How are you doing, comic-wise?

[K-Dawg]

It took a while but finally finished my first chapter.

[Terotrous]

My new computer can't run my old graphics program, so Comic Creatorz is now using Gimp. After finding how they reorganized everything, it's much the same, though I feel it makes the lineart look a little rougher. I might just not be using the smoothing correctly.


Of course, the first comic drawn using Gimp is about being forced to adapt to a new drawing program.

[LibertyCabbage]

It took a while but finally finished my first chapter.

Sweet. I was wondering when you were gonna start updating the comic again.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

I sketched an entire three pages and it was fucking exhilarating. I miss getting to draw dynamic crowd scenes, and I got to draw a really adorable reunion scene that actually made me get a little emotional because I'm an enormous dork.

heeeeEEEELLLLPPPPP

Now I'm really in the mood to keep working on my comic but I'm going to go to work tomorrow and run out of steam and then be stuck at this roost for the next many manies

[robotthepirate]

Still super busy but have been finding time to continue working with Inkscape (mainly because I had a dreadful week last week and I couldn't face spending Sunday studying). So I made this:

Hi everyone!

[LibertyCabbage]

Hi everyone!

Welcome back! I'd wondered where you went.

[robotthepirate]

Hi everyone!

Welcome back! I'd wondered where you went.

I'm just busy, really. I'm working full time and studying part time trying to get in to uni. I used to have the forum on in the background all day on my days off but now that's just asking for procrastination. I'll be back though, I miss being here.

[Cope]

I started updating for reals again.

...damn it.

[djracodex]

I sketched an entire three pages and it was fucking exhilarating.

OMG that feeling makes everything worth it! I've started my comic over 3 times (I do NOT recommend this. Bad for the art-ego ). The past couple times I've always struggled with updating on time, getting stuck on scenes, words and eventually everything, so I dropped it for a couple years.

Coming back, I've streamlined my arting process, so I can actually knock out a couple rough-draft pages at a time (Having a rough sketch down makes it SO much more motivating to actually ink it) and I'm producing work that I'm pretty happy with! Not only that, but I'm keeping my update schedule (After I've caught up with my winter break of course, lol)! I still have room to improve, and I still have details that I want to go back and fix, but I vow never to restart this damn comic again, because it will kill me.

So things are going pretty good over at this dark corner of the webcomic world

[Humbug]

Got 10 pages in my buffer so far, still want to add more tho, so gonne keep holding back on ToP updates.

[VinnieD]

After taking an unplanned and unnanounced vacation from comicing to finish up finals, get work in order, spend time with the GF and upgrade to a new computer, then unbreak the things upgrading broke, I have resumed updating Nailbat, and Scribook should resume soon. I've got other ideas on the backburner, but I'm hoping to assemble some sort of central hub site before I go starting any new projects. Modern web design however has long since evolved beyond the limitations of my HTML 4.0 knowledge.

[spoonyliger]

I hate unplanned comic vacations...

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

Some good things-
1. I've got it to where I can edit my pages on the computer in about a half hour or so instead of 2-3+ hours, which is really upping my production efficiency. I'm using a technique I like to call the "Color the whole fucking page before you scan it, what else did you buy all these markers for" approach. Also, editing the large file before I shrink it down to proper screen size and correct use of the levels tool is making my art look vastly better.

2. Because of this, I'm a little bit... ahead??? on my updates??? I wouldn't call it a buffer, but I'm about an hour from being entirely done with Friday and Tuesday's updates so I mean like yeah man that's pretty cool right?


But the negative- Even though I feel like my art looks better than ever before, and I'm happy enough with my site design that I actually feel comfortable sharing it with people and even showing it to people I actually know in real life and interact with on a day to day basis, my readership stats have dropped. I guess it's just because during the holidays I had a burst of people checking for Secret Santa related purposes or whatever, as well as the fact that more people were home and available during that time to read webcomics.

Trying not to let the decrease get to me, because I don't really think it's anything to do with the comic itself or my skills presented therein. But it's kind of disheartening when you go "Goddamn, this page kicks real ass! Can't wait for that sweet readership update-day spike!" And no spike really occurs, just the same ~10 or so people checking in as per usual.

Though LC's comments do bring a smile to my face, at least there's that.


(Not really an edit, but like whatever- I realize a bit of this is on me, as it's my job as the sole creator to also act as publicist. If I want people to read, I need to look into means of advertisement and interest-raising. I have a Project Wonderful account that I haven't taken advantage of yet because I got it when I was still iffy about the way my site looked. Now that I'm (knock on wood) updating normally and have a functional site, I feel more ready to actually try to encourage more readership.

Plus I am also a baby and a whiner, I know I'm lucky that at least I get that many hits per day, especially when I look back at my records from 2011 when I had like a third of the hits/visitors per month as I do now. I know on a practical level that effort doesn't always coincide with a rise in readership, but it's disappointing to see it actually happening when you're excited about something.

[Montyandwoolley]

I bought an iPad, and after 4 years of not drawing comics, decided to start again. I guess I stopped because I got into a 'copy-paste' habit and it felt like cheating and a cop out every time I did it, which made me not want to do it so I stopped. And the reason I started doing it in the first place was because it took me soooo long to draw with a mouse.

But now I have an iPad and a stylus and everythings lovely again.

I need a cup of tea.

[chainmailbikini]

I just uploaded the mini-comic I did that was published in Knights of the Dinner Table. http://chainmailbikini.comicgenesis.com/bb1.html
Also I've started coloring the final page for the first chapter of my comic! So hopefully that will be up soon too.

[LibertyCabbage]

Though LC's comments do bring a smile to my face, at least there's that.

Aww, I'm glad. I really like leaving comments on people's comics, although they're often just jokey stuff since I can't always come up with something relevant to say.

(Not really an edit, but like whatever- I realize a bit of this is on me, as it's my job as the sole creator to also act as publicist. If I want people to read, I need to look into means of advertisement and interest-raising. I have a Project Wonderful account that I haven't taken advantage of yet because I got it when I was still iffy about the way my site looked. Now that I'm (knock on wood) updating normally and have a functional site, I feel more ready to actually try to encourage more readership.

I've been doing some research on promotion lately, and there's definitely some stuff you could be doing to get more readers that barely takes any time. I guess I'll do a new thread for it, though, 'cause it's kind of a lot of info and I don't wanna derail this thread too much. For now, I'll just say that I've been particularly impressed with Twitter and $0 Project Wonderful bids, although the former does take a bit of time and effort.

Plus I am also a baby and a whiner, I know I'm lucky that at least I get that many hits per day, especially when I look back at my records from 2011 when I had like a third of the hits/visitors per month as I do now. I know on a practical level that effort doesn't always coincide with a rise in readership, but it's disappointing to see it actually happening when you're excited about something.

I don't feel like you're being whiny; maybe you're just more extroverted than some people. Pretty much every webcartoonists goes through these frustrations, and if it helps you to vent a little about it, then there's nothing wrong with that.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

Though LC's comments do bring a smile to my face, at least there's that.

Aww, I'm glad. I really like leaving comments on people's comics, although they're often just jokey stuff since I can't always come up with something relevant to say.

The jokey comments make my day! Not every comic can spur heavy discusison, I appreciate whatever comments do bubble up.

(Not really an edit, but like whatever- I realize a bit of this is on me, as it's my job as the sole creator to also act as publicist. If I want people to read, I need to look into means of advertisement and interest-raising. I have a Project Wonderful account that I haven't taken advantage of yet because I got it when I was still iffy about the way my site looked. Now that I'm (knock on wood) updating normally and have a functional site, I feel more ready to actually try to encourage more readership.

I've been doing some research on promotion lately, and there's definitely some stuff you could be doing to get more readers that barely takes any time. I guess I'll do a new thread for it, though, 'cause it's kind of a lot of info and I don't wanna derail this thread too much. For now, I'll just say that I've been particularly impressed with Twitter and $0 Project Wonderful bids, although the former does take a bit of time and effort.

Just saw you started the thread! I'm excited to take a look at it.

Plus I am also a baby and a whiner, I know I'm lucky that at least I get that many hits per day, especially when I look back at my records from 2011 when I had like a third of the hits/visitors per month as I do now. I know on a practical level that effort doesn't always coincide with a rise in readership, but it's disappointing to see it actually happening when you're excited about something.

I don't feel like you're being whiny; maybe you're just more extroverted than some people. Pretty much every webcartoonists goes through these frustrations, and if it helps you to vent a little about it, then there's nothing wrong with that.

Yeah, if there's one thing I discovered in the past few years of my life, I'm way more of an extrovert than I ever thought I was. That's part of why I don't think I could ever take Loud Era to print (despite everyone* telling me I should), I crave the reader feedback too much, I can't fathom sending it out into the world and having not even a droplet of a clue what people think of it, who's reading it, et cetera.

*By everyone I mean people who aren't that familliar with comics/webcomics, who might underestimate the difficulty in putting a comic in print and who are under the notion that a print comic means you've really "made it" and are successful, whereas in today's day and age success can happen just as powerfully if your comic is just on the web. I can't tell you how many times i hear "You should really get this published." Uh, what do you think I'm doing by putting it online? "Oh, I mean like *really* published, you know, like in a book." Oooookay thanks?

[peterabnny]

Finally back at my drawing table roughing out the next cartoon, but alas I hit a brick wall. I'm finally at the point where Belle enters the story, but I have her due for an appearance makeover and I can't for the life of me figure out what her new look is! Specifically, what her hair and clothes should be. I get to my draft and look...and look...and look...an' I get nothin'...

I want to keep her gray/white markings, and probably give her longer black or dark brown hair and an emerald dress, but other than that I can't envision what I want to do. Guess I need to do some good ol' fashioned research. There are three female artists that I know. Maybe go through their galleries and see if I can get any ideas.

Artistic blocks are a bitch, aren't they?

[LibertyCabbage]

The jokey comments make my day! Not every comic can spur heavy discusison, I appreciate whatever comments do bubble up.

That's good. I worry a bit sometimes about being a little too irreverent.

*By everyone I mean people who aren't that familliar with comics/webcomics, who might underestimate the difficulty in putting a comic in print and who are under the notion that a print comic means you've really "made it" and are successful, whereas in today's day and age success can happen just as powerfully if your comic is just on the web. I can't tell you how many times i hear "You should really get this published." Uh, what do you think I'm doing by putting it online? "Oh, I mean like *really* published, you know, like in a book." Oooookay thanks?

Uh, yeah, print's going the way of the dinosaurs. It's pretty obvious to anyone who's paying attention.

[Terotrous]

Just finished my April Fools comic. This is definitely one of the biggest successes I've had in terms of short drawing time to quality results.