Ongoing storylines or one-shot gags?

Obeyken · Post by **Obeyken** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:32 am

What's the public's general take on the issue? Do we prefer long storylines that, read collectively, tell a full story? Or do we like the ones that are quick, to the point, and don't involve a lot of backstory? I've been working on my own webcomic for a while now, and I just finished my first full story arch. But my traffic's dwindled a little, which leads me to believe that people just don't go for the long route... They want it done fast, and they want it done funny.

Cope · Post by **Cope** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:34 am

The public wants both, at the same time, and they want it yesterday.

Col · Post by **Col** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:52 am

Yeah, me like it both ways too. Also, you might not be getting much traffic because of all the broken images.

Lithuanius Hairius · Post by **Lithuanius Hairius** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:55 am

Most comics I read are just humor strips. Occasionally I'll find one of those web comics with a long story, and waste some free time by trying to catch up... but I might not necessarily catch up, or try to check it all the time afterwards. Short strips that are to the point and good for showing the guy next to me are what I'm usually looking at.

Gengar003 · Post by **Gengar003** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:56 am

Cope wrote:The public wants both, at the same time, and they want it yesterday.

Well-said

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:11 am

I try to walk the fence of both, with a thread of strips forming a whole story. However, for the sake of the story I will sacrifice a gag or two.

Eunice P · Post by **Eunice P** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:14 am

I'll choose both as well. But as long as it's good comic, I'll enjoy reading it.

Obeyken · Post by **Obeyken** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:18 am

Col,

Broken images?

Ken

Post by **Mercury Hat** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:39 am

I click on your banner and I get taken to a site where all the images are broken however, when I take the / off the end of the URL, everything's just fine

.

Although now your "webbed comics.com" and "back to BWR" buttons are on top of the comic.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:42 am

A few shorter stories that quietly tell a longer one, filled with regular humour.

Dr Legostar · Post by **Dr Legostar** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:02 am

Both in what I like to read and what I write, Both.

Escushion · Post by **Escushion** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:04 am

The comic has to be catchy enough that a new reader can just pick up and still enjoy it, even if they don't entirely understand what's going on because they haven't read the backstory. Then, if they continue enjoying it, they'll go back and read the early parts of the long story. But you'll need that ability to grab people consistently, as people really don't want to go and read a long story only to find out they don't like the comic in the first place. You can use humor to accomplish this, or something else, whatever you can use to make people enjoy each strip for more than just the long story and will motivate them to read the whole comic. My comic's one long story, just divided into chapters for ease, and it uses a mixture of dark humor and style to try and keep people around so that usually, if they were coming for the first time, they would like it. This can't always happen, as one Joel Fagin tutorial outlines, but it's a goal worth keeping.

Stealthy · Post by **Stealthy** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:30 am

Have both? That's what filler days are for...

Sput · Post by **Sput** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:18 am

as everyone has said, both.

a comic without any humour is very very hard for me to read consistantly(TTG is an exception, along with angel the demoness). Gag comics i can read much easier than anything- but i like hybrids the best.

Prettysenshi · Post by **Prettysenshi** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:56 am

I'm not a huge fan of humor, because different things for me can be funny at different times. I can find something funny one moment, and then not find it funny say tomorrow. So if a comic is based on humor, I might not like to read it. (maybe cuz I myself am not good at writing humor, but oh well....

)

But it really depends. Darken has some nice humor in it, but it has storylines too. I kind of like stories that have storylines because it's like reading a book. I know it has an ending to it, and I keep coming back to it to figure it out.

American Elf is a daily humor/journal comic that I often read, but that's just one among few. So, for me, it really depends. But if your comic is cool, I wouldn't mind either way.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:07 am

It is a hard decision to make, because fortunately we don't have to, webcomics are free and it's not as though they take so much time to read that you can't have a good collection of both under your belt.

In general I read more "continuing story" style of comics, but I enjoy both equally if done well. From what I've seen it's probably harder to do a gag a day strip well (If you don't care about quality it's easy as hell). It's hard to come up with a new, funny joke every few days, especially when the strip begins to go long. While even if you can't produce a stunning peice of narrative every strip the story as a whole works to support it and keep the reader from feeling let down.

Crazy Chris · Post by **Crazy Chris** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:14 am

I don't know what I want. So I just write down everything I think of.

Netpoet · Post by **Netpoet** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:22 am

I prefer long, drawn-out storylines myself. I am a huge serial comic fan... I do read a few daily joke comics, but I don't go out of my way to read them if I miss a day or three.

A good serial, though? If I miss a day, I'm hitting "Back one" on each one.

Warofwinds · Post by **Warofwinds** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:47 am

I like very serious, on-going stories infrequently interrupted with something that only in the context of the story is hilariously funny. If that made any sense. Gag comics aren't for me. If I need a laugh, I'll get it off the internet.

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:47 am

I like stories. They tell me things.

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