", which stands for "original character", or "blorbo" which stands for... I don't know, I think Tumblr just made that one up. The terms evolved because creators needed a way to talk about freeform character concepting. Whether they're part of a fanfiction or just the guy you always seem to end up doodling in your sketchbook, it's often the case that in the process of drawing and experimenting with scenes for these characters for fun, they really can develop cool backstories and deep emotional meaning in the creators' minds, and that's what we're calling "Blorbology".
Tragic Backstories
Let's not lie to ourselves: we've all been in the misery pit before, thinking about the poignant and tragic beginnings to our character's stories. Tragic backstories are a trope for a reason: painful experiences can add depth and catharsis to characters. But how do we make them resonate with our audiences emotionally?
Animation and Webcomics
A lot of creators in webcomics, including all of us here, have come from an animation education or a career path. It makes a lot of sense that many of us are drawn to it, because there's so much creativity and energy in the world of animation. And webcomics are very freeform, so if you have your own site or a platform that supports it, videos, GIFs, and CSS animation tricks are all on the table as tools we can integrate into the comic experience. So let's talk about it!
Finishing a Webcomic
Webcomics can come to a stop for a whole host of reasons. Sometimes creators don't get to choose those reasons, as life or other circumstances can get in the way.... BUT let's say it's smooth sailing and everything goes to plan. At some point, you will reach the end of your story or a natural stopping point. However you choose to tie up all those loose ends can take a little effort that you don’t always anticipate!
Join our hosts as they discuss the hows, whys, and whens of their webcomic endings.
Jam Session! What Are You Reading?
Join our hosts as they JAM about the comics they're reading right and maybe you'll find a new comic to pick up. The only way to find out is to listen now!
Jam Session! Layers
Layers are a feature of digital art programs like Clip Studio, Photoshop, Paint Tool Sai, just about any art program. If you look around your dashboard or under one of your menus, you’ll probably find them, and understanding how to structure them for sketches, effects, and other things can help save you work, time, and add an extra OOMPH to whatever you’re working on!
Jam Session! Banner Ads
We all know what banner ads are, we've seen them around, and sometimes they can be a little obnoxious. But they are an option for both monetizing your own comic, and cross promotion around other comic sites. So today we’re going to have a short jam to talk about what they look like, what they were, what they are, and what your options are.
RP and Webcomics
Roleplay has been with us since the dawn of the internet, and many of us have created original characters in RPs on forums or chats that later found their way into our comic work. It can be a great way to get the ball rolling on creating a webcomic, so today we’re going to talk about our experiences with it!
Webcomic Collectives
Collective groups are a fun alternative to going it alone, and there are a few options around and new ones cropping up. They used to be a used to be a little more popular than they are today, but it’s still worth revisiting what they are and how they work, because they can be a source of support among artists, especially in situations where social media platforms might scatter your friends and colleagues to the four winds.
The Intro "DO IT (feat. Shia LaBeouf)", and the Outro "It's Good To See You Again!!", both by Adrianwave, have been used and modified in good faith under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Licensed. Edits include: Fade IN/OUT, and a repeat added to the beginning of "It's Good To See You Again!!". For more information on this creative commons use, please reference https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/