Webcomic Beacon #106: Open Forum with Zoë Robinson

Zoë (All Over The House) joins Fes, Tanya, and Mark to discuss some current events in webcomics. Such as other webcomic podcasts, collectives, KeenSpot, Webcomics.com moving to a paysite model, Kickstarter, and then just kinda falls apart as usual. Hooray!

Cover Art by: Amy Letts (Epic Fail).


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Thanks to Witchiebunny, our announcer! Show notes: Webcomic Builder (zoe-at-zoerobinson-dot-com), Webcomic Planet, TGT Webcomics, The Gigcast, Digital Strips, Webcomics.com, Tall Tale Radio, Webcomic Hell, Webcomics Community, Exiern, Point Guardian, Comic Tools, Kickstarter, Tigerbuttah (Tiny Kitten Teeth) Kickstarter, Sorcery 101 Kickstarter, Poorcraft Kickstarter, Diana Nock, KeenSpot, Rampage Network, Xepher.net, Gypsygirl, Quantcast, Google Analytics.

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Comments

Good episode!

I only recently discovered your show (as a replacement for Webcomics Weekly when it went on hiatus).

Two comments related to this episode:
1) I believe webcomics.com is a great value for the pro web-cartoonist
2) I don’t really fit in that category.

Not only do I lack the skill and talent to really make money from my comic, it hits all the wrong notes for a commercial success. It is targeted to children. It is long form. It doesn’t really try to be funny. It tries to be educational. It is black and white because I love the newspaper comics from the early to mid-twentieth century.

Does that mean I should quit? No. Does it mean I have to be realistic in my expectations? Yes. Does it mean I have to really weigh any decision to spend money related to it? Heck yes.

Having said this, I will probably pony up $30 at some point for webcomics.com. Like I said, I don’t begrudge them the decision to erect a paywall.

The thing I used most frequently on their site was the forums. When they went offline I was much more affected than when the paywall went up.

Several new sites have sprung up to give new homes to the amateurs/refugees. The one I am frequenting is one you mentioned: webcomicscommunity.com.

You made the comment that there wasn’t much there except forums. For me that is what I wanted. Lots of folks I used to talk to at webcomics.com are there. The navigation on the front page needs a tweak. All past front pages can be found in the forums, but aren’t evident on the current front page.

I also look forward to checking out Webcomic Builder.

Glad to find your podcast.

There’s also the Something Awful forums that have been a great resource for the, what I’ll call “Talented and Very Serious” comic creators. I think all of the regulars of the Something Awful (Webcomic Thread), have critically great webcomics.

Something Awful is a one-time fee (if I recall correctly), though they are very elitist and extremely serious. Hobbyist mentalities not welcome, for the most part. A lot of people diss SA, but I still respect most (read: most, not all) of the regulars there.

I wish I weren’t so temperamental, I think I sadly burned some bridges and lost face there… I’d still love to get several of them on the show (assorted episodes even).

I just Googled “Webcomics Podcast” and you guys are number two now. Congrats on passing the half Pixel guys.

Although that may be something with the caching on my machine since I listen to you guys more than I do (did?) Web comics Weekly.

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