A collective, loosely defined, is any sustained grouping of webcomic creators. What they do together varies greatly from group to group. Some are largely a peer group offering each other critical feedback and encouraging support. Others throw in cross-promotion for each others' work. Some build a collective brand with logos, advertising and a central website. Some share business experience and expertise in areas as varied as merchandise, books, conventions, hosting and website creation.

And what did I find from my research? There's a tremendous number of collectives out there (and that I never want to attempt another "survey" article again). And, oh yeah, checking out collectives can be a great way to find excellent new comics.

The members of the Sugarskull collective conducted an interview amongst themselves and recorded it in comic format. The members of Sugarskull are Jones, Sarah Glidden, Sarah Davis, Alice Hunt, and David Patty and between them they create a lot of comics including: Vampirates, The Reader, The Awakened, Goodbye Chains, Keeps, Small Noises and Venus in Points.

Founder Alice Hunt describes Sugarskull as "designed to give quirky quality comics more attention" and their comics as "a little sweet and a little dark, like the candies that gave us the name."

We canvased Comixpedia's readers for the most probing questions to send to Blank Label Comics. Questions so tough it took them almost a month to answer! Read on for how Blank Label Comics plans to conquer independent comics...

For this month's issue of Comixpedia we're taking a look at the burgeoning number of webcomic collectives. Just why do creators band together? Gileon Pellaeon navigates through what is and what isn't a "webcomics collective" and offers five suggestions to creators for getting more bang out of their collective buck.

In the first installment of a new column called Panels & Pictures, Derik A. Badman takes a look at the creative possibilities arising from the constraints of the one-panel comic.

The one-panel comic is traditionally used gag-a-day comics but the form seems ripe with possibilities. Can you imagine single panel dramas, single panel romances, or single panel tragedies?

The spirit of cooperation is alive and well in webcomics. In that spirit, this month we present five stories that exemplify the value of cooperation: Agnes Quill, Vulture Gulch, Rip & Teri, After Days of Passion and The Archeologists.

Cartoonist, writer and two-fisted King of the Hoboes, Calamity Jon Morris returns with the second part of his plea for hand-lettering.

(If you missed the first part click here first.)

If you think manga is a cavalcade of big-eyed little girls flashing their panties, Brigid Alverson has some surprises for you. In a new column for Comixpedia, Brigid will be writing every month about web manga. In this first installment, Brigid breaks down the basics in her "field guide to manga on the web".

Webcomic creator Mark Mekkes is the co-founder of the WCCAs and the current Chairman of the award. The WCCAs recently shifted from a mid-year presentation to a January-Februray schedule more closely aligned with the calendar year. The 2007 WCCAs will be presented online and in person at Megacon on February 19, 2007. I recently interviewed Mark by email to catch up with all of the changes and what's in store for this year's edition of webcomics' own awards.