#also look into collectives like SpiderForest!

[genericpuff]

Tbh at this point you should just make your own webcomic app/website because it would probably be 100 times better than whatever going on with webtoon right now.

hahaha it wouldn't tho, sorry 💀

Here's the fundamental issue with webcomic platforms that a lot of people just don't realize (and why they're so difficult to run successfully):

Storage costs are incredibly expensive, it's why so many sites have limitations on file sizes / page sizes / etc. because all of those images and site info have to be stored somewhere, which costs $$$.

Maintenance costs are expensive and get more so as you grow, you need people who are capable of fixing bugs ASAP and managing the servers and site itself

Financially speaking, webcomics are in a state of high supply, low demand. Loads of artists are willing to create their passion projects, but getting people to read them and pay for them is a whole other issue. Demand is high in the general sense that once people get attached to a webtoon they'll demand more, but many people aren't actually willing to go looking for new stuff to read and depend more on what sites feed them (and what they already like). There are a lot of comics to go around and thus a lot of competition with a limited audience of people willing to actually pay for them.

Trying to build a new platform from the ground up is incredibly difficult and a majority of sites fail within their first year. Not only do you have to convince artists to take a chance on your platform, you have to convince readers to come. Readers won't come if there isn't work on the platform to read, but artists won't come if they don't think the site will be worth it due to low traffic numbers. This is why the artists with large followings who are willing to take chances on the smaller sites are crucial, but that's only if you can convince them to use the site in favor of (or alongside) whatever platform they're using already where the majority of their audience lies. For many creators it's just not worth the time, energy, or risk.

Even if you find short-term success, in the long-term there are always going to be profit margins to maintain. The more users you pull in, the more storage is used by incoming artists, the more you have to spend on storage and server maintenance costs, and that means either taking the risk at crowdfunding (ex. ComicFury) or having to resort to outsider investments (ex. Tapas). Look at SmackJeeves, it used to be a titan in the independent webcomic hosting community, until it folded over to a buyout by NHN and then was pretty much immediately shuttered due to NHN basically turning it into a manwha scanlation site and driving away its entire userbase. And if you don't get bought out and try your hand at crowdfunding, you may just wind up living on a lifeline that could cut out at any moment, like what happened to Inkblazers (fun fact, the death of Inkblazers was what kicked off the cultural shift in Tapas around 2015-16 when all of IB's users migrated over and brought their work with them which was more aimed towards the BL and romancee drama community, rather than the comedy / gag-a-day culture that Tapas had made itself known for... now you deadass can't tell Tapas apart from a lot of scanlation sites because it got bought out by Kakao and kept putting all of its eggs into the isekai/romance drama basket.)

Right now the mindset in which artists and readers are operating is that they're trying way, way too hard to find a "one size fits all" site. Readers want a place where they can find all their favorite webtoons without much effort, artists wants a place where they can post to an audience of thousands, and both sides want a community that will feel tight-knit. But the reality is that you can't really have all three of those things, not on one site. Something always winds up having to be sacrificed - if a site grows big enough, it'll have to start seeking more funding while also cutting costs which will result in features becoming paywall'd, intrusive ads, creators losing their freedom, and/or outsider support which often results in the platform losing its core identity and alienating its tight-knit community.

If I had to describe what I'm talking about in a "pick one" graphic, it would look something like this:

(*note: this is mostly based on my own observations from using all of these sites at some point or another, they're not necessarily entirely accurate to the statistical performance of each site, I can only glean so much from experience and traffic trackers LMAO that said I did ask some comic pals for input and they were very helpful in helping me adjust it with their own takes <3).

The homogenization of the Internet has really whipped people into submission for the "big sites" that offer "everything", but that's never been the Internet, it relies on being multi-faceted and offering different spaces for different purposes. And we're seeing that ideology falter through the enshittification of sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. where users are at odds with the platforms because the platforms are gutting features in an attempt to satisfy shareholders whom without the platforms would not exist. Like, most of us aren't paying money to use social media sites / comic platform sites, so where else are they gonna make the necessary funds to keep these sites running? Selling ad space and locking features behind paywalls.

And this is especially true for a lot of budding sites that don't have the audience to support them via crowdfunding but also don't have the leverage to ask for investments - so unless they get really REALLY lucky in EITHER of those departments, they're gonna be operating at a loss, and even once they do achieve either of those things there are gonna be issues in the site's longevity, whether it be dying from lack of growing crowdfunding support or dying from shareholder meddling.

So what can we do?

We can learn how to take our independence back. We don't have to stop using these big platforms altogether as they do have things to offer in their own way, particularly their large audience sizes and dipping into other demographics that might not be reachable from certain sites - but we gotta learn that no single site is going to satisfy every wish we have and we have to be willing to learn the skills necessary to running our own spaces again. Pick up HTML/CSS, get to know other people who know HTML/CSS if you can't grasp it (it's me, I can't grasp it LOL), be willing to take a chance on those "smaller sites" and don't write them off entirely as spaces that can be beneficial to you just because they don't have large numbers or because they don't offer rewards programs. And if you have a really polished piece of work in your hands, look into agencies and publishing houses that specialize in indie comics / graphic novels, don't settle for the first Originals contract that gets sent your way.

For the last decade corporations have been convincing us that our worth is tied to the eyes we can bring to them. Instead of serving ourselves, we've begun serving the big guys, insisting that it has to be worth something eventually and that it'll "payoff" simply by the virtue of gambler's fallacy. Ask yourself what site is right for you and your work rather than asking yourself if your work is good enough for them. Most of us are broke trying to make it work on these sites anyways, may as well be broke and fulfilled by posting in places that actually suit us and our work if we can. Don't define your success by what sites like Webtoons are enforcing - that definition only benefits them, not you.

[humanmorph]

having thoughts about webcomics tonight. like ooohh my god i love webcomics

[spiderforestcomics]

Make a webcomic? Want to join our lineup? SpiderForest is open for membership applications through June 30! Visit our Apply page when you're ready to send yours in, or read on for some highlights about what we offer, things to keep in mind, and how our application process works!

🌈 1. We're a community, not a publisher.

If you're looking for a fast road to fame and fortune, sorry, that's not us!

If you're looking for a community of like-minded creators who care about the same things - especially the craft of comics; doing our best to be positive, supportive peers and human beings; and making cool/fun stuff together - that's what you'll find here.

It's not just about the comics! We aim to nurture a community with good vibes. So think about how you'd be a community member in your application!

In your application, remember to tell us what you yourself would bring, and how you envision participation with our members, not just the features of your comic. More tips in our FAQ!

🔥 2. This isn't a one-shot game.

Don't despair if you don't get in on the first try. We've got members who didn't get in till application 2, 3 or even more.

Everyone's journey is different. The ability to take and apply constructive critique and to demonstrate improvement over time is also something we've all experienced - and admire.

Make sure you're ready! Returning applicants MUST visit our Hub's Critique Section to ask for critique before February 1.

✨ 3. We want to help you make the best kind of comic that you want to make.

Whether or not you get in, we're always here to provide actionable critique and feedback to help you improve. We have public spaces where we share and learn together!

Remember, we're a collective of your peers, not some kind of ultimate comics judge. If you don't agree with our feedback, if you don't get into our collective, it's not the end of the world. Sometimes it just means it's not a fit with what SpiderForest members are looking for. There's a whole world out there for all kinds of comics! The most important thing is that you keep doing what you care about.

Our Discord server and Hub forum are open to all webcomic creators, regardless of membership. Come in and show us what you're up to!

❤️ 4. We're not looking for perfection or comic-making machines.

We care about making good comics and delivering work, but we're all indie creators.

We have guidelines and recommendations around things like update schedules to try to make sure people don't just disappear, but we understand everyone has lives and unique circumstances and we take lots of things into consideration.

We're all in the same marathon! Take a look at our application requirements to see if you're a good fit for our group.

🥳 5. We're honestly pretty laid-back.

We're basically a bunch of comic-making pals hanging out and learning from each other.

Everyone's mileage varies, and you don't have to participate in every activity - but the more you do, the more you'll get out of SpiderForest!

Our project list is always rotating! Keep an eye on our News section or subscribe to our newsletter to see what we're up to this month!

Want to become a member? Head on over to our Application Page!

[maiji]

[image set: Four pages from a short comic digitally rendered in a brush art and muted watercolour style. First page: Cover showing a snake-level perspective of a white snake slithering along the ground in a village, clouds and mountains visible in the distance. The title reads "ssstudy" in a brush calligraphy style, and the words "by Maiji/Mary Huang" look like a red seal/stamp. Second page: The snake slithers along the ground, when a small rock suddenly lands near it. It looks up to find three unfriendly looking children, who point at it aggressively. Third page: The snake flees while dodging rocks being thrown at it. It runs into a foot, and looks up to find an old lady holding flowers. Fourth page: The old woman smiles at the snake, then bows and offers it a flower, placing it on the ground in front of the snake. The snake looks at the flower.]

ssstudy is a short story I made for the SpiderForest Webcomic Collective's anthology "Threads: Creatures"! It's one of my little Buddhist fantasy/slice-of-life tales.

You can read the full thing at https://globalcomix.com/c/ssstudy along with a four-page behind-the-scenes bonus!

You can also find the full Threads: Creatures, plus all of the other @spiderforestcomics anthologies, at https://ko-fi.com/spiderforest/shop ! Every book has so many fantastic stories in many different genres, art styles and interpretations of the theme! It was an honour to be able to be in a book alongside so many wonderful creators!

[skullinahat]

4 webcomic reccs

the two main collectives i'm pulling from here are hiveworks and spiderforest. i'd highly recommend just scrolling through those sites and picking whatever looks interesting.

in no particular order:

Tiger, Tiger

"Tiger, Tiger is a story of a young noble lady, who steals her brother's identity and his ship to sail across the world to find love and adventure, and to write a book about her favourite subject: the fascinating life cycle of sea sponges!"

this is a big comfort read for me. Tiger, tiger is a warm, rich, swashbuckling dash through a beautifully crafted sailing fantasy. gorgeous art! isopod gods! i really enjoy the comic's writing of queer romance- its very sweet and silly and scandalous.

Going To Weather

"Going to Weather is a nautical ghost story set on the stage of a New England whaleship, spanning three acts. It’s written and illustrated by Silas Costello."

One of my favorite depictions of the 17th century in historical fiction i have ever read. the dialogue in this comic never ceases to amaze me by both sounding exactly like the ship logs of whalers, remaining understandable to modern audiences, and carrying the tension and complexity of this story without confusion. really, really impressive.

Star Impact

"Star Impact follows Aster, a spunky young girl who enters the world of super powered boxing with the gloves of her idol, a legendary boxer who disappeared ten years ago. She attempts to rise the ranks as she meets friends, makes enemies, and tries to uncover the mystery of her missing hero."

i'm generally not a fan of this style of story, but the incredible art and romantic tension won me over. it has fantastic character design and is genuine and exciting and so much fun- there's a powerful sense of love backing the entire comic.

O Sarilho (flashing lights warning)

"An alien gets shot in the face four times and for some reason that starts a war. An Ancient satellite falls into enemy territory. The Kirchhoff brothers, Mikhail and Nikita, are dispatched along with a small team of soldiers to collect the remains of this relic, thought to be in space for over five hundred years. O Sarilho means knot, entanglement, or a twist. It also means trouble. It is a story of war, conflict, and facing the unknown."

O Sarilho is a fantastic webcomic that truly takes advantage of the medium. i've never seen someone use a website as part of the comic itself in such a manner. one of my top five comics, Sarilho is a grimy, complex, beautiful and terrifying supernatural wartime story. I would not recommend this comic for light reading, it's really something you want to set aside the time to sink your teeth into. pro tip: read the first chapters, where everyone is in their helmets, with the cast page open in another tab. everytime i reread this comic i notice a new dimension to the characters. i'd love to see somebody write up more complex analysis of this story!

[screentonescast]

Screen Tones, a Webcomic Podcast

Show Notes

Pitching

Release Date: June 8, 2022

Featuring

Kristen Lee (Krispy) She/They, https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/

Christina Major (Delphina) - She/Her, www.sombulus.com

Ally Rom Colthoff (Varethane) - She/They, http://chirault.sevensmith.net/ http://wychwoodcomic.com/

Claire Niebergall (Clam) - She/Her, www.phantomarine.com

In This Episode:

If you've spent time in the comics world, you've probably heard people talking about pitching their comics to publishers, awards, review sites, collectives, and so on. But what are pitches? And should YOU be thinking about them?

A pitch is, at its core, a presentation whose aim is to convince someone else to check out your idea or project -- and maybe help out with it, like a publisher deciding to pick it up, or a grant agency offering funding. Depending on the target of the pitch, there might be some differences in the process, but the skills you can develop by working on them can be very useful along the way!

2:56 What sort of things have you pitched in the past, and what was your process for putting it together? Walk us through the basics!

Claire has pitched once for Hiveworks and was accepted. Hiveworks provides details on what to include in your pitch, but for Clam it included a cover letter introducing yourself and data like view counts and trends in readership. For comic specifics, there was the elevator pitch, the main summary, and Claire focused on the part of the comic she was most proud of: the character art. Then came an interview, and then she was asked to complete some edits to the prologue and then bam! She was welcomed into the bee site.

Krispy had a similar experience when pitching to Hiveworks. They created a pitch packet that included details about the team working on the comic and the division of labor and creation, the story so far, and the plans for the project. There was an interview and eventually acceptance into Hiveworks.

Thane's pitch to Spiderforest included a title, synopsis, five page samples, and what their comic would bring to the collective. It helped them figure out what they wanted out of the community. They've looked into graphic novel pitches to traditional publishers, all of whom have different and specific requirements. Many require cover letters and prefer those that are applying to have publishing experience. In pitches like that you're often pitching something that doesn't exist, which is very different from pitching a webcomic that already exists. They've also applied to grants for funding a webcomic project, Netflix, and crowdfunding where you're essentially pitching to your existing readership.

Delphie does a lot of micro pitches at conventions where you have a few seconds to grab peoples' attention. She's also pitched to Spiderforest. With a collective like Spiderforest, the focus also includes how you would fit in and contribute to the community, rather than solely about the comic itself. She has also been involved in receiving and reviewing the pitches for Spiderforest and looks for experience, reliability, and that you know your comic and how well it meshes with the already established collective.

23:40 How do you evaluate a pitch, whether it's your own or someone else's, and figure out whether it's getting its point across effectively?

The pitch is a simple view into a complicated entity. You need to be able to grab people's attention and leave them wanting more. A pitch should show you're reliable, share what you can bring to the table, and what makes your story unique and stand out. Show what you have to say and how well you can say it with your work.

Make sure you know your work. Make sure you're pitching to places and positions that fit what you want. Recipients of pitches are often looking to form long term relationships, so you need to be able to show that you can commit to long term and be reliable.

Make sure that your pitch conveys the tone and genre of your story. Know your target and make sure you're meeting the requirements.

Practice being concise. Show the breadth of your ability, be clear about where you're going with it and what your end goal is. Avoid whiplash!

[hmm. this kind of turned into advice. But that leads us to the last question -> ]

40:30 What's your advice for listeners who are thinking about putting together a pitch of their own?

Make sure your pitch is accessible and readable. Double check your link works, the font is readable, it meets the requirements.

Show your pitch to at least two people, one who knows the work and one who has no idea.

Show your passion and your desire to bring something to the table.

Convey your genuine enthusiasm for your work

Don't assume the worst. Be brave. Go for it!

Save your pitches and the ideas/phrases/bios that don't make it. They'll maybe find use in the future.

Brace for rejection. It happens

Listen to how others describe your work and use it!

Don't pitch to early. You need enough time to know your comic and prove your ability and consistency.

Bonus Questions!

Do you need to pitch?

Figure out what suits you best by researching where you were thinking of submitting. Each place has its own set of rules, guidelines, potential, and scope. Making sure the place you’re pitching for meets the visions you have for your work and read the contracts carefully if ever faced with them!

How to write a pitch: what’s usually required?

Logline: A short, quick sentence that describes the overall feeling or intent of your work. 

Summary:This could be a summation of the comic itself, the story so far, or a longer paced break down of the work and it’s intent.

The scope: How long your comic will take, how much work you’ve done, the process of the work. This is where you show the people you’re submitting to how serious you are for this! (Most will ask for about 3 to 10 pages of sequential art, so be prepared)

Thanks for Listening!

Have a comment? Question? Concern?

Contact us via Twitter @ScreenTonesCast or email screentonescast@gmail.com

Screen Tones Cast:

Ally Rom Colthoff (Varethane) - She/They http://chirault.sevensmith.net/ http://wychwoodcomic.com/

Christina Major (Delphina) - She/Her, www.sombulus.com

Claire Niebergall (Clam) - She/Her, www.phantomarine.com

Kristen Lee (Krispy) She/They https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/

Megan Davison - She/Her, https://www.webtoons.com/en/search?keyword=megasketch

Miranda Reoch - She/Her, mirandacakes.art 

Phineas Klier - They/Them, http://heirsoftheveil.fervorcraft.de

Rae Baade(Rae) - they/them, https://www.empyreancomic.com 

Renie Jesanis - She/They , www.kateblast.com

[thewebcomicsreview]

Hey hey, SpiderForest is taking applications this month! Wow! Bang! 

SpiderForest is a creator-run, volunteer-driven webcomic collective spanning genres, art styles, and continents. Our creators include artists and writers with decades of experience, as well as new voices. Together, we vet, curate, and promote high-quaility and free-to-read webcomics. Currently, the comics we feature number in over 100... and growing.

We have no in-house art style, company brand, or mandate towards marketability. What we focus on is high-quality, unique stories and a passion for excellence and growth in the comics medium. We’re not looking for marketable comics. We’re looking for good comics.

What does that actually mean, though, in practice? 

SpiderForest is a couple of things. 

1. It’s a community

I don’t know how to describe the concept of “community”. You can, like, talk to other comic creators, and stuff? Network? Make friends? Stop, collaborate, and listen? 

2. It’s a collaborative effort

SpiderForest is a union of comic creators doing together what we can’t do alone. As a group, we’ve successfully published four anthology books in our Threads series: Threads, A Gallery of Rogues, Haunted (The best one because I’m in it!) and Secret Places, as well as the SpiderFriend Coloring Book. We’ve also tabled conventions as groups (Remember conventions? Remember “going outside” to a “place” with other “people”?)

3. It’s an ad-sharing network

SpiderForest comics run ads for other SpiderForest comics, across the top of the site and, optionally, on the sidebar. In return, you get your own comic advertised on other member’s sites, so your ad can freely appear on Saffron and Sage.

If that sounds interesting, mosey over to our application page and submit yourself to our judgement! 

[greetingsfromeboncreek]

*Sad Trombone Noise* That’s all, folks

I’m just going to go ahead and put my whole entire thoughts about the end of Suppression under the cut because no one who came to this blog for fun times should have to read that.

So, we have an answer to the age old question: Can producing copious amounts of fanart and commentary on a webcomic keep it alive?

No. It can’t. ....Still tried, though!

PART ONE: WHAT I THINK OF THE COMIC ENDING

For the record: I hope none of this comes off as callous or blunt. I’m just kind of stating things as they come to me, and I promise I’ll be getting to some real mushy stuff by the end. Y’all should know that I have NOTHING but respect for Deg and Suppression, and I am in no way mad or resentful or anything like that. You’ll never see that kind of negativity out of me, and creators should always do what’s best for them, ESPECIALLY with unpaid projects. Like, duh!

That being said, I’m not as sad about this as I thought I would be... but that’s because I think I got my grief out of the way several months back. I’ve been following webcomics for a very, VERY long time (since 2007-ish?) and I’ve come to recognize a lot of ‘symptoms’ of when a creator is losing steam and getting ready to give up the ghost on a creative project. Missed updates, vocalizing a lack of inspiration, switching things up with a different format to try and shake things up a bit... These aren’t uncommon. Seriously, this is all stuff that comics like Poppy O Possum, Monster Pop, Cucumber Quest, and a million other cancelled webcomics have done months or weeks before they were cancelled. Hell, Paranatural is circling that drain right now (though that is mostly due to the author’s considerable wrist injuries). I have DOZENS of webcomics on my RSS feed, I know the signs.

So when I saw the slowed down updates, the switch to a different format, and the “would you guys read other stories by me if I ever stopped doing Suppression...?” all within relatively short succession, I was like “Aw shit, here we go.” I was really hoping it wouldn’t happen, but... I’m also not surprised that it did. The writing’s been on the wall, it was just a matter of WHEN, but I wasn’t about to encourage it, so I just kind of kept an eye on it and... yeah.

Plus, the internet has been growing increasingly hostile to independent webcomics in the attempt to centralized it with things like webtoons and tapastic (both of which I HATE, fuck instascrolling comics let me flip pages). You really have to be in a collective like hiveworks or spiderforest (the latter of which is GREAT for smaller artists with nonetheless long/consistent archives) to accrue new fans nowadays unless you have a solid social media presence. I found Suppression via Deviantart back in the day! This is because no one even thinks to LOOK for these sorts of things anymore or even knows how. And that sucks! And I hate it! But I get it! But that’s probably why no one noticed the comic was back, unfortunately. :/ I did my best to help with that, obviously posting a TON about it on my own blog, trying to lure folks in with neat fanart, but... it’s clear it didn’t amount to much. I’m not a popular artist.

And really, I’m not THAT upset about the comic being shelved! (Ok I am upset but I’m not going to pitch a fit, I’m a grownass woman.) Suppression has been happening for... a VERY long time. The original comic GOT a conclusion, if a bittersweet one! There’s like, 600 pages of content there! That is a BEEFY library of stuff! It’s kind of hard to say “it died too young!” when its over a decade old. And like... I can’t bring myself to punish ANYONE for wanting to try other ideas, I just hope there are other ideas! I’d certainly hate for this to be the last anyone hears of Degulus in general. I really, genuinely can’t wait to see what comes next!

PART 1.5: OH WOW LOOK AT THAT STORY MAP, OOPS I DIDN’T WRITE ENOUGH FOR THIS TO BE A PROPER PART

I’m also really happy to hear where the story WAS going to go though! Though holy shit, Iggy. Based on his position as one of the last uninfected humans in the last story who was really good at staying that way, hearing about that is. Uh. Horrifying. 

Plus, if Charlie was one of Azgrut’s friends when Arrie made everything go to shit, and was then on Merry’s expedition... no wonder he hates her AND Wights. Dude just can’t catch a fucking break.

I do still have SOME questions, but I’ll leave that until the end.

PART 2: WHY DID I EVEN LIKE THIS COMIC ANYWAY

I guess though, I should go into why I always liked this comic because I don’t think... I’ve ever said that before? Individual characters yes, but not the comic as a whole. This is the kind of self reflection I’m a little self conscious about because it says as much about ME as the comic, but I hope none of this comes off as mean or weird. It’s just... what I like. Suppression might be a stew when you’re looking for a sandwich, but if you’re saying that you can’t slap soggy meat onto bread and say it’s good, you’ve never had a sloppy joe.

First of all; I LOVE comics with huge ensemble casts and a lot of overlapping plot threads. I feel like a lot of other stories with smaller casts can be more boring because each character has to play a specific role to make the story “work” as opposed to just. Being themselves. You know, like the 5 man ensemble where there HAS to be a leader, a lancer, a bruiser, a girl, and a “funny one”. And things similar to that. This comic doesn’t have that necessarily- nobody’s necessarily fitting a role, or if they do they’re wildly different explorations on similar positions, such as how the Wights are all evil necromancer folk but with differing opinions on what it means to be like that, or how the different infected people respond to the new demonic part of themselves. Each person feels like a PERSON with their own fleshed out opinion, and when someone acts in a different way than expected, you know its because of their own personal thoughts and opinions and not because that’s the part of the story where x event needs to happen so y can occur in act 3.

Like... Iggy not leaving Ebon Creek even though Trevor thought he totally would. Like in an ordinary story, that’s what would happen! Ok its season two, time to pack up and go to a new setting with the main characters! ...Except that’s not what Iggy wants, and anyone who’s been paying attention to his character would know that. This also leads to really interesting reactions and events when very disparate characters are shoved into the same room, and its very likely for that to happen considering how weirdly events can go! I love that! I mean shit, Arrie and Sam as best friends? Who would have guessed, but its great!

And yes, the characters were fantastically written! I LOVE the snappy, snarky dialogue in this comic and how nobody takes ANYTHING lying down. Every single character drives the story along instead of just letting things be left to chance, and it really leaves me on the edge of my seat wondering what’s going to happen next. Who cares if the story meanders a bit? Its about the journey, not the destination, and the journey is rad as fuck. (But uh... I can easily see as a creator why its easy to get frustrated with the story feeling like it never GOES anywhere. That’s valid.) And the fight scenes! My god I love to see these people hit each other! The weird power combinations lead to some REALLY entertaining stuff.

I really enjoyed the settings too- both of them! Urban fantasy is one of those things that I usually find... uh... a little boring. Like, I see so many of them go “Ok its the exact same regular boring world except hey look someone can do a wizard thing”. There’s no attempt to make a cool aesthetic, or think too hard about how it changes things and WHY the world would seem completely normal except With Wizards This Time, and it leaves me yawning a bit. Suppression has always been a breath of fresh air in that regard! There’s so much effort put into developing that neat DARK urban fantasy aesthetic, with the cultural implications that entails. Ebon Creek as the magical equivalent of a nuclear disaster, and the Rings in the reboot as the last island of “normalcy” in an apocalyptic world that’s slowly encroaching closer. That’s awesome, and it really ties into what the character are actually doing instead of just being aesthetic window dressing.

I also love Suppression’s art style. Which was a hard sell for most people I tried to show it to, unfortunately (and oh my god did I TRY). BUT the character models show off the characters’ most distinctive traits and general body types while also leaving a lot of room for interpretation for what they’d look like as “real” people. Room... for say... an aspiring fanartist to just sidle herself into with hot takes like “Iggy is a scarecrow but no one can tell because of the baggy clothes”. The art style also leaves just enough room for goofy faces AND implied really nasty body horror! Doesn’t get much better! Not to mention its just so damn different from everything else out there. A much appreciated breath of fresh air! Its fun!

PART 3: WHAT NOW

So uh yeah, that’s why I liked Suppression so much! So... what does this mean for me? Will I keep posting fan art? Uh... mmmmaybe? P... Probably not? Don’t get me wrong, my love of these characters isn’t going anywhere. And there’s a lot more I still wanted to do- more of the ‘furries’ series (featuring Grenner as a possum right off the bat), or an AU “journal” series that would show what teh original Ebon Creek crew would look like if they went off the deep end, fully demonic. But I’m shelving those now as well. Without new content (or even the promise of it, which is why I kept going before the reboot started), I get the feeling I’d either:

A. Get sick of it, as I’d be constantly retreading old ground. B. Look absolutely pathetic, beating a long dead horse.  C. Get so tied up in embarrassing AUs that it’d cease to be recognizable as being from the same comic anymore.

Frankly, I’m not looking forward to any of that happening. Not to mention, admittedly, part of the reason why I MADE all that fanart was because the first time I did it, I made those profile paintings as the payoff to a longstanding promise. I said I’d give Deg fanart a decade ago. He made a MASSIVE reference sheet of his characters as a result. I said “Wow, I’ll get on that fanart soon!” And then nothing happened, and then I felt bad about it when I remembered years later.

So many, many years too late I made some fanart, FULLY expecting the reboot to never happen, and got? A really positive response about it? So duh, I made more fanart knowing that it was helping and contributing to the story planning and direction. Wouldn’t you know it, getting a positive response and engagement with your art makes you make MORE art, who knew! It was a lot of fun! But... I don’t want to keep making fanart and pushing Suppression if it’s decided that its not happening, because that feels a lot like a guilt trip when the audience is this small. Hell, it already felt a lot like that when I was making more fanart for the old timeline rather than the reboot one simply because I knew the characters better. So I might do a couple things for fun or if I’m practicing a new technique, but certainly not at my old volume.

I’d much rather wait around until we get tentative news of something else and then immediately lob fanart at whatever THAT is.

I’m definitely not deleting this blog though, lol.

And I guess... I should tryyyy developing/putting some of my own original stuff up more? I usually don’t bother than much because it doesn’t get much of a response, but I should still try more.

PART 4: IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT ME

(Also, Degulus- if you’re reading this, I’d be happy to DM you my discord handle if you wanted to keep in touch and/or chit chat about other things? I promise I’m a normal person outside of the art dumps.)

(Also to anyone else who’s looking at my stuff- my main blog is fall1ngfeather and my art blog is fallingfeatherart. I’m not leaving tumblr any time soon.)

PART 5: HEY SO WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT

SO, now that that’s all out of the way, here’s some of the questions that have just been sitting here burning in my mind that I might as well get out now:

1. What the FUCK is Santris’s deal. Or was his deal in the preboot timeline, seeing as he never showed up in reboot. I’ve avoided asking this question for a long time because I didn’t actually want to know. I LOVE Santris’s position in the story as “dude who freaks everyone out by virtue of being too damn normal”, and being “mysterious” was his whole shtick so I didn’t want to ruin it for myself by asking. But I am now, dammit.

2. Did Sam know that Merry both found and then lost the Heart of Adigard? Was Arrie ever... filled in on that? Or was it more Merry and Alaster went missing for a couple weeks, came back looking like shit, and when Sam asked what the hell happened they were just like “Oh. You know. Stuff.” Cuz it seems like if Arrie was interested in that, Sam and by extension Meredith would be the first people she would want to ask!

3. Why did Bael opt to puppet around Iggy instead of just... following along on his own? He’s just kind of a shitty fighter without someone to control? No one liked him but he still wanted in? Iggy was being a dick and was like “OH YEAH? WHAT IF I DO THIS.” and just lived in his body for a couple weeks?

4. Where can I keep up with whatever you’re doing now? Twitter? Or something?

5. Who were the people that Sigvaldi was chit chatting with at the end of the preboot timeline after he left the universe? People outside the normal story no doubt, but I was never sure WHO, exactly. Though considering that again, they’re outside the narratives this may end up being similar to the Santris question where “If it’s relevant in the future, don’t tell me”.

6. Actually what was Charlie’s deal in the reboot too. Was he still a big bag of ghosts or what. Could you imagine taking your friend on a big adventure and he goes scouting or whatever and comes back stuffed full of So Many Ghosts. That would suck but also be kind of funny.

7. Were there models or concept art for anything made that you didn’t show off before that you want to now that there’s nothing stopping you?

8. What is the heart of adigard anyway. I mean clearly its a Big Fucking Deal, but what did it DO exactly?

9. Which character was your favorite. You’ve gotta have one. My best friend’s favorite is Sigvaldi just from what I told him about the comic and I want to say mine is Iggy but its probably secretly Arthur. :C Fuckin asshole, stealing my “favorite character” slot.

10. Favorite scene from the whole comic? Just something that made you go “Oh HELL yeah” to pull off/get to.

11. Did Max ACTUALLY stop existing and just got folded in with Arthur, or was he going to pop up somewhere down the line as a gotcha?

Ok I’ll stop asking questions now and I’ve been writing this for several hours so BYEEE Y’ALL IT WAS A FUN RIDE!

[hchano]

Hey, I've been wanting to start a webcomic for a while and since you have one, I was wondering if I could get some tips? You know, stuff like hosting websites, canvas size, more or less how you went about drafting/storyboarding it and keeping it going? If you have time to do it, that is! Thank you!

yaaaaas!! i love talkin about webcomics XD 

hosting stuff depends on what you want! i always wanted to just have my own site, so i made my husband code it up for me lol. but there are CMS things you can use if you don’t know how to code... stuff like comicpress [part of wordpress]. i don’t know much about this to be honest, but i know comics like the meek and the ironclad man use this, to give you an idea. the layouts are simple but customizable.

there’s alsi webcomic hosts that have built in [but much more limited] templates you can jump in with...these alsot have like, a built in audience, basically, since a lot of ppl use them to host, and they have forums and stuff like that. for that, there’s SmackJeeves [which kinda has a reputation for boy love comics for some reason, but there’s a lot of other genres on there too xD], Tapastic [tho it looks like they re-branded since i last looked?? they are ‘tapas’ now?...idk what else changed], and WebToons... and likely others, but these are the ones i remember. 

SJ is the oldest surviving one, so i’d say maybe it’s the most dependable? but you can research to see which one seems like the best fit for you if you wanna do the community route. [i’m also a part of a webcomic collective called spiderforest, which has the option to host member comics, but the comic has to be established already and apply during application season xD]

as for canvas size and all that, it depends on your aim. i started d*s with no plan to print it and it bit me in the ass down the line when i decided i wanted to print. i can’t print it as it is on the site, cos i drew waaay too small, and the pages were different sizes... plus i had 0 bleed/trim space, so my dialogue and art would get cut into if i printed it as it is. [i have an ongoing chore of redrawing the old pages for print which is stalled midway thru vol 1... it sucks lol] 

so if you plan to print, think about what size you might want the books to be. you can look at popular webcomics and see what their dimensions match up to and make a decision based on that xD there are a lot of bleed/trim templates you can look at on sites like printninja and ka-blam. [u can hit me up if u can’t find them, their sites can be mazelike lol]

as for drafting stuff... i pretty much know how the story is going already. i have the plot points and like 50% of the dialogue already written xD the drawing part, it’s like... my process for my current page is:

script [it’s super barebones lol]:

Vix:But where would he be this time of night...?

[she thinks of the time she saw the ribbons, looking nervous]

Vix:should I try that again...?it was an accident last time...maybe if I'm aware of it, I can--

[red glow, Vix looks kind of pleased. she follows the strings to the roof.]

^^^ i usually try to stay about 4 - 5 chapters ahead of the current update with my script, which helps me spot plot holes and revise dumb stuff i wrote before it goes live lol.

thumbnails:

[oops this has a preview of the next page too lmao. enjoy, non-patrons?] i try to stay 10 thumbnails ahead of the current page for this lol.

inks:

[i don’t have ink buffers, i do ink and colour at the same time...]

colours+effects:

...i pretty much post these as soon as i finish them lol. 

idk if any of this helps but if you have more questions, lemme know ;0;/  you can feel free to pm me too!!

[genericpuff]

How am I supposed to find indie webcomics? I’m up-to-date on a handful of them and love them all but I’m just not sure how to find new ones. Most searches for webcomics lead you to the mainstream sites.

I mean mainstream sites are fine in and of themselves if you're following the series you like there (especially if the creators of those comics are trying to opt into things like Ad Rev), but if you're wanting to find stuff outside of Webtoons and Tapas, here are some other methods to do so:

Random Webcomic - About as unbiased as you can get, literally sends you to the website for a comic it pulls at random. All comics in the roulette are user-submitted so for the most part, they're all still active or at least have live sites. Sometimes you'll find the odd broken link tho ;0

Top Webcomics - A collective of webcomics competing for top spots. Offers plenty of ad space where people advertise their comics whether or not they make it to the top of the voting pool. And has genre listings you can browse if competitive listings aren't your thing.

The Webcomic List - A collection of webcomics submitted by users that are then crawled by the site's bots to check for new updates. It has a list for most recently updated, but also sorts by genre. Definitely one of the most "old school" listings to exist.

SpiderForest - A jury-picked collection of webcomics. Once every year or two they open submissions where people can pitch their new or ongoing comics - if they're picked, they get a special listing and features on the site, and can either have their existing website affiliated with SF branding or have a new site created for them by the staff. It's all non-profit and it mostly serves as a community of creators and readers, they are not a publisher, but they offer a wide variety of titles.

Hiveworks - Similar concept to SpiderForest except they're an actual publisher so they offer even more benefits to their selected creators including print deals and merchandising, but as such they're way harder to get into. Their submissions have been closed for a VERY long time but they offer a wide array of comics that typically appeal to general-audiences (i.e. there are no NSFW comics AFAIK).

GlobalComix - A platform that, while not new anymore, has been making strides in competing with platforms like Webtoons and Tapas. Has a lot of Western-style comics but their library variety has been growing and I'm pretty sure they're planning on releasing an app soon (if they haven't already).

ComicFury - The final frontier of old school early 2000's webcomic platforms. Run by one guy, this site allows for full HTML/CSS customization, domain hosting, and all those fun little things from an era long gone by. The front page sorting is set to "Recently updated" by default so there's no algorithm bullshit, no editors playing favorites, just classic 2000's era reading.

As a final note, the best part about browsing for comics that have their own sites is that they usually include listings of other comics that are similar to their own. Sites like Tamberlane will often have roulettes of other recommended comics that you can sift through.

There are plenty other comic aggregation sites out there too, of course, but these ones should help you get started if you're looking for other platforms and archives that aren't subject to corporate scrubbing or picky algorithms. It helps decentralize the Internet just a little bit more and rejuvenate what made webcomics so amazing in the first place - independent ownership, accessibility, and unapologetic existence.

Enjoy! <3

[spiderforestcomics]

SpiderForest's 2022 webcomic applications are now open!

SpiderForest's 2022 application season is running from June 6 to July 30! Spread the word 🕷️🕷️

Do you have a webcomic? Would you like to join a collective of like-minded individuals who strive to help eachother? Maybe SpiderForest is for you! Read our requirements below the cut!

💜 We're waiting for you!

The comic, the creator(s) attached to it, and the comic’s web presentation are all considered in our application process. Here’s a quick overview of what we’re looking for:

Comic: Should demonstrate good storytelling both in art and scripting. Does your art match your script in tone, style, and ambition? Do the visuals effectively convey your story's settings and its characters' performances? Is your lettering appropriate and easy to read? We’re not looking for perfection — we’re looking for clear presentation, dedication to the work, and consistent improvement over time.

Creator(s): Should be willing and able to be an active member, and someone who can strengthen our community. For example: do you have technical expertise/organizational skills/connections you could bring? Whatever you can do, tell us! Give us examples! This is your time to shine!

Web Presentation/Website: Should be intuitive and easy to navigate. Your comic in its (current) entirety should be available on whichever URL you’ve linked — through your own site or a dedicated comic host site — and we should be able to find and navigate the archive easily. Loading times should not be a major detriment, and avant-garde layouts/presentation should not present an obstacle in our review of your work.

Other requirements include:

Update Schedule Requirement: CURRENTLY be updating their webcomic at least once a week, or be scheduled to return from hiatus independent of being accepted. Exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Minimum Page Requirement: Have one full, non-prologue chapter (for longform comics) or 25 strips/updates (for shortform/strip format comics) complete and available to read online. No exceptions!

Website Requirement: SpiderForest comics must have an independent self-hosted site with full control over the HTML/CSS and commit to making this their main presence for their comic. This site must also have a functional RSS feed (if you are unsure if your site has an RSS feed, follow these steps). Hosting will be offered in the 2022 application season for comics who are hosting on other platforms (such as ComicFury, Tapas, Webtoon, or Tumblr) but will be limited in capacity based on our volunteer availability.

Reapplication Requirement: Reapplying comics are REQUIRED to seek critique via our Constructive Critique forum before January 31st of the application year, prior to reapplication. If you have yet to do this, you will have to sit this season out!