Comic Lab

Latest Episodes:

Special Guest Ellen Woodbury of "Pizza Cake Comics" Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost. Everything you need to launch a website. Transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee.

Everyone seems to be wondering where to post/publish their comics. So we'll talk about what it really means to "own and control your own work." Then we're joined by Ellen Woodbury of "Pizza Cake Comics."

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Where should I post my comic?
UPDATE: D&D OGL 1.1
UPDATE: class action lawsuit vs AI art
After a pause — retool?
Interview with Ellen Woodbury from Pizza Cake 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 and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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.

How to turn OFF creativity Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost. Everything you need to launch a website. Transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee.

It's often hard to get creativity started, but how do you turn OFF creativity when it's distracting you from your main project??

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Turning OFF creativity
Stories from quitting your day job
UPDATE: I have *tried* to incorporate a.i. into my sketch ideation phase. It. Is. Useless. For. Me.
My partner is more successful than me

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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 Guest: Dr. Joe Sutliff Sanders Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

Today's show is sponsored by the Lucy Cavendish College, the fastest growing constituent college of the University of Cambridge. We'll be talking to Dr. Joe Sutliff Sanders, an American scholar of the genre, launching the first world-class collection of graphic novels at Cambridge’s Lucy Cavendish College.

Make a donation to the graphic-novel library.

Get in touch with Dr. Joe Sutliff Sanders

ALSO ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Finding a good writing class
Working for a company that asserts copyright
UPDATE: Comicraft's "Hagrid Rule"
UPDATE: Dave's new apron
Making style changes

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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!

LIVE at the Charles M. Schulz Museum Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

To celebrate what would have been the legendary cartoonist's 100th birthday, the Charles M. Schulz Museum invited Dave and Brad to come to Santa Rosa, California, to talk about the influence Sparky still holds over today's comics artists.

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

The influence of Charles Schulz
Q&A from the audience

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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!

Predictions for 2023 Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

It's the first show of our SIXTH YEAR of podcasts! As we head into 2023, we're going to make some bold predictions of what the next 365 days have in store.

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Patreon will use new features to slowly entice people away from the Founder's level
TikTok will be banned in the US
Clip Studio will unveil such amazing features that no one will complain about the paltry subscription price
Webtoons will become a major player in print publishing
Twitter will complete its fade from its position of prominence
DC comics will implode
No one will be using Mastodon
GPT 3.5 will be used for brainstorming and co-writing scripts using AI writing
We'll see the first AI writing-art webcomic... and it will be good
Copyright law will catch up to AI art
Blockchain is going to be reintroduces with new branding/marketing
Original art will become more valuable.

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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!

2022 - Nailed it or Failed it? Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

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 deal in 2021 will grapple with their "Day 366"
FAILED IT: Comic conventions will attempt a comeback... and have disappointing results
NAILED IT: Paper shortages and shipping delays will continue to vex creators' ability to create physical goods
FAILED IT: Because of the preceding prediction, Patreon's base of creators will take another big jump

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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!

What if I succeed...? Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

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 the Webtoons TOS
Which is more important — frequent or consistent?

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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!

Webcomics nostalgia Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

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 a kind lady walked up to Dave Kellett during San Diego Comic Con and offered him some helpful advice.)

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Nostalgia usually hits after 20 years... so is this the moment for webcomics nostalgia?
UPDATE: Dave attends a sci-fi convention
UPDATE: Dave will attend San Diego Comic Con
Which is more important ... Talent or Stamina?

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 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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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 Guest Bill Barnes talks about A.I. comics Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

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 artificial intelligence. There are few people as well qualified for a thoughtful discussion of the intersection of comics and AI software. It doesn't hurt that he's also one of our oldest and closest friends!

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Strategies for a post-social-media phase of webcomics
Interview with Bill Barnes on AI art

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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!

Does this joke have the legs to become a running gag? Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

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'S SHOW...

When does a joke have legs to become a running gag?
3D art — is it "lazy"?
UPDATE: More live talks!
Balance in word balloons
How do you learn from a failed Kickstarter
Instagram adds a second link to the bio!

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.

Listen to ComicLab on...

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