It might be just you or something.
[Webcomic] PVP Discussion
- Thread starter Dei
- Start date
Congratulations, you just wrote the next week of PVP.
Today's is funny.
figmentPez
Staff member
I think it works because the characters are having a chance to react naturally as who they are. It's a lesson I've heard a number of cartoonists mention, most notably Bill Amend, that when you've got established characters sometimes you just throw a situation at your established strip, and the reactions write the gags for you.
Today's was on-time and funny.
Should we bring up the blog post about newspapers? 
I don't know, why he continues to harp on the issue, it would seem that old guard newspaper cartoonists keep proving it need to be harped on. How anyone can refer to webcomics as the realm of part timers when Penny Arcade is a multimedia mini-empire is beyond me.Should we bring up the blog post about newspapers?
eh, I mean define good living.
I could think of 10-20 where they do the web comic full time. Now I don't know if they're eating peanut butter sandwiches every night but they make a living off of it.
I think this is the sticking point. I can think of at least 5-10 who make a nice living off of doing their comics, but I don't know how many are out there pulling in just enough to not be out on the streets. For every Penny Arcade, Girl Genius, and Doctor McNinja, there are literally a dozen Real Lifes, Wapsi Squares, and Menage a 3s... and the defining quality usually isn't quality. There are A LOT of excellent webcomics out there.
The biggest quantifier of success seems to be the ability to take your comic and turn it into a steady stream of convention appearances, comic collections, and a line of merchandise... but none of that is actually related to making the actual comics, and it's something most newspaper cartoonists never had to worry about because they literally had teams of guys to handle that sort of thing.
From what I understand, that isn't that different from the newspaper model, at least the early stages of it. However, if you look at the actual quote from the guy (emphasis mine):
He seems to not realize that the code was cracked over a decade ago. It is difficult, it does require years of audience building and more work on your part, but that does not make it a mystery. It is a disservice to the people who do make a living at it (many of whom did have to "crack the code") to imply that no one does.
If Real Life wasn't horribad, I wouldn't be eager to see them out on the street.
The art hasn't changed much since inception (Adding colour, check. Using same illustrator character files, oops) and the writing is less than stellar. And it's only got more insipid. But yes, some highlights way back when.
So it's basically like a normal Sit-Com's lifespan? Starts out good and interesting, but the characters became shallow copies of themselves over the years, refusing to change, in order to keep the audience.
AshburnerX, you verily speaketh the truth without knowing.
First comic ever:
Newest Comic:
With Mr. Dean, you have to realize a.) that's his drawing style, and b.) he doesn't take this whole thing seriously. Oh, and c.) he has a couple of mouths to feed, so d.) he has a real job that does interfere with his comic writing.
Oh, and e.) his comic has always been slightly goofy.
Oh, and e.) his comic has always been slightly goofy.
