The future for longer comics

SirGutsalot 2016-06-19 07:35:07 UTC #8

I have to admit, I'm a manga/anime viewer and have been for the past 5 years with series like bleach and naruto. But when it comes to webcomics I do have a thing for the 1-3 frame joke for the same reason we like vines. But if a long comic comes along that's really good, I will read it from dawn to dusk!

Thesleepypencil 2016-06-19 11:46:51 UTC #9

The whole concept that we as a younger generation need instant gratification with our media leaves a bad taste in my mouth the same way when someone says "kids these days don't read"

It's such a stereotype that makes no sense. This is a generation that waited years for the end of Harry Potter. (Or nine years to see Ted meet that damn mother) And will willing sit down and watch all 7 star wars or both the hobit and lotr in one long go. Movies are literally splitting movies into two or threes because they know well watch it. So long form media is still alive and kicking and we love it. ((Do you think steven universe would be as popular if they removed that long running story??))

we expect gratification from vines and gag a days, but that's because we expect that from that medium. We are not going to read a story and expect everything right away. We want different things from different forms of media.

same with comics. I read alot of long comics and i love them. Sure it takes a while but that allows me more time to love it. Long form comics may take their time. But audiences still read them enjoy the.

Also i have seen many different long term webcomics that have a active fan base that makes fan fiction, fanart, fan comics due to their being alot more to work with. But while i know they exist i have yet to see fan fiction for a gag a day yet

robertsienicki 2016-06-19 12:13:14 UTC #10

I think the problem with comics on the internet is that people read them while having a break at work or while drinking coffee to breakfast. That's why the short stories, memes and jokes are more popular. I love a good, long story, but I feel like I would like to read it in a book form than on my computer screen. It's also better to read long stories at one sitting. Long stories aren't that good to read one page per week.

I think the best option for longer stories is publishing them in book form, or publishing them as a pdf, where people can download it.

https://tapastic.com/series/Under-Pressure

Greg_Dickson 2016-06-19 12:52:23 UTC #11

I wouldn't worry too much. There will always be a market for something. If you're truly worried about views and subs, then maybe a shorter, gag-a-day comic would work best for you. But if you're passionate about producing content that fits a smaller market, you just have to accept it and create what you love. For me, my comic will be relatively long-form, and it's action-based, sprinkled with some comedy and drama. Not only are long-form comics less popular, but so are action ones, compared to straight-up comedy and slice of life. Regardless, I'll produce the type of content that plays to my strengths, as it will create a more quality comic for the smaller amount of viewers that I have, rather than me trying to pander to the masses for popularity.

So while I agree that most people will want to consume their comics in small bites and gain instant gratification, I know that there will always be people that are interested in different markets. Most of us aren't out to make money with our webcomics, so let's make what we want and appreciate however much attention that will come our way.

infectedbloodcomics 2016-06-19 13:05:40 UTC #12

I agree with most thoughts already posted. I actually don't read gag-a-day comics and the like, I want nice, long stories, and I'm sure that lots of people enjoy those, too. It may take longer to gain readers, but there is an emotional investment in long-story characters and event that I believe go much deeper into people's hearts than any short comic could. Those are my readers, hopefully <3

shaneoid77 2016-06-19 13:18:31 UTC #13

It's so wonderful to see such support and love for the longer running comics. I have difficulty writing the short gag comics as I love to flesh out a story and arch. I don't mind the shorter comics, but I often feel cheated with them.

Akhdas 2016-06-19 13:34:10 UTC #14

i keep asking myself why my comic growth is slower than a snail pace. people just like fun,faster and constantly updated comic. if i remember correctly the most subscribed comic in here is a gag comic, right? i don't have a problem with them, i sub to some of them too. it just hurts me because it takes less stress and are more successful the majority who could potentially make their own long form would rather draw a gag story. why would anyone decide to make a long convoluted story when they can just upload one gag page and it's probably worth 10x more than the long form one?

tophersmith21 2016-06-19 14:29:18 UTC #15

Its nice to see that there are others who appreciate longer form comics over gag. I keep asking myself on a daily basis if I want to even get into that territory since I know its easier and thats whats popular but im hoping after I complete the first chapter of my comic that will be enough to start getting feedback

infectedbloodcomics 2016-06-19 15:29:15 UTC #16

Because they LOVE long, convoluted stories At least, this is my case. I also make shorter comics, but I need my long stories like air. That's how I express myself the best, that's what gives me the most pleasure, and this is the art I am most proud to share with my readers.

iddqd 2016-06-19 15:54:17 UTC #17

See, I think this is where a big part of the issue of long-form vs. short-form is. Worth 10x more... in what unit of measurement? If we are talking about likes and even subscriptions, they are sometimes not what they seem. I have subscribed to a bunch of webcomics "to take a look at later" and haven't come back to view them so far, yet I add to their sub count. How many people who subscribed to you are creators with their own series, with whom you have to compete, one way or another, for viewership? Likes are easy and free to give, too, so what do they mean? I guess what I am getting at is the people who sub and who like will not necessarily also be happy to pay for your comic, e.g. for extra content, merchandise, if you print it in a book form, and so on. So maybe long-form comics aren't necessarily as impaired as they seem in their success.

shaneoid77 2016-06-19 22:21:40 UTC #18

I got a lot more from your comic @Bagas_Nursivin than I have a hundred gag comics, nice work!

It seems a recurring theme in our Webcomics world that being noticed is tough, just throwing this out there but I wonder if there's something we could all attempt communally to help promote everyone's comic?

SirGutsalot 2016-06-19 23:52:43 UTC #19

I definitely know from my experience, the longer comic always has so much more work involved when stringing out the plot and the characters and sometimes the drawing style. At the end of the day, a gag comic might come out with 20 different comics but that could pretty much equal 1 chapter of a longer comic. So props to anyone who perseveres with it - I have a lot of respect!!!

PurpleGround 2016-06-20 03:58:47 UTC #20

You know I THINK there MAY be a connection between how a website present itself to how the audience would respond to it. I went to LineWebtoons and noticed there is a lot of long form comic on the front page, while of course slice of life still popular but they were put in the bottom page. Here, in tapastic, Slice of Life is pretty much on the main page. So, maybe Tapastic works best for short comic, while Mangafox, Mangahere, or LineWebtoon works for long form comic?

I agree with this. And looking back at the Tapastic apps. It's built for mobile use, and people would probably read them during breakfast, lunch or tea break but never at night when you got a whole tv, kids or e- games to play with. IMO. And usually night time is where you get all the free time to Invest in something.

heterodont 2016-06-20 05:21:38 UTC #21

Another thing with line webtoon is the community. From what I've seen said from others, a lot of people in the webtoon community demand that if you're going to update, it better be long. and from what i can guess, it's because of this belief through the community that their equivalent of a ''fresh'' section doesn't update constantly like tapastic's, and so long-forms (or any comic really) stay up longer.

meanwhile on tapastic theres HUNDREDS of comic pages being uploaded by the minute, so if you're someone who only updates once or twice a week - your comic is gonna get drowned out by comics that upload daily on the fly. thats why if you're running a longform you can't depend on solely the attention you can possibly get from the fresh section.

Akhdas 2016-06-20 07:55:03 UTC #22

yeah, it seems like that's the case. the majority of tapas reader prefer a gag comic than a full story. when i first joined tapas, i thought there would be a bunch of long form comic that i would get hook in to. but it's kinda rare seeing them here.

MissMagicGirl 2016-06-20 10:58:40 UTC #23

I prefer long comics myself. I like to wait for updates and to follow the characters for a long time and get really excited when new stuff is posted. I think it is for the same reason I like long tv shows. It is fun to have something to follow.

I hope my own comic will be very long even though I just started. https://tapastic.com/series/magicadvisor. I will just keep doing what I love and hopefully people will like following it. I guess it is a problem to get into something when it is already long but on the other hand people start watching old tv shows with ten seasons all the time so... ^^

robertsienicki 2016-06-20 11:04:18 UTC #24

Well, the problem is the medium. I'm not sure internet serialization is a good option for a longer story. Would you read a book if you could read one page per week? I wouldn't. I would wait till it's done (preferably in a book form) so I can dive into the story properly.

joannekwan 2016-06-20 16:38:07 UTC #25

I know plenty of people who do this for fanfiction.
Often they'll wait even longer than a week.

PurpleGround 2016-06-21 00:39:46 UTC #26

Yeah.. sadly, that works for me too. So I assume when a long comic finished it get swarmed? lol Mine is almost warpping at the end, I am really curious what's gonna happen after that. Will it be emptiness, that people just read and drop it and never come back. Or people just shouting at you "More! More! More!" or maybe something else. Never been to that part before. Not sure there's a thread that talk about it. Normally, authors don't end their comic like that. But mine? I feel like there's no need to tell a story anymore if there's no more idea for that.

robertsienicki 2016-06-29 06:25:18 UTC #27

Usually when I start to write a story I have certain ending in my head. I like to know where I'm going cause Ending is one of the most important part of story in my opinion. It will deeply influence readers opinion when he is done with it.

Well, if you finish a story, then you can always start telling another one. It's better to start something new and exciting than endlessly continue one series until it lost its charm for you and for the audience.

It's like "Supernatural" TV Show. There was suppose to be 5 seasons, but they decided to continue it and now it's 11 series and it's (for me) completely unwatchable. And stories with actual ending - i can come back to them.