What is love the most about cons and events like Toronto Comic Arts Festival is the panels. The beauty of the panels is that you would hear so many different voices and opinions. The beauty of TCAF versus many cons is the intimate nature and the ability to converse with everyone without any trepidations. During this weekend, I spent loads of time talking with webcomic creators and going to panels that bring up webcomics as a new form of media and creativity!
Some of the panels I went to are What Women Want: Writing Comics for Women with Lianne Sentar (Sparkler), Meags Fitzgerald (Long Red Hair), Sophie Goldstein (The Oven), & Kim Hoang (Love Love Hill) and The Evolved Form of Webcomics with Nicole Chartrand (Fey Winds) & Mildred Louis (Agents of the Realm). You should read all these ladies’ comics and webcomics.
- The first webcomic that was ever produced happened in 1985.
- The webcomics in the 90s looked like newspaper strips.
- From 2001 onwards, there were more production of webcomics and more elaborate designs and styles.
- Around the early 2000s, after recognizing the web was used as more of a platform, there was more mainstream recognition like awards.
- Webcomics have become easier to make because webdesign became easier, marketing and success has become diverse. In the sense, social media has expanded where you can get new readers
Tripping Over You by Suzana & Owen
- Webcomics need to be on social media to be easily marketed by the creator and the readers can interact with the comic and the creators.
- NEVER SAVE YOUR FILE AT 72 dpi… Aim for a minimum of 300 dpi, even for the slimmest chance that you will print.
- The internet is the opposite of mainstream media for it has more diverse voices because it is easier to find an audience in a global trotting device.
- The future of comics is getting produced from the people and products on the internet.
- There are multiple sites that outline the best webcomics. You can find it on Top-Webcomics and Best-Webcomics.
Sandra and Woo by Oliver Knörzer & Puri Andini
- Publishing world has not caught up with the webcomic trends
- The webcomic industry is vast and is filled with other stories that need to be read.
- There is a global community that wants these stories and are not getting it elsewhere.
- There is no right formula for success with webcomics.
- Webcomics usually start with the creator having an idea for a story they would have loved to read.
