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How To Create An Sucessful Series


~kh

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Yeah, Autodude12 asked me for this. Thought I'd do it, me being the nice guy I am. This uses some other strips and my experiences to get my point across. So, without further ado...

 

HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL SERIES

 

First off, remember this: Grammar, Graphics, and Humor define your series. If you have one of them, it commences your existence to others as a Comic Expert, two of them convinces your existence to others as a Comic Expert, all of them confirm your existence as an Comic Expert.

 

More on all those subjects later. Right now we should get to the actual steps:

 

1) Get Yourself Known.

This was important, and is most easy when you are new. When I first started, I went around and posted in different topics and got myself somewhat known so that people would at least know my name when they first saw my topic. Many people, myself included, are more likely to click on a topic that's made by someone they know. I said this is better when you are new because more people who haven't seen your graphic skills will be even more likely to click on it just to find out if they are good. The more people know you, the more people go to your topic, that's simple. However, remember to be humble about it. You must be a likable person to have people to like you. That's a basic part of associating with humans in general, but I thought I should point that out.

 

2) Good Humor/Storyline

This is also vital. Most comics today have either epic comics, comedy comics, or a mix of the two. Either way, you need to make sure that they both are healthy and strong. For LLL, most of my humor was inspired by the television comedy Home Improvement. Note that it is better to study humor structure and things like that from more family-oriented comedies, so that it can appeal to everyone. Comedic television shows that are aimed towards kids tend to appeal only towards their intended audience, and since most of the viewers here are teenagers, it tends to insult their intelligence. Witty comments tend to outweigh slapstick comedy, so keep that in mind. Also, it's a pretty good idea to have a ending punchline, as that sums up the comic, thus making it complete, and if done right, leaves readers begging for more. For epics, read a good novel, or even a good graphic novel, that has a great storyline, characters, plot twists, and more.

 

3) Text

The best comics are ones that don't have you squinting at the screen, looking for a phrase or word that blends in with the background, or have you trying to figure out what does that font say, or is just overall hard to read. This causes an interruption which stops the joke in it's tracks, and turns an otherwise great punchline into a bomb. Some get around this by putting an outline around the text or using speech bubbles. Regardless, it is important to separate the words from the background. Another thing to take in mind is placement. People read from left-to-right, and it is natural for people to read text chunks the same way. Always make sure that the text from the person speaking first to the person speaking last always goes from left to right. Putting one from right to left always leads to confusion and interrupt the joke.

 

4) Grammar and Spelling

This is what separates the noobs from the experts, Ladies and Gentlemen. It's not graphics, it's not humor, what separates them is grammar and spelling. By this fact alone, people can automatically tell if you're a noob or if you're a comic expert. Why is this so important? Because by the quality of your grammar and spelling people can tell whether you epically fail or win. People always like things easy, and easy reading in comics has become a hard thing to find in comic forums. Graphics and humor, those are sometimes hard to do, but spelling and grammar are easy: you use them every day in school. They set apart the noob from the expert, the fail from the win, anything you can think of. Even if your graphics and humor stinks, if you have good spelling and grammar, that is your saving grace. Remember, only a expert comic maker takes the time to put good spelling and grammar in his comics. If you're an expert, you do so, if you're a noob, you don't. Easy as that.

 

5) Graphics

Most people know that I'm no slacker in the graphics department, and that's true. Graphics make your story a comic. They are sometimes the greatest aspect of the strip, and if done in a mind-blowing way, can even distract you well enough that you won't concentrate on the lesser-done story. Take the Season One Finale of Generic Quest, for example. It didn't have a huge plot-twist, or focused extremely on the storyline. If it had ended with the usual graphics, it wouldn't have been as noticed. However, the GQSOF is arguably the greatest strips of all time. Why? Because of the graphics. Yes, the story was okay, but it wasn't anything special or new or surprising. It was because of Dokuma's graphic skills that it became great. Of course, graphics aren't everything, as the strip Barely Legal proved. However, they are a great asset to having people enjoy your comics a lot more.

 

6) Kits

This matter, actually, is more geared towards flavor, as some people like some kits and others like some other kits. I will say however, that if you want to go for a more professional look, go with multi-color kits, preferably those without a black border. They really make your comics look very professional.

 

7) Research

Pick out what you think is the best comic you've ever seen and the worst you've ever seen. What made the great one great and the worst one worst? Study those things, and try not to make those mistakes. Also, try looking at a popular comic maker's comics. What made them popular in the first place? Was it a new take, better graphics, longer panels? Also, ask popular comic makers (the more active ones, of course) for advice on anything you need help with in your comics. Not only is it a way to "hint" to the comic maker to look at your topic, it also will improve your comics overall.

 

8) Stereotypes

There is a common mistake over people using too many stereotypes. People don't want to see the same stuff they see in other comics. Obviously, the people who created the stereotypes in the first place are much more experienced than you, if they offer the same only better, why go to your topic? Ask yourself "Why should people come to my topic rather than someone else? What do my comics offer that you can't get anywhere else?" One thing that is fun to do is put a spin on a stereotype, like having a dumb comic maker with intelligent co-characters, or having a series on the construction people who rebuild all those studios that get blown up. LLL's main point was to put a real life spin on life as a comic maker (rent, lawsuits, insurance salesmen), something which had not been done in the Artwork III Forum before. People came all around to see LLL, simply because there was nowhere else to go to to see this kind of humor.

 

9) Take Criticism

Don't take criticism personally. That's the worst thing you can do. I've seen this happen many times, where a person thinks that someone who doesn't like his comic hates him personally. They are not attacking you. They are attacking your comic. That isn't to say that there isn't some weird person out there who will say "lulz u stink an so do ur comiks. nao ur a epik lozer." When that person comes, report him. But draw the line between personal criticism and constructive criticism. If people don't like your comic, they have to post something that says why they don't like it (it's BZP rules). Use that criticism to improve your comic. Now, remember, though, that there is a thin line. If someone says "no u shouldnt do a comedi u should do epik" or something that would totally change the focal point of the series, it's your choice to say no. After all, it is your series. But you should carefully examine each comment to see if there is something you should change. If you want to be popular, you have to please the public. If the public isn't pleased, you don't become popular, that's Comic Making Success in a nutshell.

 

That's about it, I think. Tell me if there's anything I missed...

 

:k::h:

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I'm sorry KH, but frankly you're far too new to make a guide like this.

 

Your points are very flawed.

 

"Barely Legal" didn't prove you don't need graphics to make a good comic. H*ll no. This was proven way back in the beginning of BZPower comics.

 

Seriously, that was epic fail what you wrote there.

 

Your points aren't explained in good detail (but I guess it's a good general thing). That and you might wanna link to this to accompany your Stereotypes part.

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It's supposed to be for new members, VTP. "Barely Legal" is the only funny horrible graphics one out there.

 

Besides, this was all in a PM I sent to Autodude12 and I thought I should put it in the blog.

 

However, I do realize that I've run out of sig room, so before an admin removes my entire sig, I'll have to remove the link...

 

:k::h:

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First off, remember this: Grammar, Graphics, and Humor define your series. If you have one of them, it commences your existence to others as a Comic Expert, two of them convinces your existence to others as a Comic Expert, all of them confirm your existence as an Comic Expert.

 

If that's right, I'm an almost perfect comic maker :P.

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