A collection of my inspirations with a bit of humor and current issues on the side. Aside from that, there's the rare post of me sharing what's on my mind.
Hey kids! When this happens, which it does a LOT, you call your states insurance commissioner’s office and file a formal complaint! Make sure you get a reference number for EVERY. SINGLE. CALL. you make, save every form of correspondence (email and mail) AND retain a copy of all your responses. If they stonewall you (That’s not a covered service, we’re not allowed to disclose that, etc) request a copy of your benefits, insurance is a CONTRACT and is legally binding.
Download a call recording app if you can, even if you can’t share the recordings at first they can be useful for your reference and can be presented if you need to go to court.
I work with insurance companies all day everyday and have so for almost a decade. I trust them as much as I trust my dog to watch the Thanksgiving turkey. Approach each interaction with them *like* it’s going to go to court.
what farming items in mmorpgs has taught me: i used to think using ice trays to make ice cubes was free but after thinking about it i have to pay the electric bill to power the freezer so every moment that i’m not freezing new trays of ice cubes is a moment that i’m underutilizing the freezer and increasing the cost of ice cubes. i have to constantly swap out ice trays for new ice cubes on an hourly rotation on a 24 hour basis or else i won’t produce the maximum amount of ice cubes possible and will underutilize the full potential of my electric bill. i need to stop using all other appliances and utilities in my home to make more ice cubes
Clam’s Quick Tips for Starting Your Very First Webcomic
Howdy! Here are the three bits of advice I tend to give people who ask me about getting into webcomic-making. Maybe they can help you jump into the fray with a little less fear.
1) Make Your First Chapter a Pilot Episode
You will be told by webcomic veterans to start with a short, simple comic idea first - which is wise - but if allyou can think about is your big magnum opus, then you might as well hop in, right? Otherwise you’ll just be glancing back at the other cooler project forever.
But if you can’t start with a small simple story, start on a small, simple part of that larger story. Your first chapter should be a snapshot of the main conflict - show us a simple scene with few characters, ease us in slowly, keep things clear and focus on emotion/impact/clarity. Get the audience to care by offering something easily digested, but full of promise.
Once you’re done with that ‘pilot’ chapter, and you’re feeling more comfortable with the whole comic process, you can open the gates and show us the larger world. At that point, you’ll be way more ready.
2) Simplify Your Art StyleFor Your Own Sanity
Always try to make your webcomic’s art style as simple as possible - the standard rule is to use only 75% of your artistic skill for every comic page you make. Otherwise you will burn out quickly and terribly.
But you also need to be PROUD of your art style. If you’re really feeling itchy, add a couple bells and whistles to your style so you can look at the finished page and say “Yeah, looks cool.” You’ll find the right balance the more you draw.
Also, don’t be afraid to change your art style as you go along. Ultimate consistency is often impossible in webcomics anyway - so embrace your desire to try new things, streamline your work, whatever you feel needs to happen to be happiest. Sometimes the coolest part of reading a webcomic is noticing that style change - so don’t hesitate to embrace it!
3) Resist the Reboot! RESIST!
The curse/blessing of drawing the same things over and over is that you’ll inevitably get better at drawing those things. The trouble comes when you look back at old stuff and start thinking “Damn, I could draw that way better now.”
You must recognize that this feeling never goes away. Not after a hundred pages. Not after three hundred. Not after a thousand.
I think everyone should be allowed one soft reboot for their first webcomic. Redraw some panels that bother you. Change up some dialogue if it doesn’t make sense with your new story ideas. Do maintenance, basically. One of the beauties of webcomics is that they can be easily edited, without reprinting a whole book or remaking a whole game.
But if the ultimate purpose of a webcomic is to tell a story, then constant reboots will just be retelling the same story - slightly better each time, but the same at its core. We’ve heard it before. Most audiences would rather you save your strength and just keep going, rather than circling back year after year and going “Wait wait wait! I’ll do it better this time.”
Reboot early, not often, and only when you absolutely must! You’re a storyteller, and you’re constantly getting better at telling your story. Don’t be ashamed of it - look back how much ground you’ve covered, and keep walking!
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That’s a good start. Happy webcomicking - don’t be afraid to jump in, but be prepared to learn a lot very quickly. And if this advice doesn’t work for you or adhere to how you did it, that’s absolutely fine - webcomics are diverse by nature, and so are their creation processes. Feel out what works best for you, and good luck!
