An interesting discussion started by blogger Alan Gardner from Daily Cartoonist about Web comics’ business models and how they mature has turned into a debate questioning how much should a Web cartoonist manage the business end of his Web comics’ venture? Web Cartoonist Dave Kellett of Sheldon Comics argues that “The key to the webcomics (sic) business model is not that the artist should be “separate” from the businessperson. In fact, the fundamental key is that the artist maintains a *very* direct control of the ownership, the responsibility, the ideation, the decision-making, and the implementation of their business…even in the delegation of tasks to companies *they* contract to work for *them*.”
This message which goes against my own perspective on the issue has prompted me to criticize the notion that Web cartoonists should control and manage every aspects of their Web Comics business ventures. In essence, I argue that just like cartooning and writing skills, it takes years for a person to learn about business management and therefore the idea that a cartoonist can become a (successful) business man overnight is closer to ideology than truth.
Other comments on Daily Cartoonist and WebComics.com, a Web site discussing the issues around Web Comics’ publishing were supportive of my view and sometimes not. Most, however, were in the middle. It seems that for many Web cartoonists, there is a growth problem where they need to first develop their property creatively and businesswise, before they can recruit any help for the business management of their Web Comics. But to do so, they feel that they need to be able to afford the extra help.
The problem they relate is a common one for many businesses, but one that I believe can be circumvented in the comic book industry as a whole. The Comic book industry, just like the music and film industry work on a distribution model. For example, syndicates promote comic strips and market them to new clients, like newspapers, allowing cartoonists to worry only about working on new contents. In the past, syndicates blocked entry to the majority of cartoonists, acting as gate keepers. The one advantage the Internet has brought is a sense of a level playing field allowing any cartoonist to set up a small site online and display their work to the world.
This is the current business model of many Web comics. The problem with that model, which is ignored by many Web cartoonists, is that they basically do not exist online even when they set up their Web site and update their Web pages frequently. The very act of publishing a Web comics is a business endeavour that takes skills and time to grow. That skill, for most is not recognized as a skill that needs to be learnt. Some of the commenters from Daily Cartoonist even argued that anyone could just get business skills by going to a local community college and that the real skill and challenge is the creative end. This position is awfully similar to the classic product view versus sales view that people in marketing have to deal with every day. Engineers, artists, musicians and it seem right now, Web cartoonists think that if they built their product, that the public will come. They ignore the fact that reaching out to the public is as difficult, if not more than creating the product. I tend to think that promotional endeavours are more difficult because unlike when one creates Web comics, one does not control the final outcome of promotional work because the public and the media are fickle. Here’s a quick example of how much important it is to market yourself properly. I have not heard from the majority of the people on either Daily Cartoonist or WebComics.com, yet, I run a comic book magazine where usually, I am at the front line of any news. If a comic book expert like me has never heard of the majority of the Web comics artists commenting about business, what chances do they even have with the greater public?
Worrying about the management of a Web comics’ business venture is more than worrying about taxes and accounting. It’s also about worrying about the marketing aspect of the business. Just creating a Web site for a comic strip and updating it often is not sufficient. People need to know it exists. To know it exists, the Web Comics and its Web site need to be promoted and discussed and mentioned by television shows like Ellen Degeneres or made fun on the Family Guy and so on. A Web cartoonist cannot do all of that on his own. He needs allies.
Having allies does not mean that the Web cartoonist needs to lose the copyrights to his cartoons. However, he needs to understand that he may not be the best person to make the right decisions and that holding the copyrights doesn’t not mean he should have a veto to cripple his own properties. I’ve met too many creators over the years that just failed to see the bigger picture and were too defensive to allow their business allies to push their properties to the next stage.
I sincerely believe that the Web comics portal, even flawed models like Zuda Comics , DC Comics’ Web publishing imprint, is the only one where Web cartoonists can leverage enough visibility to reach enough people. However, even Web sites like Zuda Comics do not provide enough visibility. Web comics, just like comic strips can appeal to more than hardcore comic book readers. The problem with Zuda Comics and other similar portals is that they do not reach out enough to non comic book readers. They have their own promotional issues. But that is another topic for another day.
I enjoyed the article, for the most part it makes sense. However it doesn't really discuss a jumping off point. At what point do you surmise that a web comic needs professional management? Are there any tips for finding that Management for the poor and lowly web comic author?
I have a newer strip. We have about 50 comics, we've been operating for almost 4 months at 3 comics a week, if you'd like to use us as an example.
Hi Matt. Thanks for the question. Your management help should be on hand even before your comic book is published as a Web comics. In other words, before putting out your Web comics, you should have a solid business plan that anticipate several scenarios and where you can take the comic book. You should understand and know why you picked the Web comics route as opposed to printing floppies of graphic novels before the product is ever seen by the public.
Anything you do after that is an attempt to put a band-aid on an existing challenge/problem.
Now, you'll tell me that this doesn't answer your question in some form. My point is that the moment you have an idea about a comic book venture, whether it is printed or online, you should know exactly what you are getting into.
The professional management you describe, is what publishers and editors have been doing for years. That's their jobs. But people like Dave Simms and the gang at Image Comics would have you believe that they are leeches reaping out your profits and stealing your copyrights when their job, essentially has been to sell your comics to the world.
The equivalent for Web comics, are sites like Zuda and the many portals. The only one I've investigated is Zuda. I don't want to specifically recommend them and you may not want to deal with them, but irrelevant of the fact that they DO want to own your copyrights, their job is to sell your comics. I would have to look at all the other portals available and ask the tough questions I've already asked from the folks from Zuda, last year.
Meanwhile, the best thing you can do is read all the business plans for comic book publishers linked above. It's free information that's actually worth something. There's been a lot of how to publish your comic books stuff in the past, but I haven't seen anything that tells it like it really is.
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