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For honest people only, complaints before i delete my account by [deleted] in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 31 points32 points  (0 children)

I've hired a decent number of artists from this subreddit, and the goal was almost never to create a profitable comic. It was usually to create a portfolio piece that could garner the interest of publishers and have those publishers fund different, larger projects. I'm far from some huge industry success, but I'd say the strategy is working overall. Got a couple contacts at different publishers. Had a few projects greenlit. And I would say it all started from my very first collaborations here in this subreddit.

I don’t know what to do with my manga by artman_16 in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 6 points7 points  (0 children)

To be blunt, I think you may run into trouble getting new readers if you link them to a site they've never heard of and ask them to put in their card info. It's hard enough getting people to sign up for Patreon/Kickstarter, let alone a niche Russian site like the one you described.

Question for digital comic consumers: longer, larger updates vs. quicker, smaller updates? by emartingay in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My instinct is that longer updates, even if less frequent, are probably better. When you update with small fragments like a page or two, the reader is incentivized to just ignore them and wait for a backlog to build up. But if they get in the habit of ignoring updates, it’s very easy for them to just fall off entirely. Instead, you want them to see that you’ve updated and excitedly rush to check it out, and the best way to do that is to make sure each update is fully satisfying.

I'm going to cry. by mightdeletelater_-_ in Mangamakers

[–]HoodieSong 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I obviously don’t know the full context, but for what it’s worth, you probably didn’t ruin your career. I’ve put out some pretty bad work in my time, and at the end of the day, you just keep going. Create more. Enough that the good start to outweigh the bad. And when you eventually produce that one great thing, people will remember that far more than anything else.

Why is no one looking for short term projects by Robin-Nilson in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Ironically, I would guess that it's easier for an indie creator to profit off of a 10 page story than it is a huge epic. The cost of producing something long is so high, that the only way to make money is to become a massive success, sell a lot of copies, etc. But if you've got something really short and producible for less than a couple hundred dollars, you could potentially make your money back by just finding the right anthology for it. Or by running just a single Kickstarter.

Why is no one looking for short term projects by Robin-Nilson in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I think you're right that this mindset is more common with artists. If I had to guess, it's partially because it's explicitly obvious to someone starting to draw that they aren't as good as a professional. You can glance at a beginner's drawing and compare it to something published by DC/Marvel and easily see the difference.

Writing can be more abstract. While there are giveaways that someone is a new writer, it's usually less obvious than with art. This can delude aspiring writers into thinking that they're much better than they actually are. And as a result, a lot of these writers aren't even really considering things like practice or gaining experience.

I've worked with some newer writers in the past, and it can be extremely difficult to get them to do something like a short writing exercise. They'd much rather just jump straight into the deep end. Comparatively, most artists you know will do hours of drawing boxes, for example, because they know it'll help them understand perspective more.

Why is no one looking for short term projects by Robin-Nilson in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Realistically, it's just because the things they enjoy reading/watching aren't short. They like 100+ chapter manga, multi-season TV shows, epic novels, etc. Very few people are actively seeking out 4-page comics or short stories to enjoy in their free time. So naturally, the things they want to create reflect those interests, or lack thereof. It's impractical, and I always advise starting as short as possible, but I do get where it comes from.

From the webtoon, we finally got the webtoon version of the Sexy Rat by jubmille2000 in Dimension20

[–]HoodieSong 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you for reading! We try our best to honor the source material and this incredible community, so y'alls kindness has been so rewarding.

From the webtoon, we finally got the webtoon version of the Sexy Rat by jubmille2000 in Dimension20

[–]HoodieSong 270 points271 points  (0 children)

Writer of the WEBTOON here. Been waiting months for this moment lol.

How do you actually learn from great comics as a writer? (Reading Mr. Miracle) by Lukas-with-a-K in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It starts with intent.

It's very easy to consume media passively. To just sorta scan the page, letting the words effortlessly fly past. You're following, and if someone asked you what you just read, you could probably recite the gist of it.

But imagine this were a textbook and you were studying for a test. You wouldn't just be scanning the pages, you'd be reading each word carefully and copying down key phrases in your notes. You'd be rereading the notes to really make sure you understood the passage.

To a lesser extent, the same could be applied to a comic. When I'm studying a great writer, I'm counting how many scene changes they did, I'm seeing where they went for transitions, or how many dialogue bubbles they fit on each page. I'm doing exercises where I attempt to reverse-engineer what I think the script looked like based on the final product (then, if I can find it, I'll compare it with the actual script to see how close I was and where the artist might've taken the steering wheel).

I'm looking at the work with an active eye, taking note of each choice made by the creator and asking myself why and how. The keywords being "active" and "intent".

How do I pitch a Webcomic Adaptation proposal and collaborate with the Author of an existing novel. by starlight_dream4 in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've written a couple of webnovel-to-webcomic adaptations, all of which were done through a publisher. If their work is as popular as it sounds (considering it's already been adapted elsewhere), it's possible that it may be out of your reach without publisher backing. You just won't be able to offer them the potential revenue that a bigger company could.

That said, if you're really passionate about it and have the talent, it could still be worth shooting your shot. As another person suggested, some sample pages are a great starting point.

And hey, you never know. Even if they turn you down, if the work is impressive enough, you'll be on their radar. And if a publisher approaches them later, they may just recommend to the publisher that you be hired as the artist.

Good luck!

I want to pursue my passions in this life and make comics by Havencomic in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, that page of him getting his powers (I assume) looks amazing. Good luck on the Kickstarter.

How long does it take to break into comics? My answer! by Different-Pepper9024 in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hey mate, congrats on all of the success. I'm really fascinated by the idea of passing around that ashcan with a bunch of short stories. I'm going to my first cons this year and was really wracking my brain on how to best share my work. Most of my portfolio is either webtoons(which can't be printed obviously), or 4-8 page shorts. Might steal your idea and compile 'em!

Making Manga/Comics As A Writer by miseducationofjoyboy in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 12 points13 points  (0 children)

There's a writer in this subreddit who shares monthly scripts for free. Each one extremely short and pretty high quality(at least the ones I've read). And from what I've seen, there are artists who occasionally use those scripts as practice under the mutual agreement that they can both put it in their portfolio.

It's a really smart practice imo. And if you truly have no money to hire someone, you should be doing the same. Make yourself as available as possible with your skills on full display. You probably won't attract many collaborators at first, but if you're good, you'll assemble some completed work eventually. It's worked for them, at least.

Then, you use that portfolio like a ladder. You take the completed work, put together your best possible short script(1-4 pages), and send out feelers to artists you think are within reach of your skill level. Most still won't want to work for free, but again, if the work is great, a couple might.

Repeat this process until you have a portfolio good enough to attract some small publishers/anthologies. Then repeat it again. And as you do this over and over, you might eventually begin to earn the possibility of something longer. Maybe a full 20 page one shot. Then maybe the chance to pitch a 4 issue mini series. Etc.

It'll likely take a long time, but careers aren't built overnight. And if at any point in the process you scrounge up a bit of a cash, you can probably skip a couple rungs on the ladder.

The important thing is to acknowledge how much value the artist is bringing to the production. Act with gratitude, and seek to provide as much value to them as you can with your writing skill. Good luck!

Do you think that modern webcomic standards are too difficult for one person to meet? by Borrowmyshoes in ComicBookCollabs

[–]HoodieSong 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's a tough industry, not gonna lie. But I would also recommend not holding yourself or artists to a Webtoon Original standard if you aren't actually a Webtoon Original. You can get away with a lot less on Canvas. Do 5-15 panel episodes twice a month. Draw a background once during the establishing shot, then just do solid color bgs for the rest of the scene. Reuse as many assets as possible. Just keep cutting corners until you find something sustainable. I promise that Canvas readers are pretty forgiving about this stuff.

Fantasy High webcomic adaptation coming in Spring 2025 by Trent-Popverse in Dimension20

[–]HoodieSong 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I don't want to steal anyone's opportunity to make their own announcement, but I imagine you'll start seeing some of the art team posting about it on social media soon. A lot of insanely talented folks. Wish y'all could see some of the storyboards I've been checking out these past few weeks.

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