Words of Encouragement

Zortic · Post by **Zortic** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 4:02 am

Thank you everyone, I've gotten some great ideas and just the nudge of encouragement I needed.I'd also like to point to this topic as an example of what a great community we have here. Being here for each other is really one of the perks of being in something like Keenspace. Whenever you hear about bickering and infighting, this is just the kind of thing that show's what we're really all about.... And Zapjone's even into wife swapping!!! What a great community.Mark------------------
visit Zortic at: <A HREF="http://Zortic.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://Zortic.keenspace.com</A>

PDI · Post by **PDI** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 7:57 am

Yeah, but fuck everyone. Pthbt.(for those of you impaired, that was an ironic comment, meant to convet the opposite of the litteral meaning, for comedic effect.)------------------
Scott Maddix
<A HREF="http://PDI.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Psychic Dyslexia Institute:</A>
Where we all have special special powers

Zortic · Post by **Zortic** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 8:38 am

I'm certainly not complaining. When I started my comic strip, Zortic, I expected it would take a year for it to experience any kind of real success (it won't be a year until Febuary). None the less, I have gathered a few fans, my pageviews continue to go steadily up, I'm in the top ten on a couple of lists, and occasionally someone even mentions me as one of their favorites. I'm sure there are some who would envy the success I have had thus far.But every now and then, we all experience it, we get a "so-so" review, or some new comic comes along and blows us away, and we realize that our merchandise just isn't selling and we're not making anything off what we do. In other words, we just aren't taking the world by storm like we all dream of doing.Now I agree that the real reason for doing this is because we love it. I can't imagine myself not doing it. And there's no way I'm going to give it up, but sometimes the frustration and disappointment gets to us all, especially when our numbers drop due to the holiday season.So my question is, what do some of you old timers do when you start to feel frustrated and discouraged? Does anyone have any tricks or hints for boosting their creative self-esteem?------------------
visit Zortic at: <A HREF="http://Zortic.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://Zortic.keenspace.com</A>

Talbon · Post by **Talbon** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 8:45 am

Yep, read your archives. It's what I do anytime I feel a little down, true I'm not an "old-timer" but PDI has been around awhile. I just see how I've improved, look over the forums and say 'hey cool.'Sure it's not amazing success, but I'm doing something I enjoy and other people enjoy reading it. I'm pretty happy with that and only hope to keep improving.------------------
Anthony
http://pdi.keenspace.com
Bleah! Any reason to show off a tongue ring!

Zapjones · Post by **Zapjones** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 9:46 am

Man, what are you talking about Zortic? I agree with Anthony, look at your archives. Especially you, I've read the majority of your strips run and the progression is amazing. Look at it this way, your only gonna get better, be patient. ------------------
no, wait, don't go, it's not ready yet <A HREF="http://zapjones@usa.net" TARGET=_blank>zapjones@usa.net</A>
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Maboo · Post by **Maboo** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 9:53 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Talbon:
Yep, read your archives. It's what I do anytime I feel a little down, true I'm not an "old-timer" but PDI has been around awhile. I just see how I've improved, look over the forums and say 'hey cool.'<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Me too!! I often glance at my badly scanned first strips, then the blurry ones, and then compare my first coloured strips to my latest ones and I dont feel so bad... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">Mab------------------
<A HREF="http://blottostreet.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Blotto Street</A> - The most important British webcomic about student life you'll EVER read.

Silverfox_R · Post by **Silverfox_R** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 10:03 am

can relate (and i do read zortic <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> tis cool)- am pretty much in the same situation, i don,t understand the page view or logs thing, as don't know how to read them - i enjoy mainly doing my comic, cause its something i enjoy doing, (even it has been around for only 2 months) Angela <A HREF="http://furfire.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://furfire.keenspace.com</A>

Gravity · Post by **Gravity** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 10:07 am

Better yet, pull out your actual drawn strips and scatter them about you and put them back in order one by one. YOu'll feel energized that you did all that. Who cares if you're not the Bill Gates of E-strips-- You must plunge forward and stay steady... Dedication to yourself pays off in the long run of things.- Let me know if I can help out. I hear there's some sort of swapping thing done on April fool's day, I'd be up for it, toss me an e-mail...
------------------
D.J. Coffman
<A HREF="http://gravity.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>READ GRAVITY!</A>
<A HREF="http://gravity.keenspace.com/crew.htm" TARGET=_blank>MEET THE CHARACTERS!</A>

Zapjones · Post by **Zapjones** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 10:13 am

Whatever,ya pimply, f#ck-faced love-thang------------------
no, wait, don't go, it's not ready yet <A HREF="http://zapjones@usa.net" TARGET=_blank>zapjones@usa.net</A>
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Zapjones · Post by **Zapjones** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 10:47 am

Yeah, wife swapping------------------
no, wait, don't go, it's not ready yet <A HREF="http://zapjones@usa.net" TARGET=_blank>zapjones@usa.net</A>
<A HREF="http://zapjones.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>zapjones.keenspace.com</A>

Reinder · Post by **Reinder** » Fri Dec 29, 2000 11:39 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Zortic:

So my question is, what do some of you old timers do when you start to feel frustrated and discouraged? Does anyone have any tricks or hints for boosting their creative self-esteem?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
In case of a bad review: well, a balanced review that comes out negative is hard for me to deal with, but I try to treat it as a challenge - to fix the problems that the reviewer mentioned. A hatchet job is easier to deal with: I just go "fuck the bastard" for a few hours at a stretch, and get going with renewed creative energy. As for the other kinds of disappointments: I think Douglas Adams was right when he said that the last thing humanity needs is a sense of perspective. There has to be a part of you, however well-hidden, that thinks you're top of the world, the bees-knees, comics' best-kept secret even. Feed that ego by thinking of something you've done that you're proud of; then feed it some more by trying to match and improve it.If a new comic blows you away, reverse-engineer it until you can do what they do <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">------------------
Reinder Dijkhuis
<A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/" TARGET=_blank>Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan</A>, Humorous fantasy strip, updated Mon-Sat, and really rather good. <A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/d/20000701.html" TARGET=_blank>Read it from the first strip!</A>

PDI · Post by **PDI** » Sat Dec 30, 2000 1:26 am

I love you.------------------
Scott Maddix
<A HREF="http://PDI.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Psychic Dyslexia Institute:</A>
Where we all have special special powers

Ginrai · Post by **Ginrai** » Sat Dec 30, 2000 5:06 am

We should have a community involving long-distance midget tossing, or creative hemophelia or spray-painting our earlobes or something.------------------
-Space Cadet Ginrai
* Super Prolific Cocaine-Laced Late Night Sex-O-Rama *
http://sex-o-rama.keenspace.com

Zapjones · Post by **Zapjones** » Sat Dec 30, 2000 10:38 am

<IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/redface.gif">
<IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">
<IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">------------------
no, wait, don't go, it's not ready yet <A HREF="http://zapjones@usa.net" TARGET=_blank>zapjones@usa.net</A>
<A HREF="http://zapjones.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>zapjones.keenspace.com</A>

Reinder · Post by **Reinder** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 1:45 am

Speaking of disappointment: I'm still getting very lacklustre pageviews despite yesterday's multi-hour shillfest. What am I doing wrong? Or do I just plain suck?Boo-hoo,------------------
Reinder Dijkhuis
<A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/" TARGET=_blank>Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan</A>, Humorous fantasy strip, updated Mon-Sat, and really rather good. <A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/d/20000701.html" TARGET=_blank>Read it from the first strip!</A>

PDI · Post by **PDI** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 1:56 am

Yeah, but did you get laid on New YEar's eve?The cosmos tends to average things out, so if you want the comic to do well, you may have to do without for a while.------------------
Scott Maddix
<A HREF="http://PDI.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Psychic Dyslexia Institute:</A>
Where we all have special special powers

Zortic · Post by **Zortic** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 5:56 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Speaking of disappointment: I'm still getting very lacklustre pageviews despite yesterday's multi-hour shillfest. What am I doing wrong? Or do I just plain suck?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Mine were prettly low as well. Remember though that it was a holiday. I also get the impression that most of our readers are students who are still on their holiday vacation and probably unable to take the time to keep up with us like they do when their in school. Or they were just too hung over yesterday to deal with us.Mark Mekkes------------------
visit Zortic at: <A HREF="http://Zortic.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://Zortic.keenspace.com</A>

PDI · Post by **PDI** » Tue Jan 02, 2001 9:02 am

With any luck there will be a huge spike when school resarts as they come back and check archives to see what they missed.------------------
Scott Maddix
<A HREF="http://PDI.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Psychic Dyslexia Institute:</A>
Where we all have special special powers

Matt Wilson · Post by **Matt Wilson** » Sun Jan 07, 2001 2:37 am

I'm suprised noone mentioned me in this thread, so I'll pipe in.Anyone that knows me in #webcomics would tell you that I'm the most depressed cartoonist in the Space community. I think I make a general rant every night about something related to my comics not succeeding.I've basically given up on promoting the comic I truly love. Noone wants to read it, so I won't bother pitching it to them.Everyone has their bad days, and sometimes it gets the best of them, like it does me. I can't imagine not doing the comic, but the ideals that other people have are not shared.I'm not one to believe that "you should do a comic for yourself and just for fun". I'm one that wants to share it with the world. If many of the syndicated cartoonists did their work for themselves and just for fun, they'd probably live in run-down shacks, have low-paying jobs, and never get anywhere in life. Hard reality, but it's true. Sometimes you have to push beyond the realm of "fun" and into the realm of the "professional". I've yet to bridge this gap, but someday I will. And from reading the Zortic archives, I know that you are well on your way to being "recognized" or "discovered". Everyone's time in the limelight is different.============
Matt Wilson<a href="http://www.revoltgaming.com">Revolt!</a> - Anti-stereotypical gaming strip.<a href="http://comic.keenspace.com">Merlin's Crew</a> - The comic that nobody loves, nobody reads, and nobody appreciates. (excluding a couple of people)[This message has been edited by Matt Wilson (edited 01-07-2001).]

SuperJoe · Post by **SuperJoe** » Sun Jan 07, 2001 6:51 am

Zortic looks kinda' like the green guy.A little.------------------
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