We had another great #webcomicschat tonight, thanks to everyone that participated. Recently someone asked me why I didn’t use flash animation for my web comic. It seemed like a simple question, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. At the time I said, “Oh, it would take to much time, blah blah blah.” but now I’m wondering if there’s more to it. Marvel and DC have been creating “Motion” Comics for a while now and they seem to be successful. I’ve watched the Watchmen and the Spider Woman versions which I really like. I just don’t like calling them comics. To me they’re basic forms of animation not comics. Ironically they’re not too much different than the simplified animation Marvel produced in the 60’s based on Kirby drawings.

During our #webcomicschat a number of points were made about whether or not audio, FX, animation, etc could or should be added to webcomics. The Ghettomation podcast and Robot 13 were suggested as comics that are pushing the boundaries. Robot 13 apparently uses vibration in the iPhone version to suggest explosions and such which I assume works like an xbox controller. This sounds pretty cool although I’m not sure how I’d use it. One point that was made is that when a reader controls the pace of the story it’s more like comics, but when the pace of the story is controlled by the format you’re merely watching animation. Being a reader implies active participation while being a viewer is a passive activity. I also have a hard time calling something comics when it doesn’t contain any word balloons and the character voices are performed by actors. My definition of comics will always include text.

Ultimately what’s cool about webcomics is that a creator can DO whatever they want with their comic. There aren’t any rules. For me though it’s important to recognize why I like comics and for that matter, why I like animation. I want to create comic strips, which means I think something special happens when sequential art is joined with text. If I strayed too far from that and worried too much about adding “bells and whistles” then I wouldn’t have time to focus on my art and story. If I was more interested in animation then I’d probably feel differently and would love the idea of adding motion and audio. In any case, the artist’s preference is what matters and as long as it’s good I’m sure it will find an audience.

Wow, to my great surprise this morning I heard that Bill Watterson had granted a brief interview. You can read it here in the Cleveland Plains Dealer. It’s been 15 years since Watterson abruptly stopped Calvin and Hobbbes. As he says, the work speaks for itself… if only he did. He has so much to offer, it’s a shame he can’t find more words to share.

So Apple has gone and done it again. They’ve managed to produced another device that I never knew I needed but now, must have. I’m cautiously optimistic about what this tablet represents, especially when considering it’s impact on comics and web comics. To me the main appeal of the device is it’s “on-demand” quality. I think consumers are more and more impatient and anything that gives them instantaneous access to your product at any time is a good thing. When applying that immediate response potential to comic books and comic strips I get all giddy inside. In spite of that, I don’t think the rise of the “color” digital reader will spell the end of printed comic books or book stores. In fact if creators use it to their advantage I think it could increase the sales of both.

There are few specific ways that I think web cartoonists can take advantage of this new medium. First and foremost is the comic website itself. Maintaining a good comic on a functional website will attract and capture new readers. The iPad looks to be an awesome way to surf the web and comic websites should look great on it. The logic of the web comics model is that the more readers you have the more potential loyal customers you will have. Aside from t-shirts, printed collections, and merchandise I think web cartoonists should embrace the sales potential of ebooks. This is where the iPad gives us a unique opportunity. The screen is large and in color, perfectly suited for color graphics.

Apple hasn’t made it clear yet, but I’m hoping the iBookstore will be open to independent publishers. If it is open, then we should all make digital versions of our collected editions to sell there. For me a selling point will be that my digital editions will be in color. For now the comics on my website and my printed editions (because of cost) will be black and white. Doing digital editions in color will provide a selling bonus for customers. The other selling opportunity the iPad will offer is the app store. As web cartoonists we can look into developing a comic app reader or even self contained collected edition apps. Whatever approach suits your needs I think it’s an important to have an “all of the above” strategy, which should always include print.

Digital books, just like the interweb, will allow readers instant access to our work and stories. That access and familiarity with our characters should also translate in to what I call souvenir shopping. This is where printed editions come back in to play. Sure it’s awesome to have books in your pocket on your iPhone, but nothing compares to a well crafted and designed book that can sit on your shelf. It will always be a good idea to produce books that people can hold in their hands. To compete with digital books however it will be necessary to make the books special in some way. Lots of things will work, autographed sketch editions, special binding or packaging, original art, etc. These will all give customers reasons to want to take home a special “souvenir”.