Jun 2015
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Jun 2015
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Peej
Jun '15

Hi, guys.
My little cartoon strip Hyperpotamus and Stick In The Mud27 isn't doing too well just yet and I wanted to ask for some feedback/crit as to why you think that might be.
I've been posting with Tapastic for about a year, on and off, and have 34 subs. The subs are great but I can't help but wonder why I get a lot more hits/readers than I get subs?!
Is there enough to get people to come back? Is it professional enough? Is the humour too hit and miss? Is a traditional newspaper-style strip like mine going against the grain a little or simply not fashionable? Are the weekly updates not enough?? All these questions have popped up.

So, if anyone would be kind enough to share their thoughts, I'd be very grateful.
The more the merrier....

Cheers.

  • created

    Jun '15

  • last reply

    Jun '15
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aquatorrent
Jun '15

there's no way you can get more subs than readers. the reason is, some people might just try to look at your comic and find that they're not liking it.

i myself is not a fan of humor comic because i tend not to get the joke and i don't really like those stuffs (i prefer comic with plot).

i read 3 chaps of your comic. i don't get the joke for the last one (i understand but i don't really know the joke), and i get the joke for the other 2 (but didn't laugh). i think it's more about my sense of humor rather than your comic's fault.

i checked in deeper, and your reader's count isn't that different from your subs' count.
i'm not sure if this opinion of mine will help, but good luck smile

Peej
Jun '15

Thanks for your opinions there. Yeah, they count.
I'm looking for as many opinions as I can get so..... Anyone else?

bedmoss
Jun '15

Hi there, Peej!

I just read through your strip and I thought it was very professional-looking! The artwork is clean and reminds me of the little strips that I'd read on the Sunday papers back when I was a kid. It has a very distinct and traditional style but with that said, this certain type of newspaper style strip might be more niche on a website like Tapastic, which features comics that have used color effectively, have a huge variety of styles, and have pretty outrageous humor.

Yes, I do think that your strip is going against the grain here in Tapastic but I do not think that it's a bad thing as it's unique in a sea of exaggerated, colorful, gag strips. But there's a reason why those certain types of gag strips are popular and I find that it's because they're either very relatable (slice-of-life being huge here), very current (having references to pop culture or gaming culture), and have a certain bright, style that has manga/anime roots. These traits showcase what Tapastic is able to do that newspaper can't because of newspapers' limitations such as in color, style, humor, as well as speed in publishing. I wouldn't say your comic is right up the trend right now but don't fret!

You have a lot of options on what you want to do about your strip! Since your comic is unique, you can continue just doing what you're doing and striving to improve yourself and eventually it'll find it's audience but with the trends right now on the website, it probably won't have as large of a fanbase as something like GamerCat. But there's nothing wrong with that, of course! I personally liked "Hyena" and "Pondering" (I thought they were actually pretty relatable and realistic situations that I may have had with my friends!). But I think what's essential here is improving your jokes. You already have the artwork down and you have your different style so what you need to lock down is your writing. A strip like your's which is black and white and traditional relies heavily on the writing and the humor and if the joke falls flat, your whole strip will fall flat. That said, I feel like some of the jokes were predictable and did not feel fresh.

Do you have someone to bounce off ideas with and to help you edit your jokes? Whenever I do my comic, I run it by someone to see if it's entertaining or if it feels stale. It's a great way for instant feedback and you can just always go back and improve your strip before publishing it. It also helps that it's more than one person to get different perspectives and reactions. I feel like you should also experiment more with your writing and try to brainstorm for jokes and situations you can put your characters in that are outside the box. Go and read comedy/gag comics of all different sorts to see if you can get some ideas for techniques. Even watching comedy movies or standup with a studied approach would help, what makes a joke work, why is it funny, and how to make it feel natural to the audience without trying too hard.

Have you also advertised and promoted your comic outside of Tapastic? You might be thinking you have too little subscribers because of the quality but it might also go in hand that it's not advertised enough. Do you have a Facebook page, Tumblr, or Twitter to spread the word about your comic? You can also offer to do guest comics on Tapastic or do illustrations of your comic's characters for more exposure.

I'm sorry that this got really long but I hope that my feedback has helped you get an idea on what you can do to improve as a comic creator! You already have a number of fans for your comic and I'm sure with improvement, it'll grow to much more. Good luck and happy comicking!

abbastudios
Jun '15

The art and lettering is professional level.

I feel the strips are longer than they need to be, as the punchline could be delivered as the second or third panel.

By the time the reader gets to the punchline it doesn't seem as that was worth the read. I didn't read everything, but what I did read had very cliche and predictable endings. I don't feel you're bringing anything new to the game.

If I feel that way, i'm sure others do also.

Peej
Jun '15

Thanks a lot for your views, guys.
Special thanks to bedmoss for such an in depth analysis.
You've given me some things to think about.
Cheers

serenitysquirrel
Jun '15

You've got 28 strips for a year and a half off and on. This may be your biggest problem as the strips themselves seem pretty light and cute. If I didn't see updates after a while on a comic, or it was very sporadic, there's a good chance I would delete it off my subscription list as it doesn't seem active.

Also, alot of the stuff the other people saying is very agreeable and good.