Comic Lab

In a recent interview for the National Cartoonists Society, Greg Evans (the creator of the newspaper comic strip "Luanne") spoke about painting a single wall in his studio red. Mel Lazarus, creator o…

Where's the line between an autobiographical comic and a semi-autobiographical one — between "based upon" and "inspired by"? And when does the whole thing veer directly into fiction?? Plus... Dave Ke…

As they attempt to save the marriage of one of their listeners, Brad and Dave consider the best path for a cartoonist who wishes to pursue a master's degree. Would a Master's in Fine Arts be the righ…

When does a running gag stop being funny — and where does it start, for that matter? Cartoonists Brad and Dave must first agree on what a running gag is! Next, they'll talk about aesthetics — in othe…

Social media has convinced an entire generation of creators to focus on numbers — followers, subscribers, likes, shares, and other engagement metrics. However, focusing on numbers can often lead an a…

Brad and Dave discuss finding the right balance between visual and verbal. Dave asks if too much worldbuilding is an excuse to avoid actually writing the story. And a listener asks if it's a good ide…

A listener seeks writing advice. How can you motivate readers to engage with a story that has an unhappy ending? Additionally, Dave's new DogKickstarter.com, tips for responding to inquiries from "ci…

What are independent comic creators' most reliable revenue streams — and which are the worst? Brad ranks them from top to bottom, and Dave shares his own experiences with each. Also, the guys share t…

Brad Guigar has categorized the information shared by creative individuals into three groups. Dave Kellett has a couple of his own to contribute. Of the five, only one is useful. Identifying the othe…

This week's episode is sponsored by Hogan's Alley magazine! We'll discuss those moments in our careers when we said, "F*** me! That actually worked!" Also, a listener writes in to say that they want …

We're heading into a year promising significant upheaval — in business, social media, publishing, and more. But, after twenty-five years of self-publishing, cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar h…

Start your webcomic using the latest platforms, monetization methods, and social media strategies. If you're launching a new comic in 2025, this episode has all the information you'll need to get it …

Cartoonists Brad Guigar, Dave Kellett and Kevin McShane are teaming up on a new show — The Wrong Way! We'll teach you how to draw your favorite cartoon characters without getting sued over copyright …

A ComicLab member complained about following too many people on Bluesky. It was too difficult for them to cultivate a feed that suited their interests! This brought up a topic that has Dave and Brad …

As we begin a new year, cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar make their predictions for 2025 and share their goals for the next twelve months.

Predictions

• DAVE: Business planning anxiety
• BRAD: Becau…

At the beginning of the year, Dave and Brad made a series of predictions and set some personal goals for the year. The year is over, and it's time to see how they fared.

Predictions for 2024

• BRAD: Twit…

A father is concerned that comics no longer reach kids, suggesting that video games are the better value measured by engagement time. What can we do to reverse this trend? 

On today's show

• How can comi…

Writing humor takes a lot of time and patience. We'll discuss ways to persevere.

Summary

In this episode, Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett share insights on the creative process of writing humor, emphasizi…

What happens when your story gets too big for you to handle? Are you the right person for the job? (And if not you, then who??)

On Today's Show:

• In over your head
• UPDATE: It was FCS all along
•  Crossbar i…

Does an aspiring comics artist/writer need a college degree? And, if so, which degree is best? Next, a listener asks why Brad publishes his weekly comics page in half-page increments.

• What schools do …