Never too old to make webtoons?

[Madzack168]

I've just turned 40 this year and hoping to make a Webtoon someday.
My personal concern isn't just whether I'm capable of drawing comics at my age but whether being 40, I can connect with the younger readers.
Beyond that, what are your thoughts on making first comic at a middle age?

[Kaydreamer]

Just do it! If you write well, and you have an engaging story to tell, people of all ages will read it. It doesn't have to feature young characters, or be trying to appeal to younger audiences at all.

I'm a bit younger than you (32), but I've also just started this year. My comic, while written with broad appeal in mind, has adult characters, and no deliberate 'hooks' for younger readers. And younger people still enjoy it.

[Kelheor]

I think you don't have to be your readers best friend in order to create something they will enjoy. Also while the big chunk of the audience is young, it doesn't mean people of 30 and older don't read comics! There are a huge audience here who is much older than you think
Other than that, it's a great idea to create anything in any age, especially if it's something you wanted to do for many years. I can see how you can struggle with the thought how "it's too late" with all the very young creators around, but try not to be influenced by this attitude.
It's always a great time to start something, so create the hell out of this comic!

[jensrichard77]

Age 42
Blasing away and telling my stories as I wish.
A real solid story is timeless and will aim at all kinds of people. (Lord Of The Rings)

You don't have to chase the new trend of the youth. But remember what kind of “adult” content did you found good when you were young.

Tell your story and be very open to changes.

Maybe ask for young beta-readers if you feel that you are growing moss on your action.

[cpcosentino91]

I don't know how useful a reply this will be but:

I'm just turned 30 and trying to find an audience on webtoon and tapas makes me feel like this attached picture of Steve Buscemi.

I agree that we're better off going for it than not, but it is reassuring to know other people have these kinds of concerns too.

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

Humans love stories. We always have, and we always will.

Tell a good story, give people characters they can care about, evoke emotions that everyone can feel (fear, sadness, joy, hope, anger), and you'll find readers regardless of age.

I just started drawing my comic last year, and posting it April of this year, and I'm 38 now. And like @Kaydreamer my characters are adults, and nothing about the situation is particularly geared toward younger folks. But I have themes like being an outsider, feeling like there's something wrong with you, longing for something more, young love and hope, and eventually, loss and revenge. You don't need to be a certain age to understand at least some of those things. And I hope that I'm depicting them honestly enough that the reader can feel it through the characters.

Tell a good story. You'll be fine.

[DanielRKM]

Do it!

I'm 36 and just started my webcomic journey just last year.

Before I started, I felt like I lost too many years (decades, really) not feeling good enough with my art to make a comic and letting my skills slip away (and watching them get rustier over time). When I finally couldn't take it anymore (and I needed to get a story out there), I took the plunge and things are finally getting to where I want them to be. I'm hopefully a 10th of the way through my horrible 1,000 pages (I forgot who said each comics artist has 1000 bad pages in them, but it sounds about right). "Bad" is a broad term, but I know I'm better today than I was a year ago, and I can't wait to see what another year looks like. Sure, it hurt at first, knowing I could be better, but I'm finally getting to where I want to be.

In terms of relating to an audience, people are going to like what they're going to like. If you connect with media for the younger crowd and can work in that space, awesome. If not, you do you (and find your people!). Timelessness transcends age. And once a distinct voice punches through, it can hit so hard.

One of the more frustrating things about webcomics can be making a thing and not knowing how people receive it, but there are some really amazing people you meet along the way who will leave you breadcrumbs. It's really astounding to find out that when your stuff hits, it can really make an impact.

Storytelling is one of the greatest gifts humanity has to offer.

If you take the plunge, I hope you embrace it all and come out the better for it (because it's hard and sometimes anxiety-inducing). But if you do, keep us posted! We want to follow you on your journey.

[NickRowler]

Didn't Stan Lee make Spiderman when he was around 40? So you are never too old to start.

[simonitropunk]

I've started Lyza's Sandstorm last year and I'm getting closer to a year with it and I'm 37 and counting. It's never too late to start and make it.

Colonel Sanders of KFC opened his first restaurant at the age of 65 after retirement from the military and now, it's one of the biggest franchises in the world and they are about to launch a video game console.

JUST DO IT!!!!

[frgmnt]

(I'm not even 30 yet but... it's aproaching steadily... closer to 30 now than 20 )
I think an important thing to remember is that most media aimed at teenagers were, in fact, created by adults As long as you're physically capable of drawing or writing, you are not too old to draw or write.

My "main" story has a teenage cast and I certainly fear ending up as "how do you do fellow kids". It's one part of the reason for my story being set in the late 2000s/early 2010s, when I was the characters' age.

However, a good story is not made out of just current trends, so as long as your story is well-written and universally relatable to humans, teens will like it.
(Throwing in some "cool" things that kids like - romance, action, superpowers etc. - won't hurt, of course.)

[Legendofgenii]

Go for it!

You’re never too old to share stories or draw.

[Veropatra]

Age doesn't matter. Many popular mangakas and/or webcomic creators range in age between 20 and 50 years.
Just do it. Younger readers won't read a comic and think "ugh, that was written by an older person."

For example: lore Olympus was written by an Rachel smith and she isn't a teenager either.
Ramiro Takahashi wrote inuyasha when she was about 40 years old (and kagome was one of the most relatable characters for me)
All in all, it doesn't matter when you start.
What matters is to not give up and also to know your audience.

[dominioncomix]

everyone has the potential to tell cool and fascinating stories regardless of age! if you're interested in writing for a younger audience, i mean... you've been their age, you already know what it's like lol.
I'm personally a big believer in "if you want to make comics, that's your sign to make comics!" because it's such a fulfilling experience.

[samiluu]

it's never too late to do whatever you please, and today a 40 year old person is very young, so do it!

[crimson_mystery_cake]

You are still extraordinarily young and I think you can absolutely do it. I’m a hip young 25 year old so as a younger individual I think your considerable wealth of experience and knowledge you can make something truly incredible that my inexperienced butt couldn’t hope to match. I also do get the insecurity, sometimes I think to myself “I should have started 6 years ago” but that’s just an inner insecurity voice letting your fears stop you from doing something really fun. Do it because it’s fun and you are never too old to have fun.

[Fuzzyman818]

You're never too old for cartoons and comics and your defiantly not too old to be making either one of them. Though I'm a bit younger then you, 29 to be exacta. If you want some advice, try to think about how it was when you where growing up. What where some challenges that you had to face as a kid? Maybe you can put that into a story that will be able to relate to somebody.

[starless]

Action comics authors are mostly middle aged still they get their young teen audiences pretty well. I've been to several Comic Cons and none of them were young. As long as the story's good and the art's appealing, you are fine!

[crimson_mystery_cake]

Ramiro Takahashi wrote inuyasha when she was about 40 years old (and kagome was one of the most relatable characters for me)All in all, it doesn't matter when you start.What matters is to not give up and also to know your audience.

To add to this, Rumiko Takahashi is STILL writing new weekly manga to this very day and she is 60. Her current series, Mao, features a teenage protagonist who is written just as realistically as any of her other characters. She even recently started a Twitter account. She’s been making comics since the late 70s and she still has an insane amount of energy and passion for her craft. It is really not too late at any age.

[ZombieOwl]

Go for it! If you creat a story, your voice will find it's audience. Don't worry about pandering to the "youngins", but stay true to your voice. There's a lot of people out there with experiences and interests similar to yours; they'll be able to connect with you!

[SoenKai]

You're never too old to tell your stories. The only thing I would say is to not force "youth" into your comic otherwise you'll get the equivalent of the Steve Buscemi meme.