Comic Lab

This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost. If the implosion of Twitter has you wondering if you should finally build your own website, Dreamhost is there for you. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, they'll get you started on owning and controlling your work on the Web.As an OG webcartoonist, Bill Barnes has deep roots in the comics community. As the person in charge of the team that developed Microsoft Lobe and other A.I. solutions, he has an inside-industry view  of artificial intelligence. There are few people as well qualified for a thoughtful discussion of the intersection of comics and AI software. It doesn't hurt that he's also one of our oldest and closest friends!ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Strategies for a post-social-media phase of webcomicsInterview with Bill Barnes on AI artToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!Y

This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost. If the implosion of Twitter has you wondering if you should finally build your own website, Dreamhost is there for you. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, they'll get you started on owning and controlling your work on the Web.Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar talk to a pro-am cartoonist who wants to build a running gag into their comic. But does the concept have legs? Also: Why does 3D art get dismissed as lazy?ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...When does a joke have legs to become a running gag?3D art — is it "lazy"?UPDATE: More live talks!Balance in word balloonsHow do you learn from a failed KickstarterInstagram adds a second link to the bio!Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 —

This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost. If the implosion of Twitter has you wondering if you should finally build your own website, Dreamhost is there for you. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, they'll get you started on owning and controlling your work on the Web.Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar do a deep dive on Print-on-Demand! Then, because it's a train wreck we can't stop watching, we talk about the ongoing Twitter meltdown and what it means for independent artists!ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Print on DemandTwitter meltdownToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestre

This week's show is sponsored by Dreamhost. Everything you need to launch a website. Transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee.Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the social contract between comics creators and readers.ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Does a comics creator have a social contract with their readers?UPDATE: Bono regrets his "Magic Wand" MomentUPDATE: The new ComicLab goal is to be invited as guests of to AngoulêmeRepeatedly ending on cliffhangersHow to break bad newsToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams)

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the impending demise of Twitter — and how comics creators can prepare for the changes this will bring.ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Elon Musk looks primed to destroy Twitter — how can comics creators prepare for this massive change?Verification will soon cost $8/month — this will destroy the intent behind "verification"$1 billion in annual interest means Twitter will change — drastically — very quickly. And not for the better.Posting on a Reddit account for the first time in 4 yearsThis would be a great time for my RSS reader ideaHow can independent cartoonists prepare for this massive change?UPDATE: Simon & Shuster - Random House merger nixedToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a ques

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar try to help a ten-year dopamine addict stop themself from posting his comics before they're ready!ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Help a dopamine addict! How can  someone stop themself from posting their comics too soon.UPDATE: Day 366 of another Substack dealUPDATE: Charles Schulz MuseumUPDATE: CSP subscription - $30/yearProfessional jealousyOur early comicsToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook.

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss Impostor Syndrome and how to fight it. But first, Dave needs recommendations on building a D&D starter kit for one of his kids, and Brad has thoughts!ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Building a D&D starter kitImpostor Syndrome vs the need for improvementUPDATE: BeReal — we're real over itUPDATE: Dave gets retweeted from a 2.5-million-follower Twitter accountMagic Numbers for KickstarterToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil In

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the new social-media app BeReal. Will it have any usefulness for cartoonists?ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...BeRealSpending less time on the art to increase posting rateHow to indicate continuity in an anthology projectHow to add value to a giveawayToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.Listen to ComicLab on...Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsS

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss how websites and email newsletters have made a remarkable comeback in the past few years — and how you should be using them to publish now. Also: What is a squircle, and why is it the best word balloon?!ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Websites and email newslettersPatreon's new billing optionTumblr did NOT bring back NSFW comicsWord balloons: Elliptical or rounded-corner rectangle?Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the au

The cartoonist uncles have a disagreement! Dave Kellett hates flashbacks, and Brad Guigar can't get enough! They'll talk about the right way to handle a flashback in your comic, when you should use one — and whether you shouldn't reconsider the whole approach in the first place!ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...How to present a flashback scene in your comicShould you brand your Patreon on the comic — or on the creator?Making time to write when you're busy drawing — Brad shares his writing process that allows him to plot the story out for several months, while writing individual updates every week.Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain

Being lonely in a large city has a listener feeling a little Ziggy — and cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar have some advice.ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Feeling a little ZiggyMaking money while on government assistanceThe secret success is... failureMaking a board game or card game based on your comicSheldon... the movie?Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.Listen to ComicLab

A recent statistic about the print publishing industry have cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar thankful they self-publish. Also... the NFT comics company that reached out to Dave at San Diego Comic Con folded eight days later. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Publishing statistics report 90% of published books sell under 2,000 copiesWhat are the disadvantages to self-publishing?UPDATE: NFT company dies in 10 daysAudiobook versions of comicsCreating videos of comicsToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Gui

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the fabulously underrated Butso Method for writing. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...The Butso MethodWhen should you launch a side project?UPDATE: Dave shares his Kickstarter statsHow many pages on launch day of longform?Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.Listen to ComicLab on...Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyPandoraStitcher

People make decisions based on emotions first, and then they back it up with logic afterwards. So cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss effectively marketing your comic with feelings over facts. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Using emotions to promote your comic (based on this Reddit thread)Growing Patreon 10% with Brad's adviceClip Studio Paint goes to the subscription modelOffering help to someone who may not want itContractual obligations for using another person's characterToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-

Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett start a discussion about  trying to avoid becoming the people they used to fight, only to slowly realize... it had already happened.ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Don't become your heroesWhat is the dominant publishing format?How much life experience goes into writing?How do you keep the sex fresh in NSFW comics?Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Dr

Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett get a case of déjà vu when a new crowdfunding service reminds them of an old scheme that crashed and burned. Then, a listener writes in to complain "It's Friday and I'm not famous!"ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Subless — A new crowdfunding service based on an old idea"It's Friday and I'm not famous!"Weekend Web trafficToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon

Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett give advice to a comics artist who realizes that they'd accidentally plagiarized a character from someone else... but they like their character so much they just don't want to change it! Is there a plagiarism loophole? But FIRST... there's a lot of news and updates to cover!ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Oni Press lays off senior staff, faces allegations of unpaid laborTokyoPop is back — but they have a long (and contentious) history with creators.Substack: "Day 366" has come for many comics creators who took the Substack grant.Tapas lays off 30% of staffShopify lays off 10% of staffDinoKIckstarter.com — and tracking URLsCharles Schulz Museum — Brad and Dave will be doing a special LIVE show at the Schulz Museum on Nov. 12 to celebrate what would have been the legendary cartoonist's 100th birthday."I made a plagiarism — but I LIKE it! ...Do I HAVE to change it?"Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get excl

Cartoonist Dave Kellett has returned from Comic-Con International in San Diego, and talks about his first convention since the pandemic began.ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Dave Kellett reviews Comic-Con International in San DiegoLive show at the Schulz Museum Nov. 12Sacrificing aesthetics for timeRe-thinking vertical scroll?Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.Listen to ComicLab on...

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar give some advice to a cartoonist whose friends want his comics for free. Is this an entitlement issue? It is... but not in the way he thinks.ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...My friends won't buy my comics!UPDATE: dinokickstarter.comUPDATE: A rolling stone does NOT gather mossUPDATE: "Brad Guigar Stole My Woman"Presenting an archive of older workDream goals.Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Da

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the Decoy Effect and wonder how this economic phenomenon could be applied to crowdfunding. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...Using the Decoy Effect on Patreon and KickstarterShould you pay a collaborator MORE than they ask for?Comics-Prose hybridIdentifying success so you know how to look for itMessaging new patronsToday is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.$10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewardsBrad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldo