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(Book)
Steven Withrow, John Barber
Released: August, 2005 |
In my never-ending and rather expensive desire to buy any book with 'comic' in the title, this particular publication caught my eye and gave my wallet a quick kidney punch. For those who don't have the time to be as sad and geeky as me, 'Webcomics' is basically a fancy term for online comics that are usually created digitally and distributed online. Most are free to view while some of the more successful ones require subscription.
Which ones are worth reading? This is where things get a bit tricky – the internet is literally awash with thousands of these strips and stories, the quality of which vary wildly (it's worth noting that the very strength of the world wide web is also it's biggest weakness; everyone has total freedom to publish absolutely anything they want .. Hurrah for the internet! Unfortunately, there's zero quality control .. Boo hiss for the internet!) Still, if some blind, one-legged dog from Bumfluff, Arizona wants to draw a daily strip and put it online, who am I to stop him? I'll just shout 'more power to your elbow!' and continue browsing for quality work. Actually, do dogs have elbows?
Aaaaanyway, back to the bookÖ..
The authors offer a pretty in-depth look at the world of webcomics – section one offers a brief history of this new medium, looking at what defines a webcomic, the differing styles and genres used, and what the online audience is looking for.
Section two interviews six of the more popular online cartoonists who all work in differing styles and genres, with each artist giving in-depth tutorials and workthroughs on their techniques. The interviews are quite candid and are a nice balance with the drier, more technical aspects of the tutorials which deal with resolutions, lettering, colouring etc.
Section three interviews another eight successful webcartoonists who have been using more advanced, experimental techniques. A gallery section is also featured and showcases some of the better webcomics out there today. Sadly, that one legged dog didn't make the cut, but it's great to see comics like Copper and American Elf selected.
Lastly, section four deals with the business side of things – looking at the commercial aspects of online cartooning, copyright issues and business models. It's an informative and interesting read for those new to the business, faced with the challenge of selling content to online readers who expect the internet to be free.
All in all, Webcomics is a good read. For those who haven't taken the digital plunge it's extremely informative (although you could also try 'How to draw and sell digital cartoons' from the same publishers (www.Ilex-press.com), which Jed Pascoe reviewed recently, giving it a thumbs up. The book itself is well put together, 192 pages, with colour artwork throughout and an easy to follow layout. A quick browse online indicates you can get 'Webcomics' new for under £10, so I've no hesitation in recommending it.
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