While working in video games, I’d like to think I’ve become quite successful, having worked as a concept artist on games like World of Warcraft, and Diablo3. Which begs the question… Why have my Indy comic efforts not succeeded? After working on Twilight Monk, and meeting with some success for the first time in this new world of digital web comics… I believe I finally have an answer.
I used to think that I could just save up a fully painted 80 page book, get it printed in 1000 copies, and drop this huge bomb on people that will remember Creed and somehow word would spread, and I’d sell every copy in a few months. But it didn’t quite work that way. I spent 4 years on Creed imaginary, painting every page. It was my best script, with the best painted art I’d ever done in a comic. And it has sold under 300 copies to date (compared to when CreeD was selling 30,000 copies per issue). This was a heartbreaking failure, and most importantly… it didn’t work. That’s because today’s comics and the business of comics is about having a relationship with your audience. Now I’m not talking about some pillow talk and smooching under the stars. What I realized is that… I didn’t keep my audience satisfied with regular content throughout the development of these books. I hadn’t built the trust with my audience yet. And just “making something great”, wasn’t enough if nobody cared about it. I wasn’t reaching out to new audiences. I didn’t even advertise it… anywhere. I had a deviantart page, and a blogspot. Needless to say, I became very depressed. I felt like a failure… like maybe I don’t even deserve to be successful at my other job either.
With Twilight monk, I decided to do something different. I decided to just take my time, to deliver the content efficiently. WordPress was a huge step forward for me. You don’t have to wait very long for pages to load, and you can jump all over the place, or read through story arcs… its a far superior delivery method to the old flash players that I used to use. Secondly, I decided to have a regular delivery schedule. I may not be able to post very much content every week, but I can promise that I WILL post… EVERY Monday with at least one new page. Also, I read, and try to reply to every comment that I can. Thirdly, I am reaching out to people who have never heard of me with advertising. I spend more money than I make on this site, in fact… I haven’t even thought out how to monetize the site yet. But my audience grows by about 300 new readers every week.
And if you are making your own comic, my advice would be not to do what I did with Creed imaginary, and assume that just because you make something great, THAT will be enough to raise awareness. Build a community, advertise during development, stay consistent, and build a relationship with your audience.
Perhaps this is obvious to most of you, but I stubbornly did not want to adapt to the new business of internet web comics for far too long.
-Trent
Trent,
It’s sad for me to see you write that you failed as a comic artist. You were one of the top 3 most influential artist for me growing up. I came across CreeD by chance when I was 14, and it grabbed me. At the time I didn’t even know that independent comics existed. This was the first time that I could actually relate to a character. His hair looked like mine, he daydreamed in school, and the art had real style.
My first issue was Creed #3 and it is still one of my favorite comics ever. I think what made me pick it up was the cover. A very Wolverine feel, but with a character that looked like a kid. I think I just wanted to know what it was about. At the time, $3 was really expensive, but something about it made me need to know more. The inside was prefect. I remember CJ and Mark trying to get to school and instantly I knowing I liked this character. But as he entered the dreamworld it was as if you had made this comic specifically for me. The first shot of Mark riding Tam with wings is one of the most memorable frames in comics for me. And the power that the void had through a style I’d never seen before literally changed the way I drew. And after saying the dreamworld he went one to just watch cartoons. It was like a comic of my life, lol.
For me that one comic wasn’t enough. I bought back issues, and cut deals with my parents to make sure I could get to a comic store every month just to check if a new issue had come out. And let me tell you, you did not make it easy, starting the numbering over for each story arc made it hard to track down. I needed to know how you did it. How you were on the same shelf competing against Marvel or DC. So I contacted you and we used to talk on aim from time to time, back when you used creedguy. That was one of the greatest things for me. I was talking to someone that made something I love. Your blog is like an extension of that, and I’m glad you gone in this direction (also very glad you switched to ComicPress).
It only got better you did cross overs I never expected (TMNT). Later on you even did a Tales from the Vending Machines, which I loved. After a long wait, Utopiate was a return that I just loved. I thought it was your best work until I got my signed and numbered issues of imaginary. I picked up MONOcroMAGNUM which re-inspired me to start sketching again. Working as a designer had taken some of the real imagination out of me. I have always wanted to create my own comic, but never really had the right story to tell. I currently run my own design firm, but 1 saturday a month I meet with a group of illustrators that all want to create comics and I act as an editor/letter/colorist… I’ve brought out your work, and shown your website as examples plenty of times. I’ve always wanted to create a comic, but I get almost the same satisfaction out of trying to help others do the same. I had a fire a few years back and lost a lot of issues, but I still have CreeD #3.
Sorry about how long this note is, I’ll end it… so, while sadly you never sold a million issues to masses, I just wanted you to know that I treasure mine and I just wanted to say “thanks”.
Well thanks for the letter D!
To clarify, I dont think that I failed ENTIRELY as a comic book artist. But I think its fair to say that for the past 8 years, my comic book efforts havent been hugely successful. I certainly appreciate your support over the years, and I REALLY want to thank every person that has continued to look up my latest stuff while Im only doing it part time. But I guess what I meant to get at was that… I havent made it easy for people to follow what Im doing. Now Im making great efforts to release regularly, and in the same place, so that its easier to follow. Im embracing social networking functions that let people share the material, and Im interacting at a greater level than I ever had in the past.
Im surprised that CreeD had such an impact on you. It seems as though there are a great many comics about high school kids that many comic book readers could relate to. Id like to think that CreeD was pretty unique for its time, but I dont think that it is anymore. I guess we’ll find out when IDW releases the collected edition of CreeD Omnichronos next year.
Ive also found that I really enjoy helping other artists achieve their goals. While Im not much of a technical teacher (Ive always believed that passion is more important than technical skill), Its neat to see someone make possible what they once thought was impossible. And to be along for that journey.
Thanks a lot for the comment, letters like yours are a big part of what keeps me going.
-Trent
Great post Trent, you’re an inspiration man.
Jeff
Thanks for continuing to come back! And for commenting!
Great post! Travis Hanson (The Bean; http://www.beanleafpress.com/?p=1609)
has a really good post about thngs needed to be successful with a webcomic today also. He makes some very salient points on his blog.
The two you seem to grasp the three things that I, as a reader, appreciate the most: Great art, great story, and steady, regular publishing.
can thnk of a few other comics that started out great, but managed to fail in one of those three areas (most typically, in the update schedule). Most of the ones that have failed, stopped reading. Or more specifically, deleted them from my RSS feed. The other thing that sours my reading disposition is seeing more hype for print books, than actual pages posted. Yes, realize that you, the artist would like to have some financial gain from doing the whole webcomic thing, but updating a comic once or twice a week, and hyping yourself five or six days a week is just plain overkill. There are some VERY successful webcomics where the self advertising is very subtle, very unobtrusive…and yet the authors still manage to be very successful with it: Some of my faves include Schlock Mercenary, Goblins, Questionable Content, and the incomparable Girl Genius. I truly believe I’d go into a deep funk if any of those comics disappeared.
So far, your current endeavor seems to have the great art and the start of a great story, and you’ve promised us at least one update a week. That encourages me as a reader to have you ncluded on my RSS. Keep up the good work. :-)
ps…….just an idea to throw at you……have you thought of digitizing your graphic novel, and publishing THAT as a weekly serial? Bet you would capture more readers in addton to your Twilight Monk ones, and I also bet that you’d see some additional sales of the print version. Just an idea for you.
Hey Spandexdoom,
Thanks for the cool link! I read through the article, and left a comment over there. He has a lot of insight, and a very hopeful message for webcomic artists. Its approached much more friendly as a topic than “why I failed for 8 years”. hah!
Funny you should bring up the thing about publishing my graphic novel as a serial…. Its on my plate. I just dont want to compromise my promise to the readers of THIS site to do it. So perhaps over Christmas Break Ill get a chance to do something like that. Thanks for the insight! And Ill do my best not to let you down. In fact… Ive been getting ahead on the release schedule so Twilight Monk is solid and on schedule for quite some time!
Thanks for reading, and for the insightful comment!
-Trent
Don’t undervalue “free” advertising. I find almost all my webcomics via recommendations by artists I already read, artists filling in for each other for breaks, and links from comics I like. Take the time to cultivate the interest of other artists and they can lead audiences to you.
Yo Trent,
I LOVE ur comics ! ! If my local store had ur shit I’d buy it with my last $10 ! !
I bought my first Creed comics wen my entire comic collection was less than 1,000 that was way back in like 1996 or 1997 I dont remember, yet I still purchase Creed comics ( even though I have like 4 copies of Creed number 1, 2 & 3 with a signed trent card =D and the TMNT/Creed ) ! When I used to read ur coimcs it was inspiration to do my own cuz I love to draw and even worked to do a comic with my cousin, but it never got done cuz shit happens. So now I do music videos for local bands and rap artists instead . =P
So, Where can I buy actual issues, Im sure Im missing a few, and not the digital shit they sell now-a-days ? And how about Twilight Monk ? I want that !
P.s. How about a Creed pilot episode or movie ? I’d love to see one, better yet I’d love to do one !
It’s fun to see how serious webcomic has gotten, when I first started it was only my serious hobby, and it has disciplined me well. Webcomic is all marketing job on the artist/author themselves, a cozy industry. It’s very satisfying, more so than the old model. Audience is the last group one wants to betray with inconsistent updates, the consequence is huge.
I also look forward to doing full time in this new biz model, best wishes, you will be successful once your model is correct. ^_^
Do you people have a facebook fan page? I looked for one on twitter but could not discover one, I would really like to become a fan!
I have a personal facebook page right now. Just trying to not spread myself too thin. I will likely establish a twilightmonk fan page when/if it gets popular enough.
Great work keep it coming, best blog on earth
Thanks for being so open about what you went through. I love reading this kind of stuff. In fact, I wanna link to this article soon because it’s what people need to hear since you are coming from a successful indie comic past. People need to see that it’s changing, or it’s already changed. I love hearing that your audience is growing so nicely too. Keep it up man!
Thanks Jason! Your articles on http://www.remindblog.com have been a huge help, and a good inspiration for me to go on this journey for myself.
8 years? You learned faster than the recording industry. I just found you and your work last week. Cool stuff man. Thanks for working on some of our favorite games too. Keep up the good work, and spread what you learned – that an infinite world needs different economic rules than a finite one.
Great to see you’re still around. All I can do is echo what others here have said. You do good work. I’ll be back to visit.
Well, your comment is still much appreciated! Thanks for stopping by!
All so true. I resisted webcomics for years, simply because I’m old fashioned and like reading stuff on paper. But after incessant bugging by those around me I realised that plenty of others have no qualms about reading stuff on screen. The penny finally dropped when I self published something without success, and (as in your case) it dawned on me that no one would buy the damn thing if they didn’t know about it! I still remember Creed, but I bet plenty of previous fans have since lost interest in comic books and moved on, so it’s likely you’ve already lost that chunk of your existing audience.
My sales still suck, but by providing my book online I’m at least gaining exposure, so hopefully sales will pick up in the future. And I’m sure you realise that even by posting Twilight Monk online you’ll have a whole new audience to get hooked on the collected Creed.
The thing I’ve found with social networking is that you only get out what you put in. Unless you spend hours hanging out on DA and making a nuisance of yourself, no one is likely to find your work. And that doesn’t come naturally to many creative folk, so they’re already at a disadvantage.
It’s cool that guys like you and Brubaker are out there telling it like it is. I know from the response I’ve seen lately that plenty of new creators are already well on their way to avoiding some of the common pitfalls . :)
Good to see you’re still in the game.
I go through phases with the social networking thing. Sometimes I twitter several times a day, then I’ll go for a week without it. I try to respond to everyone, but it’s really a balancing act. I certainly never want to be the kind of guy that spams out invites constantly.Jason Brubaker and I share the same “opt in” mindset. If you want updates and news, you must chose to opt into it rather than get a mailbox full of it shoved at you. I’m surprised that so many peeps enjoy reading this particular post. I will try to include more informative details of lessons learned in future blog posts. It truly is a hell of a rollercoaster, with much to learn, and much to try.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. There’s much to learn, and much to try. And there are a hell of a lot of people (both amateurs and professionals) who are still trying to wrap their heads around webcomics. So it’s not surprising that they’re all so excited about discovering enlightenment.
Trent,
Well done–both the comic and this particular post. I got here thanks to Jason of Remind. There is no question that the nature of graphic novel publishing and distribution has changed with the advent of the web. In what you wrote above, I am reminded of Seth Godin’s thinking on building a following, permission marketing and the like. May your understanding of this new world continue to grow along with your audience.
A very inspirational post. I’m just starting to discover the world (wide web) of long form webcomics … and man, there are a lot of incredibly talented artists/story-tellers doing internet published comics (yourself very much included). Thanks for sharing.
Trent,
I found this site through links on other blogs. I trust other artists more than I read banner adverts (especially after getting stung by misleading ads).
Your artwork is so energetic and clearly deserves a wider audience; it’s great to see that you took lessons from your “failure” and are making it work with your latest piece. For someone looking to start a comic, it’s a real eye-opener and exactly the kind of lesson it’s good to see experienced artists share. You’ve won me over, at any rate. Looking forward to seeing how the story develops.
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