Today, on "The Legend of Bill"

Hi Folks!

I did a fan art pinup for Dave Reddick of the “Legend of Bill” webcomic, and he was kind enough to post it on his weekly “Fan Art Friday” installment.

As you’ve probably heard me say, I normally don’t do fan art, but I’m really into this comic, and I love Dave’s understated humor.  My favorite line, although I’m probably butchering this, is “I wonder if Conan ever got beat up by a girl with pink hair?”  I laughed about that for a week, because to me it really summed up the comic.

I grew up reading Sword & Sorcery novels, such as those by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Michael Moorcock, and Robert Adams, but none thrilled me so much as Robert E. Howard’s “Conan” books.  As a kid I was too young to see the humor in these stories, but it was there, hidden in ironic boatloads.  Dave Reddick probably read the same novels too, or at least saw the first Conan movie, and he got it.

So, if you want to read a excellent comic strip from a seasoned cartoonist with really high production values, and lots of laughs, go to the “Legend of Bill.”

Reviewing Comics

Hi, Folks:

Lately I’ve reviewed quite a few webcomics and graphic novels, so I thought it might be worthwhile for me to explain the rationale behind what I’m doing.  Essentially, in-depth reviews are a way for me to improve my own cartooning, and to learn from other cartoonists’ strengths and weaknesses.

Epic Fail, by Amy Letts

Epic Fail is a young webcomic, only twenty-two episodes old at this point, but it’s an interesting take on playing Dungeons & Dragons, or some similar tabletop role-playing game.  Dwarves, elves, gnomes, kings, treasure, you get the picture.

I know a bit about table-top role-playing games.  I began playing Dungeons & Dragons in earnest in 1977, and continued playing (along with my wife Benita) till about 2003.  Maybe we would have continued beyond that point, but it had just gotten too difficult to get our friends together-we all had busy lives, after all.  Still, in those twenty-six years of avid playing, we had a great time, made lifelong friends, and met many styles of players.

Which brings me to Amuletts, the focal character of Epic Fail.  Amuletts wears her heart on her sleeve, cares more about money than ethics, and brings chaos to almost any situation.  I know this type of player, and one of my best friends who gamed with us for about twenty-three of those twenty-six years was just like that.  There was never a solemn occasion he could stand to pass uninterrupted, never a block of exposition that he could let stand unbroken, never a plot line that he couldnÆt wander far afield from.  In other words, if you prepared an adventure, he would find alternate ways to enjoy it, ways that had nothing to do with what you prepared for.

Amuletts is the same.  She can be rude, conniving, and set your beard on fire; or she can be very affectionate.  Amuletts, when affectionate, doesnÆt recognize any personal boundaries or ideas of personal dignity the other character may harbor.

In terms of art, Epic Fail is outsider art, plus a high level artistic anarchy thrown in for good measure.  It is a full page comic that updates weekly, and while there is an ongoing story each episode usually includes a gag.

Scott.

J. Gray of Mysteries of the Arcana Reviews Johnny Saturn

Hi, Folks:

This review can be found on J.’s blog over at Mysteries of the Arcana, a supernatural dimension hopping tale that has quickly become one of my favorite comics.  I love this type of story, so I endorse it wholeheartedly.

Johnny Saturn

By JGray

My love for superhero comics goes backa ways. In fact, “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, the twelve partmasterpiece by Marv Wolfman and George Perez was my introduction tothe concept of multiple universes; something heavily explored here onMysteries of the Arcana. In the last several years, though, thebig publishers have done a lot to tick me off. I won’t go into mylaundry list because I could rant for hours. Instead, I’m just goingto be thankful that Scott and Benita Story came along and took up thechallenge of creating new heroes as the centerpiece of theirwebcomic, Johnny Saturn. The series starts off with the death ofthe title character. Johnny Saturn has been fighting the good fightfor over a decade, using only his fists, his wits, and the sort ofbody armor you can order from the back of Soldier of Fortune. Fromthere, things get really exciting. The archive is worth spending timewith. Better yet, order the print version so you can lovingly thumbthrough it. I won’t give away the plot. Instead,I’ll explain some of the things I love about Johnny Saturn. Thing #1 My favorite scene involves JohnnySaturn battling a group of powered villains. We get to see what he’sthinking as he fights. The mental narration is terse, almost like achecklist. Speedster? Telegraph your moves so you know where they’llhit, then hit them. Problem neutralized. I love it, because in myopinion characters like Johnny Saturn (and Batman and other mysterymen) aren’t amazing because of their fighting skills or detectiveabilities but because of their sheer tactical genius. Thing #2 There’s a phenomenon in comics known as“Women in Refridgerators”. Female characters are often raped,beaten, murdered, depowered, and stereotyped as bitches or sluts. Insome cases it seems like the writer has some sort of axe to grindwith women, in others ancillary female characters are used as plotdevices to promote the “growth” of male characters. Thephenomenon was named after a heroes girlfriend was murdered andstuffed in his fridge. The hero then tracked down her killer and, atthe last minute, decided to deliver the villain to justice ratherthan go the old eye for an eye route. Thus, the hero grew, proving hewas just and noble and all it took was the brutal murder of a woman. Johnny Saturn isn’t like that. Thefemale characters are interesting. The costumes can be a bitrevealing, yes, but the women have character. They aren’t twodimensional. They aren’t there to make the men look good, and theyaren’t there to satisfy the writer’s craving for revenge on all thegirls who rejected him in high school. In fact, the most powerful and(in my opinion) most intelligent superhero in the Johnny Saturnuniverse is a woman named Staff of Life. I can’t wait to see more ofher in action. Thing #3 There’s a whole lot to explore. Thecomic’s well written and focuses primarily on Johnny Saturn but theother heroes are just as interesting. The world, too, holds a lot ofpromise and begs to be explored. Truth be told, the setting deservesmore than just one comic. If I could get an artist and permissionfrom Scott and Benita I think I’d jump at a chance to crack open asecondary story there. Let me be clear. This isn’t a goldenage or silver age comic. There’s plenty of blood and violence andJohnny Saturn’s body bears the realistic consequences of a decade offighting crime. However, it also isn’t a Frank Miller-esque, over thetop splattercomic either. Instead, Scott and Benita have found a wayto balance the need for realism that marked comics in the 80s/90s andcombined it with the need for escapism that marked comics in the50s/60s. Go read Johnny Saturn. You won’t besorry.

Writing Prose vs. Writing for Comics

Hi, Folks!

This is a short presentation Benita and I brainstormed to be delivered at a recent Writer’s Retreat. This might be of some assistance to those prose writers who are looking to break into the graphic novel or webcomic scene.

Writing for Comics:

By Scott Story and Benita Story, © 2009

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PROSE AND COMICS WRITING

Whereas prose is very descriptive, establishing the narrative through words and the theater of the mind, comics are primarily a visually based.

When we say comics are visual, this doesn’t mean the writer is unimportant—in fact, he is just as necessary as ever.  But, the comic writers’ role is different than that of the prose writer.

Consider this: With prose, you establish a mental picture or emotion in the reader’s imagination; in comics, you present a mix of images and words that instantly elicits a response from the reader.  A non-fictional variant of this would be the word “Stop,” and then seeing a red stop sign.  The word intellectually tells you to stop, but the stop sign downloads directly and creates an instant mental response (hopefully followed up by a physical stop!)

Web Wednesday No. 2

Hi, Folks!

 

This week, I’m doing an overview setting up a WordPress webcomic.  I’m going to do my best not to overlap too much with Bob Hickey’s excellent WordPress tutorial from Sketch no. 34, but of course there will be some overlap. 

 

1)      Get a host that is database compatible, and set up the database that will run your webcomic.  I use a Yahoo Small Business website, but that’s not an endorsement for them. I expect I’ll be looking for a new host within the year.

 

2)      Download and install WordPress.

 

3)      Download and install Comicpress.

 

4)      Download and install Comicpress Manager.

 

5)      If you have problems, go to this forum.  This is where Tyler Martin, who created Comicpress, and John Coswell, who built Comicpress Manager, often answers questions.  Even if Tyler and John are too busy, there are often knowledgeable people who point you in the right direction.

 

6)      There are also excellent forums at the WordPress site.

 

 

Before you start digging into your Comicpress code and modifying your site, there are some plugins that you might need.  In my case, I use the following:

 

1)      Ad-Minister (download here): I use this for rotating ads at the top of my blog.  I use this space outside my Project Wonderful ad boxes.

 

2)      Add to any: Share/Save/Bookmark Button (download here): Offers a wide list of social bookmarking links.

 

3)      Akismet: This plugin, which helps identify and quarantine spam, comes with WordPress, and it requires that you get a WordPress API key. 

 

4)      All In One SEO Pack (download here): This “Search Engine Optimizes” your blog.

 

5)      Comicpress Manager (download here): This makes loading comics, setting up archives, and thumb nailing quite easy.

 

6)      Eshop for WordPress (download here): My choice of shopping cart program.

 

7)      Google XML Sitemaps (download here): Notifies Google every time you update your site.

 

8 )      Lightbox2 (download here): I use this to set up galleries, such as my Fan Art gallery, and it displays pics at full size without distorting your blog setup.

 

9)      PrestoGifto (download here): Integrates your Café Press store into your blog.

 

10)  ReCAPTCHA (download here): Fights spam by requiring a random security word picture with each comment.

 

11)  WP Super cache (download here): Speeds up your blog by turning slow loading PHP into HTML on the client side.

 

Installing plugins is usually as simple as using an FTP program to upload the unzipped plugin to your site, depositing the new plugin’s folder in your wp-contents/plugins folder.  (I use CuteFTP as my FTP application of choice, but there are many available.)  Once you’ve signed into your WordPress site, go to Plugins, then hit “activate” after each new plugin.

 

Well, that’s enough for this week, I would imagine.  Next week, I’ll start getting into details of getting your site up to speed, such as how to install Project Wonderful ads, changing background colors, and modifying your blog header.

 

Scott.

Web Wednesday No. 1

Finding Your Inner Promoter:

 

Most cartoonists, and artists in general, would prefer to just sit and draw and cartoon.  I’ve often been in the position, when engulfed in website work and business, that all I really wanted to become a cartoonist for was to draw.  A great many artists are naturally shy, are a bit introverted, and have rich inner lives.  I know what this is like, because all this describes me.  Over the years, in the indie comic world and the webcomic world, I’ve met a great number of folks who are just like me in this regard.  (Indeed, it’s shocking how man pudgy, balding guys with facial hair and glasses I’ve met who do the exact same thing I do!)

 

Being introverted is just fine, especially if you are drawing for your own amusement and nothing else.  Being a cartoonist, especially a webcartoonist, means that you have to break out of your shell and learn how to be a salesman and community builder.

 

If you are a natural salesman, and a real people person, then good for you!  This is not written for you, and you can stop reading now.  If you are a member of the “everyone else” subset of people, then take heart—you can learn to be a salesman, and to wear many hats.

 

Hats are as good an analogy as any for all the roles you will have to fill as a webcartoonist.  Not only do you have to cartoon, but you have to be a webmaster, a salesman, a promoter, a community builder, and a business person all wrapped into one person. 

 

What I’m not writing about here is how to close a sale, or how to write a press release, or how to do a book signing, or any of that.  There are great guides available for these things on the web and in bookstores.  No, what I’m referring to is changing your attitude and learning to step out of your comfortable shell and put on the promoter’s hat.  You have to promote yourself, because it’s unlikely anyone will do it for you.

 

First up, you have to put aside any distaste you might have of salesmanship, merchandising, and becoming commercial.  In the beginning you may well feel that you are an ‘Artist’ with a capital ‘A,’ and that commerce and sales are somehow beneath you.  Maybe you’ve never actually expressed this, but you may well feel it subconsciously, as if becoming commercial were ‘selling out.’  I won’t address the whole issue of ‘selling out’; if you have issues with it, get out in the commercial world for a few years, earn a living, pay your bills, and see art for what it is: A product.  You are a producer, and your art is a product, and as such it has a value.  If you can’t deal with this, then you may well enjoy a long career as a fine artist, and maybe your work will become quite valuable after you die.

 

Next, learn to tell everyone about your work.  Tell family, friends, acquaintances, perfect strangers, everyone!  Learn to mingle with crowds and introduce people to your work!  Learn public speaking, and spread the word!  Pass out business cards everywhere you go to everyone you meet!  (My webcomic has its own business card, for example.)  Wear shirts with your characters and URL whenever it is socially acceptable to do so.  Comics are meant to be shared! 

 

Have confidence.  You have to believe that your webcomic is simply the coolest thing ever, that you are doing people a favor by telling them about it.  Do you feel uncomfortable taking money for your product?  Do you routinely cut special deals for people you like or feel sorry for?  Stop It!  Find the right price and stick to it!  If people want your art, and they have the money for it, they’ll buy it!  If they want it, and they don’t have the money, they won’t!  (But, maybe later, when they do have the money, they’ll be back.)  That’s just basic marketing—it’s not personal, it’s business!

 

Don’t be a Luddite.  I’ve met so many art school students who ‘don’t do the computer thing,’ or just aren’t interested in the internet.  This astounds me whenever I hear it—there was no internet to speak of when I went to high school and college!  I have avidly watched for and usually adopted every new technological advance or internet trend that has come along!  Some younger people may believe that being aloof from the net makes them cool, or rebellious, or different, or whatever.  It doesn’t.  It makes them turtles in the age of hares. 

 

So, if you learn to sell, have confidence in your work, learn to casually talk with everyone, and use the computer for all it’s worth, you are well on your way to becoming a promoter!

The Cafe Press Store is Here!

Hi, Folks!

I got our Johnny Saturn Cafe Press site integrated with the blog tonight! You can find all fourteen cool items under the Cafe Press Swag page under the Store. My personal favorite is the Johnny Saturn mug, which is quite large and great for my morning (and all day long) coffee. I wore the Johnny Saturn black baseball hat, and several of the shirts, at Wizard World Chicago, and so did Benita–We were stylin! While the store in general is not set up yet, and probably won’t be fully functional until next week, the Cafe Press store is primed and ready to go.

So far, during the set-up and fine tuning of the site, I haven’t advertised. That’s about to change. Johnny Saturn has been running on the web for years, but I used to take the scattershot approach–I hosted the comic in up to four places at once, and I spread myself around various websites, forums, and social networking sites. This time, it’s different, because I’m pulling everything together under this single site. The old business plan worked fine for a long time, but the web changes often, and webcartoonists have to remain flexible. I’ve been doing a webcomic for long enough that at one time or another I’ve probably made every mistake that can be made–luckily, I’ve learned a lot along the way, and done my fair share right things too. I guess it’s time to level-up.

More tomorrow!

Scott