Today's show is brought to you by Wacom — makers of the powerful, professional, portable Wacom One!  Help us celebrate our 200th show at ComicLabCashGrab.com ! We're celebrating 200 episodes of ComicLab with a special king-sized episode in which we assemble a list of our best advice — and discuss how to best implement them.  If you want the commemorative magnet with all 20 tips, head over to ComicLabCashGrab.com

The 20 Comics Commandments

• Make. A. Good. Comic. Nothing else we talk about will be very effective until you do.
• Own and control your work.
• Ideas aren't special. The execution of ideas is special.
• You can't get worse at something you do every day.
• Good writing saves bad art. Rarely does that work in reverse.
• You can't drive toward your style, you can only see in the rearview mirror.
• Lettering: Nobody will read your comic...if they can’t read your comic. And for goodness' sake, learn the Crossbar-I rule.
• Time is the best editor. So edit...wait...edit...wait.
• If you’re not enjoying the comic, they’re not enjoying the comic.
• The 4-Cs of social media are: Creation, Curation, Commercial, Kindness.
• Don’t compare your blooper reel to someone else’s highlight reel.
• You have the audience you deserve.
• Every day someone is reading your comic for the first time.
• Research your market...not your mirror.
• Never listen to a reader; always listen to your readers.
• The first person to say they want merch is the first person to disappear when you make the merch.
• Crowdfunding: First comes the crowd, then comes the funding.
• It’s easy to be in the right place at the right time…if you’re always there.
• No one will ever care about your career as much as you do, so make your own magic.
• Being an overnight success will take you about 10 years. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint.

Today is a great time to bump up your ComicLab membership to the $10 tier! Patreon backers at that level will get exclusive access to livestream recording sessions — as well as an archive of previous livestreams!

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon

• $2 — Early access to episodes
• $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.
• $10 — Gain access to the ComicLab livestreamed recording sessions (including an archive of past livestreams), plus $5-tier rewards

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the editor of Webcomics.com Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

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You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon

• $2 — Early access to episodes
• $5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.

If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!

Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.