How do you become friends with a comic maker?

Miniaome 2016-01-22 19:15:36 UTC #15

I also try to make friends, but friends in general but I just don't know how to o-o makes me feel so ackward xDD

shazzbaa 2016-01-22 19:58:47 UTC #16

Okay lemme also say -- like, yeah!! a lot of this advice is good! I've definitely found people on twitter where we enjoy tweeting to each other and then we become mutuals and maybe we're on the road to becoming comicky friends??? And that's awesome!
But there are also people I've talked to on twitter where I'm a big fan of their stuff, and they comment positively on my art when I send it to them, but they never follow back because they're not really looking for new friends or we just don't really click. That's okay too! The thing is that you can't force friendship -- talking to other comic creators is just a way to open up the possibility of making new friends. ;u;

And it's worth mentioning that if you're trying to REALLY PUSH FOR FRIENDSHIP, that can be kinda off-putting. I know as a creator I've definitely run into people TRYING TO BECOME MY FRIEND AND CAUSE A CASUAL CONVERSATION TO HAPPEN or try to CONNECT PERSONALLY WITH ME, A STRANGER, and it's, very uncomfortable!! If you message me about a thing I am interested in that you are also interested in and a conversation comes naturally out of that, awesome! If a conversation doesn't happen, don't force it, it's okay! You had a positive interaction with another person and it is okay if that doesn't end in ~FRIENDSHIP~!

YIKES, make sure to ask if they're comfortable with this kind of conversation before you do this!! Otherwise this feels like a weird pick-up tactic -- "tell the girl you need her number for something, now you can call her whenever you want!" PLEASE respect the boundaries of other comic creators, and interact with them in spaces where they're comfortable interacting! A lot of us have many well-meaning readers constantly pushing boundaries and trying to get in closer than we're able to maintain or are comfortable with, and so we may have a lot of boundaries in place that aren't anything personal -- I just need to keep some spaces more private! It's totally cool if you ask for my Skype name -- but it's also gotta be totally cool if the answer is, "no, sorry, that's only for very close friends." ;u;

Just as an aside, I FEEL REALLY SIMILARLY and I also feel like this is so important for us to remember as creators whenever we feel like we're not getting many comments. ;u; Many of our readers are just as afraid of being dumb as we are!!

PotooGryphon 2016-01-22 19:58:54 UTC #17

lol Aw!!! It does take some time and practice to get better at talking with people. And it's hard to describe how to talk to people.

I think for me it starts by finding their comic on Tapastic. I follow their series, fall in love with it, comment on it, engage with the artist's wall posts, find them on twitter, stalk them there and engage with their tweets, then jump aboard if they ask for guest comics (I think most of my comic friends happened through guest comics lol) or ask if they want to join in on a crazy collab idea (wink).

lol Wow, I sound kind of crazed when listed out like that. It's definitely more natural feeling and less crazy stalker clingy person than it sounds.

A few times I've made friends just by finding something in common with them (silly songs, Undertale, Steven Universe, story genres, etc.) and ramble on with them about those topics. I think @elixiadragmire and I became friends through swapping silly songs daily for a while. lol

But yeah, it all starts through simply talking to the other person. Eventually, it can be built up into a friendship or just as an acquaintance. Either way, most people enjoy receiving a friendly message from a potential friend.

Definitely second @shazzbaa point of not pushing for friendship.

grovylegirl 2016-01-22 20:10:56 UTC #18

shazzbaa:

YIKES, make sure to ask if they're comfortable with this kind of conversation before you do this!! Otherwise this feels like a weird pick-up tactic -- "tell the girl you need her number for something, now you can call her whenever you want!" PLEASE respect the boundaries of other comic creators, and interact with them in spaces where they're comfortable interacting! A lot of us have many well-meaning readers constantly pushing boundaries and trying to get in closer than we're able to maintain or are comfortable with, and so we may have a lot of boundaries in place that aren't anything personal -- I just need to keep some spaces more private! It's totally cool if you ask for my Skype name -- but it's also gotta be totally cool if the answer is, "no, sorry, that's only for very close friends." ;u;

thanks for the adivce I really don't want to come off as pushy that's something i really want to avoid. plus i really don't have a kik.

but thanks for the advice everyone!

VermillionWorks 2016-01-22 20:13:28 UTC #19

I have a couple closer friends I made through the internet, but people underestimate the power of having many friendly acquaintances, too. XP

KaiJu 2016-01-22 20:20:08 UTC #20

Being supportive and friendly really helps to break the ice. Also regularly commenting on their pages and helping artist promote their work when given the opportunity is great too! The webcomic community is a very tightly knit group and it's always nice to help each other out. ♡✧( ु•⌄• ) If you are at a con, meeting in person takes down a few walls that you would have to get by on the internet. Though it might be a bit nerve wracking haha. After you know an artist well enough it's fine to ask for an e-mail exchange, but we usually talk to them a bunch online or in comments first.

Aspie_Gamer 2016-01-22 20:31:14 UTC #21

this is what worked for me so your mileage may vary just saying. I agree that boundaries should be respected however. No means no as they say. Also, I haven't been the one ask for a google hangouts/kik account. The authors I've been in contact with via email have suggested it to me in passing conversation.

UzukiCheverie 2016-01-22 20:32:32 UTC #22

The same way you make friends with regular people.

Which we are lol No matter how big a comic creator is, they're still just people lol They're not gonna eat your innards or call you names or sacrifice you to a demon lord for world chaos like I did last week.

If you view "friends with other people" as anything different than "friends with comic makers" in that serious of a manner, it's gonna be tough lol Just join in on forum conversations (a lot of us here are comic creators and you're probably friends with or have talked to creators before without realizing it), take part in the comic communities and the comment sections on their comics, etc.

Other than that, there's no obligation to become friends with comic creators just because they're comic creators. You'll make friends with people naturally like you would with anyone else. Friendship isn't a level you conquer or a milestone you reach, it's just a thing. Don't make it more intimidating or scary than it has to be.

grovylegirl 2016-01-22 20:41:25 UTC #23

i don't see it as any different i just want to be friends with other comic creatures since i'm also one as well.

UzukiCheverie 2016-01-22 20:49:37 UTC #24

I was only making that point because you were placing a lot of emphasis on making friends with comic creators specifically, and how to do so.

The simple answer is: You do it the same way you make friends with anyone else here on Tapastic lol Just take part in the forums (there are a lot of creators here), and don't be afraid of commenting on people's work (trust me, there are a lot of dumb comments out there in the world - as long as you have good intentions, whatever comment you leave is not going to offend a creator. And if they get offended over everything well that's the creator's problem, not yours :U )

grovylegirl 2016-01-22 20:51:04 UTC #25

thank you for the advice !

saeedfaridzadeh 2016-01-22 21:04:49 UTC #26

If at all possible, meet them at a convention. Get a conversation going. That's how I met up with some other webcomic people I now consider friends. Although some are more like acquaintances.

Twitter is also a great way. Follow them on twitter, and just chat with them.

It's really that simple. Interact and talk. Be friendly. Be polite. Be fun. And relax.

elixiadragmire 2016-01-22 21:28:59 UTC #27

Ah yes the silly song exchanging XD

getsuart 2016-01-22 22:00:50 UTC #28

I stalk them until they get scared and accept me as a friend.

Or you make it in the regular way and talk to them.

Choosybeggar 2016-01-22 22:11:58 UTC #29

Ya know, I'm going to bookmark this page, since the advice here seems quite good. Thanks for asking the question, @grovylegirl!

jacintawibowo 2016-01-23 04:42:50 UTC #30

Chat up with them through Twitter or comment on their comics (: it can be scary talking to the senpais, but they do appreciate sincere and honest interaction.

Doubtcent 2016-01-25 22:07:38 UTC #31

Just being a port of the community and supporting each other can create a bonding friendship between comic makers. It's kinda small, but you will find some who will be genuinely interested in the things you create and you will find new people to interact and learn comics with.

I'm personally a part of the kik chat for Tapastic and a few others.

realSean_Murphy 2016-01-25 22:46:01 UTC #32

I don't get much of a response when I try talking to someone through social media..
Maybe approaching someone with a off topic question to try to get to know them doesn't work? That or they're to busy at the moment to reply. Or maybe asking a question out of the blue is a bit awkward for most people, I don't know..

shazzbaa 2016-01-26 01:10:15 UTC #33

This is a really good question to ask! I think "make friends the same way you'd make friends with anyone!" isn't quite true, because the dynamics are often different when you're trying to connect with someone who has an audience.

Trying to Make Conversation can be off-putting because it's asking a creator to be more personal and open with you specifically. It can feel a little like that "pushing for friendship" thing. Instead, look at their tweets or posts as your chance to get to know them, and talk to them about those things, if they're things you're interested in!

But it's also important to remember that if they don't answer, or if they answer a question but don't really want to have a conversation, that's okay! It doesn't mean it "didn't work" or that you did something wrong -- Some creators aren't really looking for a conversation, or aren't looking for new friends, or don't want to do that over social media. ;u;

That's my experience, anyway!

whispwill 2016-01-26 01:16:03 UTC #34

Fan art works as a pretty nice bribe, at least it works on me... ha hah... I'm easily bought/impressed.

But I agree with everyone else, just start talking to them. Most people are pretty nice when you get to know them and if they aren't then you probably don't want to talk with them anyway // And I agree with @saeedfaridzadeh, conventions are one of the greatest places to meet other artists and befriend them. I go to a lot of conventions and it's always nice to have convention friends, you get to visit with them whenever you have a con in common! It makes it a lot more fun.

Maybe find out if they do any form of Live streaming, that's a nice way to ease into conversation. I make a lot of friends via live streams!