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My Cage from Nov 29, 2009


I seriously don't get why some creators are still trying to make it primarily as a syndicated comic. A few weeks ago My Cage even had strips begging readers to ask their newspaper to carry the strip.

It's a comic about a middle-aged geek who makes weird observations about pop-culture and geekdom, while working at a dead-end job and having a too hot for him girlfriend. It could have a decent online following... but you can't read it online very easily. You have to do some URL editing to get Sunday strips out of Chron.com, and I don't know any other place to read My Cage. The creators have a blog they've updated a grand total of 5 times this year. I just don't get it.

figmentPez said:

The creators have a blog they've updated a grand total of 5 times this year. They just don't get it.

Click to expand...

FTFY.

Seriously though, it could be because the creator has a safe zone with Newspaper contracts, working on tips can be scary. If they can keep a paper gig though they should be able to update frequently enough to keep it going online.

Some people just don't believe in the webcomic system. They want to be "in the papers" because they're stuck in the 20th century mindset that how widely syndicated you are is the primary measure of your success.

Kurtz would probably just scream at the guy for a few hours about how he sucks because he wanted to keep trying newspapers for so long, then throw a few rocks at him and drive off laughing hysterically to himself.

Dusty668 said:

Seriously though, it could be because the creator has a safe zone with Newspaper contracts, working on tips can be scary. If they can keep a paper gig though they should be able to update frequently enough to keep it going online.

Click to expand...

Yeah, but it's more than just being in a safe zone with the Newspaper. The comic has almost zero web presence. Even if they want to focus on being syndicated, you'd think they'd at least want to use the web to promote their books. Heck, the strip seems made for plush toys and other merchandise as well.

Sunday Comics Time Tunnel

URL editing already done for you. Courtesy of The Comics Curmudgeon.

Bleh. That was a pretty meh comic about something everybody knows anyway. It's just the heroes journey which, as tvtropes would say, is Older Than Dirt.

DarkAudit said:

Sunday Comics Time Tunnel

URL editing already done for you. Courtesy of The Comics Curmudgeon.

Click to expand...

Awesome, thank you.

Hi all,

Just saw this thread. I know it's old, but it's interesting (well, to me at least )

Let me see if I can answer some questions:

"I seriously don't get why some creators are still trying to make it primarily as a syndicated comic."

Well, for one thing, we're under contract plus they pay us.

"It's a comic about a middle-aged geek"

Actually, Norm is 28. He's just prematurely balding.

"a too hot for him girlfriend"

That's my bad. I can't tell the attractiveness of cartoon characters. if I realized Bridget was as 'hot' as readers think she is I would've had it toned down. Instead I've incorporated it. On the up side, Maureen refuses to date guys who aren't hot, so I hope that balances it.

"but you can't read it online very easily"

If you go to our website (www.mycagecomic.com) there's a widget on the die that will take you to a paper that carries it 7 days a week.

"The creators have a blog they've updated a grand total of 5 times this year"

We pretty much dumped the blog for our website (www.mycagecomic.com). we do need to update that mopre often though. It's tough when you have a day job. It's kind of a trap. I can't devote as much timeas I want to the strip because of my day job, and I can't quit my day job unless the strip takes off.

"working on tips can be scary"

True dat. Especially with my wife laid off. ZOINKS!

"They want to be "in the papers" because they're stuck in the 20th century mindset that how widely syndicated you are is the primary measure of your success."

Actually, I got a development contract prior to the collapse of the paper industry. Plus, the syndicate has been really good to us.

"it could be hugely popular on the webs"

Actually, we seem to be more popular on the web then in papers.

"Kurtz would probably just scream at the guy for a few hours about how he sucks because he wanted to keep trying newspapers for so long, then throw a few rocks at him and drive off laughing hysterically to himself."

Well, that doesn't sound fun.

"you'd think they'd at least want to use the web to promote their books"

we have used our blog, website and twitter account to promote our first book:

https://www.createspace.com/3415444

or...

http://www.amazon.com/Cage-Year-One...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263994100&sr=8-2

Any other suggestions are welcome. I admit, I'm new to this. I'm not normally a writer. I'm a t-com supervisor who got lucky with a comic strip proposal.

"Heck, the strip seems made for plush toys and other merchandise as well"

It does seem so, but toy companies aren't lined up to take a chance on a new strip.

"Courtesy of The Comics Curmudgeon"

Hey! I post there!

Again, I hope this opens and interesting dialogue.

Later!

Best,
-Ed Power
writer of 'My Cage'

Wow! Thanks for the response, Ed.

Just a bit of history on this site. We started as the fan forum attached to Scott Kurtz's PvP webcomic, until he decided that administering and paying for a forum was not something he wanted to do. Because of that, most of us here are webcomic-centric as opposed to the syndicated way of things.

I think you have some very valid points, but one thing that is very noticeable is that comics are one of the first things dropped when a newspaper has to cut back. We see this as happening more and more across the country. What most of us do not understand is how the syndicates can continue to pay comics and artists when their revenue stream is rapidly drying up due to the loss of readership to an online format that is free.

I hope you took the thread to mean that we like you because we really do. We wish you nothing but the best and feel that you won't be able to take off and meet your comic's full potential unless you go online instead of being beholden to a dying medium.

And welcome to the boards, even if this is the only thread you visit!

---------- Post added at 08:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:30 AM ----------

One more note, I love the irony that is your web site. First, the comic is very timely to the conversation...even though the site hasn't been updated in a month.

Dave said:

\\"a too hot for him girlfriend\\" That's my bad. I can't tell the attractiveness of cartoon characters. if I realized Bridget was as 'hot' as readers think she is I would've had it toned down. Instead I've incorporated it. On the up side, Maureen refuses to date guys who aren't hot, so I hope that balances it.

Click to expand...

For me, it's not so much how she looks, it's how Norm treats her. My impression is that he thinks she's much more attractive than he is. It doesn't matter what I think of her, but how the characters in the strip treat her. I like that aspect of their relationship, as I've seen it in real life in many cases. (Going both directions, actually. I've had girlfriends who were convinced I was too attractive to be dating them, despite that I thought they were beautiful.)

\\"but you can't read it online very easily\\" If you go to our website (www.mycagecomic.com) there's a widget on the die that will take you to a paper that carries it 7 days a week.
\\"The creators have a blog they've updated a grand total of 5 times this year\\" We pretty much dumped the blog for our website (www.mycagecomic.com). we do need to update that mopre often though. It's tough when you have a day job. It's kind of a trap. I can't devote as much timeas I want to the strip because of my day job, and I can't quit my day job unless the strip takes off.

Click to expand...

I'm a lazy fan. The blog even has some entries mentioning the website, and I never updated bookmarks. For oblivious fans, such as myself, I'd make one last post to the blog so that the first entry is a link to the site you're updating. Thanks for taking the time to post here and clear up my ignorance. I really do enjoy My Cage.

\\\"Kurtz would probably just scream at the guy for a few hours about how he sucks because he wanted to keep trying newspapers for so long, then throw a few rocks at him and drive off laughing hysterically to himself.\\"

Well, that doesn't sound fun.

Click to expand...

Scot Kurtz (creator of the webcomic PvP) has a very rocky relationship with the print industry... and with his fans... and women... and critics... and... well, he's not a horrible person, just an opinionated hothead.

\\"Heck, the strip seems made for plush toys and other merchandise as well\\"

It does seem so, but toy companies aren't lined up to take a chance on a new strip.

Click to expand...

At least a few webcomics have made plushes or statuettes on their own (Scott Kurtz has made plushes of Skull the Troll. Kris Straub offers a plush of one of his Starslip Crisis characters. Applegeeks had a statuette of Eve done) . I woudln't mind owning a Squishy plush myself. However, I know that plushes are tough because of stricter regulations for toys than for decorative items like statuettes.

Unless life continues to be overwhelmingly busy, I've started a letter to my local paper. I'm going to ask for My Cage to get put back into print. It's much better than some of the dreck that's replaced it.

@ Dave,

“Thanks for the response, Ed.”

Thanks for talking about the strip.

“Just a bit of history on this site. We started as the fan forum attached to Scott Kurtz's PvP webcomic, until he decided that administering and paying for a forum was not something he wanted to do. Because of that, most of us here are webcomic-centric as opposed to the syndicated way of things.”

I figured you guys were PvP fans, but I didn’t know the connection. Thanks.

“I think you have some very valid points, but one thing that is very noticeable is that comics are one of the first things dropped when a newspaper has to cut back.”

Yeah. It’s weird but understandable. Even though the comics page is a big draw in papers, it’s easier to drop comics (obviously) then to lay off a friend/co-worker.

“What most of us do not understand is how the syndicates can continue to pay comics and artists when their revenue stream is rapidly drying up due to the loss of readership to an online format that is free.”

Well, it’s weird. I read somewhere that some higher-up at McDonald’s said they’re not in the burger business; they’re in the real estate business. It’s kind of the same thing with comic syndication. Each space on a newspaper page is a payment the syndicate gets from that paper. By offering a variety of strips, there’s a greater chance of getting one of those spots.

So, basically if a strip stays enough papers to make a profit for the Syndicate, you’re ok. If you drop to the point where it cost more to print then they pull in from the amount of papers your in, you’re canceled (by then, in a lot of cases the artist can decide the strip isn’t worth doing if it’s not going to make them famous, or they might be able to make more money by doing something else).

So, basically most of the strips you see are turning a profit of some kind. And even if it’s not much of one, it’s more of one then if that strips spots went to other syndicates.

Does that make sense?

Plus, if one happens to become the next ‘Peanuts’ or ‘Garfield’…even better!

I think people are looking for something less dry then that, but really it’s all just numbers.

“I hope you took the thread to mean that we like you because we really do. We wish you nothing but the best”

Thanks, and even if you hate us, feel free to tell me why. I won’t learn nuffin’ other wise. I’m a regular reader and occasional poster on Comics Curmudgeon, so I can take it. J

“and feel that you won't be able to take off and meet your comic's full potential unless you go online instead of being beholden to a dying medium.”

Well, right now that medium is allowing me to keep my house while my wife finishes school. We would like to have a bigger web presence though, so if you have any suggestions we’re open to them. We’ve come up with some ideas of our own which we hope to be introducing by the end of the month.
Must people who read us seem to like us, it’s just figuring out how to get more people to know we exist. And again…we’re open to suggestions.

“And welcome to the boards, even if this is the only thread you visit!”

Thanks!

“One more note, I love the irony that is your web site. First, the comic is very timely to the conversation...even though the site hasn't been updated in a month.”

Yeah. As I’ve said, we don’t have much freetime.

---------- Post added at 03:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:15 PM ----------

@ figmentPez,

“For me, it's not so much how she looks, it's how Norm treats her. My impression is that he thinks she's much more attractive than he is. It doesn't matter what I think of her, but how the characters in the strip treat her.”

It’s odd you say that, because most reader reaction was that Bridget was too hot for Norm which is why I started mentioning it. J It’s even listed on out tvtropes page 9which we do not maintain):

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MyCage

“I like that aspect of their relationship, as I've seen it in real life in many cases.”

I guess, but I’m tired of the double standard presented in the media so I was upset we seem to be part of it.

“For oblivious fans, such as myself, I'd make one last post to the blog so that the first entry is a link to the site you're updating.”

Excellent idea. It is odd to me that everyone seems to know about the blog and know one seems to know about the website. The website actually come up first on the seach engines I’ve checked. Weird.

“Scot Kurtz (creator of the webcomic PvP) has a very rocky relationship with the print industry... and with his fans... and women... and critics... and... well, he's not a horrible person, just an opinionated hothead.”

I’m familiar with Scott and Pvp. I don’t know if I’d call him hotheaded, but definitely sure of himself and opinionated. But, I like opinionated, so maybe that’s why the hothead things doesn’t jump out at me. To me hotheaded implys 'not well thought out' and he always seems to have a point to what he's saying whether people agree with it or not.

“I woudln't mind owning a Squishy plush myself.”

Aside from the compilation book, that is our most frequent request. Im still not sure how to go about it though. Like I said, I’m an IT guy moonlighting as a writer.

“I've started a letter to my local paper. I'm going to ask for My Cage to get put back into print.”

Thanks. Much appreciated.

I never understood completely the way that syndicates worked with the papers and now see more clearly how you can make a living doing it, how difficult it must be to break into the medium and why comics are being dropped.

1) How you can make a living. I don't need to explain this one. You explained it to me. Did you see the little light bulb go on? :yo:
2) How difficult it must be to break into the medium. This one is also self-evident based on the tenured strips and limited space.
3) Why comics are being dropped. Okay, what you told me makes that little light go on again. Let's look at this from a business outlook.

You are a newspaper publisher. Where does your money come from? Subscriptions and advertising revenue. In some cases even online charges, but I don't have any idea how well this is working out for those who do it. So where does your money go?

Salaries. Losing money = cutting staff = possibly ruining lives.

The Associated Press. This is one place they can't afford to skimp as it's where they get their majority of national/international news. Note that their AP dues are if they run 1 story or 100 (if my memory serves).

Ink/paper/materials. Papers are getting smaller and using cheaper materials to cut back. They can't get much cheaper without a vast technological breakthrough and I don't see a lot of money going into R&D in this sector.

Winnowing the rest down we see that paying the syndicates for comics space is a wholly unnecessary expense! I don't necessarily agree with that, but nobody buys a newspaper to read the comics. They buy it for the news. So when cuts are looming they look at the thing they can afford to lose that costs money & takes up space. Comics. Newspapers have been forced to evolve from the family-friendly item they used to be to be more of an item which targets those who would spend the money.

I really wish I'd have more ideas for you. Right now what WE are trying to do is to be a hub for webcomics (or blogs or cooking sites or...) who want to have a forum for talking about them - like a word of mouth thing. For example, I had never heard of your comic until this thread and I totally dig it and wish I could read more. That's what forums can do for you. Also the utilization of social media can drive traffic to your site, but that's the thing - you have to have a site to go to. You can't drive people to a site with no updates, you can't drive people to a newspaper, etc. So if you are allowed to update the website (as in I don't know the legalities of posting something on your site that is syndicated) you will get more eyes on your product and sell more books.

Books which you can buy for $12.99 from Createspace or Amazon.com! (free plug!)

You are on the right track with updating your page. I hadn't been back since you hadn't but now I will check it out or set it up on my RSS feed.

As always, good luck and hope to see you around here!

Wow! Great to have you here Ed, I've read your strip and enjoyed it in the paper (when I actually pick one up which...well, you know, isn't all that often) and I'll be sure to hit up your site now that I know its online. Stick around and enjoy the place, it's really great to see you answering folks questions.