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I'm on vacation, and I'm going on an internet spree. Listen to this person's music, because she, and her orchestra, are amazing beyond words:

Comic making tips #2- To plot, or not to plot?

Lesson 2! Do you want a plot or not? Some comics have them, others don't. Either option is okay if done right.

Some comics like Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal have almost no plotline. Any user can jump in about anywhere and understand what's going on, but there is no obligation to stay a continuous reader. You'll need to constantly think of new ideas and punchlines, but if you have ADD, this method may be more your style.

Some comics like Tripp (a comic about a guy on a never-ending acid trip) have a plotline, and to understand what's going on, you'll need to start at the beginning. Some of these take way too long to get through (which is why I gave up on Girl Genius, even if the plotline is great), but you'll always have the readers hooked on what's coming next. It takes longer to get viewers, but the viewers are usually much more dedicated to the comics with plotlines. I guess it boils down to quantity or quality.

If you choose to do a plotline, it's okay to take a break every so often by doing a random, unrelated comic.  We call this filler. If you're doing a comic without a plotline, it's okay to do a 2 or 3 part comic with a small plot if the mood strikes you, and if you warn your viewers (usually the comic will be titled with a "Part 1" or whatever part the comic is on... such as Castle Run, Part 6)

On an unrelated note, I started working on a plotline for mine. Anyone who reads should get ready for that beginning next week.

Dr. McPsychoBunny-An Invitation

Scandinavia and the World

Scandinavia and the World


84,000 Facebook fans, almost 7,000 Twitter followers. They don't need help in getting viewers, but Scandinavia and the World is something I feel almost everyone should read.

Basically, all the characters in the comic are personified countries. Some comics portray recent events in the world, some portray history, others are just little bits the author drew.

At the bottom of each strip is the author's comment explaining what the comic represents. Hoorah for modern political comics! No country is left out, no matter where in the world they are.

The creator, known on the internet as Humon, writes 4 comics. She's where the phrase "Do you Humon?" comes from. She is Danish, and produces all (almost all) of her comics in English.

I highly recommend you read it, if you haven't already. On an unrelated note, x-mas is next week! How are you guys celebrating?

Hemlock

Hemlock

Showing some love to another SmackJeeves user, Hemlock is one of my favorite webcomics. It's gorgeous in every sense a comic could be.

Hemlock is a Scandinavian Witch's tale. The comic is black and white, has a constant plotline, and is available for purchase here.

The Plot focuses around Lumi the witch, Richmond her snail/house, and her familliar Tristan the 3-eyed frog. It's hard to say much about the comic without spoiling it, but I recommend it to anyone who loves magical stories. For eff's sake, the girl lives in a gigantic snail!

MildTarantula, or Josceline Fenton, the comic's creator, is currently on a break and will resume writing comics after the Holidays. This should give you time to read through the rest of the chapters, as yoou can't exactly jump in at any point. Hemlock updates Fridays, so save it to your RSS!

Buttersafe

Buttersafe

Only around 2,000 Facebook fans at this point, and I feel like they deserve more. Every year they host their own gathering at a pizza place. These guys make me laugh, and their fan count is sadder than the saddest turtle.

Most of the strips have no relation to one another, so you can jump in at any time and understand most of the content. For those who have read Cyanide and Happiness, the humor and style is similar, but buttersafe is safe for work. I guess it should be called "worksafe" instead? Sometimes the humor can be a tad dry, but more often than not, you'll get a good chuckle. These guys have been updating every Tuesday and Thursday since 2007, and are fairly consistent.

Show them some love and stop by their page!

Wednesday Special 1: Comic Writing Tips

You have ideas in your head that need to get out. You have a pencil, and a paper. At this point, I started writing comics. I didn't pay for a publisher, and I didn't have to sell them.

If you want to get your media out there, it has to be on the internet. As my teacher once said: "If it's free, it's for me," I realized that people don't buy anything if it already comes in digital, downloadable form. If you can host, advertise, and read webcomics for free, why not do it?

We've firmly established that webcomics are fantastic, and efficient. Because of all their amazing and convenient factors, this blog is dedicated to reviewing as many as possible! Every wednesday will be for comic writing tips, and every comic reviewed will be critiqued. If you have something you would like me to review, drop a comment off, or message me at x.ceramic.bullet@gmail.com.

-First tip is CONSISTENCY.

You can lose most of your viewers if you don't update your viewers. Most folk, like myself, update once a week. If the strip isn't updated weekly, most people will state this in their site. 

One that works well is Modest Medusa, updated Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Modest Medusa- Snake Girls Are Cool Too!

This one is about Modest Medusa, and her adventures with her friends in Portland, Oregon. She sleeps in the toilet and loves Chocodiles. It says right on the site homepage the update dates, and if Jake Richmond isn't updating, he lets the readers know what's going on.

One that doesn't work is Chu n' Tost

Chu N' Tost

Chu n' Tost is about the adventures of a train and a piece of toast. I love Chu n' Tost, but the lack of regular updates drive me batty. I keep it in my RSS to remind me that it exists, but not much else is keeping it afloat. Chu n' Tost has a consistent art style, and a continuous plotline, but the updates lack consistency. Yes, the site does say "Updates Thursdays," but I obsessively check my RSS and have been let down on many Thursdays.

For first  time writers, I recommend writing a few strips at a time, and uploading once a week. If you haven't written anything new, you can use the backup strips and upload those periodically until you write more. 

If you're absolutely out of strips, either make one last minute or tell your readers what's going on. If you don't update, they'll likely assume you're dead, or don't care about your site. Show your fans some love!

Speaking of, mine updates tonight and every Wednesday night, if anyone would care to have a look.

The Adventures of Dr.McPsychoBunny