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Independent Cartoonists Band Together for Success
Brad Guigar writes "Six cartoonists, previously hosted at Keenspot, are banding together in a new approach to self-publishing.
They have formed Blank Label Comics, a cooperative group of cartoonists who are helping one another succeed as independents. Each is using his proficiency in a particular aspect of the cartooning business to help the others -- who are doing the same in return.
Scott Kurtz, creator of the daily comic strip PVP, applauded the move. 'The forming of Blank Label Comics is a big story in the webcomics community,' he said in a statement on his Web site, insisting that the 'real story ... is that a bunch of really talented guys are taking a chance, putting their necks out and trying to do this on their own.'"
Variety is just fine, but there's a reason a great number of comics have a hard time. Most of them simply aren't very good. And even among those that are, they're all a rip off of the same thing. Have any "popular" online comics NOT done the whole "tech support sucks HAHAHAHAH!" thing yet? Have any of them not done "end users suck and I hate working in tech support HAHAHAHA!".
Most of them are trying really hard to be User Friendly, which itself isn't all that bad. I think a lot of people just have the idea that what they do is so unique and remarkable that THE MAN -- *SOME* MAN -- must be HOLDIN' THEM DOWN. After all, their work is brilliant, creative, unique, interesting, hilarious and priceless. Why, the only reason they're not millionaires off their work yet HAS to be because United Artist hates them, personally.
By the way - what do I give a shit about "starving artists"? It's hard to make a living as a lot of fun things. You know what? That's the sacrifice you make. If you're so concerned with popularity and money, go get a REAL job like everyone else. You think everyone LOVES their jobs? Hell no. But they make a living - or better - at it. If it was simply to make a good living playing with clay, crayons, pastels, watercolor or writing books, everyone would be doing it.
If you've made the choice that you want to draw stuff for a living, don't bitch to the rest of the world about how poor you are. Go out and get a job providing a service. Or make "better" art. Of course, you'll probably complain that "but art is subjective! You can't put a value on it!". Well, then stop putting a value on it by whining about how hard it is to make a living. The Starving Artist who complains about making a living is the one who is putting a price on his own work as it is.
Art is great. Variety is great. But don't bitch about how the rest of the world "just doesn't get it" or isn't making it financially feasible for you to continue your "dream job" of playing Jim Davis or Stan Lee.