Preface:  I’m new to the world of writing comics for viewing in any form. I just started doing this last September. By all rights, I’m a novice. I also don’t do this as a job. We haven’t monetized Parallax City in any way, and are currently doing it for the fun and experience of the affair. That’s what makes my perspective fresh like Doug E.

Update: A shining example of what I’m talking about below. Notice the lack of rationality and maturity. Well, except for Mike Krahulik.

Update 2: The epitome of Kurtz’s childishness.

There are currently two warring factions in the world of pictures with words written on them. Traditional syndicated print media comics, such as you find tucked away in the newspaper, versus web based comics, such as you find tucked away on the web.

With the newspaper industry (unfortunately) declining in proportion to the rise of internet based information, the syndicated fellows are showing up in less papers and falling out of the public eye. As a result, their secondary sales are hurting. Why? Well, if nobody’s reading Dilbert in the paper he ceases to be top of mind, and your Dilbert plushy ceases to be relevant or funny.

Most of the print guys are old timers. Let’s face it, the same print comics have been in your newspaper for nearly as long as you can remember. Once a guy makes the transition to syndicated newsprint, he’s generally there until he dies/retires. Some go out on top (Gary Larson, Bill Waterson), some just recycle their old comics ad nauseum. Mostly, they’re old dogs who’ve had a good thing for so long they don’t want to learn a new trick.

Meanwhile, the web based guys who do this as a business have come up with many unique ways to monetize their creations, without getting the direct cash from the media conglomerates. Chief among these are advertising and merchandise. A web based guy’s characters aren’t necessarily popular enough to make slapping their likeness on a coffee mug profitable, so they tend to be pretty inventive with the merch, coming up with clever designs and phrases that are tangentially related to their comic, and usually don’t rely on a knowledge of the source material.

It has been said by some among the syndicated print crowd that they don’t want to sell t shirts for a living. This is, quite frankly, sour grapes speech. Many of these same individuals have licensed their characters likenesses out across so much merchandise it’s a laughable claim at best. I think they feel they’re above the web based community in this regard because a “Buy Merch” link doesn’t appear next to their comic. That’s easier to avoid when you’re in the print media because you have a national recognition with all newspaper readers, making your merch more marketable in traditional brick and mortar stores. You don’t need a “Buy Merch” link next to your comic because your readers see your merch everywhere they go.

Furthermore, the newspaper guys haven’t had to cultivate fandom. Somebody in syndication deemed their strip worthy and it was instantly in front of millions. With an instant audience of that size, you’re guaranteed to grab a decent regular audience who enjoy the strip, and you’re still going to be read and recognized by people who don’t care about your strip because it’s already in front of them, and it takes all of 5 seconds to read it and not laugh.

A web based guy, however, generally starts with an audience of none. It’s only on the strength of word of mouth and inventive marketing that they can truly succeed, and word of mouth is only generated by consistent quality. There is a threshold of stagnation, however, and a lot of the giants in the webcomics world have crossed that threshold. Once you’re getting millions of views, it becomes easy to throw the quality in the back seat, and count on the fact that people already think you’re golden. It’s still necessary to refresh from time to time with quality, just like any good pusher.

Instead of staying classy and on their high horse, many in the web based community have decided to declare war not only on the syndicated artists whose work appears in newsprint themselves, but on the very medium which carries their work. There is nothing to be excited or joyous about when it comes to the decline of print media. It represents a large industry which employs millions. Print itself is an artform that occurs after the designed page. To be cavalier or sow delight among your fanbase regarding the problems they are facing is nothing short of ignorant, childish, selfish, and mostly callous.

So here’s my suggestion for both communities:

Print media guys – learn to monetize your business in a web based world. I’m truly sorry it’s happening to you, but the times they are a-changing. Being insulting to a business model that is soon to be WAY more successful than yours makes you look stupid. Trying to prop up your failing business model with ideas such as this is just, well, wow.

Web based guys – Your model works, so shut the fuck up! You don’t need to defend it. You don’t need to prove the old dogs wrong. And you definitely do not need to glee in the death of an industry and trade.

Both sides need to get back to focusing on their job as writers/artists and hoping that the whole world of comics in any media doesn’t dry up when the next great communication conduit is invented.