Why are we doing this?

[Boozeathon4billion]

Because if I wasn't, I'd go crazy.
Creating is a neccessity, like eating, sleeping or social life.

I am with mcDuffies on this. I've been working my ass off at college for the past 4 years and without some sort of creative outlet and escape from the academic rush and the crappy jobs I do on the side, I would lose my freakin mind. Plus, its just a lot of fun.

[Diospyros]

It's true that creators look at comics differently, but I don't agree that their experience is less enjoyable. We know mechanisms, we are able to not only read the story but to know how the story is told, and if the story works, we are able to see why it works. I think that our experience of reading is richer, even if not so spontaneous.

No, I don't think webcomic authors (or other authors for that matter) are less able to enjoy their medium either. I do think there are certain things about some hypothetical comic that an author could enjoy that some random person couldn't, as well as vice versa. I think it's the natural progression of becoming an "expert" in anything. When you're really familiar with some art form, craft, whatever, you're going to be for looking and enjoying different things than a novice. Part of that comes from just having seen a whole lot of examples.

I guess it goes back to what audience one's writing for (self, friends, particular community, general public, cosmos, etc.). I think most of us publish online because we want someone to see and enjoy our stuff and it's very hard to maintain enthusiasm for what you're doing if you're not getting any notice or appreciation of any kind. So if you're only looking for comments from people who know at least as much about what you're doing as you do... you'll probably learn a lot, but you might not be getting a lot of appreciation. Personally, no matter what I'm doing it's fun to be able to show my work off to someone who has no idea how I did what I did. Like a magic trick. "Taa daaa! Webcomic!" Now, getting appreciation from an expert might be even better, but the average novice has a long road to hoe before getting (or deserving) that recognition. Not that new comics don't get appreciation from more established folks sometimes.

Meh, I'm just rambling. I'll probably disagree with myself in a few hours.

---Diospyros kaki

[Inshue]

I just happen to like drawing. And writing. Mix the two, and bam! I'm happy. So I figure, if I'm going to be drawing comics anyway, which I am, why not post 'em on the web? Plus, giving myself an update schedule and sticking to it actually helps me get more done on my own. I have ore drive to do things, and when a project comes up for school, it's no problem compared to doing four pages of comic a week.
So, I guess I do it because it's fun, and it helps keep me on top of things.

[Dr Neo Lao]

If one is involved in creating a comic ... It all starts to be about technical finesse, etc... maybe even a few demons of jealousy sometimes. I remember hearing a couple of authors say they'd pretty much lost the ability to casually enjoy fiction. ... Anyone experience this?

Yes, I have but with a different medium.

A while back I got involved with some people making independent films and video clips for local bands. It's great fun, but being in Australia it's hard to get good paying work out of it, but we're slowing getting there. We've done a fair bit (and put some up - shameless plug).

As a result of this, when I watch movies now I'm normally thinking either of how they did it / how we could do it or spotting the obvious mistakes. It's not that I'm actively looking for them, they just jump out at me more now that I know what I'm looking at. I've been watching tv with friends and I'll suddenly react to something that I spotted and they'll be all "what? what?".

I suppose it's the same for a jeweler. If I look at a diamond, I'd just be going "ooh - pretty" whilst they might look at it, spot the flaws and say "eh, it's junk".

[Cortland]

I'm with YeahDuff.

*swings*

[Kramerthebird]

I just happen to like drawing. And writing. Mix the two, and bam! I'm happy. So I figure, if I'm going to be drawing comics anyway, which I am, why not post 'em on the web? Plus, giving myself an update schedule and sticking to it actually helps me get more done on my own. I have ore drive to do things, and when a project comes up for school, it's no problem compared to doing four pages of comic a week.
So, I guess I do it because it's fun, and it helps keep me on top of things.

This sums it up pretty well for me. In addition, though, I feel I always need to have a personal project to work on, so there's something to do when I want to tune out the real world. If it's not comics, it'll be a novel, pixel art, painting the house, etc. Because playing video games all the time isn't as rewarding as it used to be.

[Pimpette]

Because if I wasn't, I'd go crazy.
Creating is a necessity, like eating, sleeping or social life.

Truth.
Although "creating" sometimes saps me of a social life. Luckily I have friends with cars who decide "ITS KIDNAPPING TIME" when i've been a hermit for too long. So it's all good in the end.

[Darkflying]

Because we've been meaning to for a while now. And then we couldn't think of an idea. So we ganked an old novel of mine. And then it turned into inverse vandalism, which my artist tells me is creating something because we can. So far we seem to be sticking to our oh-so-strenuous once a week update cycle. And we still have no clue what most of the characters look like. And I can't seem to settle on a consistent method of colouring them. Oops >_>. But once we figure out how to, you know, do this drawing thing we hear so much about and iron out all the issues it should be okay.

...We hope.

[Shishio]

It's the only way I can get an erection.

[McDuffies]

As a result of this, when I watch movies now I'm normally thinking either of how they did it / how we could do it or spotting the obvious mistakes. It's not that I'm actively looking for them, they just jump out at me more now that I know what I'm looking at. I've been watching tv with friends and I'll suddenly react to something that I spotted and they'll be all "what? what?".

I've had the same since I was involved in making some amateur films back in high school. Even more so, I keep giving the bug to other people, so many of my friends won't let techincal errors like crossing the action line and such past them anymore. Though, since I like trash, I get a good laugh out of incompetent filmmaking, I watch them like comedies.

[[geoduck]]

I suppose at this point it's a case of having started this stupid thing, I want to finish it.

I really should have written a novel instead; I'm a much better writer than artist..

[Jackhass]

You know, the usual reasons people get into webcomics...wealth, power, fame, women.

[KWill]

You know, the usual reasons people get into webcomics...wealth, power, fame, women.

...attention.

[Robbie]

I need to practice sometime. But of course, I practice because I like doing it and need to get better.

Uh..... and my hits have been rising recently for some mysterious reason. Nothing gets you motivated like an unusual rise in attention.

[Lance]

I've always liked making comics because it's fun to make characters have adventures and say crazy stuff. I like drawing and I like making my own fake worlds.
But now I'm intimidated because it seems that everyone who reads webcomics wants everything to be super polished and have story-arcs.... and all I want to make are some quick n' dirty "disposable" one or three page strips in black&white that are fun and make me laugh. This means I might get maybe 3 or 4 readers and with all the work of making and sustaining a website, why would I bother uploading to a site if what I want to do isn't what people want to read?
by the way,.. i'm a defeatest.

The largely thankless task of creating and continuing a webcomic is insane. Do it anyway.
I just work at my own pace and do what I want. I constantly change my plans re: plot & character development. Completely planned story arc? Regular updates? Feh! I expect no fame or $$$ for this stuff and just started it up 'cuz I sketched out some characters one day, came up with a lame premise, and started drawing pages. The characters would occasionally pop into my head and feed me some future dialogue (I'm not insane...I'mnotI'mnotI'mnotI'mnot!) usually while I'm driving and have to write the stuff down while navigating thru traffic (heads UP!)

I go thru long periods where i can't seem to work at all. But, bay-BEH!, when the work is flowing and it's coming out OK...
man, that's FUN!

Blackhole, I don't think you have to give up on your comic just because you don't want to/can't devote your whole life to making it.
If one is involved in creating a comic I think one starts to read other comics differently, and sadly, become less able to enjoy them at face value. It all starts to be about technical finesse, etc... maybe even a few demons of jealousy sometimes. I remember hearing a couple of authors say they'd pretty much lost the ability to casually enjoy fiction. Sad side-effect, if so. Anyone experience this?

Fortunately not. Mebbe 'cuz I got thru this while working a bit in the film business. I do watch film with an eye on all the tech, acting, sets, camera work, directing style, etc. and it takes a really good film to engross me to the point I stop inspecting all of that stuff. But it hasn't kept me from enjoying movies. I still often find that I like some of the sloppiest, silliest stuff imaginable as well as a brilliantly done movie.
It's the same with comics.I likes what I likes. In wide ranging levels of technical and narrative ability.
Check my recommendations if you don't believe that one.
http://www.lancecomixxx.com/lnx/links/l1a.html

[Phact0rri]

You know, the usual reasons people get into webcomics...wealth, power, fame, women.

...attention.

but I have all these things already... think this is why I'm on hiatus. hard to work on a comic and RULE THE WORLD.

[Fabio Ciccone]

Because I like doing a webcomic, because I need to express myself and mostly because I have (some) readers. When no one sees your work, no one comments, no one says he or she likes it, then it's pretty hard to keep it up.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

It's the only way I can get an erection.

Obviously you haven't tried my magic cake.

[Shishio]

Obviously you haven't tried my magic cake.

You've never given me any!

[McDuffies]

Shishio never gets any. Cake.