Discovering A Million and One Webcomics July 5 th, 2015 How to find great Webcomics online...

Discovering A Million and One Webcomics

July 5th, 2015

How to find great Webcomics online

DISCOVERING A MILLION AND ONE WEBCOMICS

Discovering a million and one webcomics

How to find great webcomics online

Welcome to Our Panel Thanks for joining us today. We hope to help you discover great

Webcomics online Topics that we will cover:

Who we are and what we do Webcomics Hub: our webcomic discovery tool Intro to webcomics and online graphic novels Current webcomic discovery tools A list of popular webcomics Questions Comments and Suggestions


Who we are


Benny Crew Studios consists of 4 individuals Tarik Azouz Roberto Garcia Richy Hillary Mifty Yusuf

We are a mixture of various disciplines: Graphic Artists Software Developers Videographers

We have been creating art as a group since 1996. Along the way, we have created various webcomics, films, softwares

and various digital properties Check out our website: http://bennycrew.com

http://bennycrew.com/

http://bennycrew.com/


What we do


Here are a couple of the properties we’ve created:


Webcomics Hub


What brought us here today: Webcomics Hub. Webcomics Hub is a webcomics community built by webcomic lovers for

webcomic lovers. Webcomics Hub allows webcomic readers to discover, subscribe and share

webcomics. Webcomics Hub allows webcomic creators to promote their work and talk

directly with their fans.


Webcomics 101: Intro to webcomics


According to Wikipedia: Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics

published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or in books.

Webcomics can be compared to self-published print comics in that almost anyone can create their own webcomic and publish it.

A webcomic can be anything from an epic graphic novel to a gag-a-day strip

Readership varies per webcomic. Some have a very small following while others have become empires.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of webcomics online. Quality of these webcomics varies from absolute gems to complete

waste of time


Webcomics 101: webcomic pros


Webcomic Pros: Most webcomics are completely free to read The themes and subjects covered in webcomics are much more

varied than your typical Marvel or DC comic. Some of the types of webcomics out there include funny, existential, 3d art, existential, horror, LGBT, etc…

There are a lot of innovative material coming out of the webcomic community

They are relatively easy to create and anybody can do it. There is no Editor!:

There are no filters on writer or artist creativity Any topic can be covered Not restricted to the familiar superheroes and tights them


Webcomics 101: webcomic cons


Webcomic Cons: Its hard to separate the really good from the really bad. Many of the webcomics online are pretty bad. Its very hard for a particular webcomic to stand out. Because it’s online, there are a lot more critics. (These critics/trolls

sometimes discourage an artist from continuing their webcomic). There is no Editor!:

That means that it becomes your job as the reader to become the editor There are many more bad webcomics than there are good webcomics.


Webcomics 101: Webcomics you’ve heard of


Some of the webcomics you probably heard of include :


Webcomics 101: Webcomics you may not know


Some of the great webcomics you’ve probably never heard of include:


Finding Webcomics: The Free Hosting Sites


Free webcomic hosting sites allow webcomic creators to share their webcomics with the world by hosting the webcomic for the creators. Most of these platform make money from the advertisement.

They also provide a platform for readers to discover new webcomics and bookmark their favorites.

They were popular during the early days of webcomics but are less popular these days.

Some of the features that these free webcomic hosting sites include: Free hosting A ratings system that helps readers identify the good from the bad Suggestion tools that help readers find new webcomics based on their interests Commenting systems that helps readers see what others are saying about a

particular webcomic. Forums for webcomic artists/writers to talk to their readers


Finding Webcomics: Free Hosting Sites


The Duck Webcomics: http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/ A website that provides free hosting services for webcomic creators One of the largest online webcomic communities Formerly known as Drunk Duck

Pros: Simple and easy to use and User friendly Many useful features like RSS, email subscription and the ability to

favorite a webcomic. Easy discovery tools and bookmarks ability

Cons: Site is sometimes ureliable. There are ads everywhere. Most of the webcomics have the same layout and lacks originality

http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/

http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/




Smack Jeeves: http://www.smackjeeves.com/ A website that provides free hosting services for webcomic creators Currently, smackjeeves hosts over 47,000 comics online. Many are pretty bad but there are some gems as well.

Pros: Friendly and easy to use interface for both readers and creators Pretty good commenting, rating and sharing system Easy to use webcomics discovery tool. Better quality webcomics than the other free webcomic hosting sites

Cons: has a reputation for being juvenile or nothing but Yaoi and sprite comics They require creators to pay for some of the better options that they

provide.

http://www.smackjeeves.com/

http://www.smackjeeves.com/




Comic Genesis: http://www.comicgenesis.com/ A website that provides free hosting services for webcomic creators Comic Genesis is one of the oldest free webcomic hosts. It was quite popular during the late nineties Formerly known as keenspace We’ve never actually used it

Cons: The interface leads a lot to be desired. It’s not very user-friendly. Is popularity has dwindled Very bad support. There are many bad webcomics

http://www.comicgenesis.com/

http://www.comicgenesis.com/


Finding Webcomics: The Listing Sites


There are a lot sites that help people keep up with the growing list of webcomics.

These sites are often known as webcomic directories or webcomic listings.

Some of the features that these webcomic directories offer include: A ratings system that helps readers identify the good from the bad Suggestion tools that help readers find new webcomics based on their interests Commenting systems that helps readers see what others are saying about a

particular webcomic. An RSS reader to report updates on the webcomics that you are interested in.

The rest of this panel will be dedicated to going over some of these webcomic directories




The Web Comics List: http://topwebcomics.com/ Currently one of the most popular webcomics directories online ( all roads lead to top web comics ) Works on a voting system. webcomic rankings is decided by monthly voting. one vote per machine per day per comic.

Pros: A huge collection of webcomics and a large community of readers The top webcomics are getting thousands of votes a week people start voting for a webcomic (if they like it). They have a very decent top 100 list

Cons: Works on a voting system that many artists feel is sometimes not accurate or fair The top comics rarely move down and the new well-written comics have a hard time getting

noticed because of the lack of votes.

http://topwebcomics.com/

http://topwebcomics.com/




The Web Comics List: http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/ In the late 90’s and early 2000s, it was one of the most popular webcomic directories, It has a fantastic community Has an impressive list of over 25,000 webcomics

Pros: Has been around since the beginning of webcomics It continues to have a mass and very loyal following

Cons Site is a bit clunky and hard to navigate Site is sometimes slow to load There are a lot of really bad webcomics on this site There are also many webcomics that are no longer being maintained.

http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/

http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/




The Belfry Webcomics Index: http://belfrycomics.net/ One of the first "big" webcomic listing sites. it separates listings into two main categories: "furry" and "non-furry". A solid directory with many options such as most read, most subscribed, etc… Although they do not promote themselves as much as other directories, they are a solid

webcomic directory

Pros: They do an excellent job of promoting newly submitted webcomics They have really good tools for discovering new webcomics. Tools like most read, reader

faves, most subscribed, etc..

Cons: If you’re not into furry comics, this may not be the site for you.

http://belfrycomics.net/

http://belfrycomics.net/




ComicRocket : https://www.comic-rocket.com/ A large index of more than 12,000 webcomics and tools to find, read, and bookmark your place in them. Comic Rocket remembers where you are as you read a webcomic. Just create an account, pick a comic, and start reading. Even if you close your tab or window, Comic

Rocket will hold your place, and you can pick it up again the next time you login.

Pros: it keeps track of the comics that you're reading — and the comics' most recent updates.

Cons: you have to use the navigation on Comic Rocket's toolbar,

not the site's own navigation.

http://www.webcomicz.com/





Just the first frame: http://justthefirstframe.com/ A handy way to discover comics with art styles that appeal to you.. Each day, the site runner, Henry Kuo, grabs the first panel of various webcomics (or a little bit of a

single-panel webcomics). You can peruse a number of comics, and if you see one that appeals to you, click through to visit the

comic's page and read the whole strip — and, if you like it, dive into the archives.

Pros: A great way to discover beautiful webcomics Quality webcomics that have been reviewed by an administrator

Cons: Because updates are manual, they are not that frequent It uses scraping, which most webcomic owners frown upon






InkOutbreak: http://inkoutbreak.com/ Considers itself as a site to help you Discover and Follow webcomics Considers itself to be more of a webcomics reader than a listing site

Pros: Large list of webcomics There is no voting or top comic: it’s more user-centric Everything revolves around a users preferences: what they follow, what they bump

up, and what tags they have selected. Uses RSS readers to find out when webcomics update and informs followers of

updates. Remembers where you left off, so you don’t have to

Cons: You must create an account Many artists dislike the fact that Ink uses an RSS reader to scrape their content

http://inkoutbreak.com/

http://inkoutbreak.com/




Tapastic : http://tapastic.com/ Tapastic bills itself as the "YouTube for comics“. You find some comics that you like. You

press the Subscribe button in the upper left corner, and it will notify you when the comic updates.

It's an interesting way to discover—and follow—new titles. Many of the titles are manga-influenced

Pros: Lots of indie webcomics with quality titles on display. They also Android and iOS mobile apps Good search tools (by author and title)

Cons: Lacks some high-profile webcomics. Feels odd to read comics vertically instead of horizontally. You must create a Tapastic account or log in with your Facebook credentials.

http://tapastic.com/

http://tapastic.com/




Onlinecomics.net: http://onlinecomics.net/ In the late 90’s and early 2000s, it was one of the most popular webcomic

directories, referring to webcomics as online comics It is now dead.

Pros: Very good discovery mechanism Many good ideas until it died:

Commenting, reviewing, RSS feeds were all first at OnlineComics.net

Cons: Slow and unmainted by admin until it died

http://onlinecomics.net/




Other listing sites: WebcomicZ: http://www.webcomicz.com/ (more of podcast / review site

than an actual listing site) Webcomics Nation: http://www.webcomicsnation.com/ (replacement of

onlinecomics.net )



http://www.webcomicsnation.com/

http://www.webcomicsnation.com/


Finding Webcomics: Webcomics Hub


Webcomics Hub : https://webcomicshub.com It’s our site so we think it’s the best… Features include:

Ability to filter by comic genre Ability to like/dislike a webcomic (with daily IP checks) Ability to leave comments on webcomics Top 100 list based on features like:

Most commented Most viewed Most liked Most disliked

Ability to quickly view newest webcomics Webcomics reviewed by admins before approval

https://webcomicshub.com/

https://webcomicshub.com/


Finding Webcomics: Webcomics Hub’s Future


Future updates include: A webcomics hub blog partnership with youtube channels of different artists drawing tutorials creator interviews, etc...


Popular Webcomics


There are many excellent webcomics online: Many of theses webcomics have been around for years and have a very

loyal following Remember that this is our shortlist. There are plenty of other excellent

webcomics out there that are not on our shortlist.


Popular Webcomics


XKCD: http://xkcd.com/ A comic about science, nerds, romance and movies. And occasionally science.

http://xkcd.com/

http://xkcd.com/


Popular Webcomics


Cyanide & Happiness: http://www.explosm.net/comics/ Awkwardness, black humour, blood and stick figures. With a sly dash of

oneupmanship.

http://www.explosm.net/comics/

http://www.explosm.net/comics/


Popular Webcomics


Penny Arcade: http://www.penny-arcade.com/ Two nerds (Gabe & Tycho) deal with what it’s like to be a computer games nerd.

Hilarity ensues. Watch out for the special guests characters, they usually spell doom.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/

http://www.penny-arcade.com/


Popular Webcomics


CTRL+ALT+DEL: http://www.cad-comic.com/ Based around one nerd (Ethan) and his friends and wife as they make their

merry way through life. Look out for the stories where Ethan gets dragged off in space adventures.

http://www.cad-comic.com/

http://www.cad-comic.com/


Popular Webcomics


The Adventures of Dr. McNinja: http://www.drmcninja.com/ Features a doctor. Who is also a ninja. There’s not much more to say...

http://www.drmcninja.com/

http://www.drmcninja.com/


Popular Webcomics


Axe Cop: http://www.axecop.com/ Brothers Malachi (age 7) and Ethan (age 31) write and draw (respectively) the

finest cop drama you’ve never seen.

http://www.axecop.com/

http://www.axecop.com/


Popular Webcomics


Nedroid Picture Diary: http://www.nedroid.com/ Nedroid is a computer program designed explicitly for the purpose of drawing

gross and explicit comics. Makes some pretty neat stuff.

http://www.nedroid.com/

http://www.nedroid.com/


Popular Webcomics


The Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/ One of the most widely read comics on the Internet. Incredibly funny and

sometimes over the top humor with a quirky sense of humor.

http://theoatmeal.com/

http://theoatmeal.com/


Popular Webcomics


Ava's Demon: http://avasdemon.com/ In a space-faring world, Ava has spent her entire life haunted by a powerful and

cruel being.

http://avasdemon.com/

http://avasdemon.com/

DISCOVERING A MILLION AND ONE WEBCOMICS How to find great webcomics online

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