White Hydra, meet Image Comics

[Wp]

The sad reality is that Van's going to have to cater to the masses to make a job out of it. Having been kicked out of college, it's going to be hard to get a job, and probably not one that you want. Turning to professional comics will allow him to do what he wants to at least some degree, even if he has to sacrifice some of his principles to do so.

[IVstudios]

I don't think there's anything wrong with asking what people would like. Just because you ask doesn

[McDuffies]

Have you at least watched Full Metal Jacket?

You found a right person to ask.

But honestly, I think White Hydra is, intentionally or not, already appealing to masses - thruth to be, masses on internet, and I don't know how it would click with comicbook audience, but it's on Van to examine that.

Although I always banter about artistic vision and defend alternative comics, I'm not against a reasonable dose of compromise. It's not impossible to make comic more appealing to audience without disrupting anything essential in a comic. The reason why this is not done succesfully often is, that comic industry is full of idiots.

Anyway, being that Van counts on this as a make-a-living, I think it's reasonable that he'd agree to an even bigger level of compromise.

I guess, Van, you have to decide what's most important elements of your comic, and what are changeable. Throwing one supporting character in or out, for instance, is no big deal. But one artist had a problem that his publisher thought his female characters are not pretty enough, so they hired part-time artist to redraw them in regular barbie-like style - now that's an unreasonable level of compromise.

[Van Douchebag]

It's not like I'm doing a huge overhaul.
I mean, I'm redesigning the costumes ever so slightly and elaborating the plot.
I'm just asking personally what people would like to see based on the context of the limits in my created world.

The only problem is that Erik Larsen told me I shouldn't use celebrities, so basicly the Colonel, Opraalzebub, Celine Diablo and Marphisto are on the outs if I want Erik to approve it.

[McDuffies]

What about republican jokes?

[Van Douchebag]

Larsen doesn't like Republicans either.

[Wp]

I'm going to leap to conclusions and assume that most comic readers are either liberal or don't give a damn about politics. But if I'm wrong, you'll be losing sales.

[Beyonder_alpha]

Things that sell:
- mainstream
- cult comics
- anti comics that protest a subject hated by many.

I don't see whitehydra doing the second or third thing. He's to happy and not putting people to shame enough so he's left with the first option sadly enough.
Also he will have to divert his humortype.
Now it is directed at internetgamers and so on that know the elves et cetera quite well.

My advise:
lose the elf part, keep the lesbian in denial part.
keep samana but include a dark side of her.
keep ernest but make him more socially uncomfortable.
Add a second evil character/henchman that provides the black humor part, either by ridiculing others or him/herself.
Never break the 4th wall.
Tell all your jokes to your target audience that doesn't have a computer.
Since you have a big artstyle, 6 panels per page maximum.

[JPSloan]

Van, I recommend that you:

1. drink more black tea, for the antioxidants
2. pet a small furry animal at least once a day
3. take time to pamper yourself
4. find an outlet for your inner Warhol
5. clean your guns at least once a month
6. do whatever the hell you want with White Hydra. you're obviously doing something right.

[Bekka]

Can't you go to another college next year?

[Van Douchebag]

My advise:
lose the elf part, keep the lesbian in denial part.
keep samana but include a dark side of her.
keep ernest but make him more socially uncomfortable.
Add a second evil character/henchman that provides the black humor part, either by ridiculing others or him/herself.
Never break the 4th wall.
Tell all your jokes to your target audience that doesn't have a computer.
Since you have a big artstyle, 6 panels per page maximum.

Foreword: My target audiance is anyone who ever played D&D, watched Lord of the Rings, had a barbarian in their library, met a drag queen with pointy ears, or engaged in mortal combat with Smokey the Bear.

1- No. Elf stay. Elf goooooooooooooood.
2- Samara does have a dark side. She's the brooding contemptful one in the group.
3- What would the point of social uncomfortability be? I have him because of the fact he's a giant muscle-bound dork. He's a barbarian - if I were to give him "realistic" feelings I'd ruin the character. Ernest's only issues are with his father.
4- Fun Fact: The original cast of White Hydra had 3 henchmen to Evil Boner - Dark Wood, Thunder Dong, and Eddie Murphy. I dropped them for the zombie butler Antoine who is not actually evil, but provides counterbalance to Evil Boner's stupidity.
5- KRUSTY WANTS OUT OF THE BOX!
6- My jokes aren't "computer" jokes. Where the hell you get that idea from?
7- No, because panel shapes and sizes are part of the page composition and they can vary enormously from one page to the other.

Can't you go to another college next year?

The only other school I'd want to go to is in New Jersey, and I don't have the money to pay for an American school. Hell, I don't think I have the money to pay for a Canadian school now. I'm going to hafta go to Ethiopia for college, because I'm flat broke.

[Joel Fagin]

2- Samara does have a dark side. She's the brooding contemptful one in the group.

Contempt, in this context, isn't dark. It's a source of the comic's humour.

6- My jokes aren't "computer" jokes. Where the hell you get that idea from?

Your comic is aimed squarely at the web comunity demographic.*

- Joel Fagin

* I mean, the art even looks like... Uh... Better not.

[Mr.Bob]

I'm going to hafta go to Ethiopia for college, because I'm flat broke.

According to this , you'd better hurry up while you can afford it.

Ethiopian tuition fees have been increasing over the years ... The fees for foreign students are about double.

[McDuffies]

Now where did you dig that out from?

[Van Douchebag]

Your comic is aimed squarely at the web comunity demographic.*

- Joel Fagin

* I mean, the art even looks like... Uh... Better not.

Meh, go ahead and say it - "White Hydra looks like Penny-Arcade even though you tried to base it on something else"

Mike Krahulik doesn't think White Hydra looks like Penny-Arcade, however. To quote him from another board...

Van, I don't think your comic looks like PA at all. You obviously have a very heavy anime influence in your work. I think your stuff looks really nice.

*scratches head*
I guess me whining about the differences only I can magicly see is kinda like how Josh Lesnick keeps saying he's not a manga artist. Swing on.

[Psiogen]

You probably wouldn't appreciate my advice, but good luck...

[Jim North]

4. find an outlet for your inner Warhol

Because if you don't keep him plugged in, you'll run the backup battery down.

[JPSloan]

4. find an outlet for your inner Warhol

Because if you don't keep him plugged in, you'll run the backup battery down.

Inner. Warhol.

[Toxic]

4. find an outlet for your inner Warhol

Because if you don't keep him plugged in, you'll run the backup battery down.

Inner. Warhol.

[Mr.Bob]

Awesome! And Nightmare inducing!