Talking Shop: Webcomics…

Well “Bean” has officially hit the 4 year mark (568 pages, 3 graphic novels, and working on the 4th). I am pretty pleased with how it has evolved and the direction it continues to go in. Has it been easy? Honestly… Yes and No. Over the last two years of figuring out how to make this webcomic work, I have found a wide variety of things that have worked and some that do not, and still others that I am just trying to figure out.

I figured though that it was time to chat a little bit about it and hopefully add a little encouragement to those that are just contemplating starting out and/or are in the beginning stages.

1. Realizing it’s more than a hobby- Many webcomic artist start their projects for a variety of reasons. Most of the time, it is looked at as a hobby and then treated as such. This usually results in boredom after a few years or even a few months and the idea forgotten. Lack of deadlines and general lack of commitment can kill a webcomic pretty quick. There is huge potential for webcomics out there it’s just what are the creators willing to put into it. With the era of newspaper comics coming to a end, and yes it is ending, the value of webcomics will increase in a few years. Those that take the opportunity seriously will do very well, those that cannot commit will struggle and make excuses, that simple.

2. Keep your schedule- The worst thing that can happen to me in the world of webcomics, is to come across a fantastic comic with a strong story and art, and that it is on hiatus. This kills me, I know that I am not alone here. It also shows poor planning by the creator. I believe creators need time off, I take time off all the time, yet my readers will never know it, and this why….

the Buffer- Newspapers require 6 weeks of backlog. Even before they start pushing it, the artist must have a reserve for them to draw from. There is wisdom in this.  6 weeks of updates gives you cushion, it allows you to take breaks over the holidays, it allows for problems. I recommend you keep this reserve stocked. I have enough bean strips to last to 5 months at 3x a week updating schedule. If building the reserve means, holding off on launching the comic, then it is well worth the wait.

auto updates- I use easil for my comic platform. It allows me to automate my updating on the comic. I usually update 30 to 40 strips at a time in an afternoon. I love it. This allows me to take time off, without affecting the updating schedule for my fans. I recommend it. It comes back to your initial promise to them, that you would update on these dates regardless…once you start missing, your audience starts to falter. Not a lot, but over time it can be an issue and your rep can suffer.

3.Committing – this one is personal. I do not know how many artist tell me they just do not have the time. That usually means only one thing, you really don’t have the heart to do this. That’s a harsh statement, yet it is true. If you want it bad enough – show us… put the effort in. I have 5 kids, a good wife, a great art career that does not involve bean, and still I make time to make my story happen. It comes down to a few things-

Finding time- If you look at your day, you might wonder how do I find the time to create a great story. It really can be a unique balance and sometimes, there is a lot going on. Yet how much of that time is spent socializing, game playing and tv watching. There is a place for that, yet if you want to do a webcomic, you need to limit it. You will realize that time is there. Stay up a little later, draw during lunch in your car, or at the dr.office.  Make the time and you will be surprised how much you can get done.

4. Positive influences- Webcomics get flack, sometimes even telling someone you draw a webcomic, will get you a raised eyebrow of skepticism, due to the amount a low quality work out there. Yet, as more and more pros start to realize the incredible potential of webcomics to market their work, the stigma that the web is a place for 2nd rate illustrators who couldn’t make it in the real world is fading and beginning to fade rather quickly. There are some incredible webcomics out there, by a generation of incredible artist who get it. They are committed, they put the time in and they are open to helping one another out. They understand. You might not get the support at home or from your friends and peers, but there are places where you will get support- you just got to show up and ask. Don’t be pushy and be willing to give as you receive. The worst thing is for an artist to just take and take and never be willing to help another. A incredible forum is makinggrahicnovels.com. They have everything there, from design to cons. They get it and are willing to help out.

5. Getting Traffic- This one is unique. You have to find those that will be interested in your work.

the Audience- You need to know your audience, learn them and cater to them. If your story is all ages, then keep the art to all ages and the comments appropriately.  If people expect one thing and end up getting something else, they leave. Your art should match. Promoting a kids comic, and then plastering semi-naked cheese cake in your gallery, will prob slow your traffic way down. That’s because you don’t understand your audience.

tracking software- I prefer google analytics, but there are other programs out there. It allows me to see where traffic is coming from, how many unique hits, what pages are viewed and sooooo much more. There is power in this information, that will allow you to better build your site and make your comic more productive.

Top web sites- I have mixed feelings. I am not a fan of ranks based on traffic- That’s not important to me. I have a link, you can vote, but you want people to stay on your site and most of these links take people away from comic. So I have scaled the voting aspect way back. Yet these sites have huge advertising potential. Topwebcomics has a fantastic advertising system for webcomics. It’s low costs and it is effective. Sometimes if you want to grow you need to be willing to spend a little.

Power of invitation- Some of the best advertising comes from fellow creators or fans, be willing to reward them- more art, link exchanges even a review of their work. If people like your work, your story and your continuity they will promote you, but you have to be committed and if you miss updates and such, they talk.

There are many more ways to bring people to your worlds, these are just some aspects of it.

6. Good Art, Good Story, Good Presentation– Learn your craft- Learn from other successful webcomic designers and see what works. You gonna have a few trials along the way but roam a bit and find layouts you like and then adapt them. One thing I am working with is fixing the Art section and archives of my site. That is an area I have struggled with and now I think I have figured out how to fix the art section, I feel better about the direction of what is going on. This takes a little learning and it is trial and error, but there are many who have figured it out and you can learn from them. Using the layout of a successful site is fine, the building blocks, taking the art design is not cool SO DON’T DO IT!

Don’t be afraid to break the formula. There are a lot of how too books out there, with good information. Yet, every comic, and every dream is different. A lot of these books come from a print aspect of comic creation. The web opens doors for so much in design and layout.

7. Why constant updates are better than one-shot web graphic novels. The serial comic, which can be produced into a graphic novel later, allows the reader to keep coming back. The Web-Book Graphic novel, where the whole thing is put up at once, is old school print mentality. One book, one month etc. You want people to continue to visit your site. You want them to keep coming back. If you update a page or two or three a week, then they have a reason to come back. Fans become comfortable with you. A web-graphic novel kinda limits interaction and when on a monthly or bi-monthly updating schedule… it is easy to be forgotten. Your are always struggling. If you want your traffic to grow, give them a reason to stay, to hang out, to enjoy your creation, which in turn motivates you to continue.

A serial can always be converted to a graphic novel at a later date. These make for better reading in my opinion and is one reason why I chose to bean as a serial epic than a monthly graphic novel.

8. Failure is not bad – Failure happens. You can do two things – Quit or use it as a building block. I prefer the later. Bean went through 4 different variations before I finally found success. It was tough, tears were shed, and I wanted to quit. Yet there was a drive deep inside that would not let me. It was my baby, my dream and so I figured out a way. Be willing to adapt and make changes, just because traffic is low or no one comments, does not mean it’s time to throw in the towel. It means that it’s time to reevaluate and figure out how to fix it make it better. The cool thing about bean is I found way, it took 12 years to do it, but I found away.

The main thing is keep going, don’t tell me you want it show me, and pick yourself up when you fall. Because if you want it bad enough you will make it happen.

I know we talked about a different aspect of webcomics than the art part. Yet this is an extremely important part of the webcomic and making it successful. This is what I have found that works for me. Every situation is different, yet there is a key theme–– Show me you want it, don’t just tell me.

Well I have talked your ear off. I hope to see more creative storytelling there. Everyday I find something knew and I am encouraged by that. So if you thinking about joining the fun, then prep yourself to do it right and you will just fine.
Keep creating and let the magic flow.

trav

The other day I was asked by a young creator on what they should exhibit at their first comic con. Should they focus on Pop Culture Icons and Lic properties (of designs they do not own or have not paid the fees for) or should they try and establish themselves as their own artist?

To me pop culture icons and lic properties items (prints, toys, etc…) are nothing more that a fast easy buck from an established audience of that property. It is an audience focused on the next big thing and not the creator.

To those that have gone through in obtaining the lic rights and fees to sell pop culture icons, i tip my hat off to you. You are doing it right. You understand the importance of honoring those that hold the rights. To those that just do it and don’t care about lic rights and fees i would hope you reevaluate that and set your self up right to sell lic material.  In the end it will be better for you. Especially as some of these companies are beginning to crack down on un-licensed merchandise. So get your license and you will do fine.

For me I found it more important to establish myself as an artist rather than a pop culture creator. I want people to remember my work and who created it. That is really important to me. Yet that road is a lot harder. As a creator you find yourself as a tiny island in a huge sea of current glorious pop-culture. It’s a daunting task at times to create your own tribe.   Yet in the end it is worth it and far more rewarding.

When I started 15 years ago, I was a very lost fantasy artist. I did not have direction, connections, or a skill level that was marketable at the time. What I did have was drive and that I was willing to learn and listen when advice and council was given to me. I still have drive, I am still learning and listening and I now have direction. The skill level is always growing and the connections… well they are building. Yet, I decided at the beginning, while I was looking for my direction, that I wanted to create my own works, do my own thing and tell my own stories. It has been the best and one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.

What I learned as I went to shows was that people remembered my art and that they remembered me. While fan art and pop cultured pieces got put away, my pieces still remained on their walls. It was shared with friends. Conversations at shows were no longer who are you, but so what’s the next adventure you are working on.  Which to me is pretty awesome. I love the relationships I have built up over the years with fans. Who love pop culture, like me, but are also looking for artists that are willing to do their own thing and make the experience enjoyable.

The next thing is learn to be marketable. Doing your own thing is fine, but you should learn the audience you are going for. Even zombie babies can be mass marketed if done right. There are boundaries though and some creators as they begin to establish their style end up pigeon holing themselves, because they refuse to see the bigger picture. Bloody, mutant, scary clowns have a limited audience, it’s hard to make that audience grow due to how specialized the work is.

I found that audience for Bean is limited. I understand that and I am very cool with that. Bean is a B/W fantasy comic. It has an old school feel to it. Because it’s not in color the audience, which is strong, is still very very concentrated. My color work and prints, which have nothing to do with Bean but just the randomness of what is in my head created a much bigger audience that is growing rather quickly. It’s like planting seeds and if you nurture the plants it grows and grows strong.  I realized how important it is not to limit yourself to one group, yet I keep the same standards I set for all my works.

When establishing yourself with your works and ideas, time management becomes essential. If I spent all my time on pop culture icons, I would never get my own work out. My ideas would always be on the back burner because I would be in the trap of trying to figure out what’s the hottest pop culture items out there and how I could earn a fast buck or two.  Now being contracted for a job is something else. Your being paid for it by the company that owns the right so that is ok. I am more than willing to draw for big name companies and work on their properties. Yet my down time is devoted to establishing my own name and my own stories.

Don’t be afraid to start small, but always have something new on a regular basis. One of the biggest traps for new creators is they produce a book and then thats it. Nothing new comes out. Each year goes by and they still have the same book on the table, by itself. Your fans will notice this and once they realize you are not producing anything else, they look for something else. Always try to have something new out. It is super important. Sketch book, prints, or most importantly if you are producing books have NEW books. The key to being successful as an artist is to always be creating, always adding to your works. Give people a reason to return and visit your worlds. With all the crowdfunding going on there is no reason, if you are willing to put the effort in to making it look good, to have a new book each year.

The drive. Yup you got to have the drive. You need to remember this is not a hobby, it is an actual job. Make it your business and learn it. What are you willing, of your luxuries and social life, to give up? The poorest excuse is I don’t have time. You need to create time. I don’t have time means

it is not important, especially when you are willing to talk about all the movies and tv shows you watch. Make the time. Pull the sketchbook out and start doodling.

As for creating something new all the time, remember you will hit lows. These are temporary. Creativity is a powerful mental force not understood. It is an adrenaline rush that has a low after it. Learn to recognize and prepare for it. Durning my lows I switch gears and work on other projects to keep me going. I also keep a quote from an old creator who said, “It’s when i am tired and don’t want to draw, that I need to push myself to keep going” (he was a daily strip cartoonist).  I believe that-Drawing for me is important. Don’t get me wrong I love doing gigs and commissions. I love drawing fan art (though i would never make prints of my fan art). I love drawing pop-culture icons as well… but in the end it is more important for me to establish my style and my stories. It’s a building process that is growing at an incredible rate and it’s based of my works and not someone else.

Your original work competing against your pop culture work. Not many people think of this. I have friends who do both fan based pop culture and original works. They say that their original works and ideas don’t sell that well at shows but their pop culture works sell out. It’s because they are competing against themselves. They have built an audience that, even though some of them enjoy their original works, it is just just an audience that mainly enjoys somebody else’s proprieties that you just happened to draw. That’s what they expect and when you do that it is really easy to stop believing in your own ideas because you have to rely on someone else to make a buck at a show. Then when you want to focus solely on your own work you can’t because you are not drawing what the masses have expected you to draw.

I cant tell you what to do or what direction you should take. Only you can do that. Yet you need to decide what you want to be in the end. It might take some soul searching and such, but it comes down to you. For me, even though the road has been long and hard, it has been worth it. I am my own artist now. I have sooo much fun playing in my imagination and I know many others that have gone down the same road as I. They say the same thing…. they draw their own stories and their own ideas and they feel free doing it. The road is universally tough for all of them, but they are making it and they are examples to others trying to do the same thing, proving that it is possible to be an indy and be your own artist.

So go produce a book, than produce another, and do your own prints and build a strong following… just be aware the road is a rougher, a little longer, but far more rewarding.

Keep Creating

Trav!

Can you believe we are about to break the 390 mark. I am a little blown away by that. The scary thing is we have a long ways to go and I am just at the tip of the ice-berg.

Well last night we got in at about 12:30. I am a little tired. Some of you might have noticed that I hadn’t posted my normal update with the comic. After 4 days of traveling and 3 full working days at a show, I was thinking of only one thing last night and that was sleep.

So here I am now, with a quick report of the ACE comic con in New Mexico. I will give a more in-depth review later.

The show was fun. I saw a lot of neat people, some familiar faces and many new ones. Talked with some old friends and also got a few pages drawn. My wife went with me and let me tell you, she truly is an incredible lady. She ran that show and the constant shoulder rubs were fantastic. I really enjoyed working with her. We were kidless this  last weekend, which made for a unusually quiet, yet adventurous weekend. We were also mugged. I met yet another Travis Hanson, and had Stan Lee walk by us and tell us good morning. That was nice. In a nutshell, I had a good time and if they invite us back I will prob go. I will though be posting a full review later.

Other than that, I get home to a full workload before SDCC. Several Commissions and ton of Bean and Bear work. It’s gonna be a wild few months.

Well keep creating and more updates to come-

trav-

I am traveling today to the ACE show in New Mexico. If you are in Albuquerque stop on by to the Albuquerque Comic Expo. As usual if you are in the area and want a FREE sketch stop on by.

It’s been a busy week and there have been all sorts of projects old and new that I have been working on. Some are for the show, a few new commissions and two books.  I am plugging away pretty hard on Vol 3. There is just so much to tell. I am now starting chapter 12. Only 38 pages to go before we start the kickstarter project for it,

As several people know I like to do a lot of small b/w art pieces. None of them have much to do with Bean. Until now. In fact if you just scroll down you will find 6 new pieces that are dedicated to story of the Bean- before the events of our story. I really like telling a quick story with one picture. So if you want to get some close personal glimpses of the Bean and his friends of Silver Dagger, just look below. I think they will enhance the story- and maybe add a spoiler or two. Click here to enjoy the artwork.

NOW for the other big news. I finally have felt that it is time for the Teddy Bear Pirates of my print series to have their own book. Yes it is time for an adventure and these Bears are the stars.

I will start posting Bear pages in a few weeks. I am having a blast working on these pages along with the Bean. It has been a long time coming.

The main difference is the bears are a picture book and will not be a comic book. I could not handle to epic stories in comic form, but a picture book will not be a problem. It feels right.

Also the Bears will be available pre-order as a kickstarter project as well. I will post people the updates as soon as I know. Yet the only way this will work is with everyone’s help.

Well I think that this is enough excitement for one day. I sure appreciate everyone’s help and I look forward to seeing where the future goes.

Keep Creating- Trav-

prepping for ACE this weekend- I will post more in a bit- promise.
keep creating
trav

Trav’s Tidbits & Other Notes:

There is something to be said about a good comicon. If the show is good, it can do re-jump start an artist in a very positive way. Phoenix Comicon was that show. It was a show I needed this year and one that has put an extra boost in my step. Especially with how my year started. I have not been this pumped about my art and stories in a long time. Which is an incredibly good thing.

In fact I have some new energy and a new drive to put things on the right track and looking forward to accomplishing even more. I want to thank all those people that have supported me over the years and continue to do so. Thank you- as I read back through the last few posts and comic updates, I was touched by the support, even from those that lurk. You do not know how much this means to me or how much I need to hear it every now and then. Thank You.

I also came to a realization that the game is always changing. As an artist or creator, one needs to continually evolve. That’s a hard thing to do. Constantly figuring out how to improve and get ahead in the game. The phrase “Don’t tell me how bad you want it, show me.” has more meaning than ever before. That is a good thing.

The other thing I found out, is that my family backs me up and supports me. I am pretty humbled by that, as I watch my wife and children work very hard to keep our life afloat. If there is one thing that I could not stress more is to have a spouse that supports you and encourages you to keep going forward. A lot of great talent gets lost because there is no support network inside of the home, so they stop believing in their own talent and just wander through life living a bunch of “what if I had…”.

Phoenix also taught me the importance of getting guidance from the right sources. Young artist need to learn who to listen to. Listen to those that are already successful in the business. Follow their model. Don’t copy their style, copy their work ethic.  Learn from their devotion and their passion. Plus, when they give you advice, put yourself in the right frame of mind so you will actually listen and not counter with opinion.  Keep this mind as well, not all advice is good, remember that, but those that have been on the road longer than you are well worth listening to, than those that have just started.

Feeling rejuvenated is a fantastic feeling. One that is needed by all people, regardless of the field that you are in. Life is meant to be happy and though sad things happen, we still choose at the end of the day what our emotions we will be.

I find that the more my outlook is positive, the better my art gets. The more the ideas flow and the stronger the drive becomes.

ALSO – NEW SHOP TALK UP TODAY- CLICK TO READ. Subject – the power of webcomics.

So keep creating my friends, but most importantly – look for ways to just be happy. There is truth in the saying, “Count your many blessings”. It actually might surprise you.

trav-

So you want to run a successful kickstarter project?

Independent comic book creators and artist are finding an wonderful new funding platform for their projects these days. Kickstarter was the first really successful crowd funding platform to go main stream. It’s an incredible tool, especially in an industry that looks down on indy creators.

As many of you know, I myself have funded two very successful kickstarter projects. I am in the process of preparing a third. I hope that I can pass on some advice to help other creators, find success in their projects as well. I’ll be honest it is a great funding tool for art projects, yet it can also be quite stressful and frustrating. Especially if you miss your goal.

The key element about kickstarter is really based on trust. Trust that the creator will finish the project and make good on his rewards. So let’s get into it.

What is kickstarter?

Kickstarter in a nut shell is a crowd funding platform for creators. It is an all or nothing deal. You set a financial goal to work towards with a tangible reward of your creation and people, pledge money to one support you and two to receive the product you created in some form. If your product overfunds you get to keep  the money that comes in to help improve and better the product. If your goal does not fund, then you get nothing and you have an opportunity to re-evaluate if it is worth continuing. It’s a fantastic program.

So how do you make it work for you?

Well first you need a project. Since I am dealing with graphic novels and comics, I am really focusing on that aspect. I find that it is best to talk about what I know about, so if you want to do a movie project I would recommend looking at movie kickstarter projects that were successful and follow them. Some of the same applications are the same but in the end each product is unique.

Once you figure out your project – how much do you need to fund it?

This is important. Don’t look at kickstarter as way to pay all your bills. It is to fund your project. So make the goal reasonable. Also figure out the following

1. Design- Are you having outside help- this isn’t always cheap. Since I do all the art and stories myself, I only have to rely and pay me. (helps keep the cost down.)
2. Production cost- printing and shipping to you. This will be the bulk of the cost
3. Shipping and packaging – A lot of people don’t realize this and forget to add this in. Shipping for our first project ran up to $1400 dollars. So you should ad this in. International shipping is really expensive. You will need to decide if you want to add more or not. (I chose not to)
4. Swag- Any swag you offer in your reward tiers. If you are offering t-shirts etc… you still have production costs added to your goal. This can get expensive as well.  I kept my rewards tied to the book.
5. Fees– There are fees to kickstarter and amazon bank (which you have to use). 10% of your pledges received will go to cover kickstarters operating costs and amazon charges. Be prepared for that.

So you have your costs set up and you set up your goal and accounts. You then create the reward structure. This allows people to pledge what they feel comfortable with. Not everyone can pledge $50 but a lot will pledge $10, $15, or $25. May those rewards enticing as well. Don’t get greedy. People are there to support you. Not because you deserve it, but because they want to see you succeed, plain and simple.

I offered at the lowest level a book with a free sketch (we did 350 in the first run) as well as their name printed in the back of the book. The higher the pledge, the more the reward was. (it is worth it). Make it fun for them.

A movie? Crud I have to make a movie?

That was my biggest hangup- I really struggled with that. Your movie is important, yet it does not have to be a huge production. I did mine with stills, music and i-movie. Very ken-burnsish. It is very simplistic. I would though recommend that you have some important information in it, and be direct. Do not beat around the bush. The more you are confident in your project the more people will be confident in it as well.

1. Introduction to the project- what your goal is.
2. What your costs are. Be honest here. Book production is usually not $50,000 – especially for a b/w print un of 2000 copies. The more upfront, the bett er the results.
3. Showcase your art and stuff.
4. What are you doing to contribute. I put in $1500 of my own cash. It shows I am just as committed to my project as those that pledge to it.
5. What reward system is. Let them know what they get.
6. Explain a little what kickstarter is about. (this could go in #1 as well) and remember to THANK THEM AND KICKSTARTER. It is not about you and how you deserve it, it’s about other contributing to help you make your dream possible. Then close it up.

So you all ready to go and you just launched it… what next?

Well this is the most important you have to promote it. So to those introverted creators you need to open up and learn how to approach others. You need to learn how to sell yourself. It’s hard I know, but it is a crucial element. So what brings people in? Honestly, I knew only 30% of those that backed my 1rst kickstarter. So how does the other 70% get there?

1. Build an audience first. Bean is a free webcomic. I work on building the fanbase all the time. I do cons, pod-casts and blogs. Fanbases take time though, you need to be patient. I waited almost 2 years after “Bean” launched before I even considered doing kickstarter.  Plus your fans of you comics will spread the news. If they like what they have seen and trust your work ethic, they will support it.
2. Social media- you facebook and twit haters out there, do not understand the power and influence, these sites hold. They are incredible tools. Yet the only way social media works- on any site, I include deviantart, tumblr, etc, is that you have to engage there. Talk, promote and encourage. Do not just push your project there, that gets old, but push it in between posts, comments and updates. Show your e nthusiasm, and people will start encouraging others to support your work as well and pass it on. You don’t have to live there, but you do need to spend some quality time there.
   

   

3. Post updates constantly – show different stages of artwork and story development. People love feeling apart of your work- Continue to update after it funds as well. People hate silence. Also let them know sta tus for rewards, etc. Communication between artist and backer is crucial in making this work.
4. Have a lot of the work done before hand. Before I started my kickstarter projects I h a d all the inside artwork done. Projects that almost finished fund, ideas in development stages – struggle. I would recommend having between 60-80% of your work already ready. I usually leave edits and covers to be done during the pledge drive.
5. Support and give love to other kickstarter projects. It’s time to get out of the “just me” attitude. As you give love to other projects, people in return give love to yours. Share what you like about others, push other projects as well. Remember the goal of kickstarter is to succeed and the best way to do that is to help other succeed.
6. Don’t give up. Stay positive. Keep talking about it. Once again I cannot stress how important it is to share your dream and open your mouth. Shyness does work here.
7. Last but not least make a realistic time schedule. Remember – you get the most pledges at the beginning and the end. The middle is a lull. The longer the funding window, the more people forget you are there. Urgency works as well as patience. (hence the importance of #1).

Parting advice for now.

Since I have all but talked your ear off and we could go on and on- which I wont. Though I will answer any questions below and might do some follow up – I will leave you with some personal advice.

Its all about trust, how prepared you are before you start, your attitude and opening your mouth a bit. Follow through with what you say and do your homework. Watch the videos of successful projects. Read their updates, read what worked and what did not. Look at how long some of them have been around before they started their projects and even send them notes. You might be surprised, some of them will actually respond. The key is figure it out before you jump into it.

Keep creating, keep dreaming and be grateful that there are now funding groups for independent creators –

trav-