#499 Organizing Comics Events

Comics EventsWhat goes into planning a comics event? How can organizers respond to complaints from fans and cosplayers about sexual harassment and long lines? This week we ask Emerald City Comicon founder Jim Demonakos, now Global Director of Comic Talent at ReedPOP, about these issues, as well as how to maximize profits when tabling at a con, why comics events have multiplied, and what the future holds for comics conventions.

Also, Adam Pasion of Big Ugly Robot Press gives us the scoop on Big Ugly Robot and Black Hook Press‘s new event coming to Tokyo this July, Comic Art Tokyo!

Critiquing Comics #091: Doomsday Burgers, Don’t Be a Dumbass, Four Fables

Doomsday Burgers, Don't Be a Dumbass, Four Fables

Tim and Mulele dig into three more of the comics that Tim brought back from MoCCA Fest:

#498 Jason Shiga’s “Demon”

Demon

Jason Shiga’s Demon is one of the craziest comics you’ll ever read. The cartoony art makes it look unassuming, but frankly the darkly comic mayhem of this story probably wouldn’t work with a more realistic style of art. The story is about… Wait! Did you read it? You’d better do so before listening to Kumar and Dana talk about it, because this episode is — unavoidably, with a comic like this — full of spoilers. Listener beware!

#497 Peter Kuper: Demonstrating what comics can do

Ruins by Peter KuperPeter Kuper has been pushing the boundaries of comics for over two decades, using media like linoleum prints, scratchboard, and stencils & spray paint (including in The System) to make a wide variety of comics, from those with political or environmental messages to autobiography, adaptations of Franz Kafka’s writings, and (since 1997) Spy vs. Spy.

In this episode, Peter talks with Tim about the varied media; his youthful encounters with Harvey Pekar, R. Crumb, and Howard Chaykin; his ambitious graphic novel Ruins; the importance of getting out of your comfort zone; and much more.

Critiquing Comics #090: Here, After; Coco Soco; Apartment Hunt

Here, After; Coco Soco; Apartment Hunt

Critiquing Comics returns with a look at three comics with connections to past DCP and CCP episodes:

#496 Oglaf: Sword, Sorcery, and Sex

Oglaf

If you like your comedy sexy (or your porn funny), you’re probably a fan of Oglaf, Doug Bayne and Trudy Cooper‘s long-running Web comic. This week, Tim calls up Doug and Trudy in Sydney to talk about the fantasy-parody elements of the strip, the missing main character Ivan, the diversity of sexual orientations in the strip, why they rarely table at conventions, and more.

#495 Lucy Bellwood: crowdfunding a dream with Patreon

Bellwood and PatreonThis week a look at how creators can cultivate their following into a means of paying (some of) the bills.

Comics artist Lucy Bellwood has a pretty succesful Patreon page; it’s paying her Portland rent. Her fans appreciate her work, but often that’s not quite enough; showing your personality, making a personal connection, can get them to buy in on a deeper level. Lucy talks to Tim about what she’s done to cultivate her following of fans/patrons.

Then Tim is joined by Taryn Arnold, Community Happiness Representative at Patreon, to talk about how Patreon works, the background of the site, and what they’re doing to solve some problems that have arisen — including (as referred to on this podcast more than once) kamikaze patrons who pledge, download all the free content, and unpledge without making any payments.

Pledge at least $3.00 a month to Deconstructing Comics on Patreon and hear Lucy talk about some frustrating, and also rather amazing, experiences she had with freelancing, and on why she got stressed out when she guested on someone else’s web comic!

(If you’d like to know more about using Patreon yourself, here’s some info.)