What do you like in a webcomic?

[Bobadventures]

This is a very broad question, of course, but what attracts you to a webcomic? What qualities do you like? Don't tell me what you think people like in general. Give answers specific to yourselves.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

Oh the frustration! I typed up a reply and then my computer promptly froze.

Well, let's try again.

This is a difficult question for me to answer, because I don't have many hard and fast rules, really. Unfortunately, many people think they know what I like and will make recommendations to me, which I end up being indifferent to at best.

Most of the comics I keep bookmarked are gag-a-day, usually with a handsomely dark sense of humor. I do check up on a few storyline-driven ones, but it is more difficult for these to pique my interest and then to hold on to it. Perhaps this is because I view reading a storyline-driven strip as being more of an emotional investment- you've got to get to know the characters and all their backgrounds, so it asks a little more of me as a reader than a gag-a-day strip does.

Oddly enough, really, really good art tends to put me off as well. I'm thinking along the lines of realistic stuff that looks like it took the creator a hundred years. Stylized art doesn't usually fall into the same trap, though. I think it's because more serious art tends to go along with a more serious story, which I generally don't care for.

I also am not a big fan of magic and fantasy stories and elements (this crosses all genres though). Science fiction is often exempt from this, but otherwise I find it all too pretentious, no matter how I try to tell myself that it is not the creator's intent.

There's another thing that I don't think has a real name, but I'll call it "Trying-Too-Hard" Syndrome. This crops up before I have looked at a comic, usually if I'm looking at a banner or other form of advertisement. It's when the creator lists all of the wacky, awesome hijinx that will ensue should I choose to read the comic. Or they might also list all the OMG-Epic! memes that are present within the work. I think this puts me off because I am pretty easy to attract with advertising- usually just the art style or maybe a cute catchphrase will draw me in- so all of this listing and "NO SERIOUSLY IT'S SO COOL LOOK HOW COOL IT IS" seems like overkill.

In other words I AM A GIANT INSATIABLE PARTY POOPER. FEAR MY POOP.

[Cuendolin]

For me, it's quite the opposite. I prefer webcomics with a plot going on, so I have to check back to see what happens next.
I usually don't care about the art, if it fits the story, but I really don't like comics designed to be cool or too action oriented. At the end, I usually start reading webcomics that are linked by my favorite ones.

[RobboAKAscooby]

Okay I've given this one a LOT of thought and come to the conclusion that I have no idea what I specifically like in webcomics but I do know what I DON'T like:
- I am sick to death of gamer/geek wish fulfillment comics that consist of four or so characters cliches either sitting around making "witty comments", going on wacky adventures or going through the "woe-is-me" motions of "I can't get a girlfriend" despite being surrounded by "hot" girls.
- overly pretentious fantasy comics that are inspired by RPGs
- explicit fan-service comics (especially furries) that exist for no other reason than to show crudely drawn boobies

As far as what I do like, all I can really say is something that catches my attention and entertains me, a bit of storyline progression and likeable characters.

[Ohemgee]

Okay I've given this one a LOT of thought and come to the conclusion that I have no idea what I specifically like in webcomics but I do know what I DON'T like:
- I am sick to death of gamer/geek wish fulfillment comics that consist of four or so characters cliches either sitting around making "witty comments", going on wacky adventures or going through the "woe-is-me" motions of "I can't get a girlfriend" despite being surrounded by "hot" girls.
- overly pretentious fantasy comics that are inspired by RPGs
- explicit fan-service comics (especially furries) that exist for no other reason than to show crudely drawn boobies

As far as what I do like, all I can really say is something that catches my attention and entertains me, a bit of storyline progression and likeable characters.

Yes.
I would like to add a particular art style that grinds my nerves: Chicks with enormous breasts/but and/or wasp waist. Even if this is drawn well, I think artists need to remember that not every girl has a GG chest that sways heavily with every movement. Eckh.

What I do like is both gag-a-day and storyline comics. (Sometimes though I get easily tired of a particular gag-a-day if all I get is the same every time, and storylines if they don't update.)

I'm generally drawn more to fantasy than to sci-fi, I suppose because I personally find it more difficult to find an "orginal" sci-fi story than fantasy, though fantasy webcomics can easily get generic.

In terms of art styles I like, I really just like consistency (with a variety of plausible body types-I think this goes for overly muscular/effeminate men.)

I think something else I find important in a comic is consistent updating. I'd much rather have consistent weekly updating than promised 5 strips a week and then only get pencil sketches twice a week because the artist can't keep up-set a schedule you can keep.

EDIT:Another thing I dislike: Comics that start out funny and then get really serious... Okay, have a few story lines and some character development, but I usually stop reading a comic if it started out as a gag-a-day/light hearted storyline and then turns into this drama and never gets back to any funny.

[RobertBr]

Simple really. Good writing and regular updating. Those two will build a succesful webcomic every time. Few webcomics have one, very few have one.

Robert

[peterabnny]

Okay I've given this one a LOT of thought and come to the conclusion that I have no idea what I specifically like in webcomics but I do know what I DON'T like:
- I am sick to death of gamer/geek wish fulfillment comics that consist of four or so characters cliches either sitting around making "witty comments", going on wacky adventures or going through the "woe-is-me" motions of "I can't get a girlfriend" despite being surrounded by "hot" girls.
- overly pretentious fantasy comics that are inspired by RPGs
- explicit fan-service comics (especially furries) that exist for no other reason than to show crudely drawn boobies

As far as what I do like, all I can really say is something that catches my attention and entertains me, a bit of storyline progression and likeable characters.

I pretty much couldn't have said it better myself. And rabbits. Comics with rabbits will usually get my attention right away...

I would also add the whole "little kids with adult language and reasoning skills" and "family" comics (e.g. For Better Or For Worse, and so on) as two genres that are way overdone and that I hate.

[Spock]

In order for me to feel any comic, whether webcomic or print, is worth reading, it has to be humorous. I like puns, the worse, the better.

I also like clever statements/restatements about the human condition as viewed from a slightly different perspective. I find I get my most explosive reactions when I respond to exactly what someone has said rather than what they meant. Usually the reactions are positive, sometimes (but fortunately seldom) they are negative but I always get a definite reaction.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

For a spam that's pretty hilarious actually. Too bad it's still spam.

[KODAMA]

good story, witty humor. And PBF & White Ninja.

[Warlordofnoodles]

I think Part of the success of a webcomic, is consistent scheduled updating (if only I'd take my own advice). Everyone likes different genres something with a plot tends to not go stale as fast, but plotless stuff (strip type stuff) can work well if you have plenty of ideas. I personally want the characters to be interesting and lovable/hate-able I could care less about plotholes if the characters are good (take this advice with a grain of salt, I'm fairly easy to please.)

[stephanie00]

I just remembered Electric Retard, the comic that so funny (or something) that it was banned in Germany.

[Screwtape]

I like both gag-a-day and story driven comics. Art I let slide if the content is good. Content I won't let slide no matter the art. I like comics that update at least 3 times a week.

One MUST is legibility in lettering! Even comic sans is better than sloppy lettering. I also find it hard to read when the lettering is too small and I get bored when there is too much text.

I also like to have the navigation buttons below the comic but that's just a pet peeve

[thwacket]

I like anything funny. If it's a plot-based one, they generally make me want to keep reading by good humour and good art. If it's a gag-a-day one, then it can be drawn by a two year old for all I care, as long as it's funny. Other than that I generally agree with previous entries. Legible writing is a must, and consistant updates certainly helps. As do navigational buttons below a comic. ;D

[RKDS]

I like comics that are drawn with a reasonable amount of consistency. You don't have to go all out industry/stock, but for crying out loud get past the napkin sketch stage. Let all the "you don't have to be good at art" pitchforks and torches come out. The handful of times I've tried to teach people who professed to be bad at art, they've showed improvement remarkably fast. There is just no excuse for some of the comics I see and I hate it even more when a promising idea is buried under illegible scribbles.

I like comics that are inventive even if they have to go a little far out to do it. I don't really have time for two buddies on a couch unless they're exceptionally witty. I won't even click on something that I suspect to be yet another harem fantasy. I stopped publishing my own works when I felt they were falling into those or other ruts.

I like comics that go somewhere and get there in a reasonable timeframe. I hate Prince Valiant and the other serials with a passion. It's the Namek/Frieza saga all over again without the brief fights and colorful graphics. That doesn't mean arcs are bad, but splitting every conversation up into a dozen 3-panel blocks drives me up the wall. And if you want a big arc, mini-arcs or milestones would be nice.

I like comics that let me escape from the drudgery of work and family. Politics, racism, "who's the father?", and whatever else gets passed off as drama don't even get read. They're a crutch to make the author look concerned about some social issue when all they're really doing is contriving plot points and replacing laughs with groans/guilt. If you still want to insult an ideology, find a clever way to work it in or move on. Even the comic I wrote deliberately to ridicule opinions I didn't like never resorted to politics or drama to get its point across.

[robotthepirate]

I like puns, the worse, the better.

http://robotthepirate.comicgenesis.com/d/20100707.html
Shameless plug, but it made me think of the last panel.

Art really doesn't make a difference unless its a style that freaks me out (those greeting cards with plasticine fruit on are a good example of that)

I like a mix of humour and plot driven comics so will usually have lots of each saved on my bookmarks. Every now and then I'll follow a link to read a new comic and if I like it it'll make it onto my list. I'm not hard to please so it's easy to make it onto that list.

The trick is surviving when I break my computer. This seems to happen regularly every few years (right now I'm on my wife's computer because my laptop screen has broken) and when it does I have to remember all of the comics I want to read. At the moment I've gone down from about 10-15 comics to 3 because those are the only ones I'm truly committed to. When I get a new machine I'll try to recreate the list but a lot of them wont make it back on either because they're forgotten, or I simply can't be bothered to catch up with the storyline, this is especially true of gag comics that update a lot. Plot driven comics especially the ones that update three times a week are most likely to survive.

[Adorabledesolation]

Readability is a major thing for me. If the font is too small or too weird, it's too hard to read and I have to give up. It might be the most clever or funny comic ever written, but if I can't read it, I'll never know it.

[McDuffies]

Readability is a major thing for me. If the font is too small or too weird, it's too hard to read and I have to give up. It might be the most clever or funny comic ever written, but if I can't read it, I'll never know it.

Related to that a it should always be obvious what a picture represents. Many a time, artists of adventure comics attemp difficult angles of discutable close cuts that obscure what's going on, and then you have to figure it out from context. Other times, characters look just too similar due to a style, that you keep mixing them up. Other times yet, people keep mixing the order of speech baloons, arranging them in order that isn't intuitive for reading. A comic can be as cridely drawn as it gets, I may read it if there's clarity.

[Adorabledesolation]

Related to that a it should always be obvious what a picture represents. Many a time, artists of adventure comics attemp difficult angles of discutable close cuts that obscure what's going on, and then you have to figure it out from context. Other times, characters look just too similar due to a style, that you keep mixing them up. Other times yet, people keep mixing the order of speech baloons, arranging them in order that isn't intuitive for reading. A comic can be as cridely drawn as it gets, I may read it if there's clarity.

Yes, you're right, all of that is true. I like reading comics. But it's no fun if I can't figure out what's going on.

[Wendybird]

These are the things that help the most in getting me to keep reading a comic:

It's clear what's going on through some combination of words and pictures that make some sort of sense.

It's funny. Like, actually funny.

There's that one mysterious/dark/cool character that inspires curiosity. I wonder what they will do next.

There isn't anything pointlessly crude in the first 50 updates. That will make me drop it like a hot potato.