Comic Lab

Although we typically focus on the bright side of being independent cartoonists, a listener asks us to address the downside of webcomics. We'll talk about time management, burnout, financial insecurity, and reader interactions. Then we realize that all those drawbacks have one very important thing in common — and it's not what you'd expect!

TODAY’S SHOW

ComicLab gets someone engaged!

The worst parts of being a webcartoonist.

Creativity isn’t always consistent.

Success doesn’t eliminate insecurity.

The business work never disappears.

Webcomics demand interaction.

The drawbacks are the flip side of the benefits!

Is the direct market disappearing?

Grieve the comic-shop dream—and move forward.

Getting outside your comfort zone.

Comedy can strengthen dramatic storytelling.

Beware the shiny object.

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon
$2 — Early access to episodes
$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.
If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!
Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

Patreon backers have access to an exclusive ComicLab Churn Rate spreadsheet — it does the math for you!

Is your Patreon actually growing—or are new members disguising a retention problem? Brad walks Dave through the process of calculating churn rate and shows how one number can unlock a much clearer understanding of a membership business. They discuss subscriber retention, lifetime value, onboarding, well-timed interventions, and how to determine whether advertising or convention appearances are truly worth the investment. Then, Dave asks whether publishing a children’s book page by page on his existing webcomic could finally help him finish it.

Topics include:

Skunk Watch 2026

What churn rate means for a Patreon creator

Why total membership and revenue can give you an incomplete picture

Finding the necessary numbers in Patreon Insights

Two methods for calculating churn rate

What constitutes a healthy churn rate

Why one month of data isn’t enough

Calculating your average churn rate over time

Calculating your retention rate

Estimating average subscriber lifetime

Calculating average monthly revenue per member

Determining the lifetime value of a Patreon backer

Why retaining a current member is cheaper than acquiring a new one

Using Patreon Autopilot to reduce cancellations

Evaluating the quality and value of your Patreon rewards

Improving the onboarding experience for new members

Welcome messages, digital gifts, and personalized Bonjoro videos

Brad’s one-week Patreon check-in

Helping new backers navigate a complicated archive

Using average subscriber lifetime to schedule a retention intervention

Brad’s 18-month check-in and longtime-backer gift

Repackaging older work into valuable digital rewards

Rewarding and recognizing your longest-serving supporters

Exclusive livestreams, previews, and “inner circle” benefits

Calculating an acceptable customer-acquisition cost

Evaluating paid advertising with lifetime-value data

Tracking whether a comic convention was financially worthwhile

Why free webcomics may still be the best customer-acquisition strategy

Dave’s productivity tip: drawing to Brazilian Carnival music

Using a webcomic schedule to force yourself to complete a children’s book

Why serialized children’s-book pages may not satisfy online readers

Publishing complete thematic sections instead of individual pages

Building a new project into an established comic’s schedule

The difficulty of building an audience for an independent children’s book

When a traditional children’s-book publisher may be helpful

Creative control, editorial notes, and refusing unwanted revisions

Breaking publishing rules and trusting your own experience

Releasing a finished independent book before seeking wider distribution

Why experienced cartoonists may resist redrawing or revising completed work

ComicLab LIVE at the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards

 

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon
$2 — Early access to episodes
$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.
If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!
Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

What belongs at the beginning of your book? Brad and Dave discuss whether an anti-AI statement offers creators any meaningful protection, break down the information that belongs on a copyright page, and explore the many ways cartoonists can approach the first page of a story or chapter. The best opening isn’t determined by a universal rule—it should establish the right expectations, reflect the story you’re telling, and give readers a reason to keep going.

Topics include:

Skunk Watch 2026

Do anti-AI statements offer creators legal protection?

Why a standard copyright notice may already cover AI training

The difference between creating, declaring, and registering a copyright

What information belongs on a copyright page

Copyright and trademark ownership

When to use ™ and when to use ®

Print location, printing numbers, and edition information

ISBNs and Library of Congress numbers

Combining copyright, title, credit, and dedication pages

Should a comic begin with a splash page?

Does the main character need to appear on page one?

Using the opening page to establish tone and make a promise to the reader

Why different stories require different kinds of openings

Brad’s two-page system for beginning a new Evil Inc chapter

Creating separate covers for SFW and NSFW editions

Using chapter openers as archive markers, promotional art, and production buffers

Dave’s approach to prologues, chapter openings, and world-building vignettes

The difference between the first page and the first chapter

ComicLab LIVE at the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon
$2 — Early access to episodes
$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.
If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!
Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

Cartoonist and author Dylan Meconis joins Dave Kellett to discuss marketing middle-grade webcomics, working with fans who offer to translate your work, and finding the right balance between control and accessibility. They also share practical advice for cartoonists creating an autobiographical avatar — including how simplification, posture, clothing, line quality, and tone can make a character feel unmistakably like you.

Topics include:

Marketing and monetizing middle-grade webcomics

Reaching young readers through parents, newsletters, libraries, and local events

Using print editions, zines, and snail-mail clubs to complement online comics

Deciding whether to permit fan translations

Maintaining quality control with beta readers and creator-hosted translations

Balancing copyright concerns with the desire to reach new audiences

Designing a cartoon version of yourself for memoir and autobiographical comics

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon
$2 — Early access to episodes
$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.
If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!
Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

This week, Brad and Dave talk about the best business model for longform webcomics — and why putting your comic online for free is still the strongest way to build a sustainable career. Also: Kickstarter’s late-pledge and pledge-manager tools, the difference between market research and mirror research, and how to keep going when your first posts get nothing but crickets.

ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW...

Dave’s backyard skunk problem may or may not require Super Soakers

What’s the best business model for longform webcomics?

Why fear of theft can stop creators from building an audience

Why free-to-read comics remain the best foundation for a comics business

“First comes the crowd, then comes the funding”

Why readers who enjoy your work online are often first in line to buy the book

How delayed access and early-access posts fit into a Patreon strategy

Why exclusive side stories can work better than paywalling your main archive

Avoiding physical rewards on Patreon and Substack

Dave will be at San Diego Comic-Con booth 1228 with free ComicLab pins (use the super-easy mnemonic: 1BAT) 

Kickstarter late pledges and Pledge Manager are bringing in real money

Why charging shipping closer to fulfillment can be safer

Market research vs. mirror research

How to estimate Kickstarter shipping more accurately

What to do when you start posting online and get “crickets”

Why seven posts is not enough time to expect traction

Reframing early work as building an archive for future fans

Social-media advice for giving readers a reason to engage

Why success in comics is a marathon, not a sprint

You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon
$2 — Early access to episodes
$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.
If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!
Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.