This week’s ComicLab is live! Posted on January 30, 2025 by Beth Reidmiller Pals! Every week my cartooning pal Brad Guigar and I fire up the mics to talk about comics. It’s half shop talk, half how-to, and half friendship. That’s right: WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It’s tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro! And here’s a summary of this week’s show, which just went live! ——— LINK: https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-to-start-in-119777237 TITLE: How to start a webcomic in 2025 Start your webcomic using the latest platforms, monetization methods, and social media strategies. If you’re launching a new comic in 2025, this episode has all the information you’ll need to get it off the ground! How to start a webcomic in 2025 Don’t try to “game” your readership. Write about what YOU like Building readership takes time and consistency. Creating for love is essential in the early years. Focus on writing as the core of comic creation. Focus on creating comics for the love of the craft. The first comics may only be seen by you; embrace the process. Mistakes in the early stages are recoverable. Copyright Own and control your work You do NOT need to be on Webtoon/Tapas Social media presence is important for comic creators. Today, that’s Bluesky and Substack. ComicLab has Collections that provide strategies for each platform. They’re free to members and available at a one-time fee for others. Be active on social media to build your audience. Four Cs How many updates FCS Persistence is key; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you need a schedule to post regularly, set a schedule and stick to it. Don’t rush into monetization; it takes time to build a following. Starting on Patreon or Kickstarter too soon is a common problem that derails a lot of creators. Develop your aesthetic by studying good comics. You don’t need a website immediately, but you’ll need one eventually. Start planning now. Seek honest feedback to improve your work. Reach out to other comics creators who are doing stuff that’s similar to yours and build networks. Do it for love Summary In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the importance of passion in creating comics, the challenges of building a readership, and the necessity of starting your comic journey despite fears and anxieties. The conversation emphasizes the value of maintaining independence as creators and finding an audience that resonates with your unique themes rather than chasing trends. They address the challenges and strategies for comic artists navigating social media. They emphasize the importance of choosing the right platforms, such as Bluesky and Substack, over TikTok for comic promotion. The hosts introduce the ‘Four C’s’ of social media—Content, Curation, Commercial, and Kindness—as essential for building an audience. They also share acronyms like SWIG and FCS to guide effective promotion and posting frequency. The conversation concludes with a reminder that building a successful comic takes time and persistence, likening it to a marathon rather than a sprint. They emphasize the importance of focusing on the craft before monetization, developing a unique aesthetic, and the necessity of having a personal website. The hosts also highlight the value of networking, seeking feedback from peers in the comic community, and navigating the evolving landscape of social media and comic publishing.
This week’s ComicLab is live! Posted on January 23, 2025 by Beth Reidmiller Pals! Every week my cartooning pal Brad Guigar and I fire up the mics to talk about comics. It’s half shop talk, half how-to, and half friendship. That’s right: WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It’s tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro! And here’s a summary of this week’s show, which just went live! ——— LINK: https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-way-119284533 TITLE: Introducing: The Wrong Way! Cartoonists Brad Guigar, Dave Kellett and Kevin McShane are teaming up on a new show — The Wrong Way! We’ll teach you how to draw your favorite cartoon characters without getting sued over copyright theft! Along the way, we’ll share tips, tell stories, and roast each other mercilessly. Pay attention, and you might learn how to draw The Wrong Way! Today’s Show Wrong way Clever vs funny Summary In this episode, Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett introduce fellow cartoonist Kevin McShane, and announce their new YouTube show, ‘The Wrong Way,’ where they draw beloved characters in a legally safe manner. The conversation delves into the creative process behind the show, the dynamics of their friendship, and how they engage with their audience through Patreon, offering insights into the art of cartooning and the importance of community. In this conversation, the hosts delve into various themes surrounding their creative process, the audience for their new show, and the importance of learning from each other. They discuss the technical aspects of drawing, the competitive spirit that drives them to improve, and the launch of their new project, The Wrong Way Show, including its crowdfunding strategy. The conversation culminates in discussing the nuances of humor writing, specifically the difference between cleverness and funniness. In this conversation, the hosts explore the nuances of humor, particularly the distinction between cleverness and funniness. They discuss the importance of surprise in humor, the different levels of humor, and how experience shapes a comedian’s ability to write effectively. The dialogue emphasizes the need for continuous improvement and the role of audience feedback in developing comedic skills.
Pals! I have a new drawing project launching TODAY! Posted on January 16, 2025 by Beth Reidmiller Pals! I have a new drawing project, and I am SO DANG EXCITED to share it with you! It’s a drawing show called THE WRONG WAY. Each episode, 3 veteran cartoonists (my dear friends Brad Guigar, Kevin McShane & I) try to draw HEAVILY COPYRIGHTED CHARACTERS…without getting sued. But it’s mostly us roasting each other! 🙂 1.) Here’s the 30-second trailer: 2.) And here’s the first FULL EPISODE: 3.) …And then, if you love the show, you can get early access, extended cuts, and more at https://www.wrongwayshow.com
This week’s ComicLab is live! Posted on January 9, 2025 by Beth Reidmiller Pals! Every week my cartooning pal Brad Guigar and I fire up the mics to talk about comics. It’s half shop talk, half how-to, and half friendship. That’s right: WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It’s tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro! And here’s a summary of this week’s show, which just went live! ——— LINK: https://www.patreon.com/posts/predictions-and-118414465 TITLE: Predictions and goals for 2025 As we begin a new year, cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar make their predictions for 2025 and share their goals for the next twelve months. Predictions DAVE: Business planning anxiety BRAD: Because of Dave’s prediction, the winners will be people who help address that anxiety. (That’s us!) Be the distraction/escape people need; they won’t forget you. DAVE: Bluesky at 50M by the end of the year BRAD: Substack gains prominence — rises to Kickstarter/Patreon levels DAVE: we’ll all be playing reactionary, whack-a-mole life choices for the first two years of the trump admin. Until the midterm elections, when it might calm slightly. BRAD: AI will go mainstream and start to gain acceptance among artists and writers DAVE: Kickstarter and Patreon continue to be market leaders. No change on the horizon for that BRAD: Printing is on the decline under tariffs. And we might be working with small US printers to do smaller books. DAVE: in publishing, YA & kids will continue to dominate the career path of published cartoonists. BRAD: Non-social media options will grow, hopefully including RSS DAVE: Webtoons might begin to fall apart in the US market. Their Hollywood goals are not working, and they were playing the long game toward THAT in terms of accumulating debt DAVE: I will have to raise prices on all my books. Or cut features in my books. No more metallic foils, spot gloss, or bookmarks…you’re just getting a bare-bones book. Goals BRAD: Survive DAVE: Survive BRAD: EiAD v3 or Webcomics Handbook DAVE: ANATOMY OF DOGS Kickstarter BRAD: Build Spice Rack Comics into an example of what you can do with the webring / collective concept. Suggest that this is the time to start building quasi-collectives. DAVE: Triple down on Bluesky in the 4-6 years before enshittification BRAD: Lean into KDP for After Dark books DAVE: Triple down on Bluesky DAVE: Launch and start building THE WRONG WAY. I have been planning it for over a year. DAVE: Focus on one of the few things I can control: my family’s happiness and health. Outlive the fuckers and try not to let them steal my joy. I find solace in friendships at Alaska Camp and SDCC. DAVE: if we can’t do books, do we do more smaller Quickstarter? DAVE: Is this the time to start on Substack? Summary In this episode, the hosts discuss a range of topics, including a personal quest for a long-lost book, Wimpy the Wellington, predictions for the comic industry in 2025, the anxiety surrounding business planning for cartoonists, and the evolving role of cartoonists in providing relief during turbulent times. They also explore the rise of new platforms like Blue Sky and Substack and the potential mainstream acceptance of AI in the creative fields. In this conversation, Brad Guigar and his co-host discuss the evolving role of AI in creative processes, emphasizing its potential as an assistant rather than a replacement for artists and writers. They make predictions for 2025, including the impact of tariffs on print publishing, the continued dominance of YA and kids’ books, and the uncertain future of Webtoons in the U.S. market. The discussion also touches on the concept of ‘shrinkflation’ in publishing, where features may be reduced due to economic pressures. Ultimately, both hosts share the goal of survival in a changing industry landscape. In this episode, the hosts discuss their goals and predictions for 2025, focusing on the importance of social media platforms like Blue Sky, the launch of a new project called The Wrong Way, and Spice Rack Comics’ innovative approach. They also touch on adapting to market changes, personal goals, and the significance of community support in the creative industry.