Comic Turn Offs?

[Kann]

I don't mind those if comic is updated frequently. If that kind of page would be something posted once a month then I would be turned off. xD

[McAmps]

Lol that's true! ^.^ The nice thing about the one page ones that update often are that I'll usually have several pages to read by the time I check.

[Kat]

In no particular order:

-if I legit can't tell characters apart because they all look the same
-Abusive/otherwise destructive relationships shown non-ironically, in a way that celebrates them and pretends they're sexy- which honestly seems to encompass a huge majority of the romance comics I've tried. >_<
-NSFW- both for smut and violence/gore. I can skip an episode here and there if need be, but if you keep throwing it at me, it's not my thing.
-When a really good story gets too rambly or convoluted for too long to the point that I'm like "what the heck is even going on anymore"
-Comic updates that are consistently only one or two panels (that AREN'T comedy/slice of life), tons of Q&A and/or fanarts in a row for months without content- just go on hiatus and work the comic man, stop getting my hopes up.
-Romance comics where the artist is constantly posting lovey dovey art of the couples BEFORE THEY HAVE EVEN HOOKED UP- especially in instances where they start out antagonistically, it just super turns me off. It makes it seem like the entire story is just an obstacle instead of a vehicle to the romance, which I suppose some are, but I don't want to read that.
-Consistently being told rather than shown what is happening.
-Authors who are very forceful about their views in telling readers what to think. YOU tell the story, I decide what I think about it, thank you.

[RandomWebComicFan]

• In my top 5 of comic turn-offs; more-so if we aren't even given their names, so we can distinguish from them better. Or it's a cluttered mess of names in a group of fifteen people.

• YES!! God Jesus, this seems to be especially bad in BL Comics. It's one of the main reasons I honestly hate them.

• I personally don't mind this, for the most part. Situational. There were some comics i'd seen where it was just gratuitous violence that annoyed me more than made me interested.

• Oh Hi Bleach!

• Honestly getting this way with a comic I recently picked up, and one I'd followed for over a year now. I love Fan-art and stuff, I love extras; but c'mon. Dump it in bigger batches and just let people know what to expect for proper updates.

• Someone playing author's mouthpiece with characters almost immediately makes me hit the back arrow and move on with my day. I read comics for enjoyment, not for you to proselytize me and force your beliefs down my throat.

(Sorry, got bored, felt like weighing in :P)

[Rosso]

did i leave a comment here?

1. Colorful haired characters in a modern setting. You know, like an anime with characters having naturally pink, blue, green.. etc hair without explanation.
2. Thumbnail style does not math actual comic. Especially when greeted with a heavily-Western style drawings (super heavy ink, excessive dialogue, overload of details in every single panel...etc. And on that note...
3. Super generic "anime" style with no personal flair at all. The type that looks like straight out of How To Draw Anime books.
4. This is kinda dumb but... if the author is overly defensive, lowkey jackass or passive aggressive, arrogant, or rarely if ever interacts in the comment section. That totally sours the comic for me lol.
5. Majority of the characters act and think (and look?) exactly the same.
6. Stories that keep presenting many questions and take forever to answer ANY of them, if at all. Even worse when plot points are dropped or some major retconning happens for convenience's sake. Give me my damn time back B(
7. 4th wall breaking, excessive pop-culture references and memes in plot-heavy non-comedies.
8. Queer-baiting. 'nuff said.

forgot an important one....

For some reason, i completely lose interest in a webcomic once i realize it's made by a "studio". Like, a bunch of friends doing indie work is fine. But commissioned work from an already established studios where every episode ends with a bunch of credits is just... eh. Too cooperate for my taste. Complete turn off.

[RandomWebComicFan]

Probably going to sound like an asshole for this, but screw it:

I hate it when authors drop off for months at a time into the night without a single word about what's going on with the comic itself. They're active elsewhere, but never give readers any indication of what's going on with the comic in question on here, or even elsewhere. Then when/if it does return, still no word on why it just dropped off for weeks/months/several years to be found.

I certainly understand life happens and all that, and even burnout, I've suffered it myself on many things, but come on, it takes only a few minutes to make an announcement letting people know what's going on. At least just say "I'm alive and stuff, comic will return in "X"" or just let them know it's probably not going to, or you're not sure when it will. It's something at least. Snofaroo, the author of Reckless Tin for example (which is excellent by the by, you should go read it); she always popped in every once in a while to let her readers know about what's going on, and I really appreciate that.

Admittedly just venting a bit, more than a little frustrated about what's going on with what used to be one of my all-time favorite comics.

[lynestjules]

I know most of my peeves have been listed, but here are my top ones:

1. Long explanations/description at any given point in the comic. If I have to read an entire page of text for the introduction or to explain a moment, prop or character, you have lost me. My rule is, if it's longer than a Tintin dialogue bubble, it's too long! I rather it be included into the dialogue. Draw it, don't write it!

2. Art that noticeably changes at every page. It's actually the reason I stopped working on my original version of the comic until I was able to be more consistent. Give yourself time to learn your characters and discover your style before jumping into creating your comic. It's expected to change overtime, but at every page, it's too extreme and inconsistent.

3. A story that feels rushed to get to the action sequences. The whole point of having characters is that the reader is supposed to feel for them, whether it's to love or hate them. A rushed story line, you're missing a lot of information for one thing, but you can't connect with the characters. I rather a story starts off slow. Basically, the more lives you have to control, the longer the slow part of the story has to be, since there's a lot more information that needs to be established.

4. Generic characters. You can have your stereotypes and I have no issues with that at all. But, give them layers! There might be the leader of the group that always does the right thing and calls all the shot and might be the savior. But, make them human as well. Humans are flawed. Make them question things, make bad decisions and then live the consequences of those decisions.

[charliesackett]

I get really bummed out when diversity is shoehorned in in a way that doesn't make any sense to the story and interrupts the flow of the narrative.
DON'T GET ME WRONG I do like seeing diversity but when the author has to make a point of showing how progressive they are just to tick that box off their to do list it annoys me.

Also, making a big deal about pronouns. This is a carry forward from my normal life though because I hate when people make a big deal about asking me my pronouns. I'm actively trying to not think about it so every time it's brought up it's a bummer.

[Mari]

1. Dubcon. Not rape as a plotline (since this can be done "right") but rape that's masked as something romantic or whatever because "boyfriend just so jelly" or some other bs. Nope Nope Nopety Nope
2. At the same time, weird preachy scenes about consent. I have seen this a ton in tapas, where the comic is essentially stopped to deliver a message that consent is good. It's just like.... There are other ways to affirm consent than having a five page discussion about it in the middle of making out, just saying.
3. Matter-of-fact dialogue. I cannot read anything that is too clunky. If the dialogue constantly just jumps from point A to point B, or the exposition is just like unprompted "This is my friend, she is the CEO of xx company but she has a dark secret she is actually a vampire!!!1" I cannot and will not read it.
4. Weeabooism

[joannekwan]

scenes about consent

LOL I was reading a webnovel and the characters kept asking each other if such and such was okay with them and if they were sure during the sex scenes. Totally took me out of it.

[Kann]

About the consent thing - I've seen people ready to take out pitchforks and torches because of one non consensual kiss (one of characters was asleep) and author had to apologize. We get it that consent is important, but both readers and authors take it sometimes way too far... xD

[RandomWebComicFan]

Ayep. I know exactly which comic you're talking about (Ghost Lights - you should read it too!). I kinda get where people come from, there are some... other, comics, that portray almost comically vile 'relationships' that are so corrosive that they could melt Osmium, and some that seem to think the whole 'consent' thing is totally optional, but Bloody Hell; people act like Robin tied the poor kid to a chair and made him kill and eat his grandparents.

Don't think 17th Century Puritans would've reacted as over-the-top as some people did.

[Mari]

@joannekwan

ikr??? It's so weird, it's almost like a PSA. "Listen up kids, smoking kills, and always confirm at length if touching hands is ok with the other person and if possible aquire written consent from all relatives dead or alive five generations back"

[vothnthorvaldson]

I'm also surprised how so many comics are either in the category 'who cares about consent' (yuck) or 'long talk about consent that does not seem necessary in context' (yawn)- I can imagine contexts when it would make sense to have such lengthy discussion, but generally it's not the case.

Is it so hard to depict relationships in a healthy enough way that the question does not have to be actually asked, but the answer simply obtained by the way the relation is portrayed?

[MangoTango]

Damn most of them are listed here now xd
but my top;

• Inconsistency = like for example the character was short in height in the first few pages and all of a sudden they became taller in the others pages without any reason lol.

• Probably fine if this is a cartoon thing,, but the character having one outfit in the entire series xD (??)

• Using generic fonts and clipart like/generic talk balloons?? For me I prefer comic fonts and talk balloons that you made out of yourself synchronizing with your art style xd but that's just me, I don't have much of a problem as long as the story is interesting and the font is readable and orgranized when you read em

• Stiff facial expressions and poses (which I hate myself for this at times for doing it)

• Headshots in all the panels of one episode/page can yall just draw a full body once in a while when neccessary? xd

• Lack of angles and perspectives in the comic hmmm and its just the same angle every time? xd

• All the characters in the comic are slim, sexy, rock toned hard abs, etc . I wanted to see some thiccc characters and more realistic body shapes, it kinda discriminates other people I guess?? :0

• Cliche scenes, cliche characters = popular girls / guys who get fans and all that like what you see in most movies, bullying people who is less popular, etc. I am pretty fine using these things you just gotta give some more unique touch on it.

• Months ago ,, (I don't wanna mention the comic title) I once read this comic where everyone is gay, lesbian and pretty much highlighting "gay" all the time. The titles will always include gay and the author will keep mentioning gay and lesbian in the description consistently. I guess.. tone down a bit with these?? Don't know how to explain why its kinda annoying?? I love gay characters tbh but its kinda annoying when "gay" keeps being mentioned or spoiled like it's such a major deal. I rather like it if it doesn't abuse these terms and treat every situation like it's normal for these to happen?? Hhhh don't know how to explain lol

• Situations that suddenly pop in without any explanation or reasoning.

I think that's all,, just gonna say I am not a good comic creator myself because I have started so many comics in the last years and ended up cancelling them due to realizing on these turn offs that I never know will ruin the comic,, but yeah I hope I can do better on the comics right now.

[elyss]

Reading these, I feel blessed that I haven't come across a lot of these myself.

My biggest pet peeve is and will always be 'trigger warnings'. I have nothing against them as a whole, but I personally see them as spoilers. I prefer when writers/artists put them in the story description like "this story deals with x and y themes" versus right at the top of a chapter where I'm wondering where something is going to go only to get a TRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC MURDER. Really pulls me out of it

[elyss]

I get you on the 'we're all gay here' and I think it's annoying because it's often the only thing the characters have going for them. Like person A is gay and person B is bi and person C is ace, now... SHIP THEM. Like... I'm down for a good ship. Just give them an actual personality first... please?

[Spaceburger]

• 1 page update per week, unless if it's a 4-koma styled comic.

• Amateur looking art doesn't really bother me, but scratchy/scribbly looking lines does.

• I love cliches, but I hate cliche character that is defined by nothing but their cliched attributes.

• It's a personal pet peeve of mine, but characters acting all goofy when a scene calls them to be serious is really a turn off, which I've seen in a lot of comics that just wont push the issue.

[jurinova]

Probably fine if this is a cartoon thing,, but the character having one outfit in the entire series xD (??)

Oh yeah, this! I I can understand this is situations where a new outfit would be too much effort, like in videogames, but in comics it's just weird when someone never changes their clothes. I can understand wanting a character to have an iconic look but still, they should at least have a pyjama moment or something.

[Likri]

Most my where listed, but I kinda remembered a few that apply to storytelling in general.

• The plot moved forward on the dumbest miscommunication only. Like I get that it can be used for comic effect and miscommunication in real life happens, but when the only thing holding the story together is the fact that the characters fail the most basic conversation (and not on topics that require emotional labor to have the courage to talk about) - it drives me up the fucken wall.

• Athors trying to explain something they clearly have no idea about - either do your research better, or be vague about details. Don't try to explain in "scientific detail" how a laser gun works, if you failed phisics in highschool.

• Everyone having the hots for the MC... like, sure, romantic rivalry is interesting with a few competitors, but when every single character the author made attractive want's it in on with the main booty in some way... yeah....

• when characters don't look or act their age. I have a big problem with this with one of the big LINE webtoons (you can probably guess which), and as a subpoint - this is especially irking with children, that irl have a huge difference from year to year. An average a 3 y/o child won't babble like a 1 y/o and won't be wearing dipers or be carried around in a baby carrier. Just google it, ffs...