If you'll indulge me: How're these hooks working for you, and which idea appeals the most?

[thepenmonster]

Edited title to better fit thread

Forgive if it's hard to read. I threw some rough inks over my thumbnails. I numbered the panel order for you to make it easier since it's meant to be a scroll comic. Though I might go traditional with it given the setting.

[candiedcotton]

I kinda feel this because I have a guitar that cost me about $60 USD and it's probably my favorite I've ever had/used. And I've played some really fancy ones.

[river121693]

I think it's a good enough hook that tells you what the story is gonna be about/ like.

[Lensing]

Is the bald guy with the beard the music shop owner and the other one the customer?

[thepenmonster]

Yup

....twentybloodycharacterspostrequirement

[thepenmonster]

If you're all still willing to indulge.... Here's the opening of the other comic I'm writing. As with the above it's hasty inks on thumbnails so let me know if it's unclear.

Does it work for you as a hook? And since I'm asking questions, which idea tickles your fancy more?

I'm still a few months away from starting work so I figure a bit of audience testing might help me choose which one to focus on first.

[JaveCraze]

I like the second one more, because I'm more of a fantasy type of guy, but the first one's pretty cool too. Tells you about the characters, sets up the tone, and the art's pretty good. The first one seems to be a lot more grounded than the second story.

[GamerPrincessXI]

Welcome to Rick's Rock Shop!

[thepenmonster]

I have a guitar that cost me about $60 USD and it's probably my favorite I've ever had/used

I tried to learn on a refurbished Cort I bought from a friend for roughly US$20. I later bought a more expensive one for a few hundred but it wasn't much longer after that I realized that my aptitudes lay elsewhere. My ear refused to be trained. My nephew loved the gifted guitar and he can play pretty well now so no regrets there.

And I've played some really fancy ones.

I borrowed a Leica camera for a month. I spent the entire time paranoid it was going to get stolen because they often are.

I think it's a good enough hook that tells you what the story is gonna be about/ like.

Thanks.

Tells you about the characters, sets up the tone, and the art's pretty good

Thanks. My intent is to establish all of that as fast as I can for both comics. I feel origin stories are best left to flashbacks.

[thepenmonster]

I asked some folks I know who have never let me down with their suggestions. They think...

1. The first one works much better as a gag strip than as the opening to a comedic story and maybe I should approach the comic that way.

2. The second one is a better hook because there's a suggestion that something more is coming. Whereas the first is its own entity. (see point 1)

This might be a solution to my "Which One?" dilemma because I can knock out a 4 panel gag comic (two heads talking) a lot faster than an adventure strip (many backgrounds and objects and action lines) so doing both is a possibility...

Hrmmmmmm

[river121693]

I agree with their assessment. The first definitely reminds me more of a gag strip that stands by itself with each episode.

The second is a better hook because it's weirder. As far as strip v long-form adventure, it could go either way. Some comic strips also have longer story arcs.

I could also see a great comic strip series with all of these characters, the guitar guy being a mundane straight man meeting weird aliens haha

[system]

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