A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

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CottontailCouriers
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A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

Post by CottontailCouriers »

Greeting, Comic Genesis Forumers!

My name is, well, irrelevant ... but the reason I draw your attention today is that in a very short time I will be joining your ranks and be in the midst of creating a webcomic. Now, I'm not one to say if my comic is going to be good or not, but I think that if nothing else it will be something you can go "oh how cute!" at for about five seconds before you move on with your much-more important lives.

Such is the way of the fluffy. :(

In any case, I thought I would ask a few simple questions that I know wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) be on the FAQ, since I have your attention. Besides, you may feel generous enough to indulge me, and that would make me smile THIS big. :D

1.) Do you think a comic has to follow a certain genre in order for it to keep a steady audience, or is it okay for me to mix things up? I know it means a less-entertaining comic than the usual turn-a-phrase variety, but I seriously doubt my ability to regurgitate a gagline everytime I post.

I'm thinking my comic will be more of an everyday life type of comic, which I fear will be too boring to be worth reading. :oops:

2.) What happens if I find out, somewhere down the line, that my comic is copying something or breaking some copyright law? I don't plan on following after anything, even remotely, but I'm halfway afraid of getting in trouble for something like that. Because my luck is sometimes just THAT bad. D:

3.) When I upload my first few images for the comic, they're going to be pictures from my phone of the characters I plan to star in my comic and other such randomness pictures to entertain people until I get my storyline straightened out. Is this acceptable, or will I get in trouble because the first few aren't exactly going to be a "comic."

The reason for camera phone images is the fact that I don't have a scanner at the moment. :cry:

4.) Yes, I am really actually, truly and honestly in the U.S. military. This means I may have a relatively long period of inactivity due to being stationed in a place where there is no ready internet. In the FAQ it says comics with less than 3 pages will get deleted after a time. What about those with more? Is there a time period I need to worry about when making my updates?

Thank you all for your time and patience, as well as your answers (if you have any). I don't mean to get any admins or moderators into this discussion, in case they think that is what I want. I want to ask regular users and CG Forumers specifically, because if I find they don't have the answer, then I will move on up to the next level. It's a miltiary thing. We work with our equals before submitting questions to our superiors. Saves the superiors a lot of time.

I hope to meet all of you in the near future! :shucks:
<a href="http://cottontailcouriers.comicgenesis.com"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q240 ... Banner.gif" border="0" alt="Will be updating slowly at first."></a>

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Post by Black Sparrow »

Ooh. Nice greeting post.

1) Unfortunately, I do think the comics with certain genres get bigger audiences... particularly fantasy and gamer genres. HOWEVER, you should NEVER change your comic simply for the purpose of getting the most fans. Stick with what feels right. You'll get fewer readers, but it'll also be very fulfilling. Honestly, genre comics get old anyway. So just go with what you know, pimp your stuff where you can, and the right readers will come.

2) Hm... copyright. Honestly, we haven't had much issue with that, as big as we are... I really wouldn't sweat it. If your idea's original, it's not likely to completely follow someone else's... heck, we've had a couple knock-off comics here, and no on really seems to mind.

3) I would advise against that. It's not against the rules or anything... but those pics go in a gallery and cast page, not in a comic. If I decide to read through a comic's archives, and the first couple I see are obvious fillers... I leave. So, just wait the amount of time it takes to get your storyline up, and start posting then. That's my two cents, anyway

4) If you have more than 3 comics, your account will stay here forever. The 3-comic thing is just to stop people who registered for a site but never pulled through from clogging the system. If you have more, it's assumed you're somewhat serious about it.

Finally, welcome to Comic Genesis! Make sure to take advantage of all our forums and whatnot, and don't forget to have fun!
Last edited by Black Sparrow on Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by TRI »

Greetings, O fluffy one.

Regarding your questions.
1.) If you want your comic to be really really popular it will have to stick to a genre, and that genre will be anime or video games. If you're willing to settle for just being mildly popular, yeah, experimentation and slice of life are just fine.

Really 'though, don't worry about popularity. It's more of a headache than it's likely to be worth.

2.) If you're not intending to copy something the odds of it being similar enough to something to be a copyright infringement are pretty low. Even if your idea is similar to something that's been done before . . . everything's been done before so it's also not worth worrying about.

3.) I don't know if Comicgen has a specific rule about putting up character portraits before the actual comic, but a lot of people do it, so it's probably allowed. I know you're not allowed to use CG accounts just for art galleries 'though, so you'll have to put a comic up sooner or later.

And yeah, get yourself a scanner or a tablet or both.

4.) Again you'll want the word of someone official, but there are a lot of comics that go on extended hiatuses (hiati?), so I don't think there' any risk of your account being deleted just because you were away for a while.

Now, welcome to the forums and try not to get set on fire.
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Post by CottontailCouriers »

Why would I have scotch-taped marshmallows and little pieces of hershey's chocolate to my fur if I wasn't ready to get set on fire and love every second of it?

Besides, if there's a good reason for the burn, then I suppose I should take it like a woman and not whine about it. Everyone has their opinion.

:shucks: Thanks for the responses so far, guys. Very helpful, believe me.
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Post by Warren »

mmmm.... bunny smores.
Welcome!
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Re: A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

Post by Rkolter »

CottontailCouriers wrote:Greeting, Comic Genesis Forumers!


Greetings hairy rodent!
1.) Do you think a comic has to follow a certain genre in order for it to keep a steady audience, or is it okay for me to mix things up? I know it means a less-entertaining comic than the usual turn-a-phrase variety, but I seriously doubt my ability to regurgitate a gagline everytime I post.
Lots of people mix things up. No one genre, except maybe tentacle porn, is going to guarantee you a lot of people. And if your bunny does tentacle porn, I don't want to know.
2.) What happens if I find out, somewhere down the line, that my comic is copying something or breaking some copyright law? I don't plan on following after anything, even remotely, but I'm halfway afraid of getting in trouble for something like that. Because my luck is sometimes just THAT bad. D:
As said elsewhere - if you don't intend to copy anyone, even remotely, and you find out that you are, it's unlikely that you will be in trouble with copyright laws. Frankly, a common mistake new webcomic artists make is thinking about copyright laws. Not that you shouldn't think about them, but it's almost universal - new comic, worries about copyright. Do your own thing and you should be fine.
3.) When I upload my first few images for the comic, they're going to be pictures from my phone of the characters I plan to star in my comic and other such randomness pictures to entertain people until I get my storyline straightened out. Is this acceptable, or will I get in trouble because the first few aren't exactly going to be a "comic."
You should be fine, however it's generally considered bad form to start your comic with stuff that's not a comic. It's like starting a trip of a million miles by eating a cheeseburger and taking a nap.
4.) Yes, I am really actually, truly and honestly in the U.S. military. This means I may have a relatively long period of inactivity due to being stationed in a place where there is no ready internet. In the FAQ it says comics with less than 3 pages will get deleted after a time. What about those with more? Is there a time period I need to worry about when making my updates?
We've got people in the US military, and in the militaries of other countries here. Those with more than three comics won't appear in the autodelete lists, so you should be fine. If you can make the occasional update, all the better.
I hope to meet all of you in the near future! :shucks:
Visit the Community Get Togethers forum ( a few down from this one), and check out the St. Louis Comic Cookout.
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Post by RemusShepherd »

(blink) I will never be free of devilbunnies. :o

I can only help you with your first question. A 'steady' audience is easy. Once you get fans, some of them will be die-hard and they'll almost never leave you. A 'large' audience is a different thing, and yes, sticking to one genre or theme might help with that.

Welcome! Now excuse me while I slip into my Army of Fudd coveralls and get my fireaxe... ;)
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Re: A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

Post by Rcmonroe »

CottontailCouriers wrote:Do you think a comic has to follow a certain genre in order for it to keep a steady audience, or is it okay for me to mix things up? I know it means a less-entertaining comic than the usual turn-a-phrase variety, but I seriously doubt my ability to regurgitate a gagline everytime I post.

I'm thinking my comic will be more of an everyday life type of comic, which I fear will be too boring to be worth reading.
Screw genres. Write what you want to write, draw what you want to draw. If it's good, people will like it. Not all people, of course—even the most popular comics have their detractors—but quality has a way of rising to the top. I would recommend posting in this and other comics forums regularly as a way of getting people to check out the comic (once you've actually started it, that is).

And be patient. Even if you're doing good work, success will not come overnight. You may just have a handful of readers for months and then BAM!—the right person links to you, and suddenly your readership increases exponentially.

Anyway, that's what happened to this one guy I know…
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Re: A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

Post by Mercury Hat »

rkolter wrote:
CottontailCouriers wrote:Greeting, Comic Genesis Forumers!


Greetings hairy rodent!
But... rabbits aren't rodents.


So many new people around here lately. Everybody getting scanners for Christmas or something?
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Post by CottontailCouriers »

I'm planning on buying a tablet with my santa money. So I guess that's a yes to your question. :shucks:
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Re: A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

Post by TRI »

Mercury Hat wrote:
rkolter wrote:
CottontailCouriers wrote:Greeting, Comic Genesis Forumers!


Greetings hairy rodent!
But... rabbits aren't rodents.
**Looks it up.**

She's right! Trust the girl with the fox ears to know her small mammals.
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Post by Linkara »

Welcome! *Hands newbie a basket of jolly ranchers.*

1. It' probably best to stick to a genre unless your comic is meant to cross into different territories.

2. As long as it's not direct copying, it should be fine. ^^

3. There's no real rule about it, but it's not the best way to gain new readers. ^_~

4. Not really, though it helps to have a buffer ready in case you do go on extended hiatus. Keep up the good work in the military!

Now read my comic before you get put in the box. ^_~
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Post by Black Sparrow »

Linkara wrote:Now read my comic before you get put in the box. ^_~
*shoots Linkara in the foot with her crossbow.*

I am now officially doing that every time you subject the rest of us to your pointless self-promotion.
This is going in my notebook titled "Things I Didn't Know about Surface Dwellers."
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Post by Cope »

*insert picture of Raccoonular greeting here*
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Re: A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

Post by Joel Fagin »

CottontailCouriers wrote:My name is, well, irrelevant
What an odd name.
In any case, I thought I would ask a few simple questions that I know wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) be on the FAQ, since I have your attention. Besides, you may feel generous enough to indulge me, and that would make me smile THIS big. :D
It's trumpet blowing, but you sound like you may find some of these useful.
1.) Do you think a comic has to follow a certain genre in order for it to keep a steady audience, or is it okay for me to mix things up?
There's a couple of ways to read that. You do need to stick to the same genre throughout, if that's what you mean. If you start out with light action adventure and move to noir, the original readers who like action adventure will be turned away by the latter comics and new readers who like noir will be turned away by your earlier comics.

However, you can blend genres happily enough, if that's what you mean. Terry Pratchett, for one, has successfully blended religious epic with comic fantasy, detective noir with comic fantasy, war stories with comic... Well, you get the idea. Doing this is an easy and quick way of generating an interesting and original story.

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Re: A Greeting of the Fluffy Kind

Post by LibertyCabbage »

1) Do whatever you like doing.

2) Don't expect to get popular enough to get in trouble for anything. But, if you're concerned, just ask for permission, and always give credit.

3) Filler is bad. Starting a comic with filler is more bad.

4.) As long as you have at least 3 pages on the site, it won't get deleted.

Hey.
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Post by VinnieD »

Ah a fellow bunny lover. If you're making a rabbit centric comic I suppose we qualify as a genre of two.

Welcome aboard. Now ....*pulls out nail paddle* bend over for your initiation ceremony.

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Post by Sasjhwa »

Whatever you decide to do, create something because you love it. Otherwise it will die early like so many before. Besides, you have plenty of time to learn to hate your comic without starting off in a genre you don't like just cuz the cool kids are doing it. :D

As for mixing things up, I point to Irregular Webcomic which is the ultimate comic for mixing things up and is also wildly popular. http://www.irregularwebcomic.net

By that same token, A Fierce Bad Rabbit is very simple and slice of life and has a large following. I thought you might like it since it is made by a bunny relative. http://community.livejournal.com/bad_rabbit/

Of course neither of those comics are CG comics, but both are very good.
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Post by TRI »

VinnieD wrote:Ah a fellow bunny lover. If you're making a rabbit centric comic I suppose we qualify as a genre of two.

Welcome aboard. Now ....*pulls out nail paddle* bend over for your initiation ceremony.
But... if the two of you touch won't you annihilate each other?
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Post by Linkara »

Black Sparrow wrote:
Linkara wrote:Now read my comic before you get put in the box. ^_~
*shoots Linkara in the foot with her crossbow.*

I am now officially doing that every time you subject the rest of us to your pointless self-promotion.
HA! You missed! It went in my-

...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHH!
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