So I invited people to ask questions about making comics last page and I got a couple questions, so here is the first installment of what I have decided to very creatively title “Comics Q&A #1”. If you have a question, post it in the comments, or email it to info(at)bearmageddon.com and put “comics Q&A” in the subject line so it’s easy for me to find when I need it.
First question is from Matthew:
what web hosting features are the most suitable for a webcomics series? Should I look for a hosting service that offers unlimited bandwidth, disc space, etc.? I also plan on linking my webcomics to my multimedia portfolio website (which I also need to find a host for) and vice versa, so do you have any pointers on how I should go about hosting both websites without incurring expensive hosting costs?
I actually feel pretty under qualified to answer this. I’ll tell you what little I know, but I am hoping some more internet-savvy readers can add to the advice in the comments. When we started Axe Cop (by we, I mean my friend Anthony who built the website around my design) we got one of those super cheap hosting plans where you spend something like $20/year and they claim you have unlimited this and unlimited that. All I know is everything was fine until I got a real audience, which happened overnight. When my traffic jumped to viral levels my site slowed WAY down and then just died. When we contacted the hosting company they literally said they were not set up to handle the kind of traffic we were getting, so we had to find a new host and pay for a dedicated server. At the time Axe Cop went viral I had been laid off from two jobs and was really struggling financially. I did not have money to spare, but in order to keep Axe Cop online I had to drop something like $300 to pay for a month of dedicated server. That is when you realize making web comics isn’t actually free, it’s just cheaper than printing… that is if you have people coming to your site. I think Anthony may have fronted the money, or I paid it and dealt with the hole in my bank account, but the host assured us that with the kind of traffic we were getting should be making a lot of money on ads if we put them up. Well, we did, and the ad revenue generally just paid off the server bill every month. Some months it was a little less, some months a little more. Web ads are something I have not really had the time to figure out.
Anyway, all that said… if you are starting a new web comic and don’t have a large audience showing up off the bat, I’d say just look for what is cheap. I’ll actually recommend Epic Digital Media to you right now because they are good friends of mine and they host this site. Epic is run by my old buddy Eric who I did that Jesus comic with. He is a web comic guy himself, so he knows how to speak your language and he can answer your questions well (or whoever he puts you in contact with). I worked for Epic back in the day and actually had a hand in designing a lot of stuff you see around their web site. They are good dudes and will give you a good deal. I’m not just saying that because they have an ad on my site, they really are good.
As for hosting multiple sites, I don’t even know, I never handled that end of things. It is an area I am pretty ignorant of… so far not a real impressive Q&A huh. Let’s try another one…
This one comes from Ben:
I am starting a webcomic very soon … However, I also find myself drawn to writing more and more. My feeling is while I like expressing certain stories through comics, I also like expressing story through just writing. I don’t necessarily want to do just comics for a living, because I enjoy writing just as much and, I’d like to reach a wider audience with my ideas, even though comics are a growing industry right now. I am having a lot of fun just working on the webcomic and preparing it, and figuring out all the stories, so I know its the right path for the character I created. I guess my question would be, do you think its possible for someone to have an established webcomic, but also be able to still keep that type of audience through writing books? I have ideas for both comics and novels, and I’d include drawings with the novels, but I wanted to see if you had any advice on how to get your audience to keep following you (when I’d maybe get one) when you move on to things that are different. Sorry if it doesn’t make sense, I tried to word it best I could. I basically want to do two mediums, and they are drawing comics and writing novels.
This one requires a series of answers. First… sure, anything is possible, but the wise path to take is to do what you are best at right now. How do people you know react to your comics vs. your writing? Which one comes more natural? Which one can you pump out like it’s your job.
This is not the same thing, but it compares… I used to be in a rock band and we worked very hard at what we did. We wanted to “make it” as a band and were willing to do the work it would take to get there. At the same time, I was working on comics. I wanted to both, and I fantasized about weaving the two together. But I began to realize that, while I had some talent and passion for writing music, I did not have the ability to do it like it was my job. It took me forever to come up with lyrics and songs. Comics I could pump out, I could draw and I could draw fast. When I finally chose one – comics obviously – I was freed up to pursue what I was not only good at, but efficient at.
So do the one you are good at for now, and maybe do the other one later if you need a break.
As for transferring audiences from one work to the next… I am new to actually having an audience. Chumble Spuzz, my pre-Axe Cop comic, had such a small audience it was hard to account for. I had a few fans but nothing like Axe Cop. I had no idea if Axe Cop fans would migrate over to Bearmageddon when I made it. I figured maybe some would, and some did, so I was lucky, I got a head start. But you can’t expect your audience to follow everything you make. The truth is, a lot of your fans like the project you did a lot more than they like you. They are not your fan, they are your project’s fan most of the time. If you bring on a new project, they may not bite… and they shouldn’t be expected to. I have always been the type of guy who, when I read a comic by someone and love it, I look up their other work, but not everyone does that. Yes, it helps, of course it does…. but I think it is wise to never expect it. Assume, with each new project you have to build a new audience.
I don’t know how many Bearmageddon fans are Axe Cop fans and vice versa, but I can say that my Bearmageddon audience does not equal my Axe Cop audience by any means. I got a nice head start, I can’t complain… without Axe Cop I would be starting at square one. But Bearmageddon’s returning readers right now are maybe a tenth of Axe Cop’s. That’s fine… it’s new, it’s growing, and I got lucky with Axe Cop. It happened over night… unexpected. It was a freebie. That doesn’t usually happen, and I can never ever expect it to happen unless I want to be extremely disappointed for 99.999% of my life.
If you don’t have an audience yet, they aren’t even a concern at this point. Just make something awesome and get it done. If it’s a novel, set a deadline and write it. If it’s a web comic, get it going. Set goals. Finish what you start, and never expect it to come out perfect… only know that your next one will be better so you have to finish this one to get to that one. Also, a novel with illustrations is not a bad compromise.
______
Well I hope that was somewhat helpful. HUGE thanks to everyone who responded to the needs I posted about last Friday. You guys are really a great group and I am impressed daily with the audience that shows up to read this comic. I haven’t replied to all the emails, but I will let you know I filled the “positions” and I apologize to those of you who were definitely qualified, it was just a matter of who offered first and had the best resume. I’m sure there will be more chances for me to exploit you in the future.
In other news… go to the comic shop and buy Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth today. It actually is out this time! Alright I am running on about two hours of sleep and I don’t think I have the stamina to proofread all that I just typed, so I hope I didn’t butcher it too bad. See you next page!
Ethan
Discussion (43) ¬
I was fully expecting Ken to fire them, leading them to live in the woods. I think Ken has something worse planned for them.
Yup. Either the Customer Service (aka Returns) desk, or shagging carts. Since WalMart doesn’t ever go get their grocery carts unless you park next to the coral, I would expect them to get stuck at the service desk at WowMart.
If you’re running a small web site and don’t ever expect to use lots of bandwidth, go ahead and use a cheap service that promises unlimited bandwidth.
If you expect to use a lot of bandwidth (and webcomics frequently do), you will quickly learn that “unlimited” means “not unlimited.” Any provider promising unlimited bandwidth IS LYING. They will shut you down as soon as you start costing them money. They really only want small business owners who will set up a little page for their store that will get a few hits per day.
I happen to like he.net; it’s a bit more expensive, but they’re very up front about their costs.
i hope his ‘better idea’ has something to do with bears.
i never read axe cop but i keep meaning to, i’ll probably get around to it eventually.
Do it now! Start from the beginning and just keep reading.
http://www.axecop.com
sweet bear attack!
I wonder if Ken’s “better idea” involves pitting them against one another somehow by saying he is going to fire ONE of them. I could totally see him doing that, then firing them both ANYWAY.
Great article on comic writing! I found it helpful even though I don’t write comics. I just inserted “songwriter” every time the phrase “writing comics” or “comic writer” or “drawing stuff that doesn’t look like a kindergartener” came up.
Have I said that I love Bearmageddon recently?
Snarky Comment – Hey Marilyn Manson, looks like your Sweet Dreams of hanging out with all the Beautiful People has finally come true. You’re fired!
Haha I love it, this is fun. I want to make more but I’m drawing a blank.
Question(s)!! Hope it ends with an answer eventually.
I’ve got thousnads of ideas. I’ve got a few of them that are worthy (in my modest opinion) to be shared, as a comic or as a writed thing.
My question is… How can I know which one to start with? The problem is that I know I’ll do it terrible at my first attempt, but I want to do a first attempt to be able to do a second one, and a third, and a fourth, etc, and get to professional someday. Should I choose my best concept, because it’s the only way to get people to like my story, or could I start with a simpler one, resulting on a worse stroy, combined with amateur (that means noobie, right?) sotry-telling hability?
And can I advertise myself here? I’ll do it anyway, if this question is chosen to be answered, you can always delete this part.
You an artist? Me a writer! Let’s hit the Internet with the most awesome superheroes ever!
(that doesn’t sound really convinced after the questions…)
I realice now that I should let a way to contact me in the remote case an artist would be willing to help me… Just in case… You can always answer here, replying me.
My personal suggestion (and take this with a grain of salt, ’cause I’m a nobody) is do the one you’re most passionate about. Sticking with something is HARD. You’ll need a really good reason to keep motivated.
Yeah, just do the one you feel you really can do. When I started out, I had two projects I wanted to do at the same time, and I wrote them both for a while at the same time… the Weevil (a serious existential action sci fi) and Chumble Spuzz (whacky cartoon fun). Whacky cartoon fun was much more natural for me but I went for the Weevil and I wasn’t ready for it. If I could do it again I would have done Chumble Spuzz first. I assume that you are passionate about most of your ideas as I am. So pick the one that comes more natural. One that almost seems too easy. Get it done. Simply getting a thing done in itself, even if it sounds easy, is a huge task. So do it. After you get one full project finished, that is when you really become a machine and find out if you were cut out for it in the first place.
I gotta say, I like Bearmageddon a good deal more than Axe Cop…
Me too. I love Axe Cop and find it to be one of the most hilarious things I have ever read, but it is just comedy. It really has no way to have interesting, deep characters, and everything about Bearmageddon is hitting home with me. I am so looking forward to an Axe-Cop/ Bearmageddon crossover.
Also, I really appreciate the Q and A. I am an aspiring songwriter/comic writer/ novelist, but really focusing on the novel work now. I have found the best thing for me so far is forcing myself to work. I have set the goal of finishing my first story by the end of this year. It ain’t gonna get done if the time is not put in.
thanks to both of you! Not that I am in competition with my own comic, but it is reassuring to know Beamageddon can stand on its own without Axe Cop. I always say Axe Cop is cotton candy… it’s fun but it’s pure sugar and that is ok. I am trying to do a more well rounded meal this time around.
At what age did you begin to draw life?
life? Like… people? I think I was 2 or 3. As soon as I could hold a crayon.
I mean like Bridgman and stuff
The newspapers are a nice touch. Simultaneous exposition and rising action RULES.
heh thanks, I’m trying to leave as many hints of impending doom as possible as the story builds.
Do you have a larger version of those? I’d be curious to see ’em if you do.
I see you’re using Project Wonderful for ads, so perhaps you know more about ads than you think 😛
yeah well they are the standard in web comics, but I always wonder if there are other options that are more lucrative. I just don’t have the time to research it.
You know how I mentioned earlier that I hoped Ken would get eaten by a bear? I still want that to happen–even more now!
I hate to be the one to say this, but you forgot the WOW mart symbol on the apron in panel one.
He’s in such a hurry in panel one he is putting it on backwards… then in panel 2 he has realized it was backwards and has flipped it around.
I have a feeling that Ethan, among many comic artists, pays more attention to the details than the average/mainstream audience. I always get a kick out of seeing what subtle details others find in the comic, as I have to go back and see for myself.
I LOVE those newspaper headlines, you are foreshadowing the FUCK out of this whole thing (Can I say that? There are going to be severe maulings later right, this isn’t an all ages webcomic?)…
That first panel is seriously channeling the spirit of George Romero (Can you channel peoples spirits if they’re still alive?)
Shave off his mustache, Joel!
I found Bearmageddon through a link Doug TenNapel posted towards the end of Ratfist’s run.
One of these days I’ll give Axe Cop some time over an idle weekend and work my way through the archives – the little I’ve seen of it seems pretty awesome.
That really worked out well that Bearmageddon started just as Ratfist ended. Doug is a magnet for quality people, many of my best friends were met through him.
Another Ratfist reader here. Bearmageddon seems to promise a similar breed of over the top insanity. And when you can transition smoothly from a comic that’s just ending to one that’s just starting? Fantastic. I’d love to know how many Ratfisters landed here.
I like a variety of media from a variety of genre. I love Axe Cop because it’s random hilarity and I love Bearmageddon because there is a plot to follow with developing characters. I believe that if you are capable of making a variety of works that do not follow the same motif or theme of any kind from one work to the next, you are some kind of genius to do so. That’s why I love Tezuka’s works so much.
The bears are back in Bearmageddon! 😀
Are you going to be at comicon in New York next week?
Unfortunately no.
I love the action in panel 1. The perspective is great and the use of newspapers in the foreground really help build the story. This just keeps getting better.
For me, I hadn’t read Axe Cop, or this, before I heard about them on Dr. McNinja.
I guess that could be a lesson? “Friends in the same career path help”? Cause at least when it comes to webcomics, there’s so much terrible stuff that you’ll never find the good stuff unless someone links you to it.
I work at Walmart, and only now I have gotten this sinking feeling that I’m gonna get attacked by bears… Or my managers will. Let’s hope for that one.
Hey, just wanted to mention as a techie: regarding the first Q&A question: VPS is the stepping stone between the fake “unlimited” and the dedicated server. Those can cost like $15-20 / month and have some great stats. I’ve used prgmr.com (unaffiliated, just endorsed because of my personal use); lots of similar places out there. That’s the sort of thing to use after the bottom of the line $20/year type places kick you out and before you can justify paying $300/month or whatever for a “true” dedicated server.
Best of luck to y’all.