A Word… On Blogs

Just about every comic, here on the interweb, has a blog to accompany their strip. What for I wonder? Most strips could do without their blog. A lot of these have updated their strip alright, but the blog is about 6 months behind. Either that or the current post is 2 weeks old and it says “Wow I haven’t posted on here in so long”. Granted the existence of a web comic master’s mind is fraught with the perils of the evil invader “Real Life”, but the matters of taste and continuity are not totally eradicated. There are many strips whose constant blogging certainly gives us all joys of mirth and merriment. The foremost that displays this is Achewood. Chris Onstad has found a way to keep us all in touch with each of the characters during a story-arc that does not concern them. Kudos to Mr. Onstad and many a praise his way, but SHAME to the rest of the vast majority of you.

Now, I am not speaking to only the hobbyist or only the semi-pro; I am also speaking to the “bonafied” online professionals. Your strips are terrific (from hobbyist on up), but would it be far too much to ask that you insert more than an obligatory, “This game is coming out soon. I can’t wait. I’m selling a T-shirt. Read my strip again next week.”?!

For a cadre of artisans, who largely value their literary capabilities over their art quality, y’all sure do abandon your writing. Leaving it behind like a stray orphan who was depending on you as their one and only chance. I’m sure you don’t appreciate the image any more than I appreciate being left hanging in the department of your writing, so
let’s each forget it and give me what I want. Only then can you rid yourself of the image and me of my lack of free literary justice.

Now, there are those who attempt a blog at each update, and these particular updates are so frequent and trying that it’s nigh impossible to do. I understand, really I do, but for heaven’s sake take a look at yourself. If all your blogs consistently start with “I’m so tired. This is gonna be short…” (I mean YOU Jeph Jacques) Then perhaps you should do an evaluation of your blogging habits. I personally would prefer that you would take the time during the week to do your strip and sleep, and then give me a badass blogging later on. And since it is MY opinion that counts… the policy I suggest must be adhered to immediately.

Now, the rest of you who have all the same excuse that I mentioned earlier… Damn your “job”, your “life” and your “responsibilities”. None of that matters. What truly matters is my amusement, and though your strips give me a good amount of happiness each day, there is not enough to satisfy my insatiable hunger for free entertainment. Therefore you must create more.

OBEY ME!!!

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8 thoughts on “A Word… On Blogs

  1. Keep in mind that a lot of webcartoonists are currently using Comicpress for WordPress, a blog/comic uploading theme. It forces you to post a blog update along with the comic in order to post the comic itself. So, sometimes, you end up with \”I got nothing to say\” posts just so they can get the comic loaded to the site.

  2. I agree with your sentiment. Nothing a webcomic person says has any value.

    Unfortunatetly, it\’s required to blog because the cult of personality is part of the package of becoming an internet z-grade celebrity. No exposing yourself, no readers. It\’s as simple as that.

    That fanninsh sense of entitlement. Whacanyahdo?

  3. I wish I knew my blog\’s exact raison d\’etre myself. Sometimes it\’s a promotional platform, sometimes it\’s a journal. I\’m usually happiest with it when it\’s a place to foment discussion. But you can\’t force that kind of thing. It\’s as simple as this: do you have anything to SAY today?

  4. As long as they\’re posting something on the page I would rather read what the artist has to say through their comic. I mean that\’s the reason I\’m visiting their site in the first place. Right? I have enough LJ friend that will tell me what they\’ve had for lunch, who they last talked to on I.M., what comes up on their iPod if they hit shuffle, or which Smallville character the quiz they just taken says they are.

  5. You guys seemed to miss the obvious sarcasm in this post. He isn\’t making that big of a deal about it. I know what he means. I get kind of tired of the same old \”I\’m so tired I\’ve only had 3 hours of sleep\” posts.

  6. I see the accompanying blog as being added daily content. Many comics only take a few seconds to read and often seem barely worth the \”trip\” to the site (until they have several built up again). I see it as the opportunity for a reader that has come to the site to spend a little extra time there if they want and maybe even open up some short discussions. I think it puts a little more value on their visit than just being a drive-by comic reading. Not to say there is anything wrong with just having the comic as content, that\’s just why I do it. Comic strips gained popularity being entertaining bits of added content in publications, it\’s impressive to see them be standalone content these days.

    I often produce my \”posts\” as content themselves. So as far as \”do I have anything to SAY today?\” I better if I\’m producing daily content, even if what I\’m saying is just with the comic itself.

    Also you can leave posts empty with Comicpress. But maybe that defeats the point of publishing a comic with blogging software to begin with.

  7. Also you can leave posts empty with Comicpress. But maybe that defeats the point of publishing a comic with blogging software to begin with.

    You can? Someone else had told me differently. But I suppose you of all people would know. =D

  8. When I have something to say which would suit a visual medium I choose to do it as a comic. When I have something to say that would work better as text, I use text.

    Easy,..

    Ah,..

    Peasy!!

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