I just finished this very well written book on how to make webcomics. If I have to make one complaint, it’s the title of this book. Instead of “How to Make Webcomics”, it should be “How to Make Webcomics for a Living”. I would say two third of the book is dedicated to helping you market your webcomics, sell your merchandise, manage your fans, attend comics conventions, etc, and the main focus of the book is to tell you what kind of attitude you should have if you want to make a living out of making webcomics. Without quoting anything from the book, here are some of my understandings:

• You need to work very very hard. (Currently I only make one webcomic per week. That, would make me a beggar on the street if I don’t have a second job.)
• You can’t please everyone. Be yourself, and your niche audience will come to you.
• Please the ones who feed you. Be nice to your fans. Be polite. Act professional.
• Sell things that make money, particularly products that have high profit margins.
• Beware of IP farms who want to steal your comic copyrights.

What about the remaining one third of the book? It doesn’t teach you how to draw but it does teach you how to fine-tune your comic. The reason behind not teaching you how to draw is understandable, because in the world of webcomics, there are so many different styles and even people who draw horribly can enjoy a marvelous readership. The lessons on fine-tuning your comics is very admirable, and there are unexpected lessons such as the placement of speech bubbles, designing unique major characters for your comic, creative writing and story arc development.

I don’t think there are a lot of books out there with the information the authors have provided in the book. At a good price of $12.99 USD, all webcomic artists should give it a read. But if you want to learn how to draw, this book might not be for you.

Title: How to Make Webcomics
Authors: by Brad Guigar, Dave Kellett, Scott Kurtz, Kris Straub
ISBN: 978-1-58240-870-5

I want to thank The Floating Lightbulb for giving me an interview in July 2008. I forgot to provide a link on this site when the interview first appeared, but here it is.