Comic Lab

In this episode, Cartoonists Dave and Brad are talking shop. They share which pieces of original art they would most like to have. Then, it's on to tips and tricks for selling prints. Next, Brad revisits the "social media/ fool's gold" discussion. Then, as Brad approached fifty, the lads talk about preparing for old age. That takes a wild turn as Brad shares an AMAZING fact he learned ab...

Webcomics pros Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking comics! In this episode, the guys talk about the cartoonist from history that they would have most appreciated a chance to be tutored by. Then, Dave delivers an update on how Backerkit has been working out for him. After that, Dave points out that Brad keeps saying "Time is a continuum," but... what does that actually MEAN? Next, Br...

Webcomics pros Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking comics! In this episode, they point out that the Eisner Awards have changed their submission guidelines — and that's great news for short-form webcartoonists! THEN they discuss a tweet by Nate Powell that has everyone talking. This Eisner-winning cartoonist claims his income breaks down to about $455 a month! NEXT, it's all about joke theft —...

Webcomics pros Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking comics! In this episode, they discuss what you should do when you realize you've lost longtime readers. Then, where should you work, when you work from home? What kind of day job should you have? And finally... how do some cartoonists produce those amazing sketchbooks? But first... Dave's going to Alaska Robotics' Comics Camp ! SHOW NOTES 00:...

Webcomics pros Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking comics! In this episode, Brad makes another lasting contribution to webcomics: Guigar's Law — The first person to comment that they'd buy a certain type of merchandise is the first person to disappear when the merch is offered! BUT FIRST, Brad and Dave fondly remember comic-convention cosplay. Show Notes 00:00 — Spotting the batawang at a com...

Webcomics pros Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking comics! In this episode, they discuss best practices for sound effects and promoting longform comics on social media. NEXT, they discuss "Chapter Zero" — what it is, and whether it's right for you. THEN it's strategies for coping with the Q1 slowdown. AND FINALLY, they take a handful of questions from 2018 and drill through them in...

Dave and Brad are planning 2019 — PLUS, Steve McGarry from the National Cartoonist Society drops in to talk about NCSFest in Huntington Beach, Calif, May 17-19, 2019. But FIRST... Brad's teenagers give Dave a look at what's in store for his kids in the future — and it includes sleeping in till noon. Show Notes 00:00 — Teenagers 06:06 — Brad's plan for 2019: Hiring an assistant 20:22 — Dave's plan...

Webcomics pros  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar talk social-media strategy with Kevin McShane of Buzzfeed, the Lusty Horde , and more ! BUT FIRST, Dave marvels over the exercise craze of the belt vibrator . And that leads to this little-known story about the true-life origin of Marvel supervillain, the Shocker. Show notes 00:00 — The belt vibrator 08:10 — Understanding "sharing statements"...

Webcomics pros  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar look back over another year in webcomics and discuss what worked really well — and what didn't. BUT FIRST, Dave marvels over the British idiom, " hard cheese ," and that leads to a discussion of British humor in general. Show notes 00:00 — "Hard cheese, old chap." 05:00 — 52 ComicLab episodes in 52 weeks — thanks to our Patreon backe...

Webcomics pros  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar discuss the Patreon Special Offer — and why comics artists should be using it — RIGHT NOW. Plus... running concurrent campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Is it a little skeevy, or super skeevy? And then, the burning question for the ages... What's it like being the most handsome host of ComicLab? BUT FIRST, Brad finally wins the artificial-Christmas...

Cartoonists  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! Still reeling from an action-packed weekend at PatreCon, the guys are talking Patreon! For example — should you hide your Patreon numbers or display proudly how much you're earning? And what do you do when a backer expects more than you're offering? And how soon is too soon to launch your Patreon? Also — can a story-driven comic strip lik...

Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! Redbubble has killed off its support for print-on-demand calendars. Should you be doing the same? ALSO, how to prepare for a portfolio review. THEN, building a digital press kit and approaching comics-media outlets. FINALLY, when a cartoonist has 1.1 million Instagram followers and only about 400 Patreon backers, is something amiss? BUT FI...

Cartoonists  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! Brad flew out to Los Angeles to attend PatreCon with his podcastin' pal Dave. Today, they talk about what they thought of the conference in general, what they learned, and most importantly how their approach to Patreon is going to change in the immediate future. BUT FIRST... Brad took delivery of the print run of his new book , and everyt...

Cartoonists  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are joined by the wonderful Alex Heberling to talk shop! They talk about handling discouragement and burn-out, staying motivated, and taking time for self-care. Then Alex shares the harrowing story of the trepidatious phone call Brad made when he approached her to work on Evil Inc After Dark. BUT FIRST… Brad questions his own judgement when get gets into a...

Cartoonists  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! When a Patreon backer asks for tips on hustling and networking, Brad gets uncomfortable. Then, the guys struggle to make sense of demographic data. And finally, they help a fellow cartoonist navigate book distribution. BUT FIRST, Dave asks... if you could see one statistic floating over people's heads, what would it be? Show notes 13:17 —...

 Cartoonists  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! This week, they’re talking about avoiding boredom, and they take a deep dive on grappling with self-doubt. THEN they talk about how they adapt their writing processes to address those issues. NEXT, they talk about the dangers of sharing your self-doubt on social media. AND finally, a crucial question for today’s independent creators: Wha...

Webcomics weirdos  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking comics with Ngozi Ukazu , creator of “ Check, Please .” She talks sports comics, art school, self-publishing, and a wide range of creative challenges. BUT FIRST, Raina Telgemeier’s new book, “Guts,” receives a million-book print order, and we’re stoked! Show notes 00:00 — Raina Telgemeier’s new book, “Guts,” receives a million-book print...

Webcomics weirdos  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking comics! When a Patreon backer hits the viral jackpot, they wonder if it wasn’t fool’s gold. This turns into a discussion of smart online marketing, how publishing religious content is like posting NSFW comics, and one overarching theme — social media isn’t about generating Buzz so much as it’s about building Community. Then, the boys talk...

Webcomics watchmen  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking Inktober with  Jake Parker , the founder of Inktober. They discuss Inktober, how it started, and where it’s going. BUT FIRST, Dave’s niece sums up his fashion sense with brutal accuracy. Show notes 00:00 — Dave’s fashion sense is “Costco New Balance shoes and a single-color polo.” 03:06 — Introducing Jake Parker, founder of Inktober 03:3...

Webcomics wranglers  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop with  Lex Fajardo. He's an Eisner Award winner, Senior Editor of Charles Schulz Studios, and the creator of his own comic series  Kid Beowulf . When he asks if Patreon is right for him, he gets an earful... and a top-down restructuring of his entire approach (whether he wanted it or not)! BUT FIRST, Brad refuses to give that lady a...

Webcomics workhorses  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop with Kazu Kibuishi on the eve of the release of the eighth book in his graphic-novel series, _ "Amulet."  _The New York Times Best-Selling graphic novelist talks about the early crisis that redefined his career. BUT FIRST, Kazu Kibuishi enjoys a tasty, tasty croissant. Show notes 00:00 — "What am I — the Queen??&quo...

Webcomics warriors Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! They discuss why you should be encouraging people to follow your Kickstarter campaign — and how it translates into big money in the last 72 hours of your marketing push. THEN, a thoughtful Patreon backer asks how they can support the web cartoonist in their life. NEXT, a backer asks for strategies for building buzz on Twitter (short...

Webcomics wannabes  Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! The guys discuss the monthly Patreon dip — what it means and why you shouldn't freak out. THEN Dave talks about why he lays out his longform sci-fi comic the way he does. NEXT, Brad argues that reboots are good — and sometimes necessary, and he and Dave examine the best ways to go about it. FINALLY, Dave shares some helpful guidanc...

Webcomics whackos Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar are talking shop! Brad took a four-week vacation from his comic this summer, and he says it’s the smartest thing he has ever done. THEN we take another swing at the topic of “Good content vs. Viral content.” Have we over simplified the discussion? NEXT, Dave and Brad note that they’ve been using Bonjoro app all summer long. Are they still as excited a...

While Brad's son was at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, Dave called him in his hotel room to talk comics. Pantsless, Brad obliged. They discussed Dave's new Kickstarter at DriveKickstarter.com and the agony of Kickstarter panic. THEN Dave gets some intriguing advice on using one's own photo as a social-media avatar. NEXT, a patron asks about brainstorming from scratch. THEN another patron asks...