Comic Lab

Webcomics wardens Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are joined this week by “The Long Con” writer, Dylan Meconis . They discuss ways in which an artist can improve their critical eye. NEXT, a listener asks whether a creator should have one, central Patreon campaign — or should they split them among different projects? THEN, the trio brainstorms strategies to integrate new readers into an ongoing longfo...

Webcomics wild things Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are joined this week by lawyer-to-the-comics-stars, Katie Lane . She has some advice on attempting the elusive “working vacation.” THEN she discusses the legal questions that perennially haunt creative professionals, like how does one find a good lawyer? NEXT, she tackles work-for-hire contracts and right of first refusal. FINALLY, she shares some...

  Webcomics warlocks Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar talkin’ shop! Dave Kellett has returned from his 20th appearance at Comic Con International in San Diego — and it was a huge success! He shares the strategies he used to beat the odds and make a profit at an incredibly demanding show. Plus... booth barnacles, Hollywood scouts and the religious pugs. Show notes 00:00 — Religious pugs and other oxymo...

Webcomics wizards Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar  are talkin’ shop! Some fan mail revives the topic of the “punch word” in writing humor. THEN, Brad has some bad news for you. You’re not talented. And, actually, that’s good news. NEXT, a listener asks what we listen to while we work. AND FINALLY, Dave and Brad talk about the people who most inspire their work today (as opposed to childhood heroes)....

Webcomics weirdos Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar talkin’ shop! When a listener asks how to recover after a failed con, Brad launches into a discussion of the gambler’s mentality of comic conventions. And Dave launches his newest character, Susanne Mactaggart, inspirational speaker. THEN, if a key to success is making good comics, what should you be focused on learning and doing to make that happen?...

Webcomics warriors Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking about making comics. Several webcartoonists hosted on LINE Webtoons were nominated for ‘Ringo Awards. Is it the new hotbed of webcomics talent? THEN is there any value to being “syndicated” on GoComics? NEXT. what should you look for in a contract? And FINALLY, the guys talk about how to improve the writing of a journal/autobio comic. BUT...

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar talk about making comics! In a previous episode, both artists came out against re-working old comics… until one of Dave’s “ Drive ” readers pointed out that he had done it himself before the first “Drive” book was released! THEN a listener asks how to ensure that every page ends on a story beat. NEXT, we talk about the positive effect that Patreon has had i...

Webcomic veterans Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar  talk about the contentious controversies caused in creating comics! For example, a discussion about using an exclamation point in a sound effect leads to a deep dive into the psychology of lettering! THEN, Brad thinks we need to encourage more collaboration. And FINALLY, Dave asks how to overcome a writing challenge — when you know the overall story,...

Webcomic veterans Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar  welcome webcomics star Zach Weinersmith of SMBC , cerator of BAHfest, and author of several books including Soonish . They discuss how to know when a comic is "done" — and when it it overworked. Zach talks about having a font designed to mimic his hand-lettering — and why it was worth the expense. Then, the folks discuss when it's time to q...

Webcomic veterans Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar tackle another collection of questions about the care and feeding of cartoonists. FIRST, Danielle Corsetto's GWS collection leads to a discussion of "complete" collections and hardcover books in general. NEXT, Creation vs Learning — which is more important? THEN, it's the perennial question – How do I get more Patreon backers? FOURTH, should...

Dave and Brad are thrilled to welcome our longtime friend and Webcomics Weekly co-host Scott Kurtz to the show. Ten years after collaborating on the How To Make Webcomics book (along with Kris Straub), we sit down and open up about the greatest goals we've yet to accomplish. BUT FIRST... in true Webcomics Weekly fashion, we spend the first part of the show catching up for lost time. Show notes 21:...

Webcomic veterans Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar tackle another bushel of questions from creative professionals! FIRST, they share advice for people who are starting their first steps into cartooning later in life. How do you do comics with a spouse, kids, a mortgage and, well… a life? NEXT, what’s the best way to support a comics creator? THEN, if you came of age in a Web 2.0 environment of message...

This week on the show we're thrilled to welcome the creative powerhouse Gloria Calderón Kellett . Well-known for the critically acclaimed relaunch of "One Day At A Time," she is a show-runner, writer, actor and all-around force-to-be-reckoned-with. She talks with Dave and Brad about her writing process, finding new ideas, sitcom writing, writing as a collaboration, editing for humor, and...

Great news! We have a DISCOUNT CODE for Bonjoro — exclusively for our $5+ Patreon backers! NEXT: Dave and Brad drill deep on the ubiquitous DRM-free PDF. We discuss what it is, why we use it, and how to best implement it. THEN: We grapple with one of the great mysteries of life — If we could time-travel back to talk to ourselves in our 20s, what advice would we give? FINALLY: If you're doing a com...

  Today on ComicLab, Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar take a full one-eighty on Bonjoro . After trashing it last episode, they're ready to sing its praises as a game-changer in crowdfunding and web publishing. Find out what caused this massive reconsideration. THEN the guys take an audio question from a Patreon backer who wants to know how to address concerns from readers who find a story hard to foll...

Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are thrilled to welcome Erika Moen, creator of OhJoySexToy. They talk about her currently running Kickstarter to launch a collection of sex-education cartoons . She has a decidedly different approach to the "soft launch" for Patreon backers discussed on an earlier ComicLab podcast — and her strategy is worth strong consideration.   Then, the gang tackles some great top...

We recorded Drunk ComicLab Saturday, and boy are our livers tired. Brad and Dave talk about the fun they had recording this upcoming Patreon-exclusive show — and the horrors they faced the morning after. Then a listener asks: "How to you stay motivated to comics year after year?" The guys go on to discuss the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (May 12-13), handling an underperforming Patreon ti...

The Eisner Award nominations were announced, and there's a lot to talk about! Then it's on to questions from our Patreon backers. In a social-media landscape that favors branding the creators themselves over their creations, it it OK to have a pen name? And what's the best approach to warm-up sketches? BUT FIRST... Brad hit a monster pothole on a winding Philadelphia thoroughfare, rupturing the ti...

Dave and Brad field some tough questions about the best ways to handle negative comments and clingy fans. They also discuss using Instagram stories for comics promotion and strategies for writing longform comics But first, following up on last week's fascination with the "B.C." comic strip, Brad tells Dave about how the Flintstones used to do in-show smoking commercials . Show notes 3:24...

Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar answer a wide variety of questions submitted by Patreon backers, such as: Are gag comics sustainable on the Web? We'll ask Dave, who has been doing a gag comic for 20 years. Also... How can I use hashtags more effectively? How many updates do I need to build a readership? How can I keep up my energy at conventions? And... Doctor, does this Winkerbean look Funky to you?...

Brad and Dave tackle listener questions! First, a high-school art teacher asks why they can't seem to finish a project once it's started. And then, the guys list some Dos and Don'ts for people who are planning to launch their first Patreon campaign.  BUT FIRST... When Brad makes a post on Facebook, and the responses drive him up the wall, Dave realizes that he's dealing with a split personality.  ...

Dave and Brad welcome Ryan North , two-time Eisner Award winner, creator of Dinosaur Comics and writer for Marvel Comics' Squirrel Girl . We discuss his upcoming book, How to Invent Everything and his successful Shakespearean choose-your-own-adventure To Be or Not To Be . Along the way, we go deep on several topics involving writing — getting ideas, subconscious plagiarism, self-plagiarism, reject...

We're joined by webcomics OG Danielle Corsetto . She shares her unique perspective on Patreon, and she has some advice for last week's question about choosing the best comic convention — TCAF! Her strategy to implement Kickstarter in the process is one you'll want to hear. Plus, Dave Kellett asks if he should delete his Facebook account. And, finally both Danielle and Brad Guigar discuss ending a...

Whew! We covered a LOT of ground with this episode. First, one of our $10 backers sent in a fantastic audio question about longform comics and the continuous scroll presentation on the Web. Is it better than conventional previous-next navigation-button presentation? And that touches off a whirlwind of topics, including, but not limited to... Kickstarter — Dave's tips REALLY WORK WELL! Backerkit —...

Brad Guigar went to the  Patreon On Tour / NYC conference, and he brought back tons of useful advice from the crowdfunding giant. Learn how to get more backers and make more money. Then, he and co-host Dave Kellett move on to tackle writer's block! What can you do to kickstart creativity? They share some useable strategies that apply to several situations. Finally — which awards are most valuable...