Comic Lab

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Print on Demand Nov 24, 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.

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 artists!

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Print on Demand
Twitter meltdown

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!

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.

The Social Contract between Comics Creators and Readers Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

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 news

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!

Twitter comes Tumblr-ing Down Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

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 account for the first time in 4 years
This would be a great time for my RSS reader idea
How can independent cartoonists prepare for this massive change?
UPDATE: Simon & Shuster - Random House merger nixed

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!

Stop me before I post again! Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

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

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!

Battling Impostor Syndrome Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

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

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!

BeReal... will it change social media? Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

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

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!

Everything old is new again Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

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?

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!

Looking forward to flashbacks Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

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 allows him to plot the story out for several months, while writing individual updates every week.

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!

Feeling a little Ziggy Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

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?

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!

Has Publishing Become Vanity Press? Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

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

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