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/f-me-that-worked-120751701

TITLE: “F*** me! That actually worked!”

This week’s episode is sponsored by Hogan’s Alley magazine! We’ll discuss those moments in our careers when we said, “F*** me! That actually worked!” Also, a listener writes in to say that they want to take our advice and make the jump to Bluesky, but it causes too much anxiety.

Sponsor

Hogan’s Alley magazine sponsors this week’s episode!  In the next issue, they’ll cover the Tijuana Bibles and much more! Get your copy now!

Today’s Show

• Hogan’s Alley magazine
• “F*** me! That actually worked!”
• UPDATE: Diamond Comics Distributors
• UPDATE: The Wrong Way
• “Bluesky stresses me out!”

Summary

In this episode, Dave and Brad are pleased to welcome the sponsorship of Hogan’s Alley Magazine! The conversation starts with a discussion about unexpected successes in the comics industry, sharing personal anecdotes and insights on what works in webcomics and the importance of niche topics. In this conversation, Dave Kellett and Brad discuss their evolving experiences with monetization in the comic industry, reflecting on their initial skepticism towards various platforms like T-shirts, advertising, and crowdfunding. They share personal anecdotes about their misjudgments regarding new technologies and trends, emphasizing the importance of humility and adaptability in their careers. Two mid-show updates touch on the recent bankruptcy of Diamond Comics Distributors and their new show, The Wrong Way. In this conversation, Brad and Dave discuss the challenges and anxieties surrounding social media for artists, particularly in building an online presence while focusing on their craft. They explore the importance of self-promotion, the consequences of delaying engagement with social media, and the potential of new platforms like Blue Sky. The discussion emphasizes the need for artists to balance their creative work with the realities of marketing and audience building while addressing the mental health aspects of sharing their work online.

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/business-advice-120267872

TITLE: Business Advice: Embrace Discomfort

We’re heading into a year promising significant upheaval in business, social media, publishing, and more. But after twenty-five years of self-publishing, cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar have learned an important lesson: Discomfort is crucial to growing as an artist and as a businessperson.

Today’s show

• Embrace discomfort
• Listifications on Bluesky —  https://bsky.app/profile/listifications.app

Summary

In this conversation, cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar explore the importance of discomfort in personal and artistic growth, emphasizing that taking risks is essential for creativity. The duo reflects on their experiences in the comic industry, discussing the challenges of adapting to change and the innovator’s dilemma faced by established artists. They conclude with insights on the necessity of continuous learning and adaptation in a rapidly evolving landscape. In this conversation, Dave and Brad discuss the challenges and opportunities of innovation in creative careers, emphasizing the importance of embracing discomfort and taking risks. They explore various strategies for creative growth, including collaboration and mentorship, and share insights on navigating social media dynamics, particularly with new platforms like Blue Sky. The discussion highlights the significance of being proactive in one’s career and the emotional complexities of online interactions.

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.

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, 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

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.

Now through Monday! Give scifi-loving pals the joy of DRIVE — and save that sweet, sweet moolah when you do!

Oh! There’s also a $50-off sale on all my SHELDON original art! Just navigate to your favorite comic in the archives, scroll directly below it, and click “BUY TODAY’S ORIGINAL ART”!

When you buy Acts 1 & 2 hardcovers, we throw in Act 3, FREE! Here’s the link! https://sheldonstore.com/collections/sale/products/buy-drive-act-1-2-get-act-3-hardcovers (NOTE: This 3-pack will ship via Priority Mail, to arrive at US destinations for Christmas.)

Also! Are you missing a DRIVE book? Did your pet chew one to high heaven? BOY HOWDY ARE YOU IN LUCK! It’s a sale on unwrapped and/or super-lightly-dinged DRIVE books. They’re 50%-off! Here’s the direct link for all that: https://sheldonstore.com/collections/sale (NOTE: These dinged books will ship via Media Mail, and will not arrive at US destinations for Christmas.)

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/in-over-my-head-116117374

TITLE: In over my head

What happens when your story gets too big for you to handle? Are you the right person for the job? (And if not you, then who??)

On Today’s Show:

• In over your head
• UPDATE: It was FCS all along
•  Crossbar-I technicality
• Advice to your older self

Summary

In this episode, the hosts discuss the challenges creators face, particularly when tackling complex themes such as systemic injustice in long-term comic projects. The hosts emphasize the importance of pushing through creative doubts and the value of learning from mistakes in the writing process. In this conversation, they explore the complexities of creativity, mainly focusing on the challenges creators face after a hiatus. They discuss the importance of embracing imperfection, the role of confidence in storytelling, and the value of completing projects. The dialogue emphasizes that it’s normal to feel doubt and that taking breaks can be beneficial. Ultimately, they encourage creators to follow their instincts and permit themselves to explore new directions in their work.

In this episode, Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett revisit a previous discussion about the frequency of comic updates, introducing the concept of FCS (Frequent, Consistent, Significant) as a guiding principle for creators. They delve into the nuances of typography in comics, particularly the use of the crossbar I, and emphasize the importance of clarity in communication. The conversation takes a philosophical turn as they explore what advice they would give to their future selves, reflecting on the nature of change and the importance of embracing it as artists. In this episode, the hosts explore the themes of establishment in the cartooning world, the importance of embracing change, and the value of taking risks. They reflect on the advice they would give to their younger selves, emphasizing the need to cultivate joy and not let life’s challenges steal it away. The conversation also touches on the cyclical nature of life experiences and the lessons learned from past regrets.

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/minor-problem-117033293

TITLE: A minor problem with a comic major

Does an aspiring comics artist/writer need a college degree? And, if so, which degree is best? Next, a listener asks why Brad publishes his weekly comics page in half-page increments.

• What schools do we recommend?
• Why does Brad publish twice a week?
• Substack and Bluesky

Summary

In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett explore the importance of higher education for aspiring cartoonists, debating the merits of specialized degrees versus a broader liberal arts education. They emphasize the significance of writing in comics, the value of community colleges, and the necessity for aspiring artists to actively create comics during their education. The episode concludes with a discussion on the optimal update frequency for comic creators, highlighting the balance between reader engagement and creative output. In this conversation, Brad Guigar and his co-host discuss the nuances of storytelling in comics, emphasizing the importance of finding a ‘sweet spot’ in panel structure and update frequency. They explore the challenges of conveying narratives in short formats, particularly in the context of webcomics, and the need to adapt to new platforms and formats for compelling storytelling. The discussion also touches on the evolving landscape of comic publishing, including the potential of platforms like Substack and Bluesky.

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: [insert link]

TITLE: Nobody believes I’m a cartoonist

How do you explain to someone that you’re a professional cartoonist? More importantly — should you even try?! Also, Dave and Brad share details about the software they use, and Brad extolls the virtues of a Patreon content exchange.

On Today’s Show…

• How do you explain to people that you’re a professional cartoonist?
• What software is best for comics?
• Take a break this holiday
• Patreon content exchange

Summary

In this conversation, Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett discuss the challenges of explaining their profession as cartoonists to others, as well as the misconceptions surrounding the field. Next, they explain the significance of using the right software for comic creation. They emphasize the need for cartoonists to be aware of the technical aspects of their work, particularly when it comes to color formats and printing. Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett emphasize the advantages of tools like Clip Studio Paint and Adobe products. They also highlight the significance of taking breaks during the holiday season to recharge creatively. The conversation shifts to strategies for Patreon content exchanges, where they share insights on effectively reaching out to other creators and the benefits of collaboration in building audiences.