Tyler Chin-Tanner over at Broken Frontier has written about the Process in his column, Delusions of Grandeur. Here’s the article in its entirety.

Thanks, Tyler!

Studying the Process

As I said last column, many of the webcomics that exist at this time are actually print comics that are using the internet as an alternative means of publication. One of the biggest reasons for this is because it is no longer viable to publish a successful limited series that builds to a graphic novel. Too much of the target audience will wait for the eventual graphic novel. Thus the development of the webcomic to graphic novel publishing model.

One great example of this model is Joe Infurnari’s webcomic, the Process. This concept was created as a graphic novel, but chapters and pages of it are posted as a webcomic. What really appeals to me about this project is that while the concept is intended to be a graphic novel, there is a reason for it being a webcomic other than to just post pages as he completes them.

I asked Joe if he would help explain the Process:

JI: If my ideas and work are going to be presented in a medium, namely the web, it should make use of the things inherent to that medium (interactivity, updates as-you-go, and endless editability). I had the idea that I would try and involve people in its creation and thereby benefit from testing it in front of its audience. Readers are participating in an art project that is about creating a graphic novel. They should be encouraged to comment because that’s how things will get better. I’m showing them a lot of what goes into its making so that they can see the creative process at work, gain a better appreciation for it and participate in it.

So in other words the Process is a webcomic that invites the reader to view the process of creating a graphic novel all while reading a story that involves the creator as a character interacting with the story he is in the process of creating while the audience is in the process of reading it. Have I said ‘the process’ enough yet?

I’ll let Joe continue:

JI: That’s something unique to this blog and web medium where visitors can drop in and out of this digital diary of a comic’s conception. They get insights into how I do things and what I am thinking as I create these pages. Ideally, readers would also participate as well by telling me what works and what doesn’t. Out of all of this, there will be a comic that’s been market tested with a lot of the kinks worked out prior to publishing.

The strength of Joe’s webcomic lies in the fact that it is a very engaging look into the creation of a graphic novel and how he works as a creator. The design of the website makes the story particularly interesting to read, and it doesn’t hurt that the art is fantastic either. Its weakness, though, is that for such a long and involved story, it comes out so infrequently. This contradicts one of the cardinal rules of successful webcomics.

As Joe puts it:

JI: Regular updates are important. Visitors to the Process know that I am lousy at this but it is an important aspect to keeping readers engaged. If they can count on your comic being up every week or day, then you’ll have a devoted following.

As a result:

JI: The economics of this has been a hard nut for me to crack and I still haven’t been able to make any significant money from it. A webcomic, a medium that most people experience for nothing, is harder to generate an income from in my experience. Until it has a huge following, a webcomic is hard to get paid to create. I sometimes feel that frequent visitors to these free content sites who enjoy what they are getting should donate or contribute in some fashion. If I only got 50 cents per unique visitor a day, I would have a nice little perk every day! Contributing in whatever way possible is a way to ensure that you get your fix and it’s just plain the right thing to do.

For what it’s worth, I think Joe should take heart in the fact that the purpose of his website is to promote a graphic novel. He’s getting exposure and reviews that usually come at a cost. While he may not be making any money, he’s saving on costs that would normally go into promotion and printing. Plus, the idea is that the eventual graphic novel will sell well based on the quality of his webcomic. It would certainly be nice for webcomics to bring in money from donations, but realistically, you can’t really expect that.

The only way I know of that webcomics generally make money is by having such a regular following visiting for consistent content that advertising generates a substantial revenue. In my opinion, a creator is better off choosing either to use a webcomic to promote their graphic novel or to use their content to promote a regular webcomic.

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Tyler Chin-Tanner started his own publishing company, A Wave Blue World, and writes and draws layouts for Adrenaline, its flagship series.

© 2008 Tyler Chin-Tanner. All rights reserved.

Email: tyler@awaveblueworld.com
www.awaveblueworld.com

This week, the much anticipated anthology of fantasy comics, Fablewood, hits store shelves! The book is edited by William Ward and features work by luminaries, Ryan Ottley, JP Ahonen, Daniel Lafrance and many, many more. In it you’ll also find my out of print minicomic, Mandala! The reviews are already hitting the web and the word is that Fablewood is not to be missed. Ambush Bug at Ain’t it Cool News had this to say about the book:

FABLEWOOD is a feast for the eyes, the heart, and the mind. This fantasy anthology is done by a handful of talented artists and writers, all fully capable of telling the type of story that stretches the imagination. I found this book to be a real showcase of talent. I’ll go over the entire book briefly, but my observations don’t do this book justice

In his review of Mandala, Ambush Bug wrote this:

Due to the stylized font, I may misspell the writer/artist behind the wonderful reading experiment that is ‘Mandala’, but Joe Thfurhart’s story is one of the book’s highlights both in its mandala-shaped storytelling style and the cool mix of cavemen and giant robots.

Don’t sweat it! The name mistake is a common one. It’s the handle that I use on the Erotic Nights of the Norse Gods Bulletin Boards most weekends. Regardless, the compliments are greatly appreciated. Congratulations are in order for all involved and many thanks to editor, William Ward, for assembling such a talented roster of writers and artists.

Now what are you all waiting for!? Go out there and get yourself a copy! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

As thorough readers of this blog already know, I’m in a bit of a pinch. This pinched nerve in my neck is sending me a constant fireworks display of pain down my arm only interrupted with periods of numbness. It’s not a pleasant experience and one of the hardest things about it is how it has prevented me from doing any work. But all’s not misery and woe! Webcomics.com has honored the Process as it’s featured webcomic today! What a nice Valentine’s Day this is! Here’s what they had to say:

Webcomicgeek calls Joe Infurnari the best webcomics artist of 2007. His comic is a celebration of the creative process like no other, bursting and swarming with arresting visions.

Thank you kindly, Webcomics.com! This goes a long way!

Well, the votes are in and the tally has been taken and Webcomicgeek’s best webcomic of the year goes to Dresden Codak! Congratulations and continued success to Aaron Diaz! I was honored with the award for best artist of 2007 and I am absolutely tickled purple (tinged with shades of green, of course)! Here it is from the horse’s mouth:

Best Artist goes to Joe Infurnari for The Process. His art is truly spectacular and seems to go from strength to strength as the project develops. I don’t think I can add anymore to what I’ve said previously in my rather gushing review. However, it was the spectacular image on page 14 of chapter 2 that clinched it. The idea behind this comic nearly clinched a second award and along with Rebecca Sugar’s Pug Davis, made judging the originality and invention award really difficult.

This goes a long way to numbing the pain and bring sensations to the numbness! Thanks, Webcomicgeek! See you next year!

Greg Burgas’ CBR column, Comics Should be Good!, recently posted a review of Wasteland #14 and it’s good! Here’s the quote:

One reviewer wrote that he didn’t like this comic because he can’t tell the characters apart. As long-time readers might remember, that’s a criticism I often have, although as Johnston gets deeper into his epic, it’s becoming easier to tell who’s who. But that shouldn’t be a problem with this issue, which, if you haven’t been reading Wasteland (and too bad for you!), is a good place to start. It’s an “in-between” issue, which means that Johnston tells a standalone story with guest art. Infurnari’s art is rough and gritty, which suits the desert setting of the issue nicely, and he completely eschews panels for most of the book, instead bleeding one scene into the next, which is all part of a story told as a flashback to a merchant in the town of “Providens” and which adds nicely to the mood.

The narrator is none other than Michael, the enigmatic ruin runner of the main story, and he had brought a laceless boot and a Bible to the merchant. When the man asks him where he got a Bible, Michael tells him the story of a priest and his guide crossing the desert on their way to Providens, and how he (Michael) fell in with them. It’s a nifty little tale of men overcoming or succumbing to prejudices, and ends with an ironic little twist. The problem I have with the story is that it relies on a stereotype to make its point. The priest acts pretty much how we would expect him to, and it’s a bit disappointing. The nice thing about the story is that we get to know more about Michael and his somewhat brutal past, which will doubtlessly come into play in the “present” of the book.

I encourage you give this issue a try, because it’s a good example of the world that Johnston has created, and although it’s not a perfect story, it still shows what kind of lives the people in the world live. These one-and-done stories that separate the main arcs are nice, because they allow you to get a good idea of what kind of book it is. And if you don’t like it, you’re not out a ton of money. But why on earth wouldn’t you like it? That’s just crazy!

Thanks a ton, Greg! Now what are you waiting for!? You heard the man, git out there and pick up a copy already!