Comic Lab
331 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 290 ratingsThe podcast about making comics — and making a living from comics! It's half shop-talk, half how-to, and half friendship. WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It's tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro. So pull up your drawing chair, put on some headphones, and join us while you draw! And if you like what you hear, join our community at patreon.com/comiclab (For sponsorship inquiries: [email protected])
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Episodes
Special Guest Jason Chatfield
April 18, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 71.9 MBNew Yorker cartoonist Jason Chatfield joins us to talk about cartooning for the venerable mag, working with a writing partner, doing stand-up at Dangerfield's comedy club, helming the 104-year-old Ginger Meggs syndicated comic, and much, much more! ON TODAY'S SHOW Jason Chatfield on Substack Chatfield on creative collaborations Doing standup at Dangerfield's Chatfield on building subscriptions on Substack Is There Something In This? podcast You get great rewards when you join the Comi...
How to maximize creativity
April 11, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBWe all have creative peaks and valleys. How can we maximize the good times and minimize the bad? ON TODAY'S SHOW Can you really maximize creativity? UPDATE: Dave's TikTok prediction may still come true UPDATE: 3-part series on Kickstarter coming to Pro Tips Favorite comics from outside the US You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plu...
Rebranding
April 04, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBHow important is rebranding after a series of unsuccessful ventures? Also, how does one get their comic translated into another language — and why? ON TODAY'S SHOW Rebranding Translating a comic UPDATE: The importance of monthly Profit/Loss statements UPDATE: Authors Equity Planning for page turns You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcas...
How to find the perfect pen name
March 28, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBIt's our most useful, actionable, practical show yet! Stufffed with handy tips and constructive advice for cartoonists and comic creators! ON TODAY'S SHOW Pen names UPDATE: Dave's Kickstarter at picklesbook.com UPDATE: Patreon Welcome surveys Honorifics, acronyms, and abbreviations in word balloons. You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips pod...
Stretching yourself thin
March 21, 2024 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBDave has some thoughts on AI. And Brad hates to stretch. That's it. That's the show. ON TODAY'S SHOW Artificial Intelligence is going to force us to be more creative How important is it to rest? NOTE: The Kickstarter for Brad's new Evil Inc books ends this week! Time is running out! You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier r...
Special Guest Scott Kurtz and "Tables Titans Club"
March 14, 2024 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBScott Kurtz is on the show to talk about the release of his new book, "Table Titans Club." It's available at Target stores nationwide, along with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookstore! ON TODAY'S SHOW Reimagining the "Table Titans" webcomic as a middle-school graphic novel Working with an editor for the first time Pivoting from self-publishing to traditional publishing Book shows vs comic conventions Early accolades for the book Personal appearances NOTE: The Kickstarter f...
Are you using the wrong tool for the job?
March 07, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBKickstarter delivers on Discovery in a big way. So would it be wise to use it to replace our failing social media platforms? ON TODAY'S SHOW Using Kickstarter as social media? UPDATE: NCS Reuben Awards 2024 UPDATE: Dave has "Still Got it!" Posting a parody on Webtoon to gain notoriety NOTE: The Kickstarter campaign for Brad's new Evil Inc book is in full swing! You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question ...
Using animation to promote
February 29, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 63.4 MBTikTok and Instagram reels are moving to the forefront of social media. Is it time to learn video/animation so you can promote your webcomic? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Using animation to promote UPDATE: Short Story Challenge UPDATE: Eisner deadline UPDATE: AI Art A digital-exclusive eComic You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-...
Can you make a living in comics?
February 22, 2024 11:00 - 55 minutes - 51 MBEvery once in a while, someone asks if it's possible actually to make a living in comics. It's a fair question, and it deserves an honest answer. SPONSORED BY... ComicLab is brought to you this week by the book "How Comics Were Made, a Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page." Comics historian and ComicLab fan Glenn Fleishman has spent years researching the history of newspaper comic strip production and reproduction and is bringing his expertise to this printed work ful...
Shopping for Success
February 15, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBA listener asks if they should write one big, successful comic or several mediocre ones. We have a bigger question: What makes you think you have a choice?! Also, it turns out the whole "Substack nazi" thing was yet another case of Platform Panic. SPONSORED BY... ComicLab is brought to you this week by the book "How Comics Were Made, a Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page." Comics historian and ComicLab fan Glenn Fleishman has spent years researching the history of ne...
Fifty is nifty
February 08, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBBE ADVISED: We'll be discussing issues like death and dying in this episode. Dave turns fifty years old, and it has us talking about cartooning in the second half of one's life. And we're not the only ones asking existential questions. Our first question asker is worried that they're not going to have time to work on all of their ideas in one lifetime! Finally, we break down Wacom's troubling use of AI art in a promotional image! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Dave turns 50 years old Too many ide...
How to Write a Short Story
February 01, 2024 11:00 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBWe often advise that beginners write a few short stories to sharpen their comics-making skills before they tackle that 200-page epic that they're burning to produce! But how do you write a short story? Today's show offers an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide! Use this blueprint to participate in the ComicLab Short Story Challenge! PLUS... if it's a benefit to list your comic on as many eStores as possible, why is it a bad idea to do the same with crowdfunding platforms? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...
Rethinking Outreach in 2024
January 25, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MBAs last year came to a close, it was becoming very clear that social media has been failing to deliver what we traditionally relied on it for — reaching our current readers and finding new ones. So this year Brad is trying out a new platform — Subsack. But that comes with a whole new learning curve — and more than a few ethical issues to wrestle with! SHOW NOTES: Two points of clarification. First, the question is raised whether a user can export an email list from Substack. This is, indeed...
How to get started in comics, 2024 edition
January 18, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBOne of our most often-requested topics is "How do I start a webcomic?" We're going to give you some step-by-step instructions — updated for the new year! Plus... we always stress the importance of doing a good comic. That begs another question: "How do I know if my comic is good?" ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... How to start a webcomic in 2024 "How do I know if my comic is good?" UPDATE: Kindle Direct Publishing You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early ac...
Predictions and goals for 2024
January 11, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 69.3 MBVeteran cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar make some predictions and discuss their goals for the new year. 2024 Predictions BRAD: Twitter will crash in 2024 DAVE: Social media will remain distributed over five or six platforms BRAD: Web users will begin to pivot away from social media DAVE: Patreon will move closer to an IPO BRAD: Kickstarter will remain #1 by continuing to avoid mentioning blockchain DAVE: SDCC will return to normal after an abnormal '23... and profits will plu...
Brad learns to share
January 04, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBBetter late than never, Brad learns to share. On social media, that is. And, using what he learned after weeks of analysis, he has a challenge for you: Try — just try — to find something worth sharing on social media. ON TODAY'S SHOW Searching for an effective social media strategy A new social-media experiment — Try... just TRY to find a post worth sharing Dave's experiment: Deleting people from the Free Membership tier. Please note: we do not, nor have we ever, endorsed this as someth...
2023 — The Year in Review
December 28, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBVeteran cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar look back on their predictions for 2023. They nailed a few and failed a few! PREDICTION SCORECARD Patreon will slowly entice people away from the Founder's level -- WRONG TikTok will be banned in the US -- WRONG CSP will unveil amazing features / Webtoons publishing -- RIGHT Webtoons publishing -- RIGHT Twitter fade -- RIGHT DC Comics implosion -- RIGHT No one will be using Mastodon (in large enough numbers to replace Twitter) -- RIGHT...
Where do you get ideas? Recorded live at the NCS Rueben Weekend
December 21, 2023 05:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBWhile we were at the National Cartoonists Society Rueben Awards Weekend, we stopped cartoonists and asked them one question: When you need to spark creativity — and nothing is happening — how do you find ideas? Today's show is a compilation of those responses. You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the...
We hate Patreon's Free Membership Tier
December 14, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBPatreon unveiled a free membership tier, and it's really throwing a monkey wrench into things. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... It's official. We hate Patreon's Free Membership Tier Understanding Parody & Free Use Do Dave and Brad ever fight?! You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc an...
Declaring organizational bankrupcy
December 07, 2023 11:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBDave brings in a new concept for the holidays — declaring organizational bankruptcy. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Declaring organizational bankruptcy A scaled-back Kickstarter? UPDATE: Mastodon Posting schedule? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomi...
Does your comic have an expiration date?
November 30, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBReferring to current events may give your comic an edge today, but it can also make your work harder for future generations to enjoy. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Writing comics with a shelf life YouTube instead of Patreon? Amazon KDP Using Patreon as an archive You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is th...
"Critique my work for only a dollar!"
November 23, 2023 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBA ComicLab listener would like his friends to give him feedback on his comic — and he wants them to subscribe to his Patreon to do it. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... A Patreon level for constructive feedback Dave at WorldCon? UPDATE: Clip Studio update... feeling kinda screwed What happens to your books after you die What extras should go into a digital book? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possib...
Parasocial parables
November 16, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBIs it wise to exploit parasocial relationships to get more Patreon backers? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Drunk ComicLab Parasocial relationships on Patreon Are ads making a comeback? After the Thanos Snap — would Brad and Dave do a podcast? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc ...
The New Patreon: The Good, The Bad, and That Logo
November 09, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBPatreon has unveiled a massive update to its service, and we'll discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... The Good The user experience has some significant improvements Collections eStore — Buy digital goods. Find Creators You Love — a somewhat improved attempt at discoverability Member Posts section is being sunsetted The Bad Anemic analytics. Graphtreon still beats Patreon's own data. Patreon's pivot to social media. I have lots of places to talk to my fans....
A sexy, sexy defense of the Ninth Art
November 02, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.4 MBSure, making comics is fun, but do we ever do serious work, like painting, sculpting, or other classical art forms? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Do we ever do "classical" work? If tenacity is #1, what's #2? UPDATE: Dave's booth cost for SDCC '24 UPDATE: NCS networking UPDATE: Alaska Comics Camp Which to work on... popular, fun Series A or almost-done Series B? Black gutters You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a ...
Is syndication dead?
October 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBThe Gannett newspaper chain, which includes USA Today and about 200 other daily newspapers, has selected 34 syndicated comics. Each of its newspapers will be limited to running comics from that list. Any comic that didn't make the list has been shut out of roughly 20% of the existing market. Not surprisingly, most of the 34 are legacy comics whose original creators are long since deceased. This is the end of syndicated comics. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... The Gannet 34 signals the death of syndi...
Special guest Jamar Nicholas
October 19, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBWe're thrilled to welcome Jamar Nicholas, creator of Leon The Extraordinary, to talk shop with us! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Jamar Nicholas UPDATE: NCS and Planks Principle UPDATE: Musk to take Twitter behind paywall? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The...
The NCS Reuben Awards Week
October 12, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBDave and Brad return from the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Awards with stories, anecdotes, and reflections. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... What is the NCS? The Reuben Awards week Phil Foglio wins the award for Best Online Longform Comic Meeting Mike Peters ("Mother Goose & Grim") Brunch with the NCS — "Ya wanna hear about MY heart attack?" Outgoing NCS president Jason Chatfield NCS is reaching out to younger cartoonists Regional chapters of NCS Jamar Nicholas' "NCS Studio Chats" se...
LIVE from the Reuben Awards — with special guests Sarah Andersen and Jason Chatfield
October 05, 2023 10:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBNew Yorker cartoonist Jason Chatfield and "Sarah's Scribbles" cartoonist Sarah Andersen join Brad and Dave at the Farewell Brunch, closing out the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Awards events. You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook....
Are you too old to start in comics?
September 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBIs comics a young person's game? Pull up a (rocking) chair, and let's talk about it! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Are you too old to start in comics? Battling procrastination One-and-done publishing strategy? The TinyView app Eye problems due to comics You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the creato...
How do I decide between writing and drawing?
September 21, 2023 10:00 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBWhich is more important for a cartoonist to learn — writing or drawing? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Is it worth my time to learn how to draw AND how to write? UPDATE: Dropbox in decline UPDATE: Brad writes a "Tales from the Drive" story Using social media to direct traffic to website Working 7 days a week to achieve work-life balance You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND ...
The Thanos Snap
September 14, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBThanos snaps his fingers and erases Brad and Dave's careers. They have all their current knowledge, talents, and skills. But they don't have their titles, audiences, or archives. What, where, and how do they RESTART? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Celebrating 300 episodes of ComicLab and 300 episodes of Pro Tips. The Thanos snap You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exc...
THe Wisdom of Small Mistakes
September 07, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBThere's a definite benefit to making mistakes early in your career. They have a much lower impact than the ones that come later. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Making small mistakes early so you can avoid big trauma later Re-releasing old merchandise Visual novels Luck in social media You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewar...
Did manga win comics?
August 31, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBHas manga overtaken American-style comics in the hearts and imaginations of readers? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Did manga win comics? UPDATE: Threads usage declines — is this the end of the Social Media Age? Kickstarter reaffirms commitment to AI technology You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is the c...
San Diego Comic-Con recap
August 24, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBDave and Brad return from Comic-Con International in San Diego, and they have much to discuss! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... San Diego Comic-Con recap UPDATE: Do we need to reintroduce "free?" UPDATE: Musk rebrands Twitter to "X." Sticking with a failing project too long Procreate for print You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tie...
"You talked me out of a mistake, and I'd like to get back to making it as soon as possible"
August 17, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBThis week a ComicLab listener writes to thank us for talking him out of a mistake — and to say he'd like to get back to making it as soon as possible. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Going back to making the same mistake Patreon for a short-term comic UPDATE: Patreon Free Trial UPDATE: Jerry Garcia — "Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like licorice... REALLY like licorice!" That's sage advice for niche publishing. Particular advice for small comic conventions Coming back after a br...
Too may SHOULDs!
August 10, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBToday's show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com! It's the first download comic shop — and we think it's the best! You should build a following on social media. You should launch a website. You should focus on the quality of your comic. How do you manage all of these "SHOULDs?!" ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Too many "SHOULDs" UPDATE: ComicLab LIVE at NCS Reuben Awards Weekend: Sept. 8, 11 a.m. Special guest Sarah Andersen (Sarah's Scribbles) What cartooning advice would an 18-year-old actual...
Pulling at Threads
August 03, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBToday's show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com! It's the first download comic shop — and we think it's the best! Social media giant Meta launched Threads and acquired over 40,000 users within the first 24 hours. Will this be the death knell for Twitter? And if it is, will that be good news for comic creators? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Threads Free Trials on Patreon TweetDeck is going to become subscription-only ComicLab LIVE at NCS Reuben Awards Weekend: Sept. 8, 11 a.m. Special guest S...
A Comic-Con about... comics?!?
July 27, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBToday's show is sponsored by DriveThruComics.com! It's the first download comic shop — and we think it's the best! With Marvel, Netflix, Sony, HBO, and Universal pulling out of Hall H, what will San Diego Comic-Con be like? Some say that removing the Hollywood sightings and signings will allow the attendees to return their focus to the comics creators the show was initially founded to celebrate. Others fear a floor full of angry fans who spent hundreds on a show that isn't there. ON THIS W...
Special Guest Phil Foglio
July 20, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBToday's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work with a website, Dreamhost can help you get started. Phil Foglio joins us to discuss his long and storied career as an independent cartoonist! Best known for co-creating "Girl Genius" with his wife Kaja, Phil talks about his breakout hit, "What's New with Phil and Dixie," his milestone NSFW series, "XXXenophile," developing the Gaslamp Fantasy genre, and the philosophies that have helped him navigate severa...
Using the Patreon plug-in on your website
July 13, 2023 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBToday's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started. Patreon's WordPress plug-in enables you to host Patreon-exclusive content on your website. We'll talk about how you can use this to grow your membership. Also, we'll talk about #comicsbrokeme ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Different ways to use the Patreon API #comicsbrokeme "My art style is "diverging!" You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon ...
How to learn storytelling
July 06, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBLet's talk about storytelling. What are some good ways to learn to do better storytelling? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... How to learn storytelling ComicLab LIVE at Comic Con International in San Diego (SATURDAY 8 p.m.) UPDATE: BlueSky Nothing's happening on Discord! You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards. Brad Guigar is...
"I have a website... now what do I DO with it??"
June 29, 2023 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBToday's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started. We hear from a listener who took our advice and launched their own website. And now they have only one question: "What the heck am I supposed to DO with it??" ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Alaska Comics Camp I've got a website... now what do I DO with it?? Photoshop AI Using 3D backgrounds in CSP You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — ...
When readers attack... each other!
June 22, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBToday's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started. It's bad enough if a reader makes an unkind comment toward you, but what do you do when readers attack each other? When it results in some of those readers leaving your community, it's a problem that demands attention! Also: Patreon is offering a new feature: Free Trials! And Brad and Dave disagree on whether you should implement it! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... When readers...
Surviving the churn
June 15, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 63.4 MBToday's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started. It happens at the beginning of every month — you lose a few Patreon backers. It can be demoralizing, so let's discuss ways to survive the churn! Also, how do you restart comics after a long hiatus? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Surviving the churn Restarting after a long hiatus Learning to write You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Ea...
How to Build an Audience
June 08, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBToday's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started. We often get asked by our listeners, "How can I increase my audience?" Well, in this episode, we've got you covered! We'll give you some great tips on how to grow your readership. Plus, we'll be discussing some fundamental rules of typography. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... How to build an audience UPDATE: IDW layoffs UPDATE: Incorporating Patreon into a website Living in a...
Could OnlyFans be a Patreon alternative?
June 01, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBA listener asks if OnlyFans could be a Patreon alternative. Also, how do you know it's the right time to launch a Kickstarter? ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Could OnlyFans be a Patreon alternative? Is this a good time for a Kickstarter? UPDATE: New Yorker cartoonist Taking a break from cartooning You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episodes $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $...
Crushing a kid's dreams
May 25, 2023 10:00 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBToday's show is sponsored by Dreamhost! If you want to own and control your own work, Dreamhost can help you get started. A listener is planning to exhibit at a comic con — and their five-year-old wants to sell their own comic there, too! Should children be encouraged to sell their crayon-crafted cartoon books at conventions? Also, we discuss the difference between thumbnailing and penciling. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Five-year-old tabling at a con Twitter Blue UPDATE: thumbnails vs. penci...
Publishing two versions of the same book?
May 18, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBA ComicLab listener asks for advice on publishing two versions of the same book — one rated PG-13, and another rated R. Sounds an awful lot like what Brad does. So why is he so against it?! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Two versions of the same book UPDATE: New York Times portfolio review UPDATE: Brad's birthday present How many hours spent drawing? Building narrative tension Hiring an assistant after an injury You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Earl...
Let's talk "comics" — literally
May 11, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBLet's talk "comics" — literally. A comic could be a single piece or an entire book. It could be a single panel or a series of panels. And although the word implies humor, many comics aren't supposed to be funny at all! Isn't there a better word for this thing we do?! ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... The word "comic" Lettering ... the invisible art "Traditional artist" Hi-res art as a Patreon reward? You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon $2 — Early access to episo...