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[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Many artists take a very focused approach to their work and aim specifically at a particular audience right from the start. This can be particularly true of work intended for younger audiences. One of the pitfalls of this approach however, is that in an effort to make things youth-appropriate, an artist can cross that fine line between writing what young readers like and writing what they think young readers ought to like. How does an author tread this line, and hopefully create something with broad appeal, without dumbing things down in an attempt to please everyone? In the first part of the episode, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando interviews Robert Christie and Deborah Lang, creators of Quirk's Quest. They talk about the origins of Quirk's Quest, how they go about their creative collaboration, and about writing for a young audience. In the second part, Denise Randall of The Only Half Saga and Michael leads a roundtable discussion with Julian Dominguez of Littlelight Asylum and Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Long-form comics may seem like a bigger challenge than comic strips, but they have one big advantage: an ending. When an artist sets out to write an open-ended strip-format or other non-standard comic, they could be committing to something much bigger than that, something that may change, develop and move in unexpected directions. How do creators manage a project that has no beginning or end? In the first part of the episode, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando interviews Stephen Notley, creator of Bob the Angry Flower. In the second part, Travis Shearin of Bruno Harm and Gheralf of Realm of Owls have a conversation about coming up with jokes, avoiding writer's block, and their process of creating the next comic strip and keeping the comic going. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Being in it for your art is one thing, but the reality of comics is that if we want our art to be our full-time job, we need to find ways to monetise our work. For webcomics, this has never been easier or more difficult at the same time. Powerful new tools like Patreon offer opportunities to monetise your work, but nothing is free, especially not money. In the first part of the episode, Christina Major of Sombulus interviews Shobana "Bob" Appavu of Demon of the Underground. They talk about monetization tactics, how to make Patreon rewards, and what to expect regarding making money from your comic. In the second part, Kat Feete of Sunset Grill leads a roundtable discussion with Robin Childs (LeyLines) and Ally Rom Colthoff (Chirault) about how they got started using Patreon, what adjustments they have made to their approach over time, and the changes that platforms like Patreon have brought about in the world of webcomics. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Certain kinds of story lend themselves to certain archetypal characters. This has been true for as long as there's been literature, but all too often, the constrains of an archetype actually become a cliche. Finding new ways to look at classic characters and stories is a continuous challenge for comic artists and writers. So how do you avoid the pitfalls without straying too far from your goals? In the first part of the episode, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando interviews Erin Mehlos, creator of Next Town Over. They talk about fantasy fiction, westerns, and playing with tropes and archetypes. In the second part, Christina Major of Sombulus leads a roundtable discussion between Adam Ma (Folklore), James Nelson (Monster Lands) and Starlia Prichard (Castoff) about their inspirations for their comics, what genre tropes they've chosen to include or not include in their stories, and about reader expectations and the benefits of breaking them. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube This episode is all entirely in Spanish! It features Alejandro Melchor of Nahast: Lands of Strife leading a roundtable discussion between Eliana Falcón-Dvorsky, creator of Cosmic Fish, and Monica N. Galvan, creator of Moonslayer. They talk about what made them decide to publish their comics in a language other than Spanish, the challenges of writing in a language that is not their native, coming up with fantasy languages and the way the process is informed by their own bilingualism, and the local comics scene in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Although English is, for many, the overwhelming language of choice for modern webcomics, it is by no means a requirement. In the modern environment of global communications, digital comics in French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and many other languages are becoming increasingly important as the medium's influence expands. But language still represents a barrier in many parts of the world as well. So how does one go about translating and interpreting a comic between one and more languages? In the first part of the episode, Christina Major of Sombulus interviews Enistoja about how they got started translating Cucumber Quest and RetroBlade, about translating puns and other jokes, and the importance of using a skilled translator. In the second part, Ewa of Bits Fair leads a roundtable discussion between Sophie Pfrötzschner (Soul's Journey), Mikael Hankonen (Tistow – Small Trolls and Year In Hereafter), and Joolita (Of Conquests and Consequences). They talk about why they made the decision to make English-language webcomics, the challenges that come with creating comics in a foreign language, and their experiences with translating their work. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Team-work makes a lot more possible than one person can do alone, and relationships between writers and artists can be a lot bigger than the sum of their parts. Although this can make more complex work possible, it can also have some difficulties attached to it. As we'll find out in this episode, navigating the business and the personal is an art of its own. In the first part of the episode, Denise Randall of The Only Half Saga and Michael interviews the creators of Daughter of the Lilies: Meg Syverud, the author and artist, and Yoko, the colourist. They talk about how and why they came to work together, the importance of paying one's colourist, and about the challenges they have faced. In the second part, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando leads a roundtable discussion between Dan Sharp (The Demon Archives), Daniel Kelly (Saffron & Sage) and Jemma M. Young (Children of Eldair) about their reasons to create comics in collaboration with others, the pitfalls of working on a long-term project with a friend, how to prepare for the worst, and the importance of writing up a contract. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Webcomics are projects that take a long long time to complete, often many years. Sustaining interest in a project like that over such a long time is real challenge. Life, money, health, and simple boredom can all conspire against you. How do you overcome these obstacles and keep your eyes on your goal? In the first part of the episode, Ewa of Bits Fair interviews Katherine Jameson, creator of Age of Clay, about her experiences working on a webcomic she had all scripted out before she started drawing it, about the ways she redefined what the project was about as the time went on, and how she brought the comic to its conclusion. In the second part, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando leads a roundtable discussion between Sophie Pfrötzschner (Soul's Journey), Kristen Kiomall-Evans (XII: Of Magic and Muses) and Jen Zyren Smith (LaSalle’s Legacy) about how they script their stories, how they motivate themselves to keep going, and the importance of not leaving one's audience hanging. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube It's very hard to get things just right the first time you do them. When artists are developing their pages they can sketch, refine and go to photos for reference. But it's not often that easy for writers. Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes can be a very valuable asset, and this is where editors and beta readers come in. In the first part of the episode, Denise Randall of The Only Half Saga and Michael interviews Lora Innes, creator of The Dreamer, and Alan Evans, creator of Rival Angels, about what sort of research they did for their webcomics, their experiences with using beta readers and beta reading for one another, and about getting one's work stolen. In the second part, Ewa of Bits Fair talks to Alyssa Alecci of Lapse about putting the feedback received from a beta reader or an editor to good use, and about how to be a good beta reader for someone else. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android | YouTube Webcomic artists often have to be their own web designers as well, and that can seem like a very complicated task. But fear not! Help is on the way. In the first part of the episode, Christina Major of Sombulus interviews Ben Gremillion, the co-creator of The Grawlix CMS, about the Content Management System he created, and the future plans for it. In the second part, Daniel Kelly of Saffron & Sage leads a roundtable discussion between Sophie Pfrötzschner (Soul's Journey), Monica N. Galvan (Moonslayer) and Alyssa Alecci (Lapse) about what makes a good webcomic website, the many benefits of having a site of your own, and the weaknesses and strengths of the various CMSes that webcomic artists can choose from. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android How do you reconcile the myth of the artistic life with the reality of earning a living? Is the uncompromising success that we all dream of really attainable? In the first part of the episode, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando interviews Jordan Kotzebue, the creator of Hominids, about being a working artist and avenues to approach comics, webcomics, and art as a career, generally. In the second part, Christina Major of Sombulus leads a roundtable discussion between Dojo (Paisley Brickstone), Starlia Prichard (Castoff) and Ally Rom Colthoff (Chirault) about their past and present professional goals for their webcomics, the ways in which webcartoonists make money, and the ever-changing internet landscape. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android Comics are a visual medium, but without good writing, they are just pretty pictures. In fact, it's been said that a good story saves bad art far more often than the reverse. In this episode, we are going to explore the lessons that pure prose has to teach a comic artist. First, Ewa of Bits Fair interviews Olga Makarova, creator of Gifts of Wandering Ice, about her reasons for adapting one of her short stories into the webcomic format, and the differences between the two mediums. In the second part of the episode, Daniel Kelly of Saffron & Sage leads a roundtable discussion between Kat Feete (Sunset Grill), Daniel Sharp (The Demon Archives) and Denise Randall (The Only Half Saga, Gemutations: Plague) about the strengths and weaknesses of novels and comics, the unique uses of the webcomics medium, and the lessons a novelist can learn from working on a webcomic. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android The design of the environment can be just as important as the characters of a story. In this episode, we are going to talk about all those little things you never knew you were seeing when you read a comic. First, Christina Major of Sombulus interviews Riana Dorsey, creator of Suihira, about introducing the setting to the audience, treating the world in which the story takes place as a character in its own right, and drawing backgrounds. Then, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando leads a roundtable discussion with Laura Graves (666 Bistro), G Pike (Title Unrelated) and Amy Stoddard (Fine Sometimes Rain) about their approach to drawing backgrounds, the common pitfalls, and the advice they have for beginner comic artists. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android Comics share some distinct similarities with film, and there's a great deal to be learned from movies when creating a comic. But there are limits to this as well, and in this episode, we are going to discuss both. In the first part of the episode, Ewa of Bits Fair interviews Anastasia Inspiderwiht, the creator of Magpies Killers and Vagabonds and Borrowed Bones, about her inspiration for her first comic, writing dialogue, page layout designs, getting a webcomic to completion, and choosing the next story to draw. Then, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando leads a roundtable discussion with Robin Childs (LeyLines), Starlia Prichard (Castoff) and Alejandro Melchor (Nahast: Lands of Strife) about using cinematography techniques in comics, the similarities and the differences between the language of comics and the language of film, and the unique challenges presented by the webcomic format. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android Few things add more depth to a story than an artificial language, but languages take thousands of years to evolve. How do you go about making your own in less than a lifetime? And how do you make it believable? In the first part of the episode, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando interviews Jim Francis, the creator of Outsider, about his process of creating two alien languages for his comic, and the thought that goes into creating a language spoken by creatures very different from us. Then, Ewa of Bits Fair leads a roundtable discussion with G Pike (Title Unrelated) and Julia Francis (Chronicles of Oro) about the languages they created for their comics, the process of creating languages, and advice to aspiring conlangers. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android Conventions are one of the hallmarks of the comics industry, but they can also be very daunting affairs. How do you approach a room with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of comics fans in it, and how do you make a success out of it? First up, Christina Major of Sombulus interviews Kiriska, co-founder of the How to Be a Con Artist blog, about how to get started at conventions, how to make sure you don't burn out, and what to expect as a webcomic creator at comic and anime conventions. Then, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando leads a roundtable discussion with Ally Rom Colthoff (Chirault), Kez Cyndari (What it Takes) and Laura Graves (666 Bistro) about getting ready for a convention, finding ways to connect with the attendees, and deciding on what to sell at your table. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android In this episode, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando leads a discussion featuring two Eisner Award nominees: Anne Szabla, the creator of Bird Boy, a nominee in the Best Webcomic category, and Jehanzeb Hasan, the co-creator of Helm, which has been nominated in the category of Best Digital Comic. They talk about the plans they had for their comics when they first started them, their current goals, the new horizons of comics in the digital age, and the challenges and opportunities of the webcomics medium. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android Websites like Kickstarter have opened up a vast new source of funding for comic creators to make a leap from web to print. But it's not as easy as just clicking a link! We are going to talk about the ups and downs of crowdfunding in this episode. First, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando interviews Jason Brubaker, the creator of Sithrah and reMIND, about his experiences with using Kickstarter, and thoughts on why people still want to own physical books in the digital age. In the second part of the episode, Ewa of Bits Fair leads a roundtable discussion with Christina Major (Sombulus), Ben Fleuter (Derelict and The Sword Interval) and Ally Rom Colthoff (Chirault) about planning, running and fulfilling a crowdfunding campaign. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android As a storyteller, you have in hand all of the things that you know, and all of the things that you want your readers to know, but pacing out how you reveal them is something that takes a great deal of skill, and also a great deal of restraint. What is the best way to go around doing it? And what are the pitfalls to avoid? In the first part of the episode, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando interviews Tony Bourne, creator of the graphic novels The Fed and Gen-Eg, and the webcomic The 388th, about life experience informing fiction, using reality as a model for world-building, and pacing out information on a story's world and background in a believable way. Then, Colby Purcell of Lintier leads a roundtable discussion between Robin Childs (Leylines), Sophie Pfrötzschner (Soul's Journey) and Denise Randall (The Only Half Saga, Gemutations: Plague) about drawing on life to write fiction, building convincing fictional worlds with real experience as source material, and revealing your world's inner workings without overwhelming your readers. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]

[two_third position="first"]Subscribe via RSS | Android Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, but sometimes, an artist realises that they've gone so far in the wrong direction. that they need to make a bigger change than usual. How do they handle it when this happens? And what if they feel like they need to make the ultimate change, and go all the way back to square one? In the first part of the episode, Ewa of Bits Fair interviews Karin Rindevall, creator of the action/adventure webcomic The Din, about launching a comic and then deciding to rework it to make the story better, making changes based on reader feedback, and reboots in general. Then, Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando leads a roundtable discussion with Christina Major (Sombulus), G Pike (Title Unrelated) and KEZ (What it Takes) about rebooting a comic, coping with feedback, and making improvements and changes to a comic already in progress. [/two_third] [one_third position="last"] The SpiderForest Community is thankful for your generous support! [button button_style="btn-1" target="_blank" size="" url="https://www.paypal.me/SpiderForest/5" text="Support"][/one_third]