Print vs Webcomics

[Scraps]

I recently read an article concerning the animosity that exists between the two camps. I must admit I didn't know there existed such a tense divide. Does anyone have any opinions concerning this. Curios to hear what people think.

[Cope]

Uh, care to link the article? I didn't know there was much animosity, either.

[Scraps]

http://webcomics.com/2008/10/27/a-reluc ... nt-so-far/

[Bustertheclown]

I have animosity. Oh man, do I have animosity!

[LibertyCabbage]

We all know the endless work that goes into producing a daily comic strip, for web or print, so to publicly criticize the work of someone in your own industry seems in poor taste and counter-productive. Although I don’t approve of the way many of the webcomics “leaders” or print “veterans” have carried themselves so far, I would never criticize their individual work by calling it unfunny. No one person is an expert on the merits of humor.

Wow, what a pussy.

As for print vs. web, newspapers are declining pretty quickly as society relies more on the Web for information and entertainment. Thus, the papers are gonna hafta either cater to the older, more conservative audience by doing more of the same or they're gonna hafta implement some of the innovation and edginess that makes the Web so appealing to young people.

[Dreamaniaccomic]

I have no animosity towards either form (there are still a few good comics in the newspaper, after all.) What gets me, though, is the slow decline in said newspapers. Like LibertyCabbage said, they've been becoming more of the same. To the point where they've become a thick, murky cesspool of endlessly repeated puns and overused references. On a number of comics, I look at them each day and think "Wait, they've done this before... haven't they?" Webcomics are refreshing due to their generally edgy, always new material, but they also have little of the charm or respect of certain newspaper comics... at least, the vast majority of them don't. In either case, there are exceptions as well as things that need to change. Balance is the goal, here.

[Killbert-Robby]

I just hate everything.

[Yeahduff]

We all know the endless work that goes into producing a daily comic strip, for web or print, so to publicly criticize the work of someone in your own industry seems in poor taste and counter-productive. Although I don’t approve of the way many of the webcomics “leaders” or print “veterans” have carried themselves so far, I would never criticize their individual work by calling it unfunny. No one person is an expert on the merits of humor.

Wow, what a pussy.

Yeah, that's pretty fucking stupid.

Of course, so is any animosity between print and web cartoonists. Sorry guys, I'm not on Team Web or anything, comics are good or worthless based on their content, not where they're published.

[McDuffies]

I guess print comic authors don't like webcomickers because they had to go through a certain selection to publish, while webcomickers don't have any quality control. That is not entirely baseless.
On the other hand, webcomickers see print comics as a place where individuality, experimentation and artism are surpressed and ideal is to turn comic-making into an impersonal, industrial-like process. That's not entirely baseless either.
But neither of those comic scenes is a monolythic block. There are many webcomic artists who work on their stuff as much as professionals, and there are even those who have skills but refuse to go pro.
On the other hand, when you say "print comics", it's not clear what comic scene you're talking about: American print comics, comic books or graphic novellas, underground comics and self-publishing, French bande desinee, Japanese manga production... some of these scenes have peaks that webcomics have yet to reach, and not all of them have animosity towards webcomics.
Usually when this print vs webcomics theme is brought up, by print they mean newspaper comic strips because people somehow think that webcomics are strictly in competition with newspaper comics.
Now I sure think that newspaper comics are usually boring, redundant kind of literature targeting the laziest consummer, and much like comic books, they're largely shoving more demanding audience away to find other sources (and logging to internet is easier than learning French). But if we are some kind of competition for newspaper comics, well then imported manga is certainly much stronger and more successful competitor to them.

[Redtech]

Seems to me that the ultimate argument is "can't we all just get along?"

I think his biggest problem is that as a professional he's not seeing the scope through amateur eyes. Webcomics to comics is like youtube, newgrounds and every other web2.0+ site compared to televison. The way we respond to it may be the same, but the scope, genre and motivation vs rewards that we received are different. On the web just by nature there's a much broader range of skills, genres and talents and most likely the numbers of "good enough to go pro in the real world" webcomickers matches if not significantly greater than those that already are.

And someone else can write a 100K word essay on the pros and cons of both sides of the reality fence.

[McDuffies]

I like comparision with Punk. When punk appeared there was an outrage about all those people who can't sing and play virtuoso but still dare to get out on the stage. Years later much of these punkers are incorporated into music industry and are geezers who complain about some other new thing kids invented.

[Redtech]

Hmmmm I like it, but I'll raise your analogy and compare Jungle, Garage and Trance, they just don't work together, but outsiders think they're digital garbage.

Not that I'd ever side with the "book-luvvers" in a comics argument!

[Dr Legostar]

We all know the endless work that goes into producing a daily comic strip, for web or print, so to publicly criticize the work of someone in your own industry seems in poor taste and counter-productive. Although I don’t approve of the way many of the webcomics “leaders” or print “veterans” have carried themselves so far, I would never criticize their individual work by calling it unfunny. No one person is an expert on the merits of humor.

Wow, what a pussy.

Yeah, that's pretty fucking stupid.

Of course, so is any animosity between print and web cartoonists. Sorry guys, I'm not on Team Web or anything, comics are good or worthless based on their content, not where they're published.

I wanted to respond to this by saying "it's easier to publish crap on the web" but there's a lot of really bad paper based comics out there too. Percentage wise I guess there's more crap online, simply because there's no editor, which means at least two people have to agree that your comic is worth publishing. Meh, i don't know.

[McDuffies]

I wanted to respond to this by saying "it's easier to publish crap on the web" but there's a lot of really bad paper based comics out there too. Percentage wise I guess there's more crap online, simply because there's no editor, which means at least two people have to agree that your comic is worth publishing. Meh, i don't know.

Sad thing is that one of those two people is more often than not completely incompetent and led only by vague impression of what would sell more.

[Dr Legostar]

I wanted to respond to this by saying "it's easier to publish crap on the web" but there's a lot of really bad paper based comics out there too. Percentage wise I guess there's more crap online, simply because there's no editor, which means at least two people have to agree that your comic is worth publishing. Meh, i don't know.

Sad thing is that one of those two people is more often than not completely incompetent and led only by vague impression of what would sell more.

yeah

[Phinmagic]

One name. Rob Liefeld . Just because it's published doesn't mean it's good. Just because Marvel puts it out doesn't mean it's quality.

I used to self-publish, I really dig the web, I have more readers, I do more and the response is automatic.

There is something to be said for seeing your art in print, though.

[Boozeathon4billion]

I enjoy reading both, but have a fond place in my heart for web stuff. It can be more spontanious, more daring in its design and layout, the feedback can be immediate, and it's obviously easier to get started online than in print. I wouldn't still be drawing today if it weren't for the web.

But I'd be lying to myself if I claimed that it wouldn't be a dream come true to get something published someday... whether I write it or draw it. It's just more real, prestigous, awesome because of the extra work both you as the creator/publisher and the readers have to go through. If people had to pay a subscription fee for each comic they followed, or if you had to pay for each "episode/series" like you would a comic, I doubt as many people would be drawing stuff on the web today.

[Jbrown]

The average printed work is still better than the average web work. There are always exceptions (always) but to get into print means you have to money, dedication, and hook ups. Anyone can create a website and a child can upload his doodles but unless you're self publishing, no one will print your work unless it's high quality.

I like the web because it lets me reach out to more people than the obscure comic-shop goers and Borders shelf browsers but actually holding a tangible form of work is powerful and is a testament of your hard work and dedication. I don't know why there's animosity between the two, as they both go together well and I fear either can't survive without each other (web comickers make most of their cash from printed merchandise and advertising print material on the web is more popular than printed advertisements like Diamond).

[Redtech]

What gets my goat is that there is still the assumption that being printed makes you automatically superior to web comics!
I apologise for singling you out:

But I'd be lying to myself if I claimed that it wouldn't be a dream come true to get something published someday... whether I write it or draw it. It's just more real, prestigous, awesome because of the extra work both you as the creator/publisher and the readers have to go through.

I just have to disagree with the above. My supervisor has said "no matter how good you are, someone else would be published and still say they're better" and it's a shame that it is the case.

I like web comics, I like print comics, but they're not the same thing and it's a disservice to the people who are "just" webcomic artists of good talent that they inherently must be inferior because they haven't got print copies available. As a minor aside, I also share that sentiment towards Youtube video creators who make DVDs. Of course there's the financial incentive, but personally, by the time Meiosis gets good enough to get into print I might as well just give those buggers at yiffy something to fap about.

[Bustertheclown]

There is a legitimacy to paper publishing, because it means that somebody is willing to invest the time and money it takes to create hard copies of the work. For all its advantages, the web doesn't have that; in fact, many on the web see that as an advantage and wear it as a badge of honor, remarking on the inclusion factor. However, it's just part of the game that there is a prestige that goes with having someone willing to put hard currency down to see a work printed.