Comic Genesis Forums

Something I've been wondering for a little bit now: how often do you go through your archives, re-reading your own comic, most or in its entirety? And why? Or if you don't, why not?

I re-read my own comic every now and then--which isn't much so far; it's only been going since July 2nd, but that's still 52 pages released out of the 71 I've got uploaded and ready to go--but mine is a continuing storyline and I have to make sure that I'm not contradicting something I've said before, so I re-read it from time to time just to see if I've got all my ducks in a row. I imagine that a comic which is more like a daily newspaper strip and perhaps not quite so concerned with maintaining continuity so much as keeping the level of humor up wouldn't require frequent read-throughs, neh?

Still...I've been reading webcomics for years, long before I ever started my own, and this is something I've wondered from time to time, this question of how often comic artists and writers go back and re-read their own crap. S'like wondering if actors and directors ever watch their own movies, or whether authors read their own books.

Anywho...I'm just curious; what's your policy?

If it's an ongoing story, you pretty much *have* to.. I know I didn't for a while, but then readers would catch me out with minor things I'd forgotten and I'd feel like an idiot.

Ha! Well I don't have to worry about that! I don't even have readers!



....now im sad....

Darkdetective wrote:Ha! Well I don't have to worry about that! I don't even have readers!



....now im sad....

Aww, don't feel so bad...I told my 1,700+ YouTube subscribers about my comic, yet according to Google Analytics I have 30--count 'em, THIRTY--readers.
Pathetic, innit?

Every now and then I go back and read my old stuff... and despite the flaws, it actually reads better than I remembered. I probably get so caught up in the wording at the time that it makes me think that it's worse than it actually is.

I do this really frequently. That's one of my favorite things about drawing or writing something serial, when I get to the point that I have a hefty archive/story to reread.

It's helpful. In fact I just did away with my first season because when I reread it it was just too stupid and directionless.

You know how when you draw something at first, it looks good, then after you've improved a little more it looks really shitty and you can't believe you made it? I like the stage that comes after that, when you've come so far from the old work that you can just appreciate it again for what it was.

I also like looking at old jokes and still finding them funny. Does a heart good, it does.

My comics are the only comics I read.

i dig through my old ones, mainly to remember what some of the side characters look like or to get their color schemes. Also so i don't repeat myself. it's fun to see how much improvement there as well. every once in awhile I come across one i've forgotten and i makes me chuckle.

Bustertheclown wrote:My comics are the only comics I read.

wow, way to be full of yourself

BionicDance wrote:

Darkdetective wrote:Ha! Well I don't have to worry about that! I don't even have readers!



....now im sad....

Aww, don't feel so bad...I told my 1,700+ YouTube subscribers about my comic, yet according to Google Analytics I have 30--count 'em, THIRTY--readers.
Pathetic, innit?

Usually I'll have one or two a day. This week: 0. Not a single person, the whole week. I guess not many people like superhero comics . Although when I put the animated short on youtube, I had like 4 to even 6 a day for one week.

I have to read back. Mostly to remember some stuff I made the character do 3 or 4 years ago or to get one of the old character's palette. Heck. For today's behemoth I had to get his palette from the christmas drawing of 2003!

I reread my stuff when I accidentally run into them in the storage... just like all old comics. I usually find some parts I really like and other parts that are really weak.

BionicDance wrote:

Darkdetective wrote:Ha! Well I don't have to worry about that! I don't even have readers!



....now im sad....

Aww, don't feel so bad...I told my 1,700+ YouTube subscribers about my comic, yet according to Google Analytics I have 30--count 'em, THIRTY--readers.
Pathetic, innit?

Sure 'nuff you guys are a couple of losers. It must be very queer, hanging out with us popular folks who have tens of thousands of readers.

Spaceprincess wrote:i dig through my old ones, mainly to remember what some of the side characters look like or to get their color schemes. Also so i don't repeat myself. it's fun to see how much improvement there as well. every once in awhile I come across one i've forgotten and i makes me chuckle.

Bustertheclown wrote:My comics are the only comics I read.

wow, way to be full of yourself

It's not like that, he just hates all the others.

I need to fix my comic, at some point so people can read through the whole archives again.

And then maybe draw on it again.

well a boy can dream.

I've found that it's a good way to get my enthusiasm worked up again. But I'm sure I'll end up reading it less and less as it gets longer and longer...

I wouldn't necessarily help me keep things straight though, since I'm not in the habit of actually explaining things >.<

I'll go through my archive every so often. Maybe not the whole thing (especially the beginning), but perhaps a few to remember what I was up to the last few pages or psych myself up because I've draw a particularly bad page.

McDuffies wrote:I reread my stuff when I accidentally run into them in the storage... just like all old comics. I usually find some parts I really like and other parts that are really weak.

Spaceprincess wrote:

Bustertheclown wrote:My comics are the only comics I read.

wow, way to be full of yourself

It's not like that, he just hates all the others.

Truly, my disdain for the sincere and valid creative efforts of people knows no bounds.

Well, I re-read my stuff quite a bit. Partly to check stuff for correct continuity, and partly because (at risk of seeming immodest), I genuinely do like the comics I've made and I like to re-read them.

Bobadventures wrote:Well, I re-read my stuff quite a bit. Partly to check stuff for correct continuity, and partly because (at risk of seeming immodest), I genuinely do like the comics I've made and I like to re-read them.

Yeah...I like my comics too, but I wonder if I'll be pleased when it's over. I mean, I'm telling a story for which there'll be a definite ending; we probably won't see it for years to come, but I'm definitely going somewhere with this...
When that's over, and I go back and re-read what I hope will be my epic, I wonder if it'll hold up to the vision I'd had when I first started, and if I'll be pleased. Or if I'll be disappointed, wishing i could have done better.

Ocassionally, though it usually makes me feel like I should be updating my stuff, which I'm not.

Yes. For several reasons. First, I don't want to repeat myself. Second, I have so many and they're growing so rapidly that I just plain forget about a lot of them! Which makes me excited to re-laugh at material my memory completely dismissed!

I do because it makes me laugh. Especially some of the more retarded pages.

It also gets me pumped up enough to work on the print versions - which have been rewritten so they make a hell of a lot more sense than the comic did when I started it six years ago. I will never forget Dawg trying to describe P&A on a podcast. Horrible, hilarious, and oh dear god so true.