I recently started a new comic on one of those pre-made sites that allow you to modify the standard site to your tastes. I had tried to release the webcomic before, so I already had a decent webpage layout, so I just took it and modified it slightly to make it fit on this new host, and added a few PHP tags in order to have it working.

There was a miryad of tags, but I only took the ones I needed: the one for the comic, and a few others for navigation purposes (<<First <Previous Next> Latest>>, to be exact).

Once I did that, I put a message on the forum announcing my new comic was up... and the first reply that message got was by a baffled reader who had seen the page and was puzzled because there was no room for comments, or a micro-blog by me and all those shinies apparently webcomics -HAVE- to have. Apparently, the average webcomic reader expects to find more than a simple periodical strip. They want information, they want to hear the author giving clues as of why they drew this or that, or how do I feel, or if I'm allright or am bad. And they also want complementary information about the characters (character profiles are very common), and, very often, they want to discuss comics in forums, IRC and those new "tag boards" whenever possible.

To be honest, this kinda baffles me. I don't say it's good or bad, nor that direct feedback is better than the tradicional system... it seems everybody is expecting me to draw a comic and add a plus, make it markettable, attract visits, have a number of hits per day, etc etc.

But, to be honest, I just want to draw a comic.

Update: As is often the case, the blog is fast and furious and sometimes.... still not sure. Although we had earlier suggested that Modern Humor Authority was a parody, based in large part on a PVP forums thread and the fact that webtoonist Kristopher Straub was the registered owner of the domain name, the site itself claims to be the online version of an established small-press Canadian review journal.

The website features reviews of Something Positive, Sore Thumbs, and a look at Sluggy Freelance's seventh anniversary. The August launch issue also includes an interview with R.K. Milholland of S*P, and several other review features.

Original Post: I would welcome the debut of Modern Humor Authority as the third publication to give heavy emphasis to coverage of webcomics except....

It's a parody. A really funny one in lots of ways too. The Checkerboard Kid strikes again!

Or maybe not. Although this site URL is registered under Straub's name it may actually be a serious site.

Developing.....

Joey Manley points us to an interesting conversation on the "retailer" board at comicon.com about the best ways for webcomics to move over to the print world. Manley started the thread as a way to get feedback from retailers for MT's own efforts, but no retailers (except for one who is also a webcomicker) have responded. Even without the retailers, though, the conversation is a good one, with folks from MT, PV, and some small press print publishers weighing in.

Jeff Mason of comics publisher, Alternative Comics, has released a public letter asking readers to help his company. The letter urges readers to buy Alternative Comics books now to help the company get through temporary financial issues.

Read on for the full letter.

Hey, I'm looking for a certain webcomic. It's sort of like Something Positive, only not quite as evil and the guy has a mini robot-like thing he owns. I just can't remember the name of it for the life of me.

Thanks, Jesse