When was the moment that you realised / knew that you had a large / significant fanbase?

[AlkseeyaKC]

I don't know if I am there yet. I feel half way.

[TrustyShamrock]

[miesmud]

I don't think I have one, and I doubt that I'd ever get one too :')
For me a fanbase would mean people connecting because of my comic, and that is a little bit ambitious to expect from my comic, haha.

But even having loose fans? I don't think I have actual fans either.
I do have people commenting on every page, but most of those people comment on every page on Tapastic ever made. So it's not like they are really MY fan, they just like commenting

I do have some mutuals that like my comic, and I love their comics, and we comment on eachothers pages, and love eachothers comics and characters and everything. But to call them my fans? No... They're more like friends, sortof kinda

[Kayke]

I feel like this is just one of those questions where there's no answer.

Sometimes I'll realize how many eyes I have on my work and feel like I'm getting there, but other times I'll feel like I'm miles away. I try to focus more on the personal connections I have with people who like my work and less on the numbers. Like if one person does fanart that feels so much more significant because someone liked my work enough to put time into drawing one of the characters and THAT gives me the warm fuzzies.

[shazzbaa]

I agree a lot with Kayke! It's such a hard thing to quantify; I'm not sure there's such a moment for me. I suppose it could be yet to come!

One of my friends once made the comment, "I don't think we ever realised just how popular Today Nothing Happened was." It never felt popular. Yet I got recognised by a stranger while shopping once, and my brother has been recognised twice at work as a "character" from that autobio comic. When I sell more books than I expected it doesn't feel like "wow I must have a big following!" -- it feels more like "wow I'm doing really well for a small comic!"

Things increment so slowly -- there's often not a sudden influx of comments or a moment where you're suddenly getting more. It's more like you get 2 comments on one page, 1 on the next, 2 on the next, then 4, then 2, then 6, then 5, then 3, then 7, then 4, then 6, then 8, then 6, then 6, then 9, then 12, then 8, then 4 -- and you never noticed that somehow 4 comments went from "the most comments I've ever gotten" to "kind of a slow day today."

I guess opening my patreon was the biggest influx of support I was able to tangibly see, since I started mine pretty late in the game, and the support I got was a big surprise. But, does that mean I have a pretty large amount of readers, or a small amount who are disproportionately generous?

So yeah, I'm not, really sure? It feels like there must be a point where the realisation is unavoidable -- where you can't realistically answer all comments, or you're making enough to reliably live on -- but you can have a good-sized audience well before reaching that point. I feel like my current comic does have a significant readership, but if you asked me if it's "large" I'm not sure I could give you a straight answer because I'm just not sure how to quantify that.

[infectedbloodcomics]

I'll let you know when it happens! Hahaha

[spadesart]

ah yes my dedicated fanbase of at least one (1) person. used to be 2 but they suddenly stopped reading and responding to updates ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[randomladyaj]

Is it weird that I focus on the people who've read it rather than the fanbase? I made it so people could see it and if they want to stick around that's even better. But my readership and fanbase are extremely small, but glad I have them.

[Aspie_Gamer]

I think it was the moment people started regularly commenting on LoaA (which was also around the time I started uploading each page as its own episode last Autumn with Chapter 4) that I realized that quite a few people cared enough about my little shoujo inspired comic about Asperger's Syndrome to say "hi" on the scheduled weekdays when LoaA updates.

[azureXtwilight]

I feel like someone who starts to comment regularly is already a fanbase XD There are a few of them now. I'm happy with just that.

[69Michi]

The moment when I saw more and more people talk about my comic outside of the comment section (Ie: their social media, facebook, twitter, etc) and also when I see my comic appears on top 10 list or review list of someone without me requesting for it. That is when I think my comic has made a significant presence for itself despite me not being aware of it at all.

[NanettesClouds]

you never noticed that somehow 4 comments went from "the most comments I've ever gotten" to "kind of a slow day today."

I felt this kinda recently on a smaller scale with my minicomic, I hit 30 views on launch day and that was just astonishing to me, then I had that one week that hit 95 views on an update, and the following days were 30ish views, I was absolutely floored, then later it felt like it wasnt as big of an acomplishment when it happened again. But it's still crazy to me that people have even bothered to read it.

I think "large" is a relative thing, Dust has the largest readership I've ever had, but it's no Homestuck, but that doesnt really matter, it's still an acomplishment for me. If I invited everyone who's read my comic to my house there wouldnt be enough room to fit them all and that's just crazy. You gotta keep things in perspective is all.

[Emma]

Well, I can't say much for Tapastic (though I really do enjoy this site more than others, I still only have 140 subs), but on Webtoons (almost 1k subs), it was when I started getting, like... 5-10 comments per small update.

[zetina]

i feel more like i have "buds". i'm acquiring buddies moreso than a fanbase. i might not chat with them or have their contact details, but i become familiar with them. i think it would feel like a fanbase at a time when it's not possible to make buds with everyone and it's more the readers becoming buddies with each other instead.

[Shanny8]

I wish. I have a few faithfuls who comment on my comic, but far from a large fanbase. They are very significant though..!

[jjfresh]

When I qualified for the Support program.

Doesn't exist anymore but in other words: 500 subscribers.
Just the fact that I could actually be a part of Tapastic's Patreon (not anymore) made me really feel like I was doing well.

Somehow my story consistently gets a few subscribers each day and is in the Popular and Trending tabs when updated. Actually, now that I think about it, that is pretty amazing. How the hell did I - I guess I'm doing something right

I just wish they would comment and chat more so I can really get a feel for their thoughts. I actually love getting comments.

JJ
Beautiful Lies

[GreenSpleen]

I think it truly depends on who sticks around to see more of what you put out. The reads, the comments, the likes…they're all valued. Staying humble can benefit you in the long run when you have tons and tons of comics.

That's usually the trick: Post nonstop until there is enough for your followers to binge. They crave your artwork!!! Use that to build a fanbase and when you have binge-able content, you can sit back and watch your community expand. >:D

dab dab dab

[Zanreo]

Well, I did once find a random fanart at Deviantart from someone I didn't even know and who didn't even tell me about it

[Rueleer]

I think this is a case of 'the larger you get, the more you want'. Unless you get an amount of followers that would be ridiculous to consider 'small', I think most people will always feel like they 'haven't got there yet'.

Which I don't think is bad - it's better to strive to get better for the most part, no? o3o)

Personally speaking, I prefer gauging via audience interaction rather than the size, though I do value both.

[babysnuff]

1/10 can't relate
has little to no fans