What are Webcomics?

What is Cerebus Syndrome?

Why Cerebus Syndrome Occurs

How to Measure Success

Important Characteristics of Cerebus Syndromes

Important Characteristics in Practice

Conclusion

Works Cited

Glossary

About Me

 

 

How are Webcomics different from Newspaper Comics?

One of the most noticeable differences between webcomics and newspaper comics are their outlooks on their work. While the following are generalizations and as such are not always true, they are often good approximations of what people are likely to think.

Newspaper comic strip artists are more likely to view their work as a product or a commodity than as art. Part of the reason for this is that they are probably making their living off their strip, while a webcomic artist probably is not. Another is that the constraints of the newspaper medium often suffocate creativity and innovation. It is hard to be different and try new things when you are allotted only a small 2"x6" rectangle. Furthermore, editors usually discourage a strip from changing as this might endanger their reader base.

Webcomic artists tend to view their work as a creative outlet and as, well, art. Since unlike newspaper comic strip artists they are not making any money off of their comic (with few exceptions), usually they only do it if they really enjoy it. The web also can foster creativity because so much is available: sound, animation, infinite canvas [G], and so on. If an artist wanted to illustrate falling with a hundred panels vertically stacked on each other, she could. And there's no editor looking over her shoulder to tell her that a hundred panels is too many.

Actually, that brings up one of the biggest differences between newspaper comics and webcomics: no editors. That simple phrase means a lot. It is, as is the cliche, both a blessing and a curse. It often means that strips are not posted on time, that they contain glaring typographical errors, and that they are pure, unadulterated, drivel. It also means that a webcomic artist can write about anything she wants to. If she wants to write a comic series graphically depicting the ravages of war, she doesn't have to worry about whether or not it will "sell." There is as much freedom of artistic expression as her skills can accommodate.

Now that I have a general idea of what you are talking about, what's your site about?