This week's show is brought to you by Dreamhost — your first step in owning and controlling your own work. This week, the fellas wonder what it would be like to win the lottery. Then, Brad shares stories from the American Library Association conference in Philadelphia. Finally, Brad and Dave explain why placing white text on a black background can cause eye fatigue.

Today's Show

• What if we won the lottery?
• No more Susan MacTaggart
• Dreamhost.com/ComicLab
• UPDATE: The American Library Association conference in Philadelphia
• White type on a black background

Summary

In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett discuss the joys and challenges of cartooning, the impact of wealth on creativity, and the importance of connecting with one's audience. They explore what they would do if they won the Powerball, emphasizing the value of investing in others and creating opportunities for future cartoonists. The conversation also explores the balance between art and commerce, the role of stress in creativity, and the importance of community support in the comic industry.

Takeaways

• The dream of a flexible schedule is a common aspiration for cartoonists.
• Winning the Powerball would not change the core of who they are as creators.
• Investing in others can create significant opportunities for struggling artists.
• A billion dollars can be used to create programs for future cartoonists.
• Wealth can impact creativity, but it can also lead to a loss of touch with humanity.
• Maintaining a connection with the audience is crucial for creators.
• Stress can sharpen creativity and drive success in the comic industry.
• The use of text in comics should be carefully considered for readability.
• Community support is invaluable for cartoonists and creators.
• Ownership of one's work is essential in the comic industry.

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

The episode is sponsored by Dreamhost —the first step in owning and controlling your own work! Today, a listener asks how he can develop an art style as quickly as possible! Your Humble Hosts have some very bad news for him. Next, a cartoonist asks whether it's a good idea to start a second social-media account to share personal views.

Today's Show

• I need an art style — quick!
• Susan MacTaggart's Personal Affirmations
• Sponsor: Dreamhost.com/comiclab
• A second social-media account for posting personal views

Summary

In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett delve into the challenges of learning to draw and developing an art style. Later, the conversation turns to the impact of social media on personal branding and mental health.

Takeaways

• Creating an art style takes time and dedication.
• There are no shortcuts to developing artistic skills.
• Social media can complicate personal branding.
• Engagement with the community is more impactful than online noise.
• It's essential to consider the purpose of sharing opinions online.
• Taking social media off your phone can improve productivity.
• Personal accounts can still affect professional branding.
• Every day is a blank canvas for creativity.

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

How do you stop polishing and start publishing? Our strategies for overcoming perfectionism! Also — Dave has a little good news about the tariffs on imported books.

Today's Show

• Dave Kellett at San Diego Comic-Con: Booth 1228
• How to conquer perfectionism
• How to introduce a new dialogue font into your comic
• UPDATE: Tariffs on imported books
• Susan MacTaggart
• Decreasing image size without losing quality.

Summary

In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett share humorous anecdotes about Father's Day mishaps, discuss the importance of deadlines in combating perfectionism, and provide insights on changing fonts in comics. They also touch on the impact of ego on creativity, share updates on Comic-Con, and delve into the intricacies of file preparation for digital comics. The episode features a guest appearance by Susan McTaggart, who offers personal affirmations, and concludes with a discussion on Patreon strategies and the challenges of maintaining subscriber support.

Takeaways

• Brad shares a humorous story about his disastrous Father's Day.
• The importance of deadlines in overcoming perfectionism is emphasized.
• Perfectionism can be defeated by focusing on the next project.
• Respecting past work is crucial for growth as an artist.
• Ego can hinder creativity and progress in comics.
• Changing fonts in comics requires careful consideration and communication with readers.
• Import taxes on books can be manageable if planned for.
• Susan McTaggart provides uplifting affirmations for listeners.
• Patreon strategies should focus on providing value to subscribers.
• File preparation for digital comics is essential for quality presentation.

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

The episode is sponsored by Dreamhost —the first step in owning and controlling your own work! Are you a shameless self-promoter? Brad thinks a little bit of shame might be a good thing. Also — how do you find good comics?

Today's Show

• Whose house are you in?
• Susan MacTaggart's personal affirmation
• Dreamhost.com/comiclab
• Oval vs rounded corber word balloons
• Finding good comics.

Summary

In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett explore the nuances of self-promotion in the comic industry, using a humorous anecdote about a drop of water to illustrate how small events can have significant impacts on our mindset. They discuss the importance of understanding the context of promotion, emphasizing the idea of 'whose house are you in' to navigate social media and community interactions effectively. The conversation highlights the balance between promoting one's work and being a supportive community member, advocating for kindness and generosity as key strategies for building relationships and gaining visibility in the comic world.

Next, they discuss the importance of word balloons, lettering techniques, and the challenges of discovering new webcomics. They explore the nuances of choosing the right shape for word balloons, the significance of readability in comics, and share personal strategies for finding new comics to read. The conversation also touches on the role of tastemakers in the comic community and the importance of supporting fellow creators through platforms like Kickstarter.

Takeaways

• A single drop of water can change your perspective.
• Understanding the context of promotion is crucial.
• It's important to know whose house you are in when promoting.
• Self-promotion should be done in a way that respects the community.
• Being kind and helpful can lead to better engagement.
• Not every post needs to be promotional; value can be given freely.
• Building relationships is more effective than aggressive self-promotion.
• Generosity in sharing others' work can enhance your own visibility.
• Reading the room is important, but knowing the room is even more so.
• Success often requires starting, even if you're not great at first.
• Word balloon shapes can significantly affect readability.
• Choosing the right word balloon is a blend of art and science.
• Lettering is crucial for maintaining the flow of a comic.
• Consistency in negative space around text enhances clarity.
• Discovering new webcomics can be challenging but rewarding.
• Tastemakers play a vital role in comic discovery.
• Supporting creators through platforms like Kickstarter is beneficial.
• Personal preferences influence the choice of word balloon shapes.
• Readability is essential for engaging the reader.
• Comic creation involves multiple stages of design and thought.

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

What do you do when someone you looked up to turns out to be a jerk? Also, over a hundred years of comics history reveal a great deal about the importance of artists understanding business.

Today's show

• I Met My Hero, and They're a Zero
• Susan MacTaggart's Personal Affirmation
• What 100 Years of Comics History Tells Us

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

While Dave was at Alaska Comics Camp, he had the opportunity to talk with Ryan North Gillian Goerz!

Ryan North is the creator and author of Dinosaur Comics, and has written for the comic series of Adventure Time and Marvel Comics' The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Fantastic Four. His works have won multiple Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards and made New York Times Bestseller lists.

Gillian Goerz (pronounced like “Jillian Gertz”) works in illustration, graphic recording, cartooning, writing and brush lettering. Her middle grade graphic novel Shirley & Jamila Save Their Summer spent 7 weeks on the Canadian Best Seller list, received stars from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and was warmly reviewed by the New York Times Review of Books. Her follow-up book Shirley & Jamila’s Big Fall (Dial, 2021) won the Doug Wright Award for excellence in children's comics.

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

While at Alaska Comic Camp, Dave Kellett had the opportunity to speak with cartoonist Lucy Knisley, a critically acclaimed and award-winning comic creator. She specializes in personal, confessional graphic novels and travelogues.

LUCY'S BOOKS

Lucy has published more than a dozen books, with several fantastic publishers. These have included: Simon & Schuster, First Second Books, Fantagraphics, Chronicle, Random House Graphics, Knopf and Rocky Pond. She has also contributed to many collections and anthologies at various publishers and made work for many periodicals and publications. Here are a few...

• Ride Beside Me
• Woa: A Housecat's Story of Despair
• French Milk
• Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
• Stepping Stones
• Apple Crush
• Sugar Shack, the third in the Peapod Farm series, comes out August 2025!

You can reach out to Lucy via her Patreon page

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

The episode is sponsored by Dreamhost —the first step in owning and controlling your own work!

While Dave Kellett was at Alaska Comics Camp, he had the opportunity to speak with Jarad Greene, a cartoonist who works on staff at The Center for Cartoon Studies and has helped color many graphic novels for younger readers. He is the author and illustrator of the graphic novels A-Okay, A for Effort, and Scullion: A Dishwasher’s Guide to Mistaken Identity — available wherever books are sold and through his affiliate Bookshop.org shop. He talked with Dave about the joys of learning to use a brush for inking.

MORE ABOUT JARAD

Website | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Dave Kellet returns from Alaska Comics Camp once more rejuvinated, recharged, and reinvigorated! He shares his joy-filled experiences from a week in Juno, Alaska, with about 60 other cartoonists sharing knowledge, friendship, and happiness. In the second half, a cartoonist shares her feelings of depression after losing a couple of cartooning contests.

Today's Show

• Alaska Comics Camp
• Susan MacTaggart's personal affirmation
• ComicLab LIVE at the NCS conference, Aug.14-16
• Rejection stories

Summary

In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar share their experiences at the Alaska Comics Camp, a unique gathering of cartoonists that fosters creativity, community, and personal growth. They discuss the joy of disconnecting from technology, the enriching interactions among artists of all levels, and the cultural exposure provided by the camp. The conversation highlights the importance of friendship and collaboration in the creative process and the humorous challenges of camp life. In this conversation, the hosts discuss the enriching experiences at Comics Camp, where artists come together to learn, share, and create in a supportive environment. They highlight the importance of teaching and learning from one another, the joy of creative games, and the deep personal connections formed during the camp. The discussion emphasizes the altruistic nature of the event and its impact on the artists' personal and professional growth. In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett discuss personal affirmations, the importance of motivation, and the upcoming ComicLab Live stage show. They delve into the universal experience of rejection in the comics industry, sharing personal stories and insights on how to cope with setbacks. The conversation emphasizes the value of persistence in cartooning and the idea that true success lies in continuing to create, regardless of awards or recognition.

Takeaways

• Alaska Comics Camp is a joy-filled experience.
• The camp fosters community among cartoonists.
• Participants come from all over North America.
• The camp is hosted in a beautiful, pristine location.
• Disconnecting from technology is healing and refreshing.
• The camp encourages interaction between artists of all levels.
• Both experienced and new cartoonists teach classes.
• The camp runs under Chatham House rules for open discussion.
• Friendship and collaboration are key themes at the camp. Comic Camp fosters a unique environment for learning and sharing.
• Teaching at Comic Camp is driven by altruism and community spirit.
• Creative games enhance camaraderie and collaboration among artists.
• Personal stories shared at camp deepen connections between artists.
• The camp experience allows for genuine friendships to form quickly.
• Artists engage in hands-on activities that spark creativity.
• The isolation of the camp creates a unique bonding experience.
• Scholarships are available for those who may need financial assistance.
• The camp is a blend of professional development and personal growth.
• Comic Camp is considered one of the best experiences in the comics community. Your talent is undeniable, unless you're the one denying it.
• Stop denying yourself and embrace your creativity.
• Comic Lab Live is a highlight of the year for creators.
• Rejection is a universal experience for artists.
• Don't let rejection define your self-worth.
• Persistence is key in the world of cartooning.
• Awards don't determine your value as an artist.
• You can't let others dictate your happiness.
• True victory is continuing to create despite setbacks.
• Sometimes, not winning is a blessing in disguise.

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.

Today's episode is sponsored by Dreamhost. The first step in owning and controlling your own work is building a website, and Dreamhost is there to make that simple, painless, and inexpensive. Go to www.Dreamhost.com/ComicLab for details.

The life of a comic artist is often a solitary one. Brad and Dave discuss ways of maintaining social connections for mental health and creativity. Later, they discuss the dangers of setting an artificially low Kickstarter goal.

ON TODAY'S SHOW

• The lone life of a comic artist
• UPDATE: Susan MacTaggart's affirmations
• http://www.Dreamhost.com/comiclab for special offers on web hosting for listeners
• An artist is reminded of the importance of art
• Setting an artificially low Kickstarter goal

SUMMARY

In this episode of ComicLab, hosts Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett explore the themes of socialization and loneliness in the life of cartoonists. They share humorous anecdotes from a recent trip to San Diego Comic Con, discuss the challenges of working alone, and emphasize the importance of maintaining social connections for mental health and creativity. The conversation also touches on practical tips for finding community, engaging with other cartoonists, and the value of stepping outside one's comfort zone to meet new people. In this episode, the hosts explore the importance of socialization for cartoonists and the healing power of art. They discuss how creative spaces can foster social interaction and the necessity of getting out of the studio.

The conversation shifts to the emotional impact of art, particularly in times of personal grief, highlighting how art can provide escapism and comfort. The hosts reflect on their own experiences with art as a source of healing and the responsibility of artists to connect with their audience. In this episode, Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett discuss the significance of the arts in education and the joy of discovering new authors like John Scalzi.

The show ends with discussing practical strategies for running successful Kickstarter campaigns. They emphasize the importance of understanding costs, setting realistic goals, and the potential risks of lowering funding targets. The hosts also explore the concept of urgency in crowdfunding and how to engage backers effectively, including leveraging early releases and creating special offers for supporters.

TAKEAWAYS

• Cartoonists often face loneliness in their profession.
• Finding a balance between solitude and socialization is crucial.
• Social interactions can enhance creativity and humor.
• Engaging with other cartoonists can provide support and inspiration.
• Joining groups like the National Cartoonist Society can foster connections.
• Participating in local meetups can improve mental health.
• Volunteering can introduce you to diverse perspectives.
• Maintaining friendships is essential for personal growth.
• Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to new opportunities. Cartoonists can benefit from socializing in creative spaces.
• Art serves as a vital escape during tough times.
• Engaging with the community can enhance creativity.
• Walking a dog can lead to unexpected social interactions.
• Art can be a source of emotional healing.
• Creativity can be a daily practice, like brewing coffee.
• Comics can have a profound impact on readers' lives.
• Doom scrolling can be countered with engaging literature.
• Art can help maintain mental health and balance.
• Every artist contributes to the larger narrative of humanity. The arts are often undervalued in education.
• Discovering new authors can enhance escapism.
• Kickstarter strategies can significantly impact success.
• Setting realistic funding goals is crucial.
• Understanding costs is essential for Kickstarter campaigns.
• Lowering goals can be risky and detrimental.
• Project We Love may not significantly boost funding.
• Engaging backers early can create a sense of urgency.
• Special offers can incentivize early support.
• Learning from failed campaigns is part of the process.

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. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive.