Webcomics: The next stage of evolution or a bunch of talentless hacks?
on November 5, 2009 at 8:23 amI’m sure that a few of you may have seen this Hi & Lois comic posted somewhere, or heard about it at least.
This sort of attitude is fairly typical* from most folks in the print industry. They also tend to think that there is such a dirge of useless, crappy webcomics polluting the internet that the ability for someone with a small amount of talent to earn a living is diminished.
Obviously my opinion on this matter is a tad skewed but I believe where the best comic talent can be found these days is on the web. If you take take a sampling of newspaper comics and pit them against some webcomics I think they would stack up favorably. Naturally this depends on what webcomics you chose. I would submit for your approval that we would need to chose only the best webcomics because that is what is supposed to be represented in the newspaper comics, only the top of the crop get selected to appear on a national stage right? So on and make yourself a list and compare and contrast. Let me know when you are done…
Done, already? And did you conclude, as I have, that webcomics are where the true talent lies? That webcomics are where all the innovation is coming from?
Now, I will be the first to admit that there are lots of not great webcomics out there, but that is one of the wonders of the world of webcomics. It is a free wheeling sort of place where anyone can get their foot in the door. This is both a blessing and a curse. The lack of any sort of minimal standards for entry into the field is what other artists look down at. Also the behavior of some of the people at the top of the webcomic industry does not always reflect well on the rest of us, but I have decided that there is not much I can do to moderate the behavior of others.
So how do we change this attitude that the print industry has of the webcomics community? I am not sure that we really can, all we can do is continue to make the best comics we are able to, and to continue with the free wheeling nature of the community. Because, although some view it negatively, I believe that is the greatest strength of this art form, the fact that it is so easy to break into. Not every comic will be a gem when it first debuts, how many of you have seen the first Questionable Content it was far from fantastic, but with hard work and some major perseverance Jeph improved. And now there he sits making a living at something he loves to do. (Well, I think he loves it, you’ll have to ask him to be sure.)
I seem to have diverged from the main point of the Hi & Lois comic however, that it is unlikely that anyone can make a living from webcomics. Obviously there are several people in the webcomics industry that I could use to make a case for the opposite point of view. But one could argue that because those folks have made it, there is less of the pie to go around for the rest of us. This is probably true to a certain extent, but what is not factored in to this theory is that the internet is fickle, there are comics that will always do well in terms of maintaining their readership. But others will fail to do so, or simply blink out of existence. That is where the next big thing steps up to the plate and takes its best swing. Or something truly unique and innovative might catch the eye of someone and then be passed around. That is something that newspaper comics don’t really have…. they are not viral in nature. There is no one standing out on the corner handing out the latest Hi & Lois comic shouting “LOL, check this out it was full of win!” Which I think makes the newspaper comic industry sad. My point is basically this, you don’t need to knock off the folks at the top for a slice of the pie, because try as they might they can’t eat the whole thing there will always be some of it left over. Don’t take this to mean that you should not try to make a comic that surpasses PVPonline‘s readership but seriously there is no real need to try and grab his slice of pie from him while he is eating it. (and seriously what are going to do with a half eaten pie anyway.)
So what have we learned today?
- The newspaper comics industry is jealous of webcomics.
- That a good 80% of newspaper comics suck ass.
- That Hi & Lois is pretty damn lame.
No, No, No….
That is not what you should be taking away from this.
Try again.
- The free-wheeling nature of webcomics is something to be encouraged.
- Webcomics do in fact stack up favorably to newspaper comic.
- Folks actually do make a living drawing webcomics.
Ok, that is great. Now go off and spread the word of webcomic goodness.
*Perhaps not typical but certainly the artists with this sort of attitude are more vocal than the ones who support webcomics.
I think the point that needs to be made is HOW MANY ARTISTS MAKE A LIVING DRAWING FOR NEWSPAPERS? A very small lot indeed as the newspaper columns have been dominated by comics that are no pushing 70 years old. How many NEW comics hit the paper and die? How many papers actually care about the Sunday comics enough not to crop the hell out of them and stuff them in with the ads?
So, the ratio of successful newspaper artists is probably just as small, if not smaller, then the ones on the internet.
Sadly, of the 14, 000 “webcomics” on the internet, only a small fraction are serious, and only a small fraction of those make a true living at it. And the reason that most are not successful is the artist(s) have no idea of how to run a business…. which is why there is a newspaper syndicate for those newspaper comic artists. That Hi & Lois cartoon is not funny and shows that artist is SCARED silly by what’s coming, as he’s just an old fart (like me) but he doesn’t know how to make a living on his own without a syndicate to do the “dirty” work of running his comic business.
Newspaper comics are nearly dead, but we need to be aware once the Syndicates decide to come to the internet enforce, our little businesses will be crushed like grapes in a wine vat, as they’ll come with millions of dollars to spend on Google ads, product placement, etc, and they’ll knock off PVP and the others in less than a month.
Mark my word, it will happen someday. Best we prepare for it.
Dude, that sounds like a worse fate then the Zombie Apocalypse!
Well, this “Webcomics vs. Newspaper” argument has been around for a while, but the bottom line is big business has ignored the internet because they don’t know how to use it. Once they figure it out, then millions will flock to their web portals to see comics… even though we’ve been doing it for years and years now.
Yeah, it is a bit harsh, but that’s reality. We have the opportunity to really take over where the newspapers failed, but without a coordinated effort (like a syndicate would do) then we all just flies hovering around the same pile of poop trying to figure out if we should eat or now.
I say eat!
I don’t disagree with the fact that if the syndicates figure out how to market comics on the internet then webcomics could be in for a fight.
Do you think collectives are the webcomics equivalent of syndicates?
I sort of agree with Byron. Most of the truly successful webcomics like QC and PvP have one thing in common; they were pioneers in online comics. They’ve been around for years and were some of the first doing it and actually stuck it out. I’m not saying that Jeph and Kurtz are talentless hacks. Quite the contrary. But the internet gave them an opportunity to be seen when the syndicates would not.
My point is, the comics business as a whole is dying out. Everyone wants to find the thing that’s going to pull this industry from the pit it’s sunk into. Kurtz and his crew think the answer is webcomics. Neal Adams thinks it’s in motion comics. But comics is like everything else in any business. Those with the money will set the trends in the future. Why are Superman and Batman so popular? They’re great and endearing characters but they’re so popular because for years DC and the big publishers TOLD us they were by pushing out their books. Same with Marvel. Sure, here and there some independents shine and stand out like the QC’s and PvP’s of the world, but for the most part, comics is like any other business. The trends are set by the money backing them. This is why I agree with Byron that once the syndicates figure out how to monetize comics on the internet, and they will eventually, they will establish themselves firmly.
The bottom line is if you’re looking to make money doing comics my first question is, why did you choose comics of all things because it’s damn near impossible! Most of us do comics because we love doing them first and foremost. If your goal with comics is to make money, be smart and choose another profession. If it’s to have fun and, hey, if money comes along the way, great, then you’re in the right frame of mind.
Great write-up, Keith. I do think it’s possible to make money in webcomics, but it is considerably difficult to do so even if you’re really good at what you do.
I’d disagree that QC was a pioneer, I have been doing webcomics longer than QC has existed. I started doing webcomics in about 2001, QC started in 2003.
All your other points I agree with. Especially this part; “The bottom line is if you’re looking to make money doing comics my first question is, why did you choose comics of all things because it’s damn near impossible!” who in their right mind does this for the money? Anyone who pursues an artistic endeavor thinking they will strike it rich is partially insane. Out of all the artist’s I know only one or two make a living at it.
I should say, while a lot of folks have been doing online comics for a long time, Jeph still is sort of a pioneer in that he was one of the first to draw a large audience and he has been doing his comic for years and years now. Longevity has a lot to say in the webcomics “business.”
You are right that Jeph has been doing it quite awhile now and he has managed to attract a pretty loyal following. And that following is made up of non-traditional comic readers. I would point to him as some who does a great job connecting with his audience, though the few times I have met him at cons I did not get that impression at all.
On a side note totally unrelated to this discussion, I really wish he would add some sort of calender to the site where I could go back to the last strip I read without having to use the previous button!