Will events of 2020 affect your comic's future direction?

[corridorcomix]

It would be an understatement to say 2020 has been an interesting year. Many feel life in this world will never be the same. But what about the world we are building as creators?

This is a question I'm currently wrestling with. My comic, Subhuman Sanctum, contains ideas and themes that hugely relate to what's going on. One of these ideas is the effect of thoughts and emotions on our environment. They create vibrations ("vibes") that influence people, their actions, and the outcomes of those actions. Good vibes (love, compassion) can spread like wildfire and shape reality just as easily as bad vibes (fear, anger, etc.).

Here's the challenge for me. The first volume is already done. If I wanted to incorporate changes from the real world, it would be for future chapters. But should I, and how much, is the tricky part. Should characters wear masks, shown to be social distancing, etc.? It's an interesting dilemma.

How about you? Do you have plans to incorporate events of 2020 into your fictional world? Or do you intend to ignore or set your comic in the world of the "Old Normal", ie. pre-2020?

Subhuman Sanctum | Tapas

[C_o]

I incorporated the pandemic/quarantine into my comic in a small way. The comic was always set slightly in the future with a past event that took place in early 2020, so I included masks in the flashback as well as a quarantine joke at another point to show that the characters had lived through it and that it was over. It doesn't heavily effect the story so it wasn't a major deviation from what I had planned or anything.

[Iris-Grimoire]

My comic Splitting Image has always dealt with subjects of thinking things are "too late" to fix, not wanting status quo to change when it needs to change, and there's a magical plague in the backstory - so if anything, it's actually given me a lot of first-hand material, especially on a LOT of self reflection that hey, taking a break is fine, guilt over trying to take care of yourself is unhealthy, and you're not failing everyone else when they're all in similar problems of social issues, unrest, plus the pandemic, just because you had afew hours to rest instead of work. If you think over the issues that you're going through yourself, hopefully that does help understand the themes on your work better as well.

[phoenixrenaissance]

Current events are definitely coloring my story a bit.
I'm still in the midst of planning how the last arc of Devour plays out. Being a story about werewolves and humans it ended up having themes of discrimination and bias.
The way I was initially writing it involved someone realizing their discriminatory thinking was wrong but as current events have unfolded I feel the way I wrote it was too easy. I can't help but feel myself drawing a comparison between police brutality and hunters of werewolves now.
I don't know yet if I'll keep the changes, but it's definitely on my mind.

[corridorcomix]

The comic was always set slightly in the future with a past event that took place in early 2020, so I included masks in the flashback as well as a quarantine joke at another point to show that the characters had lived through it and that it was over.

Interesting choices! I certainly hope the real world follows the same path as in your comic, and social distancing and masks will soon be consigned to the past.

Subhuman Sanctum | Tapas

[DeleteThisAccountFag]

My comic is split into two series: one is a planned storyline that is more or less fictional (takes place in an alternative version of our world) focusing on the characters, that means that no events from our world will happen here. The second series is a side project and that one is more general. Thus, my main comic will continue going on as planned while my side comic can inject topical current subjects should material arise for it, and I do have a few jokes about the current quarantine that I wish to create.

[Ramonkey]

I think that, like in your case, the themes that could be powered by 2020 events were already in my comic, so in my case it's made me realize how real the decadence of humanity can always be felt. For sure it will be a way from now on to not only depict my fears about future humanity, but also reflect the tragedies we are living (disease, war, tyranny).

Thank you for making this post, I wanted to express this feelings too.

Litanies to Stars and Other Stories | Tapas

[DukeOfOool]

The more gruesome effects of 2020 were already somehow in my comic. So I wouldn't say the direction changed, just how much I could make my characters suffer. Through this first hand experience I guess I'll be able to channel more horribleness into my comic I kinda realized how horrid some of my stories will be. But right now my comic isn't even touching anything like this. I'm currently way to spaced out.

Tales of The City | Tapas

[ar-ninetysix]

It wouldn't affect the future direction, but it will affect the reception of it when the themes would come up.

The short comic I'm working on takes place in Japan in the year 2015. It heavily involves the police, and the two main characters just happen to have darker skin than most of the cast. The antagonist of the story is essentially a spirit of someone who died as a victim of police brutality.

I had already planned this months ago, but the recent BLM protests combined with the eventual release of my comic in the future.. A reader might think that I wrote something inspired by what's been going on even though that's not the case. I'm pretty set on the story and theming though, so I've been debating whether or not I should add some sort of author's note relating to those kinds of themes near the beginning alongside any potential trigger warnings.

[magnavarra]

I've always concidered all sorts of fiction as an escape from reality, so in my case I will try to avoid any reference for such events. I read and draw comics for fun...

[Zolakandhoney]

I can't imagine it changing my comic as I've been writing it for years.
But 2020 definitely effected my comic in the way that it's actually becoming a comic now and not just a story in my head. They say Covid doesn't really affect the strong and able bodied all that badly. Welp turns out I'm not as strong and able as I thought I was. Took me over 6 weeks to recover enough to speak full sentences without gasping for air.
Sometimes a brush with death is what you need to start doing all that crap you kept saying you'd do tomorrow.

[corridorcomix]

Through this first hand experience I guess I'll be able to channel more horribleness into my comic I kinda realized how horrid some of my stories will be.

Interesting perspective! I feel times like these show the worst AND best of humanity. Everything is amped up. I have come across some very courageous people this year, willing to stand up for their beliefs. They will definitely have an influence on heroic characters that I write in the future. Perhaps even the ones I'm writing now...

Subhuman Sanctum | Tapas

[toonben]

No, my comics will be not affected by current world. I'd rather have my comics exist in its own world.

[lynestjules]

The events of this year won't affect any of the decisions I'll make for my series. My characters live in their own world, even if they come across a existing location, the environment is different.

[Freemints30]

As others have said, no, it most likely wouldn't affect it. Mostly due to I'm going for a vaguely mordernish settling with Cathode tube tv's being common alongside smart phones and flat screens with no one commenting on it. So separate from reality. And little media connected with reality except as expies.

[rajillustration]

honestly I changed the ending to make it happier because everything right now is just too damn depressing.

[Ardelvion]

Whatever decisions I have for my comic, they won't be affected by current events. I'd rather let my fictional kiddos do their thing in their own world.

[VibrantFox]

there's always been a drop of reality in all of my stories (even though the main ones i want to produce and publish aren't out yet) but the events of the real world have always had a small impact on my characters and their world views esp since their somewhat a reflection of their creator. The events that take place may not change drastically but little things here and there might pop up maybe in the form of a history book, old posters, or environmental elements.

Like on the subject of quarantine, i think it's safe to say it forced a lot of folks to reevaluate their hygiene practices so maybe the way characters interact with one another or maybe more PSAs on hand-washing and healthy habits popping up on tvs and walls will be more likely to appear

[thedude3445]

I had to change a crucial story element of one of my books that isn't on Tapas now, and I had to do some edits to my romance book that is on here due to some current events. I won't say what things though lol

[Kura]

It's be a while before the comic I'm on hit's 2020 (right now, it's 2008 in the comic) though when it does I assume that yeah, it's going to be affecting how things are depicted for the time/location settings at the least.

It'll be a long time before I'll have to depict in my comic IRL, since webcomic release speeds are not ideal.