Interesting question. I'm curious to hear what others will say.
If I like something, I'll keep going back. If they update regularly, even if it's not consistently on the same day or whatever, I'll just check back at my own pace and pick up whatever's new.
I would say yes, because at the end of the day, I still have a sort of quality standard to certain comic that I put on my reading list. If I know the creator is capable of something better but they keep rushing their art and shows little care to their update, I wouldn't enjoy it very much as a reader with high standard. I rather them taking their time with their update, I don't mind waiting, honestly, as long as they stick to the schedule that they told me, not just suddenly disappear for months without saying anything before coming back.
P/s: I might be bias/more understanding toward this because I myself is a quality over quantity person and I have a schedule of updating every 2nd and 16th of the month. (So 2 updates a month)
100% yes. some masochistic part of me loves comics that update sporadically but with massive updates (like 10+ pages) - the waiting just makes the joy of the read greater. and regular, but distant updates is great because it gives me something to look forward to, and im more likely to learn the rota.
that said, this is dependent on the update sizes. i wouldnt wait 3 weeks for 2 pages, it would mess with the pacing and take the excitement out of the story. i would wait one week for two pages, however.
id say personally, a regular schedule, with regular update sizes, is more important than updating often.
It's a bit somewhere in the middle for me. I wouldn't mind creators sacrificing some quality, like not adding that extra highlight layer or only using one color of shadow, in order to put out at least 2 pages a month. Because sometimes if you have to wait for a complete masterpiece to be finished it's not really worth it, to me at least. I forget what point the story was and my level of interest falls drastically. I might save the image for artspiration but at that point I don't really care about it as a comic anymore, just something pretty to look at.
I'd rather have 4 pages of a decently lined piece (even in just black and white) with story progression a month than 1 gorgeous piece of painted work with all the depth of a Caravaggio at the end of every month.
I think I favour something more in the middle, I'm not going to care how pretty the art is if it's been so long since the last update that I don't remember what is going on anymore, on the other hand, and I'm not going to keep reading something if the art quality gets so sketchy that I can't tell what's going on anymore.
That doesn't mean that I'll refused to read comics for either issue though, I'll still read a series that takes forever to update or read a series that updates faster than I have time to read every time it does, and I'll continue reading it if I enjoy the stories and characters, but an in the middle balance it certainly something I enjoy running into. After all, who the hell am I to judge if I will read a series only based on the artists free time or work schedule?
Edit: Though I think I'm gonna have to side a little more with story progression if we're talking about how I like to release my own comics. I don't like feeling like I'm going no where or like I'm taking to long to get somewhere. I'm more interested in telling stories and moving forward than making sure everything is looking perfect. Not to mention, with everything being in digital, I can easily go back and fix or enhance it if I feel the need to.
Quality should always come first. You should always of course have a good balance, but a few pages of genius is worth a lot more than consistent poop. As a creator, concentrate on quality first, and then on quantity.
hmm... I think there needs to be a balance. Personally, I'm a sucker for quality, but over a long while I do tend to forget the story as I have many other things on my reading list. So if someone updates several months later, I'll need to reread everything and if the art doesn't make up for it, I probably won't.
Also because I'm an artist myself, I appreciate the work put into it, so it's not like I'm going to unsub just cause the artist is taking his/her/their time.
I was thinking about this recently. I also think there should be a balance between quality and quantity. As long as the drawing is competent, I won't mind if it's not a masterpiece every update.
At some point, I'd rather have the story progressing at a reasonable pace than have to wait one month for four panels and then there's nothing happening (although I still follow some comics that are like that, but it's more for the visuals than the story, tbh).
When I think about it, most of my favourite comics don't have crazy good art, but they're engaging nonetheless.
I think quality and quantity should match up. Waiting 3 months for a good comic is tedious. I prefer biweekly or once weekly updates. Anything more is annoying.
I think quality should come first, not just for art but for comic writing as well. I read and make comics to see stories told well in a format that fits them, and while it's alright to see a story play out in many simple imperfect panels, I prefer seeing creators work economically with their pages. If a comic artist puts a lot of thought into one page over a month and manages to make the words get along with good images so that the story has impact, I'll be more interested in it than I would be in less intense panels in greater quantity. It's still up to personal preference since some readers prefer slow burns anyway.
i'll support an artist i like no matter the circumstances. however, having observed both extreme cases of quality x quantity, i actually came to appreciate quantity way more than quality. (and by that i mean, mainly the art quality, not the story itself.) I'll take like, 5 nicely sketched pages, with enough colors maybe, in a span of a week or two over 1 MINBLOWING SUPER DETAILED page every 2~5months xD;;
if you're confident in your story, art shouldn't be a major concern.
It really depends. For Comedy comics you might to aim slightly for the Quantity side, because sometimes your jokes just don't hit. While is the opposite for Plot line comics. Always, and Always, think Quality over the Quantity. Nobody wants dozens of junk spamming their Tapas inbox. But that doesn't mean you cant think about Quantity as well! It is important that you find a balance between the Quality of your work, and how much you release at once.
There are many exceptions to this rule. But that's all i can really say. And i didn't mean to sound harsh with the bold text TuT.
I'm all good for waiting a week- maybe even 2, to see good artwork. If I wait longer than that, I lose interest in it altogether. I like good artwork, but "masterpiece level" artwork and "comics" dont often go hand in hand- especially if you want to retain a large audience.
If there is a set schedule that the author is adhering to then 'yes' I will wait patiently for each update of an enjoyable comic.
However, I'm a more committed reader if given MORE pages of GOOD STORYTELLING and OKish art quality over fewer updates of a good story with print-worthy art.
Quality, hands down.
If I gotta wait I will wait. A comic down well will always have me coming back to it even if episodes/chapters are on a two week schedule.
Saying this from both a reader's and a creator's standpoint.
I am most definitely a quality over quantity person but I know it's a personal choice every creator has to make. As a creator I want to take time to make sure my comic is good enough for me and that I like what I make. Sure, it won't get me that many readers because the pace is kinda slow but at least I feel like I'm doing my best. If I'm not happy with the content I produce then what's the point in doing it.
As a reader I am very patient and don't mind waiting as long as the result is worth the wait. I know it takes a lot of time to create something, so I want to give other creators that time as well. Especially since most webcomic creators do this for free and juggle it with work or school.
Can I have both? '_'
But on serious tone, if I really like the comic, even if they upload once every 3 month I will wait patiently for it. As long as I really like their comic. So yeah, I can be really patient.
Quality over quantity
webcomic is free but I personally value my time as a non renewable resources that if I decide to fill it with reading something, that something better be good, otherwise I'll do something else with my precious time
I have unsubscribed in the past for decline in the art quality
it's very easy for me to forget something low quality, since it just seems disposable
but if a series leaves a strong impression on me personally, with the art and the story, if I got a notification 6 months after the last upload, I will be excited like, hey! there's a new episode of this!
I never complain on how long it takes for each updates because quality takes time
As an artist-
I like finding a good balance of quality and quanity. My pages will have a more simplified method of coloring compared to my more single illustrations. This is because it bothers me to have to spend weeks just on 1 page, but I still want it to look good and consistant. I'm a bit of an impatient artist.
As a Reader
However, I don't like scribbles as content. If its nicely lined and is understandable, then I'm pretty well happy. (as long as the creators happy) As for updates, maybe its because I am also a creator, but I don't care how long it takes you to update.
When it comes to traditional manga, I never had a problem of waiting weeks to months waiting. For me my favorite series I would like more updates and would follow more closely, but I don't mind waiting.
But as a rule, I just wait , and maybe once a month or so I'll check all my favorite comics and binge up on them and then move on again and wait. So, rather than waiting for scheduled updates, I just schedule my viewing, but that may change as I get into web comics.
There is just a chance I may forget about a series if they are to dormant for a while. However, there comes a point where waiting brings expectation. Odd example- I waited 4 years for Attack on Titian anime series to update and I am excpecting quality if I wait that long O_O
(But I understand life happens)
