One
of the most popular 2005 Sakura Con panel discussions was with Gabe and
Tycho of the Penny Arcade web comic. One year earlier, artist Fred
Gallagher of the Megatokyo web comic was one of the Seattle
convention's most popular guests. The success of those web comics and
their creators has inspired many others to take the same path, the
21st-century version of the self-printed comic and fanzine. Greg Dean,
who creates the "Real Life" web comic, said his work is gradually
getting attention from fans and conventions. "The first year I went to
a con and one person recognized me, I said Yes!' The next year I sold
about 20 shirts," said Dean. "Now I get invited to cons." While web
comic artists such as Dean say they need to produce strips and stories
faster than the creators of monthly printed pamphlet comics, it's
probably best to compare their work to daily newspaper strips, where
material must be churned out to fill seven-day-a-week slots for
syndicates. On the other hand, web comics offer their creators freedom
from deadlines, printing and promotional costs. "The best thing about
the online audience is that they find you and you don't have to worry
about them finding your book. If you write something for yourself that
people like, they will find it."
Daily
newspaper comics need to have running gags to keep readers interested,
and web comic artist Zach Stroum uses the same technique in his "Shaw
Island" series about ferry workers in Seattle. "People will E-mail and
say its boring but there are one or two that are digging it," said
Stroum. "If you have a good story it'll get out through the right
spots." Stroum thinks web comics are gaining popularity in an online
world for the same reason that other web sites gain popularity; it's
easier to sue the web at home than to go to a book store. However, it's
still harder to make money from a web site than from a book or
newspaper: both Dean and Stroum said they make only a few dollars from
their web work. "It's like a carrot on the end of the stick, on the
days when you run out of steam you get some donations," Stroum said.
One
of the most popular 2005 Sakura Con panel discussions was with Gabe and
Tycho of the Penny Arcade web comic. One year earlier, artist Fred
Gallagher of the Megatokyo web comic was one of the Seattle
convention's most popular guests. The success of those web comics and
their creators has inspired many others to take the same path, the
21st-century version of the self-printed comic and fanzine. Greg Dean,
who creates the "Real Life" web comic, said his work is gradually
getting attention from fans and conventions. "The first year I went to
a con and one person recognized me, I said Yes!' The next year I sold
about 20 shirts," said Dean. "Now I get invited to cons." While web
comic artists such as Dean say they need to produce strips and stories
faster than the creators of monthly printed pamphlet comics, it's
probably best to compare their work to daily newspaper strips, where
material must be churned out to fill seven-day-a-week slots for
syndicates. On the other hand, web comics offer their creators freedom
from deadlines, printing and promotional costs. "The best thing about
the online audience is that they find you and you don't have to worry
about them finding your book. If you write something for yourself that
people like, they will find it."
Daily
newspaper comics need to have running gags to keep readers interested,
and web comic artist Zach Stroum uses the same technique in his "Shaw
Island" series about ferry workers in Seattle. "People will E-mail and
say its boring but there are one or two that are digging it," said
Stroum. "If you have a good story it'll get out through the right
spots." Stroum thinks web comics are gaining popularity in an online
world for the same reason that other web sites gain popularity; it's
easier to sue the web at home than to go to a book store. However, it's
still harder to make money from a web site than from a book or
newspaper: both Dean and Stroum said they make only a few dollars from
their web work. "It's like a carrot on the end of the stick, on the
days when you run out of steam you get some donations," Stroum said.
