Wow, I was blogged Worst Webcomic Ever!

[Sortelli]

I think you are doing the right thing by taking this as an opportunity to better your skills. You probably won't get anything from the post in question or the blogger themselves. Don't even bother trying to impress them or brush them off.

But for whatever reason your story and your art are not resonating with the random people that stumble across it, and you should look for ways to fix that. It may mean a huge overhaul and a lot of personal study on your part to learn how to draw or write better. It's not the audience's job to teach you, if you want an audience, you need to reach them and not vice versa. For you, I'd recommend some figure-drawing study to start, either by taking classes or getting books and practicing poses and foreshortening.

Edit: Aaaaand, regarding your writing, you really need to do something that doesn't make it obvious that the entire feminist angle to your story is just an excuse to sexualize women. If you want to draw Jesslyn in sexy outfits all the time, drop the self-aware commentary about how degrading it is. It's degrading.

In fact, screw it. I read more than I can handle in order to give some constructive advice. Your comic is freaking creepy, man.

[Prettydragoon]

Anyone else had someone go out of their way to troll and trash your work?

*turns green with envy*

Nobody has ever said anything that nice about my comic. I would totally link to that blog. It's one thing to be called a crappy webcomic, but being called "Worst Webcomic Ever" is an achievement to be proud of. Even if that person has only ever read your comic and Garfield online.

But remember, no matter what you come across, you can learn something from it. Even this post. Even if it's only "You know, this person really is a jerk."

[Berg]

I saw a blogsite in my referrals list so out of curiosity I clicked it. Much to my surprise, the blogger spent a painstaking amount of time ripping my webcomic to shreds and dubbing it "Worst Webcomic Ever".

Gahh.... I hate that. It's like when The Phantom Menace came out and people were proclaiming it the "worst movie ever". Sure, it may seem like that, if the only movies you've ever seen are the other Star Wars movies and maybe a few other high-profile films. Finding a movie worse than The Phantom Menace is really not that difficult.

One saying "Oooh, you're right, It's baaaad." The second one saying, "Oh, I'm going to have nightmares too."

Hooray for internet flock mentality! I swear, people can point to anything at all and badmouth it, and someone somewhere will be the first sheep and go "hmmmyeah, it does suck".

[Jesslynstormheart]

To Sortelli:

Actually, my post wasn't a cry for help. It was more from amusement and just curiosity if anyone else has had a similar experience. Judging from the responses in the thread, others have had their work trolled for no reason and others would love that kind of free advertisement. I'm quite happy with how my art is coming along and people have noted numerous times how it is improving. If I thought I was God's gift to art I'd be trying to make money at this. As a little side hobby, I'm happy with it.

As for your quote:
"But for whatever reason your story and your art are not resonating with the random people that stumble across it"

That isn't quite accurate. I'm getting close to 200 unique visits a day and growing, which is more than I thought I'd ever get. That, coupled with many complimentary emails...oh and one spiteful blogger.

I agree that the subject matter isn't for everyone and would turn some people off. Some people get turned off by Harry Potter! I would argue that you don't have to look too far to find what many would consider worse. I'm talking on-the-page-masturbation and dangling appendages. I actually think my comic is a bit trashy but so is Desparate Housewives and that show is quite successful.

But hey, I respect your opinion not to like it and your right not to read it if it turns you off. Some people like it and some people don't. (shrugs)

[Sortelli]

See, that's the crux of it right there. You admit the comic is a bit trashy but you try to polish that up with this faux-feminism. I like trashy. There's nothing wrong with cheap, cheasy fun.

But dangling appendanges bother me less than a guy who draws a half-naked woman getting repeatedly mauled by men and bears and keeps nervously insisting that she's above all that. Your comic's attempt to convince me that Jesslyn is a strong woman in control of her destiny despite how the plot constantly ends up ripping her clothes off and humiliating her makes me suspect you're less comfortable with what you're doing than I am.

[Shishio]

I have not been labeled such, or received any hate mail... yet.

[The Neko]

And it looks like a ripoff of that other crappy webcomic, The Order of the Stick

Umm. It ISN'T?

[Jesslynstormheart]

Interesting, Sorteli. I'm not nervous about my story or drawing half naked characters. It's an excuse to practice anatomy. The main character does get nervous about situations and is trying to rise above that. I think it would be more unrealistic if she came on to the scene saying, "I'm here, I'm mighty and I'm going to kick everyone's butt." The story is new and maybe some people haven't given the character a chance to evolve through her challenges and uncertainties. You've already made up your mind about it and I don't expect you'll be reading it further. That's ok. The story is about a woman wanting to be successful but trying to balance that with having doubts, uncertainties and a world that doesn't support her goals. If that is so bothersome and creepy, oh well. Trashy? Yep, I'm guilty. Maybe people are used to one or the other. People think you can be either trashy or serious but not both. I'm attempting both so maybe that jars a few. People get jarred and strung up about a lot of things but I don't really care to sit around wondering about a few people that might get bothered by it.

[Sortelli]

...but I don't really care to sit around wondering about a few people that might get bothered by it.

Yeah, you just started a whole thread about just that.

Look, Jess's first fight got three pages of detail with a fat bald man beating the daylights out of her. When she finally wins a fight, it's done in one panel.

It's not that she has doubts or difficulties or setbacks, it's that everything you chose to focus on is when she's getting beat up and having her clothes torn off. Your comic is not a serious story about a woman empowering herself. At all.

You can keep telling yourself that anyone who has something negative to say about your comic is wrong or irrelevant, or you can get better. At least keep practicing anatomy, because you really need it.

[Joel Fagin]

And it looks like a ripoff of that other crappy webcomic, The Order of the Stick

Umm. It ISN'T?

I confess I had the same thought when I first saw it. Well, except that I like OotS.

- Joel Fagin

[The Mortician]

Wow... we've got the creators of the Worst Comic Ever and the Greatest Comic Ever in the same thread! Cosmic!

So there like a magnet and are attracted to each other?

[Mercury Hat]

You can keep telling yourself that anyone who has something negative to say about your comic is wrong or irrelevant, or you can get better.

See, this is how these threads usually turn out. You get two pages of people saying "You're not bad/they're just jealous/at least you got hits out of it/boy they must really like it if they read so much of it!". They're just all too common defenses people bring up and I'm really sick of them.

There's being a supportive community, and then there's spinning in a circle with your hands over your ears in an attempt to repel all negativity.

And I'd have to agree when Sortelli says your story's kinda creepy. Here is this strong, empowered woman, fighting in a man's world; a bit cliche of a concept, but it could work. But... all the focus is on her getting knocked around. Or cut up. Or having her clothes stripped off. Or nearly being raped. And being humiliated in the process.

[The Neko]

Next, on Lifetime: Meryl Streep gets beaten by a rod in "Rod".

[Jesslynstormheart]

Ha, I just love frazzling the status quo. Anyone who touts what one "should or shouldn't do" is guaranteed to make me do more of what will bother your silly sensibilities. The only thing anyone "should or shouldn't" do is whatever they damn well please.

Not sure what it is exactly that has driven you to spread your bad chi all over the comic but here are two suggestions to help you, Sortelli:
1. If the comic bothers you that much then consider not reading it
2. If you insist on continually psychoanalyzing it and getting your panties in an uproar about it then you might want to consider switching to decaf.

I, also, checked your comic in search of all the wonderful artistic inspiration you might have to offer. I think I'll pass.

[Ataraxia]

See, this is how these threads usually turn out. You get two pages of people saying "You're not bad/they're just jealous/at least you got hits out of it/boy they must really like it if they read so much of it!". They're just all too common defenses people bring up and I'm really sick of them.

Hey, my comment about wanting a bad review of my own wasn't a defense, I really am that starved for publicity!

When I read this comic for the "Web:14 or Web:MA" thread, I thought I was reading a harlequin-style "historical romance". Feisty maidens being ravished and abused are a staple of that genre. It's not my type of comic, but as I see it complaining about the s&m/b&d elements is a bit like complaining about big eyes in amerimanga.

I think Sortelli and Mercury Hat are right about a lot of things, but it all depends on what kind of story you want to write and what kind of audience you want to attract. I said it was a good thing that you tried to find constructive criticism from the "Worst Comic Ever" review- I think you should also try to do that here.

[The Neko]

Jess, I think you should take your own advice. If you're so bothered by his criticism, just ignore it instead of resorting to ad hominem; it just weakens your argument that much further.

[Mercury Hat]

Ha, I just love frazzling the status quo. Anyone who touts what one "should or shouldn't do" is guaranteed to make me do more of what will bother your silly sensibilities. The only thing anyone "should or shouldn't" do is whatever they damn well please.

Not sure what it is exactly that has driven you to spread your bad chi all over the comic but here are two suggestions to help you, Sortelli:
1. If the comic bothers you that much then consider not reading it
2. If you insist on continually psychoanalyzing it and getting your panties in an uproar about it then you might want to consider switching to decaf.

I, also, checked your comic in search of all the wonderful artistic inspiration you might have to offer. I think I'll pass.

You're really just digging your hole deeper, here.

By the way, saying "Well I don't think you can do better so I don't have to listen to you" is a really terrible strawman. Appropriate, since you seem to be grasping at straws right now.

[Doll]

And it doesn't help that Sortelli's comic is blatantly quite good...

[Kisai]

Ha, I just love frazzling the status quo. Anyone who touts what one "should or shouldn't do" is guaranteed to make me do more of what will bother your silly sensibilities. The only thing anyone "should or shouldn't" do is whatever they damn well please.

Not sure what it is exactly that has driven you to spread your bad chi all over the comic but here are two suggestions to help you, Sortelli:
1. If the comic bothers you that much then consider not reading it
2. If you insist on continually psychoanalyzing it and getting your panties in an uproar about it then you might want to consider switching to decaf.

I, also, checked your comic in search of all the wonderful artistic inspiration you might have to offer. I think I'll pass.

You know it's fine to have your own opinion, it's fine for people to have constructive criticism, but this response is akin to putting your fingers in your ears and going "la la la, not listening, la la la, I'm the greatest, everyone else is wrong, la la la"

If you notice, the people who gave you the criticism probably never read it before now, and probably have no intention of reading it again if it continues the way it is. The CG community is not by far a cross section of the world demographic, but it does have a fair sampling accross genders, sexual preferences and ages, which is important.

Personally, I haven't read it, and given your response, I'd probably be hesitant to read it now.

Draw what you want, nobody says you have to listen, but if you want to grow your readership, you might want to listen.

I've seen thousands of comics come and go, and they usually start complaining that nobody reads their comic, even if it has above average art, and I'd read the comic and find it difficult to understand or just plain boring. That's the warning signs.

Your absolute page traffic is meaningless, since it can fluctuate between tens of hits and tens of thousands of hits, depending on who it's linked by.

Most of the comics I do NOT read, are mainly for time. I pick the ones that have an interesting story, characters and art, and read a months worth of it, and pass on it if it doesn't catch my interest.

[Legendary]

And it looks like a ripoff of that other crappy webcomic, The Order of the Stick

Umm. It ISN'T?

The art style is obviously derived from OotS, but the jokes and characters are original. It's no different than the hordes of manga or sprite webcomics out there.

At the moment, the Antonio-Lionel chemistry reads to me too much like Roy-Elan chemistry, but I haven't really gotten into that too much in the comic yet. A difference is that, while Roy and Elan are forced to work together by circumstance, Antonio and Lionel are best friends and I intend to show why in the comic.

And anybody who calls Order of the Stick "crappy" probably doesn't have much taste in webcomics.