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Mercury Hat posted:How's everyone going on their Nanomango? I got started a few days ago and have managed three pages so far. I won't be able to keep up that pace, but it's a nice jumpstart to the chapter. This one's set right in Washington DC so I had a lot of fun trying to draw the landmarks and fudging a lot of the details. I've got about seven pages in thumbnails. Since I've only got a rough idea in my head I'm somewhat disappointed in some aspects but whatever I'll fix it in revisions. I've been working on main comic so long its nice to do something different and not by committee. (Even though it's a vague spin-off)
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Jun 10, 2015 20:46
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I'm up to 20 / 24 pages scripted and thumbed; I slacked off yesterday after being away for the weekend, so I forced myself to sit down tonight to get some momentum going again. Out of interest, how long do most people take to get things done? I'm looking at about 12 -14 hours for this stage of the process, so roughly half an hour to loosely plan out each page, maybe a little more. Not that I'm trying to compare myself to anyone else, I'm just curious how long the various stages of making a page tend to take you guys.
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Jun 10, 2015 23:07
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Good luck to everyone partaking in the challenge.
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Jun 10, 2015 23:24
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Scripting/thumbnailing takes the longest for me, mostly because I combine my rough pencils with thumbnailing. It's not the drawing that takes the longest, it's thinking about what I'm going to do. To keep from getting burned out, I'll usually do one or two pages in a sitting, then do something else. Once that's all done, though, I ink pretty quick, maybe two hours if I let my attention wander. Drawing new locations and new things takes longer, of course. I'm pretty loose with the details, sometimes I don't bother until I get to inking. I'm not sure I'd recommend my method to anyone else though.   This chapter, I'm drawing animals, something I don't really do much  . 
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Jun 11, 2015 02:38
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We're scheduled to do a book signing at the TCAF Page & Panel shop on Thursday, June 18 @ 6pm. This is my first book signing of any kind, so it ought to be interesting! I just dropped them an email, mentioned some sales figures and the available creators, and they were really friendly and helpful in getting things organized. We're going to be selling books to the store at wholesale pricing, and then the general public will buy from the counter and bring them over to a line of tables where us creators are waiting. I'll post sales figures once we're done, but I'm expecting to move about 15-30 of both books. If you find yourself in Toronto, come on down to The Signing! We actually have a lot more writers and artists available than the event lists! I'll be floating around in a cloud of panic nearby, decked out in my totally sweet TO Comix hat. Lastly, here's my story from Volume 2! Discount Demon of the West End! Words by me, Art by Ally Rom Colthoff ( https://twitter.com/varethane )         
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Jun 11, 2015 06:14
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Interesting roadblock I had this week. To divide chapters, I make these nice little "breather" pages as one big splash illustration. Page 93 looked awful. In trying to avoid a "centered" or rigid composition, which is kind of a crutch of mine, I lost a lot of strength. These lines of action are parallel in opposite directions, there's a large amount of uninteresting space in the bottom and upper right, and the focal point just sort of disappears against the sky. The second attempt, with a more triangular composition broken up by the flowing line of action, works SO much better. Goes to show that centered and symmetrical compositions aren't always bad. 
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Jun 12, 2015 02:43
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I'm going to have my first table at Galacticon in Seattle (I'm getting it for free. Yay, nepotism!). So. That's kind of a big deal. Any "babby's first convention" advice? I've been to plenty, but it's my first time on the other side of the table. I know this isn't "my" audience necessarily, so I'm thinking of doing some scifi portraits of something similar to draw attention and then have some booklets of my comics. But ideas are appreciated.
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Jun 13, 2015 04:55
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Geekboy posted:I'm going to have my first table at Galacticon in Seattle (I'm getting it for free. Yay, nepotism!). So. That's kind of a big deal. Any "babby's first convention" advice? I've only worked a couple of very very small anime cons but the most important advice I can give you is to have a table mate who wont annoy you after being around them for many hours and is willing to go get food for you both (provided you're not bringing your own food in with you) and to bring lots of water and something to do. Make eye contact and talk to people as they show interest. And get out from behind the table a few times and go wander! You'll go crazy cooped up behind the table all day. And if you're socially anxious, have your tablemate or your next-door table neighbors watch your stuff for a minute and go outside to breath. Don't force yourself or you'll have a miserable time. Good luck!
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Jun 13, 2015 12:33
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Geekboy posted:I'm going to have my first table at Galacticon in Seattle (I'm getting it for free. Yay, nepotism!). So. That's kind of a big deal. Any "babby's first convention" advice? This has been getting linked around recently, maybe it'll help: http://theblerdgurl.tumblr.com/post/121104481939/25-reasons-why-you-dont-make-any-money-at-comic
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Jun 13, 2015 13:11
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Geekboy posted:I'm going to have my first table at Galacticon in Seattle (I'm getting it for free. Yay, nepotism!). So. That's kind of a big deal. Any "babby's first convention" advice? It depends. My comics are an easy sell to someone who was curious but wasn't initially prepared to purchase. My prints are not an easy sell unless someone zeros in on it and wants to buy the print, in which case they -sometimes- buy a comic too but usually don't. Are you doing portraits of your own characters or fanart? The former will make your comics an easier sell, but will probably not sell themselves! The latter are fun to make and sell, but will not cause people to be interested in your original comic. Hope you have fun! 
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Jun 13, 2015 21:29
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Thanks for the links and advice!GreatJob posted:Are you doing portraits of your own characters or fanart? The former will make your comics an easier sell, but will probably not sell themselves! The latter are fun to make and sell, but will not cause people to be interested in your original comic. This would be fanart, since my comic is about ... well, me and I don't think I'm prepared to sell merch with my face on it just yet. I just ... no. My biggest concern is that people will come up, think the prints are neat, and then have no interest in the comic since it's a little autobio project. Which is totally understandable, but I've gotta work with what I've got. I have some fiction projects in the making that I could talk to people about, but there's nothing there that's really ready for primetime yet. Soon, though. I also act and have done standup and such, so when I'm not feeling incredible social anxiety (which is about a 50/50 split most of the time), I can be very charming and outgoing. So I'll just have to do my best to be charged up and ready to go when I get there.
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Jun 14, 2015 01:08
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Geekboy posted:
Oog. Yeah that's going to be tough on your autobio comic, sad to say. The good news is, that doesn't mean it's BAD if it doesn't sell, it's just overwhelmed by stuff that people recognize. Also, nothing that's in-the-making matters, stick with what exists on that table and just go for broke on making good connections.
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Jun 16, 2015 04:07
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GreatJob posted:Oog. Yeah that's going to be tough on your autobio comic, sad to say. The good news is, that doesn't mean it's BAD if it doesn't sell, it's just overwhelmed by stuff that people recognize. I "know" all of this, but it's really helpful to hear that from someone. Thank you. Yeah, I'm going to crank out some fanart and make some little zines to try to get some interest going. I'm doing this for the experience of it and pretty much only see it as a networking event. I don't expect to make any money or really grow my readership much, but I have to start somewhere. Also: Going to Cons with my girlfriend is a lot of fun. She's way more of a salesperson than I am, so hopefully I can get her to come hang out a lot ...
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Jun 16, 2015 04:41
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We hit the Editor's Association of Canada Global Conference this past weekend, and it was surprisingly good! We sold 35 books, had a lot of fascinating conversations with incredibly educated folks, and paid 15% of sales as table price. We would absolutely visit them again, but next year they're in Vancouver. We handed out samples to university profs and library decision-makers, the kind of folks who don't visit comic-cons. The audience was genuinely interested and hungry for new books in new formats. If your comics are in anyway literary, or you could see them being used as teaching materials, you need to sign up right now.
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Jun 17, 2015 03:53
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Total change of subject here but you should be following Cartoon Block on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/thecartoonblock He collects a bunch of tutorials and posts almost every day. 
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Jun 17, 2015 15:39
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Er. Never mind.
painted bird fucked around with this message at 17:17 on Jun 20, 2015 |
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Jun 20, 2015 16:51
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So, we had a book signing this Thursday. We had a very popular FB event with a hundred confirmed guests and fifty maybes - which turned into maybe twenty people, tops. I still consider the event a success, because the whole extended anthology crew got to hang out for the first time in a long time and party, but it was not the sales boost I'd hoped for. We sold 3 Volume 1s, and 7 Volume 2s at the event, and a few more copies to the store afterwards for their own stock. I put a huge amount of logistical work into getting everyone in one room, organizing nametags and supplies, running a social media campaign, and it was a bit frustrating to see it not make a significant return. I chatted to some store folks afterwards, and it seems like many launch signings have lackluster sales, which makes me wonder why folks do them. Folks with published books, how have your launch events gone? As of right now, Volume 2 has cost 13.1k, and brought in 12.4k. I need to kick sales up a notch. Also, pro-tip: Include a barcode on your book cover! The store staff were complaining about a previous launch where the book had no identifying symbols to put into their Point-of-Sale system. Stores need ISBNS. Pro-tip x2: Name tags for your creators at events! People find it hard to approach a wall of strangers, so having a visible name and hint as to occupation helps break the ice.
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Jun 21, 2015 17:13
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I'm in a comics group that's put out a couple dozen anthologies. Back when we first built up the courage to print big, perfect bound anthologies we made a serious effort to have launch parties and what not. It turns out it's very hard to attract people who don't already have your book. For us those events have basically degenerated into methods to beg for free stuff from restaurants, brewers and vinters for our Halloween party. We did also create our own convention which is a much easier sell to otherwise interested parties. This year we're trying to set up a few events around Boston the week of our convention. I'm gonna bet the events anchored by big stars we've already invited to our con will attract some folks, otherwise we won't move jack poo poo. One thing I can suggest is craft fairs. There have been a few in Boston for a long time (especially around Christmas), but a bunch have cropped up in the last couple years. Craft fairs have always been the second best venues for our books, behind indie comics shows. Getting a table is usually pretty cheap and the crowd is looking for local poo poo.
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Jun 22, 2015 02:44
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Mercury Hat posted:This chapter, I'm drawing animals, something I don't really do much  . Need to figure what I'm doing next though, haha.
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Jun 22, 2015 04:30
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Okay, here's another try, this time without chickening out. I'm considering trying to do comics again, after a long absence. Hi. I'm not sure what I'm doing and I'm very nervous and discouraged. And uh, on another note. Remember when the thread had an IRC channel? What if we tried that again, but maybe more of a "comic creators shop talk" kind of thing, rather than a place for anything-goes comic discussion like the old channel was? Basically, if I made a #makingcomics on synIRC, would anyone come. 
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Jun 22, 2015 11:58
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painted bird posted:Okay, here's another try, this time without chickening out. Sure, I'd join. My Nanomango isn't going well at all. 
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Jun 22, 2015 12:30
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Yeah, okay, nothing ventured, nothing gained: if you wanna hang out and talk shop, join #makingcomics on synIRC.
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Jun 22, 2015 12:32
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Hey, cool. I'll mostly be lurking since I'm out of the house or asleep most times people are active, but I'm there.
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Jun 23, 2015 11:30
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Great.  More people should come hang out. It's very quiet right now.
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Jun 23, 2015 12:15
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That sounds like fun, so I'll see if anyone else is around later.
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Jun 23, 2015 12:41
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That's awesome because the Slack webcomic chat died pretty abruptly, and I miss having a chat room to hang out in on a day-to-day basis.
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Jun 23, 2015 18:52
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Anyone familiar with Tapastic? A friend recommended it recently. It looks pretty cool, and let's you add add music from soundcloud. I can't really wrap my head around the "episodes" though. My comic is only organized by chapters, but it seems like "episodes" are designed to be single scenes because you can only add in one music file per "episode". Maybe I just need to explore the site more and see how other people are using it.
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Jun 24, 2015 18:18
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I use it, it's great! The music is kind of a liability because it will stop and start as you're scrolling downwards.
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Jun 24, 2015 21:17
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I've been using it as kind of a mirror site, but I just post finished chapters in big chunks. It seems like it's picked up a lot in popularity so it's probably good for getting more readers. EDIT: oh, and it has a mobile app, so that's handy for people who would rather read comics on their tablets and such!
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Jun 25, 2015 02:34
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Yeah, it appears that most "episodes" just consist of a single page/several vertical panels which was confusing, since you can upload up to 40 images in a single episode. I guess that makes sense if your panels are all separate images.
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Jun 25, 2015 02:40
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Yeah the format is weird, but the perks aren't too shabby. It has its own built-in patreon-like system, too.
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Jun 25, 2015 19:03
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Music on websites is the absolute devil if you're not expecting it! The rest sounds potentially interesting though...
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Jun 26, 2015 09:19
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RobinPierce posted:Music on websites is the absolute devil if you're not expecting it! The rest sounds potentially interesting though... Gotta say, I've never felt that music has enhanced my web-browsing experience, particularly with comics. For one thing I typically have my sound off so it's usually a non-entity anyway, but to me, IMO, adding the music to a comic page seems kind of a hamfisted way of trying to make the experience more multimedia. It's not part of what I expect from my comic reading, where I expect I will be reading the comic at my own pace and rhythm, with only visuals to add atmosphere. Some people love it obvs so do what you want, I'm probably in the fading minority anyway, and I'm stupid so I'll probably end up changing my mind on it in like 3 months anyway if I see it done really well. I mean I could already see myself theoretically liking a page where, like let's say it's supposed to take place in somebody's spooky backyard in summertime and you have like the summertime sounds playing with like a creepy windchime and crickets and poo poo, I would probably dig that. I guess I'm envisioning it more people trying to rely on on-the-nose-lyrics of songs they personally like in order to make up for lack of their own writing prowess. However I'm also really critical and grumpy so again IMO YMMV etc.
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Jun 26, 2015 14:55
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Personally I really dislike it if a site unexpectedly plays music at me, it screams 90s Geocities site and makes me close the browser very quickly.
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Jun 26, 2015 15:02
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I feel like it just creates a reason for me to dislike something which is unrelated to the comic since I don't share the creator's taste in music like 90% of the time
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Jun 26, 2015 16:48
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I was looking through the OP and I think the list on comic sharing websites could be updated to add in Tapastic and Webtoon (Naver). Tapastic: http://tapastic.com/ Webtoon (Naver): http://www.webtoons.com/en/ Though the formats of the webcomics on these websites are a bit different from Smackjeeves (page by page) and follows a primarily Korean style (continual scrolling), which means that the comic format has to be adjusted slightly to avoid confusion.
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Jun 26, 2015 21:58
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Deciding on the extent of color, texture, and contour attitudes for my comic's new style transition has been one of the most agaonizing crossroads I've ever experienced.  I was taking a break from these pages to work on my everything-else. I'd say it's mostly been fruitful. Definitely learned things I couldn't have, feeling under the gun as I was. Scribblehatch fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Jun 27, 2015 |
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Jun 27, 2015 17:05
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Anyone have any pointers on getting some black and white prints made to sell at a Con?
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Jul 1, 2015 01:35
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So, I'm planning on throwing my hat into this LINE webtoon contest, here's what I've come up with so far. I've noticed that most of these comics are specifically designed for a mobile format - long, vertical strips that continually pan down. Trying to design around that has been a lesson in and of itself, have to kind of u-learn everything I know about panel flow since everyone is just going to scrolling downward rapidly. 
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Jul 2, 2015 08:14
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McKilligan posted:So, I'm planning on throwing my hat into this LINE webtoon contest, here's what I've come up with so far. That looks very good! Though I'd shift the text box for the SMS box down a bit. With verticality in mind, the fact it comes up slightly above the depiction of the actual message might create some confusion.
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Jul 2, 2015 08:36
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