Comic Lab

Latest Episodes:

Composing scenes Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom and Comicraft! Wacom is the maker of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! And you're not going to want to miss Comicraft's Jan. 1 sale when all of their fonts are $20.22 each at Comicbookfonts.com

This week, we'll discuss composing a scene inside of a panel.

Questions asked and topics covered...

Art editing
Dave's writing process
How to get engagement on social media
Releasing a book in January and February
Victorian-era Comics History

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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.

Book-signing blues Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

Questions asked and topics covered...

How to sign a book
Sketches and Artist Editions
Bookplates
Losing focus on a project
Offensive humor
Dave Kellett's Memento Mori

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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!

Drawing challenges Nov 25, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! This week, we discuss monthly drawing challenges — is the participation worth the stress?

Questions asked and topics covered...

Drawing challenges
Kaijus and Cowboys
Steve Jobs on tastemasters
Podcaster's Curse - vertical gutters
How to name a character.

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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!

Writing Character Motivations: Wants vs Needs Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

Editor’s Note: The documentary “15 Minutes of Shame” is found on HBOMax — not Netflix.

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! This week, we discuss writing character motivations. What's the difference between Want and Need?

Questions asked and topics covered...

Writing: Want vs Need
Dealing with a Guilt-Tripper
Netflix documentary, "15 Minutes of Shame"
At what point can you enjoy completing a project?!
What would you study?
Who is Ken Muse?

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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!

Is Netflix the goal? Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! This week, we wonder whether getting an animated series on a streaming service is the new brass ring for cartoonists.

Questions asked and topics covered...

Is Netflix the goal?
USPS... it's getting worse
Facebook and Instagram
Schulz Museum is NOV 2022, not this Nov 22nd
Finding a romantic parter
non-comics stuff that drives your passion

For more information about preparing your comic for an animated pitch, listen to ComicLab #132

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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!

Rekindling an old flame Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! This week, a cartoonist asks about going back to a project they abandoned. Dave shares some strong advice. Brad sings his.

Questions asked and topics covered...

Going back to an old project
Monster Mash
Connecting with other creators at a con
Buying ads on Facebook and Instragram
Kickstarter tiers with the same price point
Building an 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.
$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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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!

Start with a website Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! We're going back to Webcomics 101. We'll be talking about using the Web to build an audience.

Questions asked and topics covered...

Using the Web to build an audience
Lettering dilemma
How many panels per page?
Learning business math
How to move surplus books

The book "Arts & Numbers" can be found here.

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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!

20 Comics Commandments Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! Help us celebrate our 200th show at ComicLabCashGrab.com ! We're celebrating 200 episodes of ComicLab with a special king-sized episode in which we assemble a list of our best advice — and discuss how to best implement them. If you want the commemorative magnet with all 20 tips, head over to ComicLabCashGrab.com

The 20 Comics Commandments

Make. A. Good. Comic. Nothing else we talk about will be very effective until you do.
Own and control your work.
Ideas aren't special. The execution of ideas is special.
You can't get worse at something you do every day.
Good writing saves bad art. Rarely does that work in reverse.
You can't drive toward your style, you can only see in the rearview mirror.
Lettering: Nobody will read your comic...if they can’t read your comic. And for goodness' sake, learn the Crossbar-I rule.
Time is the best editor. So edit...wait...edit...wait.
If you’re not enjoying the comic, they’re not enjoying the comic.
The 4-Cs of social media are: Creation, Curation, Commercial, Kindness.
Don’t compare your blooper reel to someone else’s highlight reel.
You have the audience you deserve.
Every day someone is reading your comic for the first time.
Research your market...not your mirror.
Never listen to a reader; always listen to your readers.
The first person to say they want merch is the first person to disappear when you make the merch.
Crowdfunding: First comes the crowd, then comes the funding.
It’s easy to be in the right place at the right time…if you’re always there.
No one will ever care about your career as much as you do, so make your own magic.
Being an overnight success will take you about 10 years. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint.

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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 find an audience for a longform comic Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! Creators of longform comics face unique challenges in building an audience on the Web. Or do they?

Questions asked and topics covered...

Long form comics
"Substandard fan-created content"
Kickstarter minus social media

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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!

Death and Comics Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One! How to handle death in a comic storyline without offending your readers. Also — facing Writer's Block wile writing a long storyline requires special handling.

Questions asked and topics covered...

Death in comics
Getting stuck writing a long story
Don't comics writers like prose?
Habits and routines

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 editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Listen to ComicLab on...

ComicLab is hosted on Simplecast, helping podcasters since 2013. with industry-leading publishing, distribution, and sharing tools.

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