I haven't posted in the forums here in a while, but the blog post about the Fabricari time-lapse thing got me thinking...
what seperates a gimmick from a genuine innovation?
I'll give you that the Fabricari video isn't exactly "innovative" (though extremely fun to watch). But where is the line drawn? When can you say that someone is doing something just to get a bigger audience, and when can you say that an artist or performer or anyone is just pushing the boundaries of their medium?
(I may expand on this later, but I wanted to get the topic rolling)
ComixTalk is not responsible for comments, blog and forum posts. News and ComixTalk Magazine articles are copyright by their respective authors.
ComixTalk, its websites and logos are ©2003-2008 | Managing Editor: Xaviar Xerexes | Site Design: Mind Faucet
Thanks, Reva, for the kind
Thanks, Reva, for the kind and insightful comments on the Fabricari Vlog. This is a topic I've been struggling with.
I've pretty much given up on innovating, as nothing I've done is really original. I just try to keep it fun for me. I try to create a website I would want to keep visiting regularly.
And there's the rub. Fabricari is one of those graphic-novel-in-process web comics like MegaTokyo. It can be painful waiting for the story to progress. But what I love about those kinds of sites are the behind-the-scene aspects. I'm a process junky. I would love to look over Fred Gallager's shoulder and watch him draw. And so, that's what I set up for my site with the movie.
It's a gimmick, because, truthfully, that movie will be far more interesting to most folks than the actual comic. I don't feel too bad about it. I have fun creating both.
In regards to doing something/anything to get a bigger audiance: absolutely. Without an audiance, there's no reason to be creative. At least, not for me. I've given up trying to make money with my art, but I do want an audiance. I don't think there's anything unusual about that. With a large enough audiance, I may be able to afford more time to do what I love. More art.
And yes, I've even tried pissing off the fine folks at Penny Arcade to get linked up and syphon some of that audiance - but that's not easy. Heh heh. That would take a Kong sized gimmick.
That actually brings up another interesting point. Do authors of comics with graphic novel dreams need to imply gimmicks to gather an audience? I fully believe that they do. The audience itself, by nature, wants instant gratification. In Fabricari's case (as well as many other excellent story-based comics) you are forced to entertain the audience on the side as well as provide substance within the comic itself to keep them interested. Look at some of the most mentioned webcomics out there now. They are able to entertain every day or two on a consistent basis because they are written to do so. Storylines are brief, as to allow the audience to move on to the next punchline or fabulously drawn page with ease. Your anticipation is driven towards "what's next" and your satisfied because you know that either tomorrow or the next day your going to get a response.
I must agree that Fabricari is using "gimmicks" to gather an audience. The truth is he has to. As to how he is pushing the boundaries of the medium, it's because he is trying new things to get people to stick around. He blatantly uses sex in his banners, buys advertising, blogs on other sites and is now applying Veye candy in an original way. Best of all, he's fully admitting that he's doing it. Ultimately with him you are definitely getting a sense that he is doing this for the readers and that is truly what will be keeping them around.
Gimmick shmimmick. When it comes right down to it, we're all a bunch of attention whores anyways.
I too have set up a camera above my art table so people can watch me draw... naked. Yet oddly enough nobody ever seems to click on that link on my site.
For the record, I consider my comic's format a gimmick, and often refer to it as that. But it's been called innovation once or twice, so I don't know.
A gimmick is something you use to stand out from the crowd. Or a wrestling persona. Um. Anyway. I guess that means that the innovativeness of a gimmick isn't really as important as how well it works to help you stand out. In the case of the fabricari movie, it works as a promotional gimmick (at least for me... I went and looked and then checked out the comic). As far as innovation goes, I'd say it works there too.
One of the neater (IMO) aspects of webcomics is how they allow the artist to interact with the audience in ways that aren't possible with paper comics. Being able to watch a time lapse of comic being drawn innovates there, at least a little. (I've seen similar in cartoons and documentaries and so on. Whats new here is that it doesn't require a team of animators and editors and also, I've never seen it in a webcomic...)
Just a follow up: I've posted a new movie that coincides with the comic. Not the easiest thing in the world to squeeze the making of a strip into 4 minutes, I've found.
And this time, I've included music from a true innovator, Cat Garza of Magic Inkwell. With his blessings, of course. He's been innovating with music, motion and webcomics long before I ever acknowledged the practicality of publishing my comics on the web.
His music is beautiful, and is proof that if you put a crappy picture in a nice frame, it can look nice on your wall. (Crappy picture being the movie itself.)
cat garza?! that f#$cker is the KING of gimmicky comics! jesus! what is this webcomics world coming to?!? :lol: