An observation, and a question.

[Killbert-Robby]

I actually like Ryan's theory more. It seems about right. Webcomics used to be huge, everyone wanted to be the next Penny Arcade. Now, meh, not so much.

[Cope]

Somehow, we have to make things fun again. Doesn't anyone want to start an awesome jam or get married or some such?

...or at least pretend to get married as a prank!

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

start an awesome jam

Could it be an apricot jam? It'd be rib-stickin fictitious.

[Jim North]

*Looks down his nose at Jim*

And you are right to. I am infectious human waste.

[Levi-chan]

We grew older. The more time passes by, the less we have available idle.

We could get new blood, but come on, let's be honest here. We're insular as fuck. Almost every forum ends up the same way. Either the members close up and form really tight cliques that inevitably alienate newbies - or the veterans leave for other forums, and let the newbies settle in.

ALSO DICKBUTT

[BionicDance]

I haven't been here long but I don't get the feeling that allowing people introduction threads would fix what ails the forum, I think the real issue is that new people start a comic, log in, see nothing much going on and continue their comic without thinking much of the forums.

I always found it strange, it seems like there are so many comics hosted and so few people posting...

I have to second all of this. I just started my comic and I'm absolutely lovin' it...but I was kinna hoping there'd be more to it than JUST having a great time making a comic.

Like...okay...I thought there'd be a kind of community to webcomic folks. Like...you start a comic, it goes for a while, people start to take notice, and then after a while the folks doing "Sluggy Freelance" and "Something*Positive" teach you the secret handshake and you're now an internet celebrity (for whatever that's worth). Granted, that's a pretty silly notion, but from the outside, it sure did seem as if being a webcomic creator came with a sense of community.
I'm always seeing crossovers between my favorite comics, or various artists giving shout-outs to other artists; it seemed like everybody knew each other, even if only online. Now that I've got my own comic, I'm all, "So, where'z the community I'd inferred from outside observation, gang?"

...cuz I'm not really seein' it here. I guess I'm glad it seems to be due to apathy rather than enmity, but still. I mean, heck, sometimes DAYS will go by and mine will still be the last message posted in a forum, often a message asking for help, advice, feedback, whatever. That's just not right.
'Course, you can't force a community to get more active; I don't even know how that would work. But...one can wish, anyway. Neh?

[CJBurgandy]

just my 2 cents on the chat drama thing. I don't think that's why so many people don't post anymore at all. I think it's just why people don't really go to the chat room anymore. Ops were taken away from the whole room having them long before that happened.

I know the reason I don't post much anymore is, I feel that I don't have much in common with the youngins that are piling in. I truely believe that it's creepy that anyone over 30 would even post in the main areas on the forum as a means of making friends and the closer I get to 30, the less I want to be here.

Somehow, we have to make things fun again. Doesn't anyone want to start an awesome jam or get married or some such?

...or at least pretend to get married as a prank!

so many people got offended at that joke. But I regret nothing!

[Laemkral]

Like...okay...I thought there'd be a kind of community to webcomic folks. Like...you start a comic, it goes for a while, people start to take notice, and then after a while the folks doing "Sluggy Freelance" and "Something*Positive" teach you the secret handshake and you're now an internet celebrity (for whatever that's worth). Granted, that's a pretty silly notion, but from the outside, it sure did seem as if being a webcomic creator came with a sense of community.
I'm always seeing crossovers between my favorite comics, or various artists giving shout-outs to other artists; it seemed like everybody knew each other, even if only online. Now that I've got my own comic, I'm all, "So, where'z the community I'd inferred from outside observation, gang?"

...cuz I'm not really seein' it here. I guess I'm glad it seems to be due to apathy rather than enmity, but still. I mean, heck, sometimes DAYS will go by and mine will still be the last message posted in a forum, often a message asking for help, advice, feedback, whatever. That's just not right.
'Course, you can't force a community to get more active; I don't even know how that would work. But...one can wish, anyway. Neh?

Here's the secret to the celebrity Webcomic "community" you refer to above. These people know each other in real life. Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub hang out, visit each other, and are friends. That's just an example. How? Conventions. When webcomics were young, they had to back each other (the different collectives like Blank Label) and band together in order to have an actual presence at places like San Diego Comic Con. Now, many of them are friends, and its because of all the non-webcomic communication that you never see taking place.

You want to do the same? Find a webcomic, send the owner(s) a guest strip, and start up a line of conversation with him/her/them. Your favorite comics request guest strips for whatever reason? Send them in. Hell, send in some simply as a fan, and that may be the bridge towards dialogue.

The closest *I* ever came to "the secret handshake" is when Kris Straub linked to my comic because I did a "guest appearance" by Kris Straub when my characters when to the SDCC. All the other artists who I did that to as well, no linkage. Though the Little Gamer guys are cool for their own reasons...

But, you can get some of that feeling here, and the best way is to post in the threads that are popular. Throw up some pictures in Alter Egos. People LOVE camwhores (or at least they USED TO YOU LAZY BASTARDS). Throw in some doodles to the Doodles thread. Etc. Despite EVERYTHING being said in this thread, I think the greatest killer is apathy, that no one wants to take the effort to reach out and encourage people to be more active. There's still a community here, and you are welcome to join.

[BionicDance]

The closest *I* ever came to "the secret handshake" is when Kris Straub linked to my comic because I did a "guest appearance" by Kris Straub when my characters when to the SDCC.

Well...I've had Dana Claire Simpson of Ozy & Millie, I Drew This, and now Raine Dog on my LiveJournal for a few years now; we're local to each other, but have never met in person. And I've got Randy Milholland on my Facebook; we have a mutual friend or two in common.
But...yeah, I guess that's the closest I can claim right now.

Ah, well...I'm new at this yet. And who knows, right?

[Killbert-Robby]

Jerry Holkins and I have been BFFs since grade school

[Kirb]

It's because most all of the veterans were friends and jammed really well together. Literally and figuratively. The standard was set high to begin with.

As time passes, new people come in, old people leave. The vets start doing their own things and their own collectives as their skills grow.

Friends group together in cliques and kick out the people they don't like, and usually they're more productive and better for it.



And Cope's crusty stench didn't help things either.


He's disgusting.

[Laemkral]

Jerry Holkins and I have been BFFs since grade school

That's a lie. He not once mentioned you while we were chatting at Comic Con, even after I mentioned Comic Genesis. Hell, even his wife had never heard of you.

[Killbert-Robby]

Jerry Holkins and I have been BFFs since grade school

That's a lie. He not once mentioned you while we were chatting at Comic Con, even after I mentioned Comic Genesis. Hell, even his wife had never heard of you.

We've hung out, and you never mentioned your grade school BFFs, so that don't mean shit.

[Laemkral]

Jerry Holkins and I have been BFFs since grade school

That's a lie. He not once mentioned you while we were chatting at Comic Con, even after I mentioned Comic Genesis. Hell, even his wife had never heard of you.

We've hung out, and you never mentioned your grade school BFFs, so that don't mean shit.

That's it, I'm gonna call him up and get this straightened out right now. *beep boop bip beep beep boop boop beep bip bip* Hey, this number he gave me doesn't work....

[Killbert-Robby]

That's a lie. He not once mentioned you while we were chatting at Comic Con, even after I mentioned Comic Genesis. Hell, even his wife had never heard of you.

We've hung out, and you never mentioned your grade school BFFs, so that don't mean shit.

That's it, I'm gonna call him up and get this straightened out right now. *beep boop bip beep beep boop boop beep bip bip* Hey, this number he gave me doesn't work....

Let me just ask him myself
BEEP
I have him on speed dial...
....
....
....
....
The Holkins says yes

[Terotrous]

I know the reason I don't post much anymore is, I feel that I don't have much in common with the youngins that are piling in. I truely believe that it's creepy that anyone over 30 would even post in the main areas on the forum as a means of making friends and the closer I get to 30, the less I want to be here.

You make it sound like once you turn 30, you're never allowed to do anything fun ever again.

I'd better hurry up and get the rest of my life sorted out, I don't have too many years left either.

[BionicDance]

You make it sound like once you turn 30, you're never allowed to do anything fun ever again.

Well, crap...! There go MY plans for tonight!

I wuz gunna go clubbing, but maybe I'd just better sit at home and knit like a good 33-year-old, neh?

[Tellurider]

You make it sound like once you turn 30, you're never allowed to do anything fun ever again.

Well, crap...! There go MY plans for tonight!

I wuz gunna go clubbing, but maybe I'd just better sit at home and knit like a good 33-year-old, neh?

No no, knitting is for the 50+ crowd. According to my sources, in your thirties you're supposed to constantly think about guys and why there aren't any and why you don't know the guy's name until the last episode even though he's been in the series since the pilot.

Also you must have only three friends, and other "friends" show up but they always are there just to cause you drama and make you jealous that they're getting married or something.

[Killbert-Robby]

I'm hoping my 30th birthday will feel a lot like my 20th
Heart disease is gonna drop me before I even finish all the payments on the Harley I'ma buy for my midlife crisis. Life's too short to go "NO, someone of my age should not be doing such a thing". If you outgrow something, fine, that happens, people change, but let it be because you changed and not because of the numbers of your birth certificate.

[Jim North]

You make it sound like once you turn 30, you're never allowed to do anything fun ever again.

I'd better hurry up and get the rest of my life sorted out, I don't have too many years left either.

I've got less than a month left!

Quick, bring in the cold beer and loose women! I need to get this show on the road!