Webcomics Reviews & Interviews

- Season 3

(2019)

Toxic masculinity is not the only kind of toxicity that a writer should avoid. We look at when writers need to back off a little on feminist and racist topics, looking at why Rim of the World is a racist movie, Jack (Will and Grace) is too Jack, and Zoe (grown-ish) isn't that grown, as well as compare Ghostbuster (1984) with Ghstbusters (1016). We look at better ways of handling the topic, such as Boondocks and Static Shock, as well as why Conan isn't the misogynist everyone thinks he is.

Magic is used mostly as a deux ex machina in far too many comics. We discuss different thoughts on how to properly integrate magic into a world, from different schools of magic, to magic items and spellbooks. How magic affects the world is briefly looked at, as well as how wizards may organize. The limits of magic are discussed as well as what happens when you have crossover issues. Lastly: Sincerest apologies to Avatar: The Last Airbender creators for mangling the name so often..

Food is something that you need to think about when world-building and so we explore what kind of fun you can have with it. We look at how you need to allow for where it comes from, from field to hydroponic bay, and how gives your world an extra dimension from celebrations to the everyday. We also look at how it sets the mood and how it can be used symbolically. We also briefly look at those who eat electricity and blood, and porridge's place in the circle of life is looked at. A lot.

Interview with the creator of The Stuffed, an all-ages comic in the vein of Calvin and Hobbes but from Suzie's perspective. And with more stuffed animals. We discuss the importance of character interactions and why they need to complement each other. We also look at how you can keep a secret in the open. Also, we dissect his marketing approach, and how you can take advantage of it.

One of the problems that creators have is making money from their art. We look at how popular you need to be before you should start worrying about making a profit. We also look at how to properly place advertising on your site as well as take a very brief look at merchandising. We explore the difference between sponsors and affiliates, and some of the possible issues. We also look at the basics of crowdsourcing and tip jars, and how to set them up for maximum profit.

The following webcomics were reviewed in this podcast: Taiduo (4/5/3/4), Wizard Along The Way (3/3/2/2.67), and Galebound (4/3/4/3.67) [Please note that the numbers following the titles are ratings for writing/art/website design on a 1-5 scale followed by the average.]

Rutger Hauer passed on July 24, 2019. This is a look back at his movies and what lessons we as writers can learn from them. This includes looks at Osterman Weekend, Ladyhawke, Flesh+Blood, Blind Fury, Blood of Heroes, Wedlock, Surviving the Game, Crossworlds, Lexx (don't ask), and some silly little movie that we all need to forget the 2049 version of..

In this episode, the following webcomics are reviewed: Random Slice of Life (3/3/5/3/3.17), Theurgy (4/3/4/3.7), and How To Be A Werewolf (5/4/5/4.7). [Please note that the numbers following the titles are Writing/Art/Design on a 1-5 scale followed by the average.]

Writers strangely ignore all of the additional symbolism a solid fighting style can give their characters. We look briefly at the symbolism inherent to wearing armor, wielding weapons, and even how a character fights, and how looking at and specifying those can be used to create a much more solid character.

Your supporting characters can fill so many different roles: They can help define your characters and setting, add depth to your characters, and expand their abilities. We look at why sidekicks are hated and the difference between sidekicks and minions. We look at the different roles friends and families play in a story, and the differences between pets and familiars. We also show how hunters add to the tension and even be allies. In short, we look at how the little people fill big shoes.

In the episode, the following webcomics are reviewed: Lonely Vincent Bellingham (4/5/4/4-1/3), Misfile (4/3/4/3-2/3), and The Adventures of Echo Callaway (4/5/3/4). [The numbers are grades for Writing/Art/Web Design on a 1-5 scale and the average.]

The Law of Nature is that every animal has a niche; when you look at political structures you note that every person fills a niche. We're exploring how people fit into the web of politics, and look at static versus dynamic structures, how political structures change depending on how well established they are, and even look at just how scary a person outside the chain of command can be.

Where we discuss CGI comics, how important passion is when it comes to art, and the cost of a good comic. We also discuss cultural issues as they apply to comics and dealing with those differences. Bloodbound is on The Duck webcomics webcomic site.

Interview with Chris Hazelton of Misfile and 6 Gun Mage. We discuss what it takes to work at such a long-running series, concluding it, and then starting over. We also discuss how to make two comics look different and the problems with running two such different comics.

Diversity in comics is a touchy subject. On one hand, your comic can only benefit from having a wide range of characters but on the other you want to avoid token characters. We look at the problems with having diversity and how to solve those problems for better comics.

Interview with Juan Rosario of Juan Love Apparel. We discuss the importance of having a story, why you need to consider constantly be updating your inventory, and the advantages of updating your goods, as well as some suggestions on how to handle your merch. The idea is to have a little fun with it and go from there.

It's Artists Month once again. Today we are stepping back and looking at the four traditional jobs artists have and how a comic artist can use them to do better comic art. This means looking at the penciller (he who does the roughs), the inker (he who takes it the finals), the colorist (master of tones of gray and color), and the letterer (ninja of the comic world), and how they communicate. We also look at the visual bible.

We discuss his upcoming comic Jarhead, a supernatural/military comic. Besides his comic, the role of black writers, some of his interview issues, and why we need more black representation in comics and movies is discussed. Note: A longer, more explicit version is available on Patreon.

One of the problems a lot of comics have is limited consistency: They just aren't drawn in the same manner every time. That is, vehicles, bases, even uniforms are drawn differently each time. As this creates readership issues, it's something that needs to be worked on. As such, we look at the importance of various details, as well as the basics on how to set up a visual bible, in hopes of maintaining readers and better art.

Interview with Arlen Schumer, pop historian and illustrator. We discuss the Twilight Zone's effect on pop culture, Scorsese issues with superhero movies, and generally have fun with a number of side topics. An unedited version is available at the Patreon page.

Comic artists tend to over-use the same basic medium and close shots. We look at expanding that a little bit by looking at how camera shots can be used in comics as well as some advanced concepts. ranging from insert shots to zoom-in/zoom-out transitions. We even look at narration and flashbacks. Hopefully, this will help you look for other ways to have fun with your art.

Critics don't always get it right. We look at why there's a difference between what critics, artists, and everyone else are looking for in a particular. I also look at why critics should avoid genres they don't like, shouldn't charge for reviews, and shouldn't go in with a bias. There's also a swipe at some director and a website of frozen women.

Character designs can be hard. We look at how different materials can hep define characters, as well as add to plot elements such as themes as foreshadowing. We also look at how tight a character's clothes defines their confidence, and why naked characters are usually honorable ones. Throw in a quick look at their jewelry and we show how what you wear is important.