Comic Lab

Latest Episodes:

When readers attack... each other! Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

Today's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started.

It's bad enough if a reader makes an unkind comment toward you, but what do you do when readers attack each other? When it results in some of those readers leaving your community, it's a problem that demands attention! Also: Patreon is offering a new feature: Free Trials! And Brad and Dave disagree on whether you should implement it!

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

When readers attack — each other
What comes first — lettering or drawings?
Patreon Free Trials
Naming files for eComics

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 Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

Surviving the churn Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

Today's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started.

It happens at the beginning of every month — you lose a few Patreon backers. It can be demoralizing, so let's discuss ways to survive the churn! Also, how do you restart comics after a long hiatus?

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Surviving the churn
Restarting after a long hiatus
Learning to write

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 Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

How to Build an Audience Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

Today's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started.

We often get asked by our listeners, "How can I increase my audience?" Well, in this episode, we've got you covered! We'll give you some great tips on how to grow your readership. Plus, we'll be discussing some fundamental rules of typography.

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

How to build an audience
UPDATE: IDW layoffs
UPDATE: Incorporating Patreon into a website
Living in a PROTOPIAN world
Typography rules of thumb

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 Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Could OnlyFans be a Patreon alternative? Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

A listener asks if OnlyFans could be a Patreon alternative. Also, how do you know it's the right time to launch a Kickstarter?

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Could OnlyFans be a Patreon alternative?
Is this a good time for a Kickstarter?
UPDATE: New Yorker cartoonist
Taking a break from cartooning

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 Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Crushing a kid's dreams May 25, 2023

Show notes

Today's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started.

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

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 Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Publishing two versions of the same book? May 18, 2023

Show notes

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

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 Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Let's talk "comics" — literally May 11, 2023

Show notes

Let's talk "comics" — literally. A comic could be a single piece or an entire book. It could be a single panel or a series of panels. And although the word implies humor, many comics aren't supposed to be funny at all! Isn't there a better word for this thing we do?!

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

The word "comic"
Lettering ... the invisible art
"Traditional artist"
Hi-res art as a Patreon reward?

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.
$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewards

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

The novelty of Artificial Intelligence May 04, 2023

Show notes

Today's episode is sponsored by DreamHost — your first step in owning and controlling your own work! Artificial Intelligence continues to loom large in the comics world. New projects purportedly written and drawn entirely with bots are garnering mass attention. Is the breathless exaltation justified — or does it come down to novelty?

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

AI novelty
Does a certain level of success bring a sense of complacency?
UPDATE: Commission scam to look out for
UPDATE: Dave's Writer's Block
UPDATE: Brad's comic makes Reddit's front page
Leveraging Myers-Briggs personality type for creativity

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.
$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewards

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Losing confidence ... and leveling up Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

Writer's Block often boils down to a crisis of confidence. How do you conquer that? Also, a listener asks for advice on a hybrid comic — half sequential art and half prose.

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Writer's Block
UPDATE: Joy-con mapping for your digital tablet
Hybrid 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.
$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewards

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Special guests Elizabeth Pich & Jonathan Kunz ("War and Peas") Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

This week, we're joined by Elizabeth Pich & Jonathan Kunz ("War and Peas") to talk about their unique collaboration. Also, will a wordy title hurt your comic's chances of success?

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Wordy titles
Public-facing Patreon numbers
UPDATE: Silicon Valley Bank crash
UPDATE: A DIY digital-drawing tablet controller
Interview with Elizabeth Pich & Jonathan Kunz ("War and Peas")

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.
$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewards

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon