Xerexes over at Comixpedia mentioned today that there is a general lack of coverage of web comics outside of dedicated sites such as theirs. It’s true, there’s not an abundance of web cartoonists appearing on Entertainment Tonight.
I’m sure there are many reasons that lead to this. Most of which are entirely out of our control as fans. But not all. There is something we can do.
I think I’ve done my part to promote the world of web comics. I work for a college paper and I write a (usually) weekly column where I recommend a new Web site for students to waste their study time on. About once a month I’ll promo a comic or two. I’ll be honest though, I haven’t gotten much feedback. In fact, the only feedback I’ve gotten has been from comic creators, none from readers.
This doesn’t bode well. Newspaper people are incredibly shallow and insecure. If you don’t tell us you like us, we’ll hide in our rooms all night. People often say that papers control public opinion, but from my experience, it’s the other way around.
So here’s what I want you faithful readers out there to do, the next time you see some little stupid piece about web comics in your local or college paper, write them and tell them it’s awesome. I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that they’ll respond with more stories in the future. This will help generate more of this coverage that web comics need to start turning more heads. Who knows, they may even start carrying some of the best strips.
And you’ll have a big warm fuzzy feeling inside.
I remember when I was in college, I\’d look through the papers on campus and see the same old cartoon strips that were in every other paper. I always hoped they\’d find something fresh to show readers, but that hasn\’t happened so far. Then again, they didn\’t really even print anything student-created. It was just Universal Press comics.
I also know that working in a media establishment, if the artist tells their local newspaper about certain events such as them being local and reaching a specific number of comics, you\’re 9 times out of 10 to get something in there, even if it\’s a small piece š
Yeah, my college doesn\’t tend to run much funny stuff either. They did, however, run a webcomic done by a student here… which pissed me off only to the extent that they ignored my own offer to draw comics for them. I have an ongoing plan to bombard the paper\’s inbox with multitudes of comics, but so far have lacked the time and motivation.
Jerry and Reva, sorry to hear you guys had suck lame college papers. We\’re always trying not to run syndicated strips and always have a couple student created strips. I almost got a couple webcomics in but it didn\’t quite work out.
Mike\’s right, if you harrass a paper enough they\’ll do what you want, unless they have an awnry editor like me. Then you\’ll just piss them off. Most I know will jump on any suggestion though.
To train newspapers, you hit them on the muzzle with a puppy.
Maritza
CRFH.net
\”..write them and tell them it's awesome..\”
I have another approach. I call it \”Reagancomics trickle-down theory of comic promotion\”.
If the comic has a GoogleAd, I take a seconds to click on it. Even if I have no interest in what I clicked. The hope, the comic creator will put these meager pennies toward advertising their comic.
See, Reagancomics. It didn\’t cost me a thing, and I made someone in comics a few pennies.