Read on Twitter
Fun to see the early-webcomics-recollections. Here's one of the takeaways I had from those days (I had some involvement back in the day).
The so-called war between newspapers/syndicates and webcomics was essentially about distribution methods.
1/
The so-called war between newspapers/syndicates and webcomics was essentially about distribution methods.
1/
A number of newspaper cartoonists were convinced webcomics were targeting them directly and loudly reiterated, over and over again, how there was absolutely no way webcomics would ever make money and the syndicates were the only *legitimate* form of professional cartooning.
2/
2/
Of course, we hit a critical mass on the web and the newspapers lost a critical mass of readers and oddly fast anyone talking about the 'debate' at best seemed quaint, like arguing about horses vs. cars at Le Mans in the sixties.
But that's not what really stands out to me.
3/
But that's not what really stands out to me.
3/
Webcomics were one of the first really strong examples of a medium that could cut out the traditional middleman and distribute directly via the internet, because static images were small and didn't tax dialup bandwidth.
4/
4/
And, as actual news distribution increasingly went to the internet instead of to printed (and therefore instantly outdated) newspapers, ultimately the very idea of a successful four panel comic strip with no digital distribution became ridiculous.
5/
5/
Simply put, 'webcomics' versus 'any other distribution of comic strips' stopped having relevance and then even meaning. Every syndicated strip was available online. Every comic was a webcomic. And the age old debate of independent vs. corporate content became the point.
6/
6/
As bandwidth increased and got less expensive and mechanisms for creation and distribution grew and spread, this exact same story played out in every other field of content creation. Music, video, book publishing, video game production, etc...
7/
7/
But in webcomics themselves, hitting the point of 'victory' against newspapers and the syndicates spelled the beginning of the end of 'the webcomics community' as it existed -- the unifying element of online cartoonists lost relevance.
8/
8/
Slowly, everyone realized, as opposition to 'webcomics' as a concept faded, the audiences of different comics had less and less reason to find common cause with each other.
Almost like 'method of distribution' didn't particularly interest the fandoms of different comics.
9/
Almost like 'method of distribution' didn't particularly interest the fandoms of different comics.
9/
And since most artistic media were going through the same thing, the tools built to collect, distribute, and monetize webcomics expanded to include most content-based media. e.g. Patreon arguably grew out of webcomics' donation drives, but covered artists of all varieties.
10/
10/
Today, comics fandoms form around specific creators, or genres, not the concept of 'comics on the web' in general. Cartoonists may find common cause with each other as creators, but their audiences don't translate that into common communities.
11/
11/
And the greatest and most revolutionary lesson taught by webcomics -- the end of corporate syndicates/publishing firms being the gatekeepers to artistic expression -- has spread far beyond comics.
12/
12/
Heck, it's been well over a decade since I last sent a story to a publisher's slush pile. I serialized several books last year, supported by my patrons, and I have zero interest in shopping them around. By mid-March, I'll have multiple books in digital and physical print.
13/
13/
That's the legacy of the webcomics community of 2000-2009. 'Freedom of the press' is no longer limited to the owners of those printing presses. Publication of any kind of content is limited only by time and discipline.
14/
14/
I'm asked every now and again why I don't write about webcomics any more. The question kind of baffles me. If I get the urge to put my critic's hat back on, I will... but it'll be to write about specific creative works, not 'webcomics' in general, because what does one say?
15/
15/
As for my 'legacy' from those days? Beyond multiple friendships, some writing I'm proud of, and most of all meeting @wednesday?
I'm responsible for defining something like five TVTropes.
As contributions to the discourse go? I've heard worse.
Cheers.
16/16
I'm responsible for defining something like five TVTropes.
As contributions to the discourse go? I've heard worse.
Cheers.
16/16
